Captain Spott

"The Obsidian Cliff at Rek'woy" (June 17, 1907)

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Text identifier: X16
Speaker: Captain Spott
Primary documentation: A. L. Kroeber
Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished
Translation: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok Myths (1976), p. 435-436 (myth X16)
Manuscript source: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok field notebook 75, pp. 1-8

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  1. Kwelekw witu si numi 'o hlko'y k'i niigem 'O Schegep'.
    Obsidian would actually have been gathered at 'O Schegep'.
  2. Tu witu 'o tekto'y, tu witu si numi 'wo-'o hlkoyek' k'i niigem, k'i 'O Schegep'
    That's where it stands, that's where obsidian would actually have been gathered, at 'O Schegep'.
  3. Numi chyu, numi chyu tema sooto'l, 'w-esek', Kus tu ko 'o tekto'y?
    Everywhere, he tried to go everywhere, thinking, Where will it stand?
  4. Tu wi nini yo gooluulowi' k'i 'w-a'aag k'i riik'ew k'i pishkaahl, k'i 'O Schegep' 'o tekto'y.
    He was carrying his rock around at the sea-shore, the one that stands at 'O Schegep'.
  5. Tu k'i soneni, k'i soneni menomenehl tu' soneni tema tekto'y, kem tu nimi wo' pyekwcheni srnryrh ki 'we-tektonek'.
    Like a cliff it was to stand there, but it did not look right as it stood there.
  6. 'W-esek' witu, Kwo 'o legohku' k'i niigem? Neskwi ki niki 'o tekti' k'i 'oohl 'o nohsunowoo'mek'
    He was thinking thus, How will they make obsidians? It will stand close to where people live.
  7. Tu neskwi kiki 'o meroge'y 'w-ohku'.
    If it is close it will be easy to make.
  8. Tu witu mehl ho gooluuli' k'i ha'aag, tem lo gooleni.
    That is why he carried the rock, carrying it for a long time.
  9. 'Iimokw wo' pyekwcheni sone'm 'we-tektoyek' wi k'i 'O Schegep'
    But it did look right where it stood at 'O Schegep'.
  10. Pish tu witi mehl soneni newo'y koloni s'okto', mi si 'o legohku' ki s'oktop'.
    Then the way it looked was seemingly reddish, because he was going to make it red.
  11. Tu' witu soneni mehl newi'.
    That is how it looked.
  12. Kwel temi lo gooluulowi', 'w-esekw, Kus cho ki soneni tekto'y?
    He carried it about, thinking, "Where will it stand like this?"
  13. Pishtu witu 'o lesi', Chuhl, Wit ku 'o tekto'y we'y k'i 'O Schegep', tu witi emehl rek'iinewor.
    Then what he thought was, Well, it will stand here at 'O Schegep', that is where it will sit.
  14. K'i ni ya'aagono hi wohp'i 'o ko rek'iin, tu to'onoh keli hesi wohp'i 'o su rek'iinewor ...
    And from these rocks out in the ocean they will sit, four of them, sitting out in the water ...
  15. hesiirk 'emehl tepo'n k'i 'O Schegep' hesiirk emehl tepo'n, mo wi si 'o legohku' we'y ki s'oktop'.
    off 'O Schegep' on the shore, when he was going to make it red.
  16. Tu' witu ... tu witu si segoo hohku'.
    Thus, thus they would have regularly made (them).
  17. Hi merhkwi si mehl tmiigooli' mehl hookchkehl.
    It would have been shot onto the ground with arrow-flakers.
  18. Tu witu si soo nohseni' k'i 'w-a'aagona.
    Thus the rock would have been chipped off.
  19. Hesi merhkwi mehl tmegooli' mehl hookchkehl.
    People shoot it onto the ground with arrow-flakers.
  20. Tu wit si soo hegohku' niigem.
    So they would have made obsidians.
  21. Tu hee, to kwelekw me lego'l Wohpekumew, kwelekw Wohpekumew ... kwelekw Wohpekumew wish.
    Hee, Wohpekumew is the one who was there, it was Wohpekumew ... Wohpekumew himself.
  22. Wotish sweyko'm mo kaamoksi' yo' wish.
    He is the one who damaged it when he was disliked.
  23. Tu wishto mehl sweyko'm Wohpekumew.
    Wohpekumew damaged ...
  24. mehl hes kechisi mi wo' 'o legohku' ku kwelas 'u-kaamoksek'.
    They do not make them there ... (because) they disliked him.
  25. Tu hee, to kwelek me lego'l mewimor.
    Hii, the old man is the one who was there then.
  26. Tu witu mehl mi wo' 'o legohku' niigem.
    That is why they do not make obsidians there.
  27. 'Ap 'o witi 'emehl tekti' hesi hehlkew soneno'opeya.
    Then for that reason it stands inland.
  28. 'W-esek', Witu ki so'n hi merhkwi si mehl tmiigooli' mehl hookchkehl.
    They thought, It will come to pass that it would have been shot onto the ground with an arrow-flaker.
  29. Hesi merhkwi si mehl tmiigok'w.
    One could shoot them onto the ground.
  30. Tu witu si segoo nohsichií, tu Wohpekumew skoweyko.
    In that way it would regularly have been chipped off, but Wohpekumew spoiled it.