PEHEYA, sweet potatoe
Geolocation
Citation
David Jabin, “PEHEYA, sweet potatoe,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/297.
- Overall presentation
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Name : PEHEYA, sweet potatoe
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Creator : David Jabin
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Contributor(s) : Clotilde Unruh und Yenilda Unruh, village of Efeso, Yalve Sanga , Central Chaco, Paraguay
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Date : 2019-2020
- Information on the string figure
This three-dimensional figure is the latest in of a long and progressive series. It represents a bunch of four sweet potato leaves pointing upwards. The sweet potato (Ipomea batata), called PEHEYA in Enlhet language, seems to have an identity importance: it is said in the region that the Enlhet people brought this crop to the Chaco region.
PEHEYA is the second and final figure of a series whose whose two intermediate figures are AYEN and YAVHAN APACTEC.
PEHEYA is the second and final figure of a series whose whose two intermediate figures are AYEN and YAVHAN APACTEC.
15. Lay out the string on both 1.
16. R2 picks up the L1 hanging string and then L2 picks up the R1 hanging string.
17. R3 picks up the L2 hanging string and then L3 picks up the R2 hanging string.
18. R4 picks up the L3 hanging string and then L4 picks up the R3 hanging string.
19. R5 picks up the L4 hanging string and then L5 picks up the R4 hanging string.
20. Seize 1n with the teeth and extend. Release 1n.
21. With the help of R2 and proximal to L2, L3 and L4 loops, tranfer L5n to L1.
22. With the help of R2 and proximal to L2, L3 and L4 loops, transfer L1f to L5.
23. Repeat the two last steps on the opposite hand.
16. Distally insert R1 and R2 in L2 loop. Grasp both palmar strings and release L1. Extract both palmar strings across L2 loop and reinsert L1 in his two former loops.
17. Distally insert L1 and L2 in L4 loop. Grasp both palmar strings and release L5. Extract both palmar strings across L4 loop and reinsert L5 in his two former loops.
18. Repeat the two last steps on the opposite hand.
19. Release 2,3 and 4 loops. Extend (This is the AYEN intermediate figure).
20. With 2 and 3, sustain the chain-link form in the center of the figure a little hole between. Distally insert 2 and 3 in both loops of the chain-link form and below, in each of the four diamonds bordering the central diamond.
24. Proximally, insert 2 and 3 in the central lozenge. Extend and rearrange the figure.
25. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L3 loop to grasp both L5n and release L5. Passing the former L5 loops through L3 loop, reinsert it proximally on L5.
26. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L2 loop, grasp both L1f, release L1 and passing the former L1 loops through L2 loop, reinsert it proximally on L1.
27. Repeat the previous two steps on the opposite hand.
28. Release 2 and 3. Extend. (This is the YAVHAN APACTEC intermediate figure).
29. 2 pick up the first string located on the transverse 1n thread.
30. 3 pick up the first string located on the transverse 5f thread.
31. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L3 loop to grasp both L5n and release L5. Passing the former L5 loops through L3 loop, reinsert it proximally on L5.
32. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L2 loop, grasp both L1f, release L1 and passing the former L1 loops through L2 loop, reinsert it proximally on L1.
33. Repeat the previous two steps on the opposite hand.
34. Slowly release 2 and 3 while extending the figure so that the 4 loops pointing upwards can be tightened.
16. R2 picks up the L1 hanging string and then L2 picks up the R1 hanging string.
17. R3 picks up the L2 hanging string and then L3 picks up the R2 hanging string.
18. R4 picks up the L3 hanging string and then L4 picks up the R3 hanging string.
19. R5 picks up the L4 hanging string and then L5 picks up the R4 hanging string.
20. Seize 1n with the teeth and extend. Release 1n.
21. With the help of R2 and proximal to L2, L3 and L4 loops, tranfer L5n to L1.
22. With the help of R2 and proximal to L2, L3 and L4 loops, transfer L1f to L5.
23. Repeat the two last steps on the opposite hand.
16. Distally insert R1 and R2 in L2 loop. Grasp both palmar strings and release L1. Extract both palmar strings across L2 loop and reinsert L1 in his two former loops.
17. Distally insert L1 and L2 in L4 loop. Grasp both palmar strings and release L5. Extract both palmar strings across L4 loop and reinsert L5 in his two former loops.
18. Repeat the two last steps on the opposite hand.
19. Release 2,3 and 4 loops. Extend (This is the AYEN intermediate figure).
20. With 2 and 3, sustain the chain-link form in the center of the figure a little hole between. Distally insert 2 and 3 in both loops of the chain-link form and below, in each of the four diamonds bordering the central diamond.
24. Proximally, insert 2 and 3 in the central lozenge. Extend and rearrange the figure.
25. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L3 loop to grasp both L5n and release L5. Passing the former L5 loops through L3 loop, reinsert it proximally on L5.
26. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L2 loop, grasp both L1f, release L1 and passing the former L1 loops through L2 loop, reinsert it proximally on L1.
27. Repeat the previous two steps on the opposite hand.
28. Release 2 and 3. Extend. (This is the YAVHAN APACTEC intermediate figure).
29. 2 pick up the first string located on the transverse 1n thread.
30. 3 pick up the first string located on the transverse 5f thread.
31. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L3 loop to grasp both L5n and release L5. Passing the former L5 loops through L3 loop, reinsert it proximally on L5.
32. Distally, insert R1 and R2 into L2 loop, grasp both L1f, release L1 and passing the former L1 loops through L2 loop, reinsert it proximally on L1.
33. Repeat the previous two steps on the opposite hand.
34. Slowly release 2 and 3 while extending the figure so that the 4 loops pointing upwards can be tightened.
The only bibliographic reference in which a figure close to that of PEHEYA is shown is that collected among the Maka by Braustein (1992 a: fig 105, p. 79) under the name "witit'onek" which means "cap for honey". This figure is built directly from a figure whose final pattern is identical to the Clisa'(1) figure collected from the Nivacle and presented in this database.
- Item references
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Key words : String figures, Enlhet, paraguayan Chaco
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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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Format : jpeg, mp4, text
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Language : Enlhet, spanish
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Location : Village of Efeso, Yalve Sanga , Central Chaco, Paraguay, South America
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Description : Enlhet string figure, method of construction, linguistic data, cultural aspects