title: List of string figures
text: # List of string figures
  
  The following is a list of string figures, various figures which can be made using a loop of string, and which occur in games such as cat's cradle. Most of the titles are translations and/or descriptions.
  
  ## Format
  
  Explanation of the format of these listings:
  
  * "name 1" (location of name), [specific citation] "name 2" (location 2): opening position[, extension, notes] [general citation]
     * subsequent figures
  
  ## List
  
  * "Ace of Diamonds" (Hawaii: "E-ke-ma-nu"): position 1, similar to Cat's cradle's "Mattress"
     * "Big Star" (Navajo)
  * "Ace of Hearts" (Hawaii: "E-ke-pe-ki"): ???
  * "Ace of Spades" (Hawaii: "E-ke-ha-ka"): ???
  * "Andromeda Galaxy" (invented): opening A
  * "Antares" (Nauru): opening A
  * "Apache Door" (Apache), "Pancho" (Navajo), "Sling" (Zuni), "Tent Door"/"String Bag"/"Horde"/"Poncho"/"Streamers"/"Fish Net" (N. America): opening A, (Navajo): position 1
  * "Apache Teepee" (Apache): nonstandard
  * "Arms" (Nunivak Inuit: "moguk"): ???
     * "Legs" ("eruk")
  * "Arrow" (Navajo: "Ka"): opening A
  * "Baby Being Born" (Wadaman): position 1
  * "Bagobo Diamonds" (Bagobo, also Linao Moros): opening A
  * "Bagobo Two Diamonds" (Bagobo): opening A
  * "Bear's Den" (Kwakiutl):
     * "Bear" (Kwakiutl), "Dog" (N. Alaska, W. Greenland), "Fox" (Mackenzie, W. Copper, Netsilik, Iglulik)
        * "Porcupine" (Kwakiutl), "Man Kneeling" (Caribou), "Hunter Approaching a Seal on Ice" (Netsilik)
        * "Goose" (Kwakiutl)
  * "Bird" (Papua): position 1
  * "Bird House" (Hawaii: "A-na-ma-nu"): ???
  * "Bird's Nest" (Navajo): position 1
  * "Bow" (Navajo: "Atl-ti"): Navajo opening
  * "Breastbone and Ribs" (Inuit: "Grut"): ribcage opening
  * "Breasts" (Hawaii: "Wai-u-la-wa"): ???
  * "Brush House" (Zuni: "Pi-cho-wai, ham-pun-nai"), "Hut" (Pueblo: "Nathu"), (Klamath): nonstandard
     * "Six-Pointed Star": continuation
  * "Butterfly" (Navajo: "Ga-lo-ki/'Ga-hi-ki"): Navajo opening
  * "Butterfly" (Nauru: "Ijewaioi"): ???
  * "Candle Thief" (England, Ireland, Germany): nonstandard
  * "Canoe with Two Masts" (Torres Straits: "Nar"): opening A, requires two people or use of a toe
  * "Canoe with Two Sails" (Gilbert Islands, chant: Te Wa Ma le-Na): opening A
  * "Caribou" (Cumberland Sound Inuit: "Tuktuqdjung"), "Caribou" (St. Michael Island Inuit: "tuk-tuk"): opening A
  * "Caroline Islands Catch" (Ngatik): opening A, similar to "King Fish"
  * "Caroline Islands Diamonds" (Ngatik): nonstandard, Caroline extension
  * "Carrying Bundles of Wood" (Navajo): opening A
  * "Casting the Fish-Spear" (Torres Straits): opening A, similar to "Fish-Spear"
  * "Catching a Cockroach" (Samoa): nonstandard
  * Cat's cradle (Europe), game of string (Russia), kang sok (Southern China: "well rope"), Jack in the Pulpit (regional U.S.): Cradle
     * 1: "Cradle": around wrists
     * 2: "Soldier's Bed", "Mattress"
     * 3: "Candles", "Calm Sea"
     * 4: "Manger", "Upturned Cradle"
     * End: "Saw"
     * 5 & 12: "Diamonds", Carpet, (Russia) "Mattress Turned Over"
     * 6: "Cat's Eye"
     * 7: "Fish in a Dish", "Pig on Pegs"
     * 10: "Hand Drum"/"Scraggly"
     * End: "Two Royal Crowns"/"Grandfather Clock"
     * End: "Lucky Tea Kettle"
  * "Chicken Bum" (Guianas, Peru, Sierra Leone), "Wink" (Hawaii): nonstandard
  * "Chochaío" (Palau: "Bird"): opening B
  * "Circles and Triangles" (Ngatik: Bur-bur-ani jau): opening A
  * "Clothes Line" (Cape Prince of Wales Inuit: "iniarat"): ???
