Susie of Wechpus

Menstruation medicine (dictated) (1902)

Writing system: default | hyphens | linguistic
Display style: paragraph |sentence | look-up

Text identifier: SW1
Speaker: Susie of Wechpus
Primary documentation: A. L. Kroeber
Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished
Manuscript source: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok field notebook 40, pp. 61-69; click here to view PDF
Note: Kroeber notes on p. 69 that this "is really only an abstract of the medicine. It is very much longer, probably 2-3 minutes long. It is spoken rapidly, very evenly, and without the usual hang on syllables. Every few [?] seconds there was a slight break, and a new verse or stanza began; these stanzas seemed very uniform in length. The whole was evidently verbally memorized, & spoken without a break or hitch." (Cf. the recording of SW2.)
Note: This edition is incomplete.

  1. Mmmmmm.
    Mmmmmm.
  2. Hinuk'wo nes 'o'loolekwishol. Kus ke'l 'oo'?
    [Girl:] "I come here as a human being. Where are you?
  3. To ki nep (?) newohpa' nep (?).
    You will see me.
  4. Nek kwelekw to 'o kweni (?) yoolek'.
    I live around here.
  5. Wi... hinuk'wo mehl neskwechok'.
    That is why I came here
  6. Ki yegesipa' 'Aawokw, 'o'loolekwishol .
    You will think about me, 'Alas, human being.'
  7. Kich mi wo wesepek'.
    I can't wash.
  8. nuus ni mehl hegi', Kich chpurowok'.
    Somebody told me, 'I have flowers.'
  9. Kich nemegw kwenomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    They have become afraid of me."
  10. Hes? Tawox to ki nohpew 'o'loolekwishol.
    [Sky girl:] "Is it so? That's maybe, you'll come in to the human beings
  11. Kwelekw to kich nahchichek'.
    I have given it to you."
  12. mekwchiwoo (?) ki hlmeyorkwo'.
    (all)together (those living together) they are afraid of me.
  13. To ki nahchichek' kuuna wesah.
    I will give it to you to wash.
  14. Wi'iit koo'opek'. Cho' nii'no'wom! Hehl nii'no'wes!
    I stand here. Look! Look!
  15. k'i 'o koo'op... 'ne-pekoyek
    my blood
  16. Wi'iit ko 'o newohpa'.
    That's where you will see me.
  17. tahli 'o nohpewek'.
    I'll come in.
  18. 'O kaap'olihl ni 'ok' 'ne-hlmeyorkwoyek'.
    I live in the brush (and?) I am feared.
  19. Cho' nu wesahpe'm mi ki 'o nohpewe'm.
    Go wash and you will come in!
  20. To ki syahhlew mocho ki wesahpe'm.
    You will be rich if you wash.
  21. To ki nohpewe'm, ki syahhlew.
    You will come in, you will be rich.
  22. kwo (?) 'oohl 'o'lep kiki 'oole'm k'i chiik.
    Money will come to people's houses.
  23. kwo (?) 'o'lepik 'o sootok'.
    .. go in the house.
  24. ki syahhlew
    will be rich
  25. Hehl cho' hego'm! Wonoye'iks cho' sooto'm!
    Go! Go to the sky!
  26. Hehl nii'no'wes! Hehl nii'nes!
    Look! Look!
  27. kwi 'o ket'u'logehl wit ko ko'o wesahpe'm.
    You will wash in the lake.
  28. Ki chpi kohchi yrrmrwechep
    Just once you will submerge yourself.
  29. Kowecho na'mi yrrmrwechep
    Don't submerge yourself twice.
  30. Wek 'i mekwehl k'i chiik.
    There's a pile of money here.
  31. Ki nohpewe'm, chuhl pa'ah soot'os k'i chpi kohchi!
    You will come in, go in the water only one time!
  32. Pulekuk ki nomoyewe'm.
    You will put your head downriver.
  33. Cho' negeme'm ha'aag!
    Take a rock!
  34. Mi 'o'lep ki soone'm mish ki 'o syahhlew.
    You will bring it up into the house so you will be rich.
  35. Ki 'o me'lonem, 'i syahhlew.
    You will rub (the rock on the rocks of the fireplace), and be rich.
  36. Che (?)yohpechoo'm.
    You have come around (the world after me looking for medicine).
  37. Pechkuk 'e neskwecho..
    Upriver ... arrive
  38. Pulekuk 'o soo, noohl ki 'o kwom, noohl ki 'o kwomhlecho
    Go downriver, then you will come back, then you will come back.
  39. Cho' wesahpe'm! Noohl 'Okego ko 'o neskwecho'm miki ki k'e-nes.
    Wash yourself! Then come down to Okego so you'll come.
  40. Kich e (?) k'r-wrhlrwryr
    You have got through [sic].
  41. Pish chuhl himrk'ses kiki k'e-nes!
    Come quickly!
  42. Kich 'eme hlmeyor, chuhl himrk'ses kiki k'e-nes!
    They will not fear you, so come quickly!
  43. 'Aawokw, mekwchiwa (?), To kwelekw kich hego'm.
    Alas, ..., you have gone around.
  44. 'Okego ki womewechomek (?) ki k'e-kemeyek', chuhl himrk'ses!
    You will go to 'Okego (and) you will go home, hurry!
  45. We'yk'oh... Pish, wit ki k'e-neskwechok', ki chpi kohchi pa'aahl sooto'm.
    Now ... When you arrive, you will go in the water only once.