IKUMARATTIAQ SUKALIK, the oil lamp with flames on a support
Geolocation
Relations
Item Relations
| This Item | related through common consecutive operations (sub-procedure): | Item: IKUMARATTIAQ QAMINGASUKTUQ, the oil lamp with extinguished fire |
| This Item | related through common consecutive operations (sub-procedure): | Item: IKUMARATTIAQ (TAQQUTILIK), the flames of the oil lamp (and the wick tender) |
Graphical representation of this item’s relations
Citation
Céline Petit, “IKUMARATTIAQ SUKALIK, the oil lamp with flames on a support,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/278.
- Overall presentation
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Name : IKUMARATTIAQ SUKALIK, the oil lamp with flames on a support
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Creator : Céline Petit
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Contributor(s) : Herve PANIAQ, Iglulik, Nunavut, Canada
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Date : 2015-2021
- Information on the string figure
This string figure depicts a lighted oil lamp supported by a pole (sukaq). It is sometimes mentioned under the single name of 'sukalik' ('one with a support', 'there is a pole'), referring implicitely to the oil lamp's support, that could be made of rocks, bones or wood. The four flames (ikumat) of the lamp (qulliq) are supposed to be quite similar (ajjigiit), and the support is clearly visible at the -bottom- center of the figure (ajarausip qitingani). The strings representing this pole are the ones to be pulled in order to dissolve the figure without creating a knot or tangle (qilangniarani).
This figure has been documented mostly in Inuit areas of the Central and Eastern American Arctic, from the Coronation gulf to the east of Greenland, mainly as referring to the flames (of a lamp or a torch). It was however collected in the early 1900s among Kinugmiut of Cape Prince of Wales (Inupiat, Alaska) with a similar methodology of making, but with a very different meaning ("tutumukaligat - stairs", Gordon 1906: 96-97).
This figure has been documented mostly in Inuit areas of the Central and Eastern American Arctic, from the Coronation gulf to the east of Greenland, mainly as referring to the flames (of a lamp or a torch). It was however collected in the early 1900s among Kinugmiut of Cape Prince of Wales (Inupiat, Alaska) with a similar methodology of making, but with a very different meaning ("tutumukaligat - stairs", Gordon 1906: 96-97).
1. Insert 1 into the loop so that the loop is hanging from the (back of the) two thumbs pointing away from the body. L345 hook down (to the palm) the string running across the LH palm (= L1f), and R345 hook down (to the palm) the string running across the RH palm (= R1f). 2 hooks up 1n (first pointing toward the body then rotating away from the body with 1n and up). R1 enters proximally into L1 loop. Remove L1 and insert proximally L1 into R1 double loops. Extend (and remove 345). (= Opening D).
2. 5 enters proximally into 1 loops. R5 hooks down upper (distal) R1f, while L1, moving under upper (distal) L1f, hooks down L2f. (R5 and L5 thus hook down the same R1f-L2f string).
3. Release 1 loops. R1, passing under R5 loop, slightly hooks down R2f (to draw it downward under R5 loop), then goes off and from the far side picks up R2f and returns under R5 loop.
4. L1, under L5 loop, picks up (close to the loop hanging at the bottom) the string that runs on the far side of the figure between the hanging loop and the L5-L2 string . [Keeping the string configuration quite loose makes it easier for these move].
5. Inuit Ending. (= Proximally insert 1 into 2 loop, Navajo 1 and release 2 loop). Proximally transfer 1 loop to 2.
6. Insert 1 from the center (and the near side) into the small loops formed at the bottom at each side of the figure. 1 picks up the far string of each of these loops.
7. Inuit Ending. (= Proximally insert 1 into 2 loop, Navajo 1 and release 2 loop). Proximally transfer 1 loop to 2.
8. With 1, hook down the lower TV string (= TV 5f) close to (and in between) the patterns formed on each side, while releasing 5 loop. The oil lamp (qulliq) with its flames (ikumat) thus appears on its support (sukaq).
2. 5 enters proximally into 1 loops. R5 hooks down upper (distal) R1f, while L1, moving under upper (distal) L1f, hooks down L2f. (R5 and L5 thus hook down the same R1f-L2f string).
3. Release 1 loops. R1, passing under R5 loop, slightly hooks down R2f (to draw it downward under R5 loop), then goes off and from the far side picks up R2f and returns under R5 loop.
4. L1, under L5 loop, picks up (close to the loop hanging at the bottom) the string that runs on the far side of the figure between the hanging loop and the L5-L2 string . [Keeping the string configuration quite loose makes it easier for these move].
5. Inuit Ending. (= Proximally insert 1 into 2 loop, Navajo 1 and release 2 loop). Proximally transfer 1 loop to 2.
6. Insert 1 from the center (and the near side) into the small loops formed at the bottom at each side of the figure. 1 picks up the far string of each of these loops.
7. Inuit Ending. (= Proximally insert 1 into 2 loop, Navajo 1 and release 2 loop). Proximally transfer 1 loop to 2.
8. With 1, hook down the lower TV string (= TV 5f) close to (and in between) the patterns formed on each side, while releasing 5 loop. The oil lamp (qulliq) with its flames (ikumat) thus appears on its support (sukaq).
"Tutumukaligat - the stairs", Gordon 1906: 96-97, fig. 21 [= possible confusion with tunmiġautat/stairs ? Tunmiġaq refers to a step located at the entrance of a traditional sod house, originally a whale vertebra, cf. MacLean 2012: 1082].
"European lamp", Birket-Smith 1924, fig. 293d (Egedesminde).
"Ikumatuartut - the flames", Rasmussen 1932, fig. 50 (East Copper, Coronation gulf).
"Les flammes de la lampe à huile (avec une boucle)", Victor 1937, fig. 7.
"The lamp", Paterson 1949 : 37, fig. 73 (Angmagssalik, Egedesminde, Ubekendt Island, Upernavik, Cape York, Craig Harbour): same methodology.
"Ikumayorjuk ayagutalik – (la lampe à huile) allumée et son support" (Arviligjuarmiut), "ikumaraciaq pitualik" (Tununirmiut), Mary-Rousselière 1969 : 77-78, fig. 68.
Nicolai 2002: 223, fig. 29 (BISFA)
"European lamp", Birket-Smith 1924, fig. 293d (Egedesminde).
"Ikumatuartut - the flames", Rasmussen 1932, fig. 50 (East Copper, Coronation gulf).
"Les flammes de la lampe à huile (avec une boucle)", Victor 1937, fig. 7.
"The lamp", Paterson 1949 : 37, fig. 73 (Angmagssalik, Egedesminde, Ubekendt Island, Upernavik, Cape York, Craig Harbour): same methodology.
"Ikumayorjuk ayagutalik – (la lampe à huile) allumée et son support" (Arviligjuarmiut), "ikumaraciaq pitualik" (Tununirmiut), Mary-Rousselière 1969 : 77-78, fig. 68.
Nicolai 2002: 223, fig. 29 (BISFA)
(Approximate) bilateral symmetry.
- 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)