  * "Cobweb" (Whanganui): position 1
  * "Coconut Net" (Gilbert Islands: "Teibu Te Tatai"): around wrists
  * "Coral" (Uap: "Melang"): opening A, Caroline extension
     * "Variation of Coral" (invented)
  * "Cup and Saucer" (Europe), "Sake Cup"/"House" (Japan), "Canoe with Outrigger" (New Caledonia), "Skinning the Bison"/"Dressing a Skin" (Salish): opening A
     * "Owl's Eyes" (Europe): opening A
  * "Cutting the Hand" (Inuit): opening A
  * "Dancer" (Caroline and Loyalty Islands): position 1
  * "Diadem", "Jacob's Ladder" (Europe), "Osage Diamonds" (Osage), "Fence"/"Ladder" (Irish), "Calabesh Net" (Africa), "Le pont de Quebec" (Quebec, "Quebec Bridge"): opening A
     * "Cat's Whiskers" (Europe): continuation
     * "Eiffel Tower" (Europe): continuation
     * "Witch's Hat" (Europe): continuation
     * "King's Crown" (Germany): variation
  * "Dog On a Leash" (Nunivak Island Inuit: "kaymuchta"): ???
  * "Dog with Large Ears" (Copper Inuit): nonstandard
  * "Dravidian Trick" (Dravidian):
  * "Drunken Tree" (Eastern Toba): opening A
  * "Eel" (Papua), "Catching Crabs" (Gilbert Islands): nonstandard
  * "Egarawinago" (Nauru: "Lady of Quality"): ???
  * "Egona and Egameang Sitting On a Stone" (Nauru): ???
  * "Erupting Volcano" (Mapuche): opening A
  * "Fighting Head-hunters" (Torres Straits: Ares, or Murray and Duaur men fighting): opening A
  * "Find the Owl" (Navajo): opening A
  * "Flint and Steel" (Yap: "Nifi")/"Origin of Fire" (Torres Straits), "Chellaba" (Africa: "turn over"), "Tinder-box" (Caroline Islands): position 1
  * "Finger Catch" (Chippewa): nonstandard
  * "Fire Drill" (Kwakiutl): opening B
  * "Fish" (???): Murray opening
     * "Pig" (Lifu Island, Loyalty Islands)
     * "Frog" (Patomana, British Guiana)
     * "Silau" (Papuan, Goodenough Island: "Evil Spirit"): Murray opening
  * "Fish-Spear" (Torres Straits: "Baur"), "Pitching a Tent" (Salish, B.C.), "Sea-Egg (Echinus) Spear" (Clayoquaht), "Duck Spear" (Alaska), "Coconut Palm Tree" (Africa), "Parachute" (Europe), "Witches Broom" (Europe): position 1, similar to "Hogan" but with three lines, and similar to "Casting the Fish-Spear"
  * "Floor Mat" (Nauru): ???
