Susie of Wechpus

Menstruation medicine (recorded) (June 23, 1902)

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

Text identifier: SW2
Speaker: Susie of Wechpus
Primary documentation: A. L. Kroeber
Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished
Manuscript source: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok field notebook 42, pp. 42rev-47rev; transcribed with the assistance of Weitchpec Frank; click here to view PDF
Audio source: Keeling catalog #24-548, Hearst Museum of Anthropology, UC Berkeley
Note: In the transcription, note that successive pages of "SW2.pdf" are actually facing pages in Kroeber's notebook; lines are sometimes drawn from one page to an adjacent one to indicate insertion.
Note: This edition is incomplete.

Yurok audio:  
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1.

Kus ke'l, wonoye'iks 'u-me'y? Nek kwelekw ni ko ni yo gegok'. Kich 'o meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'weskwehl. Kich nimok'w nu mehl 'ela meskwelek' 'o'loolekwish 'o'l. Nek kwelekw kich ma yohpechok' k'i 'o'loolekwishol ekaahlkome Kich mela hegok' ni ki exkwun 'Aawokw, 'o'loolekwishol! To kwelekw kich na'ami yegook' To sonin kich meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Kwelekw 'i yo 'o kich nini yegok' 'i ni kaap'olihl, kich sonini hlmeyorkwek' k'i mekwchiwo. K'i nu mekwchiwo kem kich hlmeyorkwo' Witu kem kich mi' nooleni laayek' k'i ni legaayekw, sonin kich meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Wit kem kich nooleni mehl 'ahs k'i mehl 'ahspima, sonin kich meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Tu 'aawokw, 'o'loolekwishol, hehl cho' kwelas moki mehl ni chpareson (?) Chuhl ni himoorech, 'o'loolekwishol, 'O Kego wohpek (?) ? neskwech... Kiki k'e-neskwechok', 'o'loolekwishol. Kwelekw we ki nep newohpa' sin i ko'op.., 'o'loolekwishol. ki kwon (?) cho unegouna (?) 'ne-pekoyek. Tu kwelekw, 'o'loolekwishol, 'aawokw. To kwile kich na'ami hegok'. Hehl nii'no'wos 'o'loolekwishol, yo wooksihl 'o 'uket'u'logehl ku wes'onah 'O Keto kol ch'igol kich qa ay koyohl qa-laayekws mu kwihl noohl wishtu ol 'ahspi'mehl k'i nu mehl tuuwomehl Wo'ik etu noohl wishtu ol 'ahspi'mehl k'i nryrmrtr, 'o'loolekwishol. Kwelekw wishtu kich 'o meneykwenoome'l 'u-'wes. tuye kwen cho kwe nohpewom 'o'loolekwishol 'o'lepik kiki 'ooluukwseyhl 'o'loolekwishol 'o'lepik k'i chiikchiik yi kwen cho ka nohpewo'm Tu' 'o'lepik kiki 'ooluukwseyhl k'i chiikchiik. siega wi kihl (?) 'ne-meneykweno (?) 'ne-'wes. Tu chuhl to cho' ni yimooreyo'm, 'o'loolekwishol, kwelekw to wi ki tu sonowo'm, 'o'loolekwishol. yi kwen cho k'e-nohpewo'm tu 'o'lepik kiki 'ooluukwseyhl, tu 'o'loolekwishol ki chpi kohchi yr'rmrchek'. pulekuch 'o so 'r yr'rmrwrchek' 'o'lepik... miki ki k'e-neskwechok'. ki 'O Kego woxki k'e-neskwechok' mi k'i ki k'e-neskwechok' yi kwen cho k'e-nohpewo'm tu 'o'lep ki ki o.. k'i chiikchiik siega wi kihl k'e-meneykwenoo 'ne-'wes. hi ni nuk'wo neskwechok', 'o'loo'lekwishol, kwel kich ish nini yegook'. Kich sonini hlmeyorkwoome'l 'u-'wes, kich mok'ws nu mehl 'elo meskwe'l, 'o'loolekwishol. Tu witi hinu ke mehl neskwechok', 'n-esek', To' kich hini yegesipa', 'Aawokw!" "Kwelekw hinuus ni mehl hegi': Witu kich sonowok', kich ko chpurowok'. tu witu mehl sonowok' ni ko ni yo gegok' tu ki ni legaayekws kem kich mi' nooleni yegok' sonin kich hlmeyorkwoomelek' 'ne-'wes. we'yk'oh tu kem kich mi' nooleni 'ahspime(k') kich mi' nooleni mehl 'ahspi'm k'i mehl 'ahspim sonin kich hlmeyorkwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes k'i mekwchi'woo witu kemi hlmeyorkwo'(pa) k'i 'ne-mekwchi'woolem Sonin kich meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. hehl chyewk he nii'no'wos sonin kich meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Ki newo'm kolo ch'igol kich kaaikoyol k'i 'we-laayekwisono mo kwelekw wishtu chpi 'o koma 'ahspi'mehl k'i nu mehl tuuwomehl k'i nu 'w-egorew Tu wi' 'o koma 'ahspi'm. Tu kwelekw witi 'o ko mehl 'o ket'u'logehl, moki 'we-lrhpryehl. Witu noohl witu kun 'o wesahpew To kwelekw kich na'ami yego'm, 'oloolekwishol, 'aawokw. Kich me yohpechok' 'i 'wes'onah. Tu kwelekw witi noohl kit ni k'-egok', 'o'loolekwishol, sonini kich hlmeyorkwoomelek' 'ne-'wes, 'o'loolekwishol. Tu kwelekw kich me yohpechok' k'i 'oolekwehl ekahlkume Tu kwelekw noohl wi'iit ka 'ela neskwechok' 'O Kego wohpi mi kiki k'e-neskwechok' k'i k'r-wrhlrwryr yi (?) kwen cho k'e-nohpewome (?), tu 'o'lepik 'i ki 'ooluukwsey k'i nu mehl tuuwomehl, k'i chiik. 'O'lepik 'i ki 'ooluukwseyhl yi kwen cho k'e-neskwecho'l 'o yo'. Sega (?) wi kihl 'ne-meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Kwel to wi ki sonowo'm, 'o'loolekwishol. yi kwen cho kaa ? nohpewe'm e, tu 'o'lepik 'i ki 'ooluukseyhl (?) k'i chiik. Chuhl ni yimrk'ses, 'o'loolekwishol! Ki chpi kohchi yr'rmrwechek'! So pulek.. chuhl ni yimrk'ses, 'o'loolekwishol!

