Papers by Stephan Claassen
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2024
The present paper describes eight different string figures and tricks as they must have been play... more The present paper describes eight different string figures and tricks as they must have been played in Stockholm in the 1970s. They were recorded in the summer of 2023 when a preschool teacher from Stockholm made them for me. The construction of one of the figures has not been described before, and could be the same method as used to make a string figure applied in an early 20 th century healing ceremony in southern Sweden. Two figures were known from only one other recording. In the two-player take over game, eight of the transitions have not been described before. One of these transitions was invented by the player herself, and one is not a take over, but a modification of the figure on the hands with the help of the other player.
Bullletin of the International String Figure Association, 2024
During and after a string figure session with elders and children on the Faroe Islands in 2024 si... more During and after a string figure session with elders and children on the Faroe Islands in 2024 six string figures and tricks were collected which were either new to us, were new variants, or had hitherto been uncollected on the islands. These are described in the present paper, accompanied by short comparative notes and analyses. A striking feature of string figure construction on the Faroe Islands is the consistent use of the middle finger instead of the index finger.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2024
The present paper presents three string figures and their accompanying stories as made and told b... more The present paper presents three string figures and their accompanying stories as made and told by Kakos Baewa and Winnie Madura. The recordings were made in the village of Limol, Southwest Papua New Guinea in 2016. The construction methods and stories (in Ende and in English translation) are presented, accompanied by contextual information and short comparative analyses. One of the figures occurs quite regularly in New Guinea (but not in other parts of Oceania), the two others are much rarer. Two string figure songs (for which the accompanying string figure is unknown) are presented in an appendix.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2023
In 1997 several original inhabitants returned to Kuugyuak (Perry River), a settlement that was ab... more In 1997 several original inhabitants returned to Kuugyuak (Perry River), a settlement that was abandoned in 1967. They spontaneously started to make and share string figures, which was caught on video tape. The current paper describes 41 out of the 43 string figures and tricks that were shown. The construction of eight figures has not been recorded before, and eleven figures were hitherto not known to be present in the Inuinnait region. It was not possible to identify and transcribe the construction of two of the figures. One of the noteworthy features is the use of the foot in the construction and display of three figures, which is not common for string figures from the Arctic.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2023
This paper presents 29 different string figures from the Kauwerawec, a group of people living alo... more This paper presents 29 different string figures from the Kauwerawec, a group of people living along the Otken river, a tributary to the Mamberamo river, in western New Guinea. The string figures were recorded by Jan van Eechoud in 1939 in Pionierbivak in 36 black and white photographs, which are reproduced in this paper. Seven of the figures have probably not been seen before, and one figure is only known from another photograph. Four of the figures carry two different names.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2023
This paper presents Israeli versions of the two-player take over string game, known in the Englis... more This paper presents Israeli versions of the two-player take over string game, known in the English-speaking world as "Cat's Cradle". It employs fourteen different YouTube videos as its source material. Ten of the transitions found have probably not been described before. Placing a final figure on the head as if it were a crown is also new. In addition, tools (take over techniques, shapes, shape requirements, shorthand descriptions) are developed that can be used in a structural analysis of the game.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2022
This paper presents fourteen different string figures, tricks and knots that were collected betwe... more This paper presents fourteen different string figures, tricks and knots that were collected between 1969 and 1973 by Yves Delaporte among the Saami of Kautokeino (Norway). The collection was previously published in 1976 on microfilm; it contained also a description of the twoplayer take over game, which is not presented here but can be found in a previous publication. Comparative remarks accompany each figure. Eight figures/tricks are also found in another collection of Saami string figures, collected some three decades earlier. One figure and two string tricks have, in this form, probably not been recorded elsewhere. More than half of the collection consists of tricks, which are unnamed. Apparently the Saami themselves do not distinguish between string tricks and string figures. The collection shows characteristics that fit the broader European string figure tradition.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2022
This paper presents a collection of twenty-two different string figures that were collected among... more This paper presents a collection of twenty-two different string figures that were collected among the Kamoro (West Papua) in 1954 by Dutch ethnologist Jan Pouwer. No construction methods were recorded. In an Appendix reconstructions for twenty of the figures are presented, of which eighteen are probable. Most figures have been found in other parts of New Guinea and/or Oceania. One figure (likely to be the continuation of another figure) has not been recorded before. The drawings are consistent in that they indicate the use of Opening A* in the construction of the figures, which is an indication that the figures were made by the same informant; this is confirmed by the contextual information.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2022
