ULIGULIARJUTTIAQ, name of a man
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Item Relations
| This Item | related through common consecutive operations (sub-procedure): | Item: TIRIGANNIARJUTTIAQ, fox |
Graphical representation of this item’s relations
Citation
Céline Petit, “ULIGULIARJUTTIAQ, name of a man,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/338.
- Overall presentation
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Name : ULIGULIARJUTTIAQ, name of a man
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Creator : Céline Petit
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Contributor(s) : Herve PANIAQ, Iglulik, Nunavut, Canada (video 1)
Susan AVINNGAQ, Iglulik (video 2 and photo)
Elisapi NUTARAKITTUQ, Iglulik (video 3)
Madeleine AUQSAQ, Iglulik
Lucien UKALIANNUK, Iglulik
Mary Niriungniq QULIKTALIK, Iglulik -
Date : 2004-2021
- Information on the string figure
This string figure refers to a story or legend (unikkaaqtuaq) pertaining to the oral tradition of the "Iglulik group". It mentions Uliguli(a) or Uliguliarjuttiaq, a man who discovered that his kayak was eaten by someone's dogs. He thus called his own dogs so that they chase away the assailant(s). Someone is then seen running away. The identity of the runner -or his/its formal appearance- is quite unclear: the runner is either referred to as a dog or someone in the shape of a ptarmigan (aqiggiq), possibly Uliguliarjuk himself (running after the dogs that were damaging his boat, and mushing his own dogs with the words: "kui, kui, kui, kui!"). The hip bones of the runner are said to protrude since he is running hard. In some cases, the words "kui, kui, kui, kui!" are said to refer to the sound produced by the ptarmigan's hips when he/it starts running (and flapping). The reference to the story is condensed in the brief chant uttered when presenting -and then animating- the figure recalling a ptarmigan's shape: "Uliguli ! uliguliarjuttiaq qainaguu niqausaqpuq kuutikki ullapikkaluamut avillutik tainna a-kui, kui, kui, kui…!". This story appears rooted in a shamanistic background. Mary-Rousselière (1965 : 10) suggests that it refers to a murder that was committed in particular circumstances, this story being specifically known in the Iglulik area (and later on introduced to the Arviligjuarmiut by Tununirmiut, cf. 1969: 120-121). Mary-Rousselière (1969: 120-121) also points out that this string figure might be the result of a mistaken version of the one known as "the goose" in the Coronation gulf and the "snowy owl" in the Mackenzie delta (Jenness 1924: 117, XCVII-C), a figure which involves slight variations in the method of making.
H. Paniaq mentions that, as children, they used to compete at making this string figure the fastest.
H. Paniaq mentions that, as children, they used to compete at making this string figure the fastest.
Make steps 1 to 5 of TIRIGANNIARJUTTIAQ (the fox), except that L5 is not removed (at step 5)=
1. Opening C. Bend 34, close to 5, on the 2-5 string to secure the loop held by 1 and 2.
2. Bring hands close to one another, with palms facing down. R2 passes under the L1-L2 string segment and picks it up with its palm, pulling it slightly to the right and close to the palm (R2 thus remains bent). The palm of RH is now facing the body, while the palm of LH is facing down. Remove L1.
3. L1 enters distally R1 loop and picks up R1f-R2n string with its back, pulling it slightly to the left (= L1 returns with R1f-R2n on its back). Keep hands close to one another, with palms facing each other.
4. L1 enters proximally (=from below) L2 loop. Navajo L1 (= L1 picks up L2n and draws it through R1 loop / under lower L1n), L1 points up. Remove L2 and L(3)4.
5. Gently extend, with L1 pulling upward to the left and R2 bent towards the body, drawing its loop to the right through R1 loop (= passing under R1f) and then pointing up. Remove R(3)4 and R1.
6. From the far side (towards the body), L2 passes under the two strings that loop around/close L1 loop, and over the lower double string that loop around L palmar string (on the left). L2 hooks up TV 5f (= picks it up with its palm, from the far side), drawing it proximally through L1 loop, and passing under the two upper strings that close L1 loop, away from the body.
7. L2 enters distally L1 loop, passing over the two upper strings that close/loop around L1 loop, towards the body.
8. Release R5 loop. From the near side, R5 picks up L2n, removing that string from L2. = From below, transfer L2 loop to R5. Extend.
1. Opening C. Bend 34, close to 5, on the 2-5 string to secure the loop held by 1 and 2.
2. Bring hands close to one another, with palms facing down. R2 passes under the L1-L2 string segment and picks it up with its palm, pulling it slightly to the right and close to the palm (R2 thus remains bent). The palm of RH is now facing the body, while the palm of LH is facing down. Remove L1.
3. L1 enters distally R1 loop and picks up R1f-R2n string with its back, pulling it slightly to the left (= L1 returns with R1f-R2n on its back). Keep hands close to one another, with palms facing each other.
4. L1 enters proximally (=from below) L2 loop. Navajo L1 (= L1 picks up L2n and draws it through R1 loop / under lower L1n), L1 points up. Remove L2 and L(3)4.
5. Gently extend, with L1 pulling upward to the left and R2 bent towards the body, drawing its loop to the right through R1 loop (= passing under R1f) and then pointing up. Remove R(3)4 and R1.
6. From the far side (towards the body), L2 passes under the two strings that loop around/close L1 loop, and over the lower double string that loop around L palmar string (on the left). L2 hooks up TV 5f (= picks it up with its palm, from the far side), drawing it proximally through L1 loop, and passing under the two upper strings that close L1 loop, away from the body.
7. L2 enters distally L1 loop, passing over the two upper strings that close/loop around L1 loop, towards the body.
8. Release R5 loop. From the near side, R5 picks up L2n, removing that string from L2. = From below, transfer L2 loop to R5. Extend.
"Uliguli ! uliguliarjuttiaq qainaguu niqauksaqpuq kuutikki ullapikkaluamut avillutik tainna a-kuikuikuikui… !"
"Uliguliaq - nom d'homme" (Arviligjuarmiut), Mary-Rousselière 1969: 120-121, fig. 100.
"Uliguliarjutiaq" (Jemima Angalik Nutarak, Tununirmiuq), Blodgett 1986 : 126, fig. 71b.
Compare with:
"The goose [that flies away]" (Coronation gulf), Jenness 1924: 117, XCVII-C, fig. 149.
"Ugpigjuk - the owl" (Coronation gulf, east), Rasmussen 1932: 284.
"Qupanuxuη - the snow bunting" (Cape York), "the girl frightened by the maggot" (Upernavik), Paterson 1949: 33-34, fig. 49 (a-b), "the frightened girl".
And compare with:
"The mouth" (Coronation gulf), Jenness 1924: 126, CVI, fig. 166.
"Uliguliarjutiaq" (Jemima Angalik Nutarak, Tununirmiuq), Blodgett 1986 : 126, fig. 71b.
Compare with:
"The goose [that flies away]" (Coronation gulf), Jenness 1924: 117, XCVII-C, fig. 149.
"Ugpigjuk - the owl" (Coronation gulf, east), Rasmussen 1932: 284.
"Qupanuxuη - the snow bunting" (Cape York), "the girl frightened by the maggot" (Upernavik), Paterson 1949: 33-34, fig. 49 (a-b), "the frightened girl".
And compare with:
"The mouth" (Coronation gulf), Jenness 1924: 126, CVI, fig. 166.
- 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)