Page 141 - J. C. Turner - History and Science of Knots

130 History and Science of Knots

Their knots are well-suited to their nomadic life, in which the ubiquity of rope
problems suggests that all elements of Inuit society needed to know how to tie
reliable knots. Whether or not there exist cases where the knot reproduction
was done by a select group of individuals, would be interesting to know. To my
knowledge very few proper knot names have been recorded. The small number
of frequently recurring knots suggests they worked their knots anonymously
into their artefacts, thus rendering names irrelevant.
Inuits used a number of structures which have not often been recorded
in other peoples' knot repertoires. This does not mean the latter cultures
have not known them, merely that the frequency of these solutions was not
high enough to ensure detection, as in the Inuit case. On the other hand, the
comparative lack of decorative knots in the Inuit artefacts and of symbolic
knots is very striking.
They possessed knowledge of ropemaking techniques, based on twisting
fibres in alternating spiralling sequences, but they did not develop this art.
They have produced fishing lines based on a braiding principle, but these have
not yet been studied. All the evidence seems to suggest that there has been no
interaction between Inuits and Mariners with respect to either knots or rope
making. Inuits did not take over any of the latter's knowledge, because they
did not need it, not because they lacked skill in manipulating knottable media.
The question Why should they take over the knots if they did not take over the
rope? must be answered by them not needing the rope and having had the
knots beforehand.

Acknowledgements

I thank both Dr. Hans Christian Gullov at Etnografisk Samling of the National
Museum of Denmark and Prof. Bjarne Gronnow at the Institute for Arctic
Archaeology of Copenhagen University for numerous stimulating discussions,
their encouragement to write about Inuit Knots, and above all their shared
fascination for the prehistoric Inuit way of life. I also thank dra. Gerre van
der Kleij M.A. for many an enjoyable exchange of ideas on the topics touched
upon in this paper.

References

1. C.W. Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots (Doubleday, New York, 1944).
2. K. Birkett-Smith, `Ethnography of the Egedesminde district, composi-
tion of implements'. Meddelelser om Gronland 66 (1924) 78-79.
3. F. Boas, The Eskimo of Baffin Land and Hudson Bay. (From notes
collected by Capt. George Comer, Capt. James S Mutch and Rev.