The two-player take over string game (in English commonly called Cat's Cradle) also occurs in Yid... more The two-player take over string game (in English commonly called Cat's Cradle) also occurs in Yiddish sources. This short Letter to the Editor describes its occurrences and places it into the context of European string figure making.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2022
This paper presents six string figures and tricks, and a recording of the twoplayer take over gam... more This paper presents six string figures and tricks, and a recording of the twoplayer take over game. Their construction was shown by Beata Borucka, a lady from Warsaw, Poland, on two YouTube videos. She learnt the figures in the 1960s from her mother, who was from Radzymin, a small town close to Warsaw. The figures are accompanied by comparative notes. They all fit in the European string figure tradition. One figure probably has not been described before, which also holds for some of the transitions in the two-player take over game; they are, however, variants of construction methods that are common in several parts of Europe. Three string figures, recorded in 1940 by Georg Eckert in a Polish workers' community near Le Creusot (central France), are presented in an Appendix.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association , 2022
This paper presents sixteen different string figures, tricks and knots that were collected in 193... more This paper presents sixteen different string figures, tricks and knots that were collected in 1939 by Paul-Émile Victor among the northwestern Saami. The collection had been offered for publication in a Swedish periodical shortly before WWII, but it was not actually published, in a French periodical, until 1976, when Yves Delaporte prepared Victor's original manuscript. Comparative remarks accompany each figure. Half of the figures/tricks are also found in another collection of Saami string figures, collected some three decades later. Three figures have, as far known, not been recorded before; these are all figures that are constructed mainly on the left hand. Half of the collection consists of tricks. Of these tricks, six have no name. Apparently the Saami themselves do not distinguish between string tricks, knots and string figures. The collection shows characteristics that fit the broader European string figure tradition.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2021
In November 1934 German ethnologist Emil Heinrich Snethlage filmed the construction of three stri... more In November 1934 German ethnologist Emil Heinrich Snethlage filmed the construction of three string figures among the Moré, living on the Bolivian border of Rio Guaporé. The figures are presented here, accompanied by comparative remarks and information on their context.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2021
This paper presents twelve string figures or series of figures, nine tricks, three knots used in ... more This paper presents twelve string figures or series of figures, nine tricks, three knots used in folk medicine, one display of skill and one game for children; all are performed with a string loop or a length of string. They were found in publications in the Hungarian language that appeared in the period between 1904 and 2016. Two further examples of the two-player take over game are presented in appendices. The Hungarian string figure corpus clearly fits in the European tradition. Three string figures have probably not been described elsewhere; two of them are closely related to traditional weaving techniques. Some transitions in the two-player take over game were probably not seen before. Some Hungarian string tricks and knots are used in traditional folk medicine.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2021
Five independent French sources describe a 19 th century two-player string figure called La Scie ... more Five independent French sources describe a 19 th century two-player string figure called La Scie ("The Saw") or La Scie en Long ("The Pitsaw"). The figure also lends its name to the two-player take over game (called Cat's Cradle in the English-speaking world). The present paper presents the information found in the French sources, along with comparative notes and contextual information.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2021
The author provides a transcription of a video made by artist Tamara Rigishvili of Tbilisi, Georg... more The author provides a transcription of a video made by artist Tamara Rigishvili of Tbilisi, Georgia, showing how "Cat's Cradle" (the two-player take over game) is played in her country. Attention is drawn to three less common transitions (Stage 6 to 4, Stage 5 to 4, and Stage 5 to 2).
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association , 2021
This paper presents an interpretation of the two-player take over game, in the English-speaking w... more This paper presents an interpretation of the two-player take over game, in the English-speaking world often referred to as "Cat's Cradle". The game was recorded around 1970 by French ethnologist Yves Delaporte among the Saami of the Kautokeino area in the north of Norway. The presentation is accompanied by short comparative notes. The concept of Stages is introduced to describe the structure of the game. Three transitions between Stages have probably not been recorded in other parts of the world before.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association , 2020
This paper presents two different string games that are known in Catalonia, along with a descript... more This paper presents two different string games that are known in Catalonia, along with a description of their context. Comparative remarks accompany each game. The paper is based on previously published information on Catalan string games, information found on the internet, and field recordings made by the author in 2019. The term “string games” is used here instead of the more generally used term “string figures”, because in Catalonia the focus is not so much on the actual figures that are being made as on the playful interaction between the players in the game. The Catalan string game corpus consists of one two-player take-over series and one action figure mimicking a saw, but variations do occur. Both are also found in other parts of Europe and the world, although some details are not. The use of the string with which the pastry eaten on festive days is packed is a particular custom in some parts of Catalonia.
String games from Basque Country and from the area around Madrid are presented in appendices, as is an interpretation of a recording of La Scie, a saw-like string figure from France, originally published in 1860 (or 1856).
