UTTU(U)GJUK, vulva
Geolocation
Citation
Céline Petit, “UTTU(U)GJUK, vulva,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/336.
- Overall presentation
-
Name : UTTU(U)GJUK, vulva
-
Creator : Céline Petit
-
Contributor(s) : Herve PANIAQ, Iglulik, Nunavut, Canada
-
Date : 2005-2021
- Information on the string figure
In the Iglulik area, this tridimensional figure represents the female sex organ (uttuuk).
Such a figure -or a similar one- was collected in the 20th century mostly in the Canadian central and eastern Arctic.
Such a figure -or a similar one- was collected in the 20th century mostly in the Canadian central and eastern Arctic.
1. Opening A.
2. Distally insert 34 into 5 loop. 34 hook down 5n. Remove 5. 34 pass under 2 loop (towards the body) and enter proximally 1 loop. Remove 1. Keep 34 bent, close to the palms.
3. L1 distally enters L2 loop (thus passing over L2n) and picks up the two L3n strings, returning through L2 loop. Release L2 loop. Extend.
4. L2 proximally shares double L1 loops (do not remove L1). L1 hooks up -with its back- the two strings running across L2 loop (thus passing over these two strings, away from the body, then rotating down and up). R Katilluik (= R1 proximally shares double L1 loops. L1 picks up the two L2n strings while R1 picks up R2n, and 1 returns through the two proximal 1 loops = Navajo 1. Remove 2).
6. L2 enters distally (=from below) both L1 loops, picks up distal L1n, removing it from L1. Spread apart L1 and L2.
7. R2 proximally (=from under) enters R1 loop. Spread apart R1 and R2 (both pointing up).
The vulva (uttugjuk) is formed, close to the left hand.
2. Distally insert 34 into 5 loop. 34 hook down 5n. Remove 5. 34 pass under 2 loop (towards the body) and enter proximally 1 loop. Remove 1. Keep 34 bent, close to the palms.
3. L1 distally enters L2 loop (thus passing over L2n) and picks up the two L3n strings, returning through L2 loop. Release L2 loop. Extend.
4. L2 proximally shares double L1 loops (do not remove L1). L1 hooks up -with its back- the two strings running across L2 loop (thus passing over these two strings, away from the body, then rotating down and up). R Katilluik (= R1 proximally shares double L1 loops. L1 picks up the two L2n strings while R1 picks up R2n, and 1 returns through the two proximal 1 loops = Navajo 1. Remove 2).
6. L2 enters distally (=from below) both L1 loops, picks up distal L1n, removing it from L1. Spread apart L1 and L2.
7. R2 proximally (=from under) enters R1 loop. Spread apart R1 and R2 (both pointing up).
The vulva (uttugjuk) is formed, close to the left hand.
"Ugtug(s)huk - vulva" (Inuinnait, Coronation gulf), Rasmussen 1932: 278, fig. 25?
"Baker Lake 8" (Harvaqtuurmiut), from a film by E. Arima ("Caribou Eskimo, Baker Lake"), 1969, Claassen 2015: 134-136.
"Vagina" (Inughuit), Adler 1974: 10. Adler mentions that a continuation of the figure of "the mouth" was presented to him under a name meaning "vagina".
"Baker Lake 8" (Harvaqtuurmiut), from a film by E. Arima ("Caribou Eskimo, Baker Lake"), 1969, Claassen 2015: 134-136.
"Vagina" (Inughuit), Adler 1974: 10. Adler mentions that a continuation of the figure of "the mouth" was presented to him under a name meaning "vagina".
- Item references
-
Key words : String figure; String game; Inuit; Iglulik; Eastern Canada; Arctic
-
Publisher : Laboratory SPHERE (UMR 7219, University of Paris & CNRS)
-
Rights : Creative Commons / Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA
-
Language : Inuktitut ; English
-
Location : Iglulik (Igloolik), Nunavut, Canada
-
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)