Ararahih'urípih
A Dictionary and Text Corpus of the Karuk Language

Mamie Offield: "Blue Jay As Doctor" (1957)

Primary participants: Mamie Offield (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-28
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 222-225, Text 28


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[1] kachakâach u'eemhîichva.
Blue Jay pretended to be a 'doctor.'

[2] tu'ápur paachvivtunvêechas.
She bewitched the little birds.

[3] xás tupatúmkoo.
Then she sucked them (as treatment for their illnesses).

[4] tumásnaahva.
She did a doctor's dance.

[5] vúra kumakâarim payíkihar.
The sick person just got worse.

[6] kúkuum tá kunpíshavsip xúrish, athithxuntápan, úus, koovúra kuma'ávaha.
They would pay her fee repeatedly with shelled acorns, hazel nuts, pine nuts, all kinds of food.

[7] hínupa vúra uum u'apunkôonaatih, kachakâach uum u'apunkôonaatih.
There she was bewitching them, Blue Jay herself was bewitching them.

[8] púyava patóo xus, " miník kóo ník patá kana'íshavsip," púyava kári xás tu'aráriihkanha.
Then when she thought they had paid her enough in fees, then (the patient) would get well.


[9] koovúra tá kunmásmaahvunaa paachvivtunvêechas.
All the little birds were doing doctor's dances.

[10] pakunxútih " kíri nu'áapunma ' hûut kumá’ii pakunyíkihiti' " púyava kári xás kunpíkav xánkiit.
When they thought, "Let's find out why they are sick," then they summoned Bullhead.

[11] xás upiip, " áchpuus kanapíshavsiiprini."
And she said, "Pay my fee with 'áchpuus."
(áchpuus is translated by Harrington, 1932b, pp.29-31, as 'gut strings.' My informants, however, identify it as 'white stuff under the throat of a salmon.'")

[12] xás vúra pu'aapúnmara xánkiit.
But Bullhead didn't find out.


[13] kári xás mahnûuvanach kúna kunpíkav.
Then in turn they summoned Chipmunk.

[14] kári xás umásmaahva mahnûuvanach.
And Chipmunk did a doctor's dance.

[15] kári xás kachakâach káan ukrîish.
And Blue Jay sat down there.

[16] paráamvar u'êethtih.
She was holding a maul (for driving wedges).

[17] chími úkxaavkuriheesh.
She was going to smash (Chipmunk) with it.


[18] xás mahnûuvanach upiip, " akáray yakún muvéeniichva.
Then Chipmunk said, "You see, it's someone's mischief.

[19] mán kachakâach muvéeniichva.
Why, it's Blue Jay's mischief."


[20] hínupa uum kachakáach u'apunkôonaatih.
There Blue Jay herself was bewitching them.

[21] mahnûuvanach xás uum u'aapúnma.
Chipmunk found it out.

[22] kachakâach mu'ápuroon kumáheesh hôoyva, ípahak utákararihva, sú' vákay úkrii.
You can see Blue Jay's 'devil machine' somewhere, it is hanging on a tree, there's a worm inside.
(Bright: "An ápuroon or 'devil machine' is the object used by a sorcerer ('Indian devil') to impose his spells. The kachakach'ápuroon 'bluejay's devil machine' is a type of cocoon.)