Gurrufío is the Venezuelan term for a button whirligig or buzzer, a simply constructed traditional children’s toy. It consists of a central disk of wood, plastic or metal (even occasionally a soft drink bottle cap that has been hammered flat), with holes drilled or nailed equidistant and close to the center. A piece of string is inserted through both holes, leaving a length of about 15 to 30 centimeters on each side, and the loop is closed with a knot.
How to play
Take the ends of the loop at both sides with the fingers, rotate the disk a bit, and draw the rope taut, fast, and release the tension a bit. The disk will then spin in one direction, reach its maximum, and, helped by another yank, start spinning in the opposite direction.
References
- Acosta Saignes, Miguel (1951). “Historia antigua y moderna del gurrufío,” in Tópicos Shell (Maracaibo: Shell Caribbean Petroleum Company), 145, 22-24.
External links
- Moraiba Tibisay Pozo, Juegos Infantiles Residenciales Populares Tradicionales de Venezuela: Aproximación a un Inventario. Propuesta Preliminar de Clasificación y Estadísticas, Centro de Investigaciones Socioculturales de Venezuela (CISCUVE).
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