Little Egypt Heritage Articles eduda tsunogisdi © Bill Oliver 24 December 2006 Vol 5 Issue: #42 ISBN: pending O’siyo, Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, “Toys We Made” As my ‘Sainted’ Father oft said to me, “I know not how the truth may be, but I tell the tale as ‘twas happen to me.” So blame the season for this anecdote on my youngest grandchild [age eight]. [Close to off-topic, but still about family heritage and traditions.] She was setting up our Creche scene a couple of weeks ago. This set is an all white ceramic set given to me many years ago by a home-economics teacher who did these as her contribution to the ‘giving’ season. She glazed and fired it several times, including the insides, with ‘tender loving care’ which makes it very precious to us. Granddaughter, knowing all this, was placing each piece carefully and arranging each piece so that they would all be viewing the Christ Child, except one camel [there are two]. To set it otherwise than the way she did would place the animal precariously on the very edge of the display surface. In explaining why this one animal wasn’t ‘ facing’ the manger, she said, “It doesn’t matter if he is not looking at the baby Jesus ‘cause all camels aren’t always interested.” An explanation for everything! [grin] This is the ‘giving’ season whether it be religious or no, thus, children look forward to gifts, especially toys. Christmas gifts for us during the Great Depression were usually clothes, often home made – sweaters, socks, etc. However, on Christmas Morn there would be ‘a’ gift toy from Santa beneath the tree which magically appeared during the night. My Mom and her sisters always told that it was the same for them. It would be revealed when they were older that an Aunt knitted the sweaters and socks and Poppa made the doll beds and Mamma made the bedding for the doll beds. For toys in any season, we children were encouraged to make our own. Someone in the family was always the ‘greatest carpenter’ or such to show us how the first time. Then we were on our own to make replacements. This article than is about some of my favorite toys. One of the easiest was a thing called the ‘Whimmy Diddle’. I have one yet, thanks to a Swiss friend who visited our family some fifteen years ago. One needs a piece of wood [actually three pieces of wood] about twelve to eighteen inches long. We called it the ‘rattle stick’. Another piece of wood about eight to ten inches long. And, the third piece, called the ‘propeller’ was made thin, somewhere between four and eight inches long and up to an inch wide. Maybe, a shade wider. This third piece has a drilled hole in the center [be sure that it is balanced]. It is then nailed to one end of the ‘rattle stick’. The propeller must be very light and must rotate freely on the nail. The ‘rattle stick’ is made with notches regularly along the stick. To use the ‘Whimmy Diddle’ one rubs the third stick quickly up and down the notched surface on the ‘rattle stick’, which is held horizontal. If at first the propeller doesn’t turn, apply a little finger pressure to the side of the ‘rattle stick’ while rubbing it. With a bit of practice one can change the direction the propeller rotates. Other toys we made for ourselves were ‘Dancing Joes’, which were more difficult to make. Also, we made whistles, boats, and marble runs. However, my favorite two were the ‘Buzz’ toy and the ‘Bull Roarer’. The Buzz toy has been known for ‘time immortal’; certainly at least since there were homesteads. I’m sure y’all have enjoyed the button-on-a-string at Grandma and Grandpa’s. This one is simplicity in itself. You need but a length of string, say 3 feet long, a fairly big button [coat buttons usually work well]. Thread the button onto the string. Walla – a ‘Buzz’ toy. With one end of the string on each hand, fingers through the loops, swing the button until the cord is twisted. With rhythmic movements, pull the cord tight and then slack it. If you’ve followed directions the toy will start buzzing. The ‘BullRoarer’ is the all time favorite. I can still hear it as it swung over my head and I can still feel the vibrations of the string that was attched to the piece of fashioned wood and my fingers. This is another toy that has been passed down for eons in almost every culture. I remember one that was from the Australian Aboriginal People. They called it the ‘Timber Wind Sticks’ or ‘Wife caller’ – the Australian Aboriginal telegraph. The ‘BullRoarer’ is usually a small, flat, tear-drop shaped piece of wood that is attached to a string and spun around above one’s head and it makes a low, whirring, roaring sound, though some say it reminds them of a hummingbird or the spinning propeller of an ancient airoplane. The ‘BullRoarer’ was used as the Aboriginal telephone to warn folks of danger or to warn them away from forbidden sacred sites. You might remember that Crocodile Dundee used a bullroarer as a telephone to call some help. The simplest one I ever made was from a wooden paint stirrer with a hole in the end and a piece of string. Thread the string through this hole and tie it securely and there you have it. Today, I would also use a swivel from my fishing tackle box. If you have enough space, whirl it above your head. If you don’t have much space, swing it around in front of you. Just be very careful you don’t injure someone near to you or get the string wrapped all around your head. Check the string often – if it becomes weak and breaks you have a flying missile which can do harm. Oh, did I mention that you put holes along the paint stirrer? When air passes through the holes it does so at a faster speed than the air that is going around the stirrer itself. This causes the whirring, rushing air sound. The Australian Aborigines drilled holes in different patterns and sizes, thus creating different sounds. They also painted them with their favorite object or animal. When it is whirled through the air while spinning on its own axis, the bullroarer is generating sounds like howls, roars and thundering of animals or spirits. Bullroarers make a fascinating variety of sounds, depending upon the shape, thickness and density of the woods used. e-la-Di-e-das-Di ha-WI NV-WA-do-hi-ya NV-WA-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- 1078 PostScript: "Myths are universal and timeless stories that reflect and shape our lives ..." Alexander McCall Smith, Dream Angus A very good article about the ‘BullRoarer’ byBethe Hagens http://www.duckdigital.net/FOD/FOD1049.html