  * "Flower" (Navajo): position 1
  * "Fly"/"Mosquito"/"Smashing a Coconut"/"Flying Fox" (Solomon Islands): nonstandard
  * "Fly On the Nose" (Torres Straits: "Buli"): nonstandard, trick
  * "Flying Bird" (South Sea Islands): position 1
  * "Four Boys Hand-in-Hand" (Australia): Murray opening
  * "Fox and Whale" (King Island Inuit: "achvuk-tezeuk"): position 1
  * "Ghost Dance" (New Guinea): two person
  * "Gated Well"/"Well" (South Sea Islands), "Velovelo" (Fiji: "Dugout Canoe"), "Ti Meta" (Murray Island: "Ti Bird's Nest"), "Basket"/"Wooden Food Bowl" (???): opening A
     * "Fence Around the Well": continuation (Lifu: Sihnag)
     * "Crab" (Kiwai Island: "Kokowa"): continuation
        * "Variation of the Crab" (invented)
  * "Giraffe Eating Grass" (Japan): opening A, variation of "Two Brown Bears"
  * "Ha-le-ku-mu-ma-ka-a" (Hawaii): ???
  * "Hammock" (Muslim): position 1
  * "Hammock [Weaving]" (N. or S. America): two person
  * "'Hanging'" (Philippines & Yap): nonstandard, trick
  * "Hare" (Inuit: "Ukaliaqdjung"): ???
  * "Hawk" (Wardaman): opening A, two people
  * "Headhunters" (Murray island): opening A
  * "Hill and Two Ponds" (Inuit: "Qaqaqdjung Sesinging"): ???
  * "Hogan" (Navajo): nonstandard, "Parachute" with four lines
  * "House" (Australia): around wrists, two people
  * "House" (Yap: "Naun", Maori, North Queensland): opening A, two people
  * "Hull of a Ship" (Nauru: "Deimano"):
  * "Hunter Stalking a Seal" (Inuit): position 1
  * "Ibunemun" (Nauru: "Man"): ???
  * "Iburenio" (Nauru: a growth in the tomana tree): opening A
  * "Japanese Butterfly" (Japan): nonstandard
  * "Kani Mumun" (Gilbert Islands: 'dispersing clouds' or 'flight of the conquered'): position 1
  * "King Fish" (Murray Island: "Geigi", Mabuiag: "Dangal"[Dugong/Sea-cow]), "Kamo" (Torres Straits: "The Thief"): opening A, similar to "Caroline Islands Catch"
  * "King's Throne"/"The Bed" (Gilbert Islands: Bao-n te nea): opening A
  * "Kiwi" (Maori): opening A
  * "Ko-he" (Hawaii): ???
  * "Laia Flower"/"Lotus Flower (New Hebrides): opening A
  * "Lairo" (Fiji: "Land Crab"): position 1 variant
  * "Lake Fish" (Anvik Inuit: "nanvumcheseah"): ???
  * "Leashing/Lines of Lochiel's Dogs" (Scotland, Ireland, England), "Raven's Feet"/"Crow's Feet" (Tanana Inuit), "Ptarmigan Feet"/"Crows' Feet" (N. America), "Cock's Feet" (France), "Chicken Toes"/"Wooden Spoon" (Africa: "Umuzwa"), "Emus'/Cockerels' Feet" (???), "Two Tents" (???), "Spade" (New Zealand), "Ducks' Feet" (Scotland): opening A, nearly identical to "Two Hogans"
     * "Pepper Plant"
        * "Spider's Web": two people
     * "Caterpillar"
  * "Lightning" (Navajo: "Atsinil-klish", Tewa: "Vo-pi-ri-dai"): Navajo opening
  * "Little Boat"/"Two Boats" (King Island Inuit: "kayak"/"malruk-kayak"): ???
  * "Little Boy Carrying Wood" (Klamath): Navajo opening
  * "Little Fishes" (Murray Island: "Tup"): Navajo opening
  * "Little Fish That Hides in the Mud" (Klamath): nonstandard
  * "Little Girl with Pigtails" (Japan): opening A
  * "Lizard" (Navajo: Nashoi-dichizhi): Navajo opening
  * "Lozenge" (invented): opening A
  * "Ma-ka-pe-na" (Hawaii): ???
