While the modern-day yo-yo is definitely an American invention, its ancient predecessors far predate the USA. The earliest iteration of the yo-yo is known to have originated in ancient Greece in 500 B.C., but is also believed to have it’s origins in ancient china as well. Much like today, these devices were created as toys for children, which at the time were known as “Disks”. The disks were made out of materials common in Greece at the time, such as wood, metal, and Terracotta. A tradition that would occur at times involved the children sacrificing their toys, such as disks, to the gods when they came of age in order to appease them.
Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Antikenmuseum, Berlin
In the 16th century in the Philippines, another precursor to the yo-yo emerged. This device was not used as a toy however, but as a weapon. Hunters tied small rocks to cords up to 20 feet in length and, after positioning themselves in trees, would launch the rocks at the heads of small animals. A well placed shot would kill them instantly. The cord allowed the weapon to return to the hunters and attack multiple times from the same hiding spot without moving and fear of being discovered. This discovery proves that the yo-yo’s origins can be traced to locations all over the world all throughout history. It also just so happens to be where the inventor of the yo-yo, Pedro Flores, emigrated from.
Works Cited:
- Goto-Jones, Chris. 2015. “The High-Stakes World of High-End Yo Yos.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company. April 9, 2015. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/the-yo-yo-effect/389868/.
- Murfin, Brian. 2012. “Exploring the Yo-Yo: Filipino Physics Fun.” Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas 49 (1): 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/00368121.2011.591449.
- Oliver, Valerie. n.d. “ History Of The Yo-Yo.” Museum of Yo-Yo History. Accessed September 25, 2019. http://www.yoyomuseum.com/museum_view.php?action=profiles&subaction=yoyo.
- Winner, Tara. 2019. “Out of This World: A Brief History of the Yo-Yo.” Out of This World: A Brief History of the Yo-Yo | The Strong. August 20, 2019. https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/play-stuff/2017/05/out-of-this-world-a-brief-history-of-the-yo-yo