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2019
Twelve different string figures/series and tricks from Estonia are presented. The collection is b... more Twelve different string figures/series and tricks from Estonia are presented. The collection is based on material from the Estonian Folklore Archives (manuscripts that are part of a 1930s game collecting competition and video recordings), on information obtained through the internet, and on material collected by the author himself. There is a considerable amount of variation in string figure making. The most common string game is the two-player game that is known in English as Cat's Cradle, a further common figure is the action figure mimicking the movements of a saw. One short two-player series, a variant of the worldwide known Cat's Cradle game, has probably not been recorded before, which holds also for some variations in the Cat's Cradle game. Juulius Jakobson's 1935 drawing of Stage 6 noot ("trawlnet") of Estonia 01 From a manuscript in the Estonian Folklore Archives
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2017
The paper presents eight different traditional string figures and tricks from
Kuopio, South-Cent... more The paper presents eight different traditional string figures and tricks from
Kuopio, South-Central Finland, accompanied by comparative notes. The
figures were collected in 2011 by Finnish folklorist Ulla Lipponen. Although
the collction is relatively small, it is important. One figure, Helpot Verhot, has
(as far as is known) not been published before; two further figures were each
known from a single other recording. The figures and their names are closely
related to other traditional European string figures, suggesting the existence of
a distinct European string figure tradition. In an Appendix two further
recordings of string figure making, from Finnish videos on Youtube, are
presented.
Bulletin of the International String Figure Association, 2017
This paper presents twelve different string figures or short sequences of figures
that were coll... more This paper presents twelve different string figures or short sequences of figures
that were collected in 1909 at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition by Ethel
and Kathleen Haddon. The informant for all figures was Nahout (or Bahout), a
man from Chukotka Peninsula, Northeastern Siberia. Although there is no
decisive proof, Nahout appears to be of Chukchi origin. The collection of fig-
ures belongs to the Alaskan and Northeastern Siberian string figure tradition.
One of the figures has (as far as is known) not been recorded elsewhere, but it
is a variant of a figure that occurs regularly in the Arctic region. One short
series of figures was probably recorded before at the westernmost tip of Alas-
ka. The limited information available suggests that Nahout chose a particular
construction technique based on particular characteristics of the string config-
uration.
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Papers by Stephan Claassen
String games from Basque Country and from the area around Madrid are presented in appendices, as is an interpretation of a recording of La Scie, a saw-like string figure from France, originally published in 1860 (or 1856).
Kuopio, South-Central Finland, accompanied by comparative notes. The
figures were collected in 2011 by Finnish folklorist Ulla Lipponen. Although
the collction is relatively small, it is important. One figure, Helpot Verhot, has
(as far as is known) not been published before; two further figures were each
known from a single other recording. The figures and their names are closely
related to other traditional European string figures, suggesting the existence of
a distinct European string figure tradition. In an Appendix two further
recordings of string figure making, from Finnish videos on Youtube, are
presented.
that were collected in 1909 at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition by Ethel
and Kathleen Haddon. The informant for all figures was Nahout (or Bahout), a
man from Chukotka Peninsula, Northeastern Siberia. Although there is no
decisive proof, Nahout appears to be of Chukchi origin. The collection of fig-
ures belongs to the Alaskan and Northeastern Siberian string figure tradition.
One of the figures has (as far as is known) not been recorded elsewhere, but it
is a variant of a figure that occurs regularly in the Arctic region. One short
series of figures was probably recorded before at the westernmost tip of Alas-
ka. The limited information available suggests that Nahout chose a particular
construction technique based on particular characteristics of the string config-
uration.
String games from Basque Country and from the area around Madrid are presented in appendices, as is an interpretation of a recording of La Scie, a saw-like string figure from France, originally published in 1860 (or 1856).
Kuopio, South-Central Finland, accompanied by comparative notes. The
figures were collected in 2011 by Finnish folklorist Ulla Lipponen. Although
the collction is relatively small, it is important. One figure, Helpot Verhot, has
(as far as is known) not been published before; two further figures were each
known from a single other recording. The figures and their names are closely
related to other traditional European string figures, suggesting the existence of
a distinct European string figure tradition. In an Appendix two further
recordings of string figure making, from Finnish videos on Youtube, are
presented.
that were collected in 1909 at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition by Ethel
and Kathleen Haddon. The informant for all figures was Nahout (or Bahout), a
man from Chukotka Peninsula, Northeastern Siberia. Although there is no
decisive proof, Nahout appears to be of Chukchi origin. The collection of fig-
ures belongs to the Alaskan and Northeastern Siberian string figure tradition.
One of the figures has (as far as is known) not been recorded elsewhere, but it
is a variant of a figure that occurs regularly in the Arctic region. One short
series of figures was probably recorded before at the westernmost tip of Alas-
ka. The limited information available suggests that Nahout chose a particular
construction technique based on particular characteristics of the string config-
uration.