  * "Man" (Navajo: "Diné"): opening A, resembles "Coral"
  * "Man Climbing a Tree" (Australia): opening A
  * "Man in a Hammock" (???): around wrists
  * "Man on/and a Bed" (Torres Straits: "Le Sik"): opening A
     * "Hoochie Koochie Man" (Europe)
  * "Many Stars"/"Starry Sky" (Navajo: "Son-tlani"): opening A
     * "Firmament": two people
  * "Net" (Hawaii: "U-pe-na"): ???
  * "New Mittens" (Tanana: "ajakailaiguk"): ???
  * "O-ko-le-a-mo" (Hawaii): ???
  * "One Chief" (Yap: "Pilun"): position 1, Caroline extension
     * "Owl" 1 ("Nas-ja"): variation
     * "Owl" 2: variation
     * "Owl" 3: variation
     * "Seven Stars" ("Dil-ye-he"[Pleiades]): variation
     * "Two-Horned Star"[Son-bi-tere]/"Cow's Head": variation
     * "Two Coyotes" ("Ma-i-at-sani-il-watli"): variation
     * "Big Star": variation
     * "North Star" ("Tsun-tsi"): variation
     * "Carrying Wood" ("Chiz-jǒ-yĕt-lĭ"): variation
     * "Owl's Net": variation
  * "M" (Omaha): opening A
  * "Maui's Lasso" (Hawaii): opening A
  * "Melon Rind" (Papuan, Bamu River): position 1
  * "Moe Hora Hia" (Tuamotus: "Ghost's Path"): opening A
  * "Monkey Bum"/"Flying Parrot" ([British] Guiana), "Wink" (Hawaii): nonstandard
  * "Moth" (Zulu), "Spectacles" (Europe): opening A
  * "Mouse" (Murray Island: "Kebe Mokeis"), "Express Train" (Germany), (Inuit, N. & S. America, Japan, Philippines, Australia): nonstandard, "Probably the most widely distributed of all the string figures."
  * "Mouth" (Topek Inuit: "Rote"), "Trap" (Cape Prince of Wales Inuit: "keezook"): Navajo opening
  * "Mrs. Crab" (South Pacific), "Elastic Band" (Japan), "Twitcher" (Hawaii): position 1
  * "Mr. Spider" (Gilbert Islands): opening A
  * Murray opening/Index opening (technical): opening position
  * "Naio Tree" (Kauai and Niihau: False Sandalwood): position 1
  * Navajo opening (Navajo), Opening B (technical): opening position
  * "Neneuri" (Gilbert Islands: maybe someone's name): opening A
  * "Night"/"Darkness" (Hawaii: "Po", also Pacific, Japan, Africa, South America): opening A
     * "Twinkling Star"
  * No Name (Ngatik): opening A
  * "One Hogan" (Navajo): nonstandard
  * Opening A/Japanese opening (technical: Inuit, N. & S. America, Papua): position 1
  * "Open the Gate" (Hawaii), "Island Separated from Land" (Fiji), "Kokoko" (New Guinea: bird call): opening A
  * "Osage Two Diamonds" (Osage): opening A
  * "Owl" (Navajo: "Nasha"): position 1, similar to "Starry Night"
  * "Palm Tree" (Torres Straits: "U"): opening A
  * "Paths to the Well" (Gilbert Islands): opening A, "clearly similar to," "Iburenio"
  * "Plinthios Brokhos" (Ancient Greece), "Sun Clouded Over" (Australia), "Giant Clam" (Fiji): opening A
  * "Polar Bear" (North Alaskan Inuit): position 1, variant of "Swan"
  * Pole Star (???): opening A
  * "Porcupine" (Klamath), "Wolf"/"Wolverine" (Cape Prince of Wales: "koftsick"/"kulonik"), "Fox" (???): opening A
  * Position 1/First position (technical): opening position
  * Position 2 (technical): opening position
  * "Post" (Hawaii: "Pou"): ???
  * "Priestess" (Nauru: "Etaroking"): ???
  * "Pu" (Hawaii): ???
  * "Pump" (Hawaii: "Pau-ma-wai"): ???
  * "Pygmy Diamonds" (Batwa): Navajo opening
  * "Rabbit" (Klamath): opening A
  * "Rabbit" (Anvik Inuit: "makadok"), "Bird On Eggs" (St. Michael Island): ???
  * "Rain" (Nauru: "O-eron"): opening A
  * "Rattlesnake and a Boy" (Klamath): opening A
     * "Two Skunks": variation
     * "Two Foxes": variation
     * "Two Squirrels": variation
  * "Rectangle" (???): position 1
  * "Ribcage" (Alaska Inuit): ribcage opening
  * Ribcage opening (technical): opening position
  * "Salt Cave" (Hawaii): opening A, variation of "Fishnet"
  * "Sandsnipe" (Kiribati): nonstandard
  * "Saw" (Hawaii: "Pa-hi-o-lo"), "Saw" (Scotland): "Cradle"
  * "Sawing Together" (around the world), "Saw Mill" (Ireland): position 1/nonstandard, two people, trick
  * "Scarab" (invented): all moves but one taken from "Well", "Crab", and "Fence"
  * "Seagull"/"Man Carrying a Kayak" (Nunivak Island Inuit: "tc-c-kyack"): opening A
  * "Sealskin Carrying-bag" (St. Michael Island Inuit: "aginuk"): ???
     * "Kidneys" ("taktuk"): continuation
  * "Sea-snake" (Murray Island: "Pagi"):
  * "Seasnake" (Nauru: "Iiyanibongo"): ???
  * "Second Worm" (Navajo): Navajo opening
  * "See-saw" (Hawaii: "Ma-hi-ki"): ???
  * "Seven Diamonds" (Brillo Nuevo): nonstandard
  * "Sewing Machine" (Basel): "Cradle"
  * "Ship" (King Island Inuit: "umiakbuk"): ???
  * "Siberian House"/"Two Brown Bears and Their Caves" (Big Diomede Island Inuit): opening A
     * "Two Inuit Running Away" ("mugalonik enuck okparuktuk")
  * "Smith's Secret 1" (Europe): nonstandard
  * "Smith's Secret 2" (Alaskan Inuit): nonstandard
  * "Spectacles" (invented): opening A
  * "Square" (invented): begins as does "Apache Door"
  * "Stairs" (Cape Prince of Wales Inuit: "tutumukaligat"): ???
  * "Star of David" (???): nonstandard, two people
     * "Hut" (Pueblo: "Nathu")
  * "Stickleback" (Guianas): nonstandard, two people
  * "Storm Clouds" (Navajo): Navajo opening
  * "Sun" (Nauru Island): opening A
  * "Sun" (Klamath): opening A
  * "Sunset" (Murray island: "Lem Baraigida"), (Mabuiag: "Dògai", or "Star"): opening A, related to "Fighting Head-Hunters"
  * "Swan" (Mackenzie Delta Inuit): position 1, variant of "Polar Bear"
  * "Ta Ai" (Gilbert Islands: "Sun"): opening A
  * "Tallow Dips" (Great Britain): nonstandard
  * "Tao Ta 16" (Japan): opening A
  * "Ten Men" (Ngatik), "Turtle" (Australia), "White Betel Leaf"/"Leaves of the Bread-fruit Tree" (Pacific): opening A
     * "Ten Men variation" variation
     * "Second Variation of Ten Men" (invented)
     * "Caroline Islands Triangles": variation
     * "Carrying Money" (Uap: "Runi-ka-fei"): continuation
     * "House of the Blos-Bird" (Ngatik: "Palngan-im-mun-blos"): variation
  * "Threading a Closed Loop" (Omaha, Pawnee, Kwakiutl, Japan, Caroline Islands): nonstandard, trick
  * "Three Stars" (Uap: "Dilipi-tuf"): opening A, Caroline extension
  * "Thumb Catch[er]" (Osage, England), "Bow-String" (Tanana): opening A, trick
  * "Tinamitto" (Nauru: "Dandy"): ???
  * "Toad and a Man" (Kwakiutl): opening A
  * "Torres Straits Lizard" (Murray Island: "Monan"), "Intestines of a Turtle" (Mabuiag: "Maita"): nonstandard, trick
  * "Tortoise" (???): ribcage opening, two person
  * "Tree Hole/Hole in the Tree"/"Sun"/"Moon"/"Female Sexual Organs" (Chama & Oceania): opening A
  * "Tree with Roots and Branches" (Guiana): position 1
  * "Trigger Fish" (Torres Straits: "Nageg"): "Well"
  * "Turtle" (Japan): opening A
  * "Turtle" (Yap): nonstandard, Caroline extension, resembles "Bagobo Diamonds"
     * "Ten Times": continuation, any even number of times possible
  * "Twin Stars" (Navajo: "Sono-tsihu")(Zuni): Navajo opening, closely resembles "Osage Two Diamonds"
  * "Two Boys Fighting for an Arrow" (Klamath): opening A variation
  * "Two Chiefs" (Yap: "Logaru-pilun"): opening A, Caroline extension
  * "Two Coyotes" (Navajo): opening A
     * "Cow's Head"/"Star with Two Horns" (Navajo)
  * "Two Dolphins" (invented): opening A
  * "Two Dragonflies" (Gilbert Islands: "U-oman ni keketi"): opening A
  * "Two Elks" (Klamath): opening A
  * "Two Hogans" (Navajo): opening A
  * "Two Islands Joined by a Log" (Warrau): opening A
  * "Two Islands Linked by a Bridge" (Warau, Guiana): opening A
  * "Two Little Boys Running Away" (Klamath): Navajo opening
  * "Two Mountains and a Stream" (St. Michael Island Inuit: "tituchtak"): ???
  * "Two Ptarmigans" (Cape Prince of Wales Inuit: "mugalonik-okhozgiuk"): ???
  * "Two Stars" (Navajo): opening A
  * "Two Wells" (Gilbert Islands: "Tan iti ran"): around wrists
  * "Two Women" (Nauru: "Echeog and Edawaroi"): ???
  * "Ussugdjung" (Cumberland Sound Inuit: "circle" or "sun"): position 1
  * "W" (Omaha): opening A
  * "Wanderer" (invented): nonstandard
  * "What Will You Do?" (Kwakiutl), "Old Woman" (Bella Coola): opening B
  * "Wheelbarrow" (invented): Navajo opening
  * "[White] Man in a Bed" (N. America): opening A
  * "[White Man's] Camp Bed"/"Fetish Man's Breastplate"/"Sumbo" (central Africa: "Fishing Net"): nonstandard
  * "Winking Eye" (Kauai): non-standard
  * "Wolf" (Inuit: "Amaroqdjung"): ???
  * "Woman" (Nauru: "Egattamma"): ???
  * "Woman Who Walks a Lot" (N. New Guinea): opening A
  * "Women of Rank" (Nauru: "Etima and Etowa"; Nauru women of rank): ???
  * "Worm" (Navajo): Navajo opening
  * "Would You Like a Sweet/Yam?" (northern Australia), "Will You Have a Yam?"/"Food" (Torres Straits: "Lewer"): position 1
  * "Yam Thief"/"Snake in the Trees" (South America), "Mouse" (Inuit): nonstandard
  