[Girl:] "Where are you, daughter of the sky? I have been wandering around. People are afraid of my body. There is no village dweller who can make medicine for me. I have gone around men stepping (in the ground) I went about way off" [Daughter of the sky:] "Alas, human being!" [Girl:] "I have been walking for a long time because people are afraid of me. I have just been walking around here in the brush because Indians (all) fear me. Indians (all) fear me I can't go on the trails because people are afraid of me. I can't drink what they drink because people are afraid of me." [Daughter of the sky:] "Alas, human being, you better see him Hurry up, human being, 'O Kego the water gone You will return, human being. ... You see me standing here, human being. [Girl:] "I have lots of blood." [Daughter of the sky:] "Alas, human being. I have gone about long. Look over here, human being in the middle lake. sky middle lake You can see like saliva that is ... That's where they drink the money that is this one, that's where game yet drink, human being. That's why people are afraid of my body. any place you go in the money will be in the house human being, in the house, money that is where you enter and money will be in the house You need not be afraid of me. Hurry, human being, you will be that way, human being. any place you enter, will be in the house, Indians, I will dive only once. sink down river, come home! when you come to 'O Kego you will come, any place you enter, you will enter money much they will not fear you. I come back, village dweller, go around. Thus people are afraid of her, there is nobody who can make medicine for her, Indian. That's the reason I come, thinking, You will think about me, Alas!" "Well, somebody told me: I have become this way, I am menstruating. This is why I am wandering around on the trails. I never went around because people are afraid of me. Now I never drink / I never drink what men use because they fear me, the men, they fear me, myself the men Thus people are afraid of me. now gone look here because people are afraid of my body. You will see like saliva scratched scars the trail because it's where that which makes you glad (money) and arrows only still drink. That's where they still drink. That's why there is a lake there, it is its saliva. That's where you will wash. Twice you have gone, human being, alas. I went around in the sky. That's where you going, human being, because they fear you so, village dweller. I have gone around the world That is when I arrived across 'O Kego then you will arrive in 10 days Wherever you are married, what people are always happy about will enter the house, money. It will enter the house wherever you come. For that reason nobody will be afraid of me. You will be the same way, village dweller. wherever you are married, money will enter the house. Hurry, village dweller! You will dive only once. Hurry downriver, village dweller!