AMAJURJUK, the female being who carries humans in her parka
Geolocation
Relations
Item Relations
| Item: PIRSURSIRAATTIAQ, the lynx | related through common consecutive operations (sub-procedure): | This Item |
| Item: NIVINGARQUAQTITAQ, someone or something hanging | related through common consecutive operations (sub-procedure): | This Item |
Graphical representation of this item’s relations
Citation
Céline Petit, “AMAJURJUK, the female being who carries humans in her parka,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/251.
- Overall presentation
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Name : AMAJURJUK, the female being who carries humans in her parka
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Creator : Céline Petit
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Contributor(s) : Herve PANIAQ, Iglulik, Nunavut, Canada
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Date : 2005-2015
- Information on the string figure
This string figure represents a legendary being, Amajurjuk, who is said to take humans (and in particular children) away by carrying them on its/her back, in a parka amaut.
1. Point the fingers away from the body and hang a loop over 1. 345 grasp the 1f string. 2 pass over 1n and point toward the body. 2 hook up 1n (= 2 rotate downward and away from the body catching up 1n and drawing it into a 2n position).
2. With the palms facing each other (and 2 pointing away from the body), insert proximally R1 into L1 loop; release L1 and insert proximally L1 into both R1 loops. Release 345 and extend.
3. Insert 5 proximally into 1 proximal loop. R5 hooks down (diagonal) R1f-L2f string ; L5 passes under L1f-R2f string and hooks down L2f.
4. Navajo 1.
5. Inuit Ending [ = Insert 2 distally into 1 loop, 2 pick up 1n, release 1, and insert 1 into upper 2 loop: 1 pick up upper 2n, release 2. Proximally transfer 1 loop to 2].
6. 1 pick up the lower diagonal near string on the left side of the figure (= L1 picks up this string and R1 enters proximally in L1 loop). Navajo 1, release 2.
7. Insert L2 distally (from the far side) into L5 loop (L2 pointing towards the body); L2 picks up the double TV string on the left middle part of the figure, and hooks up L1n. Release L1 and L5, and insert L345 from the far side into L2 loop, release L2. This is AMAJURJUK carrying someone in her parka amaut. (The recitative starts here : "Amajurjuuk!").
8. (While saying "Amat katallugu, maligu, maligu, maligu" :) R2, from the far side, hooks the two upper strings that cross the R1 loop (and form the top of Amajurjuk's loaded parka), and pulls those strings to the right, then passes over R1n from the far side of the figure. R2 hooks up R1n (and rotates with it, away from the body and up). Release R1, and Amajurjuk's load gets off. Extend and Amajurjuk is seen leaving without any load in her back pouch anymore.
2. With the palms facing each other (and 2 pointing away from the body), insert proximally R1 into L1 loop; release L1 and insert proximally L1 into both R1 loops. Release 345 and extend.
3. Insert 5 proximally into 1 proximal loop. R5 hooks down (diagonal) R1f-L2f string ; L5 passes under L1f-R2f string and hooks down L2f.
4. Navajo 1.
5. Inuit Ending [ = Insert 2 distally into 1 loop, 2 pick up 1n, release 1, and insert 1 into upper 2 loop: 1 pick up upper 2n, release 2. Proximally transfer 1 loop to 2].
6. 1 pick up the lower diagonal near string on the left side of the figure (= L1 picks up this string and R1 enters proximally in L1 loop). Navajo 1, release 2.
7. Insert L2 distally (from the far side) into L5 loop (L2 pointing towards the body); L2 picks up the double TV string on the left middle part of the figure, and hooks up L1n. Release L1 and L5, and insert L345 from the far side into L2 loop, release L2. This is AMAJURJUK carrying someone in her parka amaut. (The recitative starts here : "Amajurjuuk!").
8. (While saying "Amat katallugu, maligu, maligu, maligu" :) R2, from the far side, hooks the two upper strings that cross the R1 loop (and form the top of Amajurjuk's loaded parka), and pulls those strings to the right, then passes over R1n from the far side of the figure. R2 hooks up R1n (and rotates with it, away from the body and up). Release R1, and Amajurjuk's load gets off. Extend and Amajurjuk is seen leaving without any load in her back pouch anymore.
"Amajurjuuk! Amak katallugu, maligu, maligu, maligua..."
[Amajurjuuk! Let fall what you are carrying, and follow...]
[Amajurjuuk! Let fall what you are carrying, and follow...]
"Ameyookjew", Boas 1888 (Cumberland Sound).
"Ämaligjuk - a brown bear carrying a pack", Jenness 1924: 136-137, CXVII (fig. 179, 179a, "The brown bear's pack", Inupiat, Inuvialuit, Inuinnait).
"Amajurjuk (arnajorssuk) - goblin woman", Mathiassen 1928: 223 (Aivilingmiut).
"Amâjorjuk - a female spirit", Birket-Smith 1929: 276, fig. 104c (Qairnirmiut).
"An animal carrying a load", Paterson 1949: 22-23, 21 (Ubekendt Island, Upernavik, Cape York, Craig Harbour).
"Amayorjuk - (Celle) qui porte dans son amaut ou sur son dos", Mary-Rousselière 1969: 102-103, fig. 87 (Arviligjuarmiut).
See Wirt et al. 2009: 183-185 (BISFA 16) for an illustrated description of the method of making based on Jenness 1924: 136-137 (CXVII), slightly different from the Iglulingmiut method.
"Ämaligjuk - a brown bear carrying a pack", Jenness 1924: 136-137, CXVII (fig. 179, 179a, "The brown bear's pack", Inupiat, Inuvialuit, Inuinnait).
"Amajurjuk (arnajorssuk) - goblin woman", Mathiassen 1928: 223 (Aivilingmiut).
"Amâjorjuk - a female spirit", Birket-Smith 1929: 276, fig. 104c (Qairnirmiut).
"An animal carrying a load", Paterson 1949: 22-23, 21 (Ubekendt Island, Upernavik, Cape York, Craig Harbour).
"Amayorjuk - (Celle) qui porte dans son amaut ou sur son dos", Mary-Rousselière 1969: 102-103, fig. 87 (Arviligjuarmiut).
See Wirt et al. 2009: 183-185 (BISFA 16) for an illustrated description of the method of making based on Jenness 1924: 136-137 (CXVII), slightly different from the Iglulingmiut method.
- Item references
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Key words : String figure; String game; Inuit; Iglulik; Eastern Canada; Arctic
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Publisher : Laboratory SPHERE (UMR 7219, University of Paris & CNRS)
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Rights : Creative Commons / Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA
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Language : Inuktitut ; English
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Location : Iglulik (Igloolik), Nunavut, Canada
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Description : Iglulingmiut (Amitturmiut) Inuit string figure (Nunavut, Canada): symbolism, method of construction, references to the same figure as documented among different Inuit groups (Alaska, Canada, Greenland)
