Susie of Wechpus

Menstruation medicine (recorded) (June 23, 1902)

Writing system: no hyphens | hyphens
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Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished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.

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1.

Kues ke'l, wonoye'eeks 'ue-me'y? Nek kwelekw nee ko nee yo gegook'. Keech 'o meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'weskwehl. Keech neemok'w nue mehl 'ela meskwelek' 'o'loolekweesh 'o'l. Nek kwelekw keech ma yohpechook' k'ee 'o'loolekweeshol ekaahlkome Keech mela hegook' nee kee exkwuen 'Aawokw, 'o'loolekweeshol! To kwelekw keech na'amee yegook' To soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Kwelekw 'ee yo 'o keech neenee yegook' 'ee nee kaap'oleehl, keech soneenee hlmeyorkwek' k'ee mekwcheewo. K'ee nue mekwcheewo kem keech hlmeyorkwo' Weetue kem keech mee' noolenee laayek' k'ee nee legaayekw, soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Weet kem keech noolenee mehl 'ahs k'ee mehl 'ahspeema, soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Tue 'aawokw, 'o'loolekweeshol, hehl cho' kweles mokee mehl nee chpareson (?) Chuehl nee heemoorech, 'o'loolekweeshol, 'O Kego wohpek (?) ? neskwech... Keekee k'e-neskwechook', 'o'loolekweeshol. Kwelekw we kee nep newohpa' seen ee ko'op.., 'o'loolekweeshol. kee kwon (?) cho uenegouena (?) 'ne-pekoyek. Tue kwelekw, 'o'loolekweeshol, 'aawokw. To kweele keech na'amee hegook'. Hehl neee'no'wos 'o'loolekweeshol, yo wookseehl 'o 'ueket'ue'logehl kue wes'onah 'O Keto kol ch'eegol keech qa ay koyohl qa-laayekws mue kweehl noohl weeshtue ol 'ahspee'mehl k'ee nue mehl tuuewomehl Wo'eek etue noohl weeshtue ol 'ahspee'mehl k'ee neryermertr, 'o'loolekweeshol. Kwelekw weeshtue keech 'o meneykwenoome'l 'ue-'wes. tuye kwen cho kwe nohpewom 'o'loolekweeshol 'o'lepeek keekee 'ooluuekwseyhl 'o'loolekweeshol 'o'lepeek k'ee cheeekcheeek yee kwen cho ka nohpewo'm Tue' 'o'lepeek keekee 'ooluuekwseyhl k'ee cheeekcheeek. seeega wee keehl (?) 'ne-meneykweno (?) 'ne-'wes. Tue chuehl to cho' nee yeemooreyo'm, 'o'loolekweeshol, kwelekw to wee kee tue sonowo'm, 'o'loolekweeshol. yee kwen cho k'e-nohpewo'm tue 'o'lepeek keekee 'ooluuekwseyhl, tue 'o'loolekweeshol kee chpee kohchee yer'ermerchek'. puelekuech 'o so 'er yer'ermerwerchek' 'o'lepeek... meekee kee k'e-neskwechook'. kee 'O Kego woxkee k'e