Description
Stromvos – Ancient Greek Spinning Top
The spinning top (known in antiquity as the stromvos, strovilos or vemvix) represents a timeless toy for both children and adults. It has a long history and exists in almost all cultures.
Reference to the unique toy can be found in Homer’s Iliad (ra. X, I. 413), when Ajax throws a “stone that spins around like a top” just before it hit his enemy, Hector, in the chest during their combat.
You hold the top with your left hand having the knot of string under your thumb. Then you wrap the string around the head of the top just above the knot. After this you lead the string to the nail of the top and start wrapping it tightly around the body towards the top.While keeping the coin locked between the index and middle-fingers, with the nail facing upwards, with a curving movement of your arm you throw the top to the ground and simultaneously you pull back the string. The string will unravel and the top will spin once it hits the ground!!! It’s not so hard that it sounds!!! Just needs some practice …
“Aeikiniton” (Perpetual) is a workshop of handmade spinning tops, which began its travel in the world of swirl in 1999. Its name is inspired from the utopia of the alchemists
In November 2003 Aeikiniton won the first award in the national competition of toys that was organised by the institution of Marianna Vildiridi in Thessaloniki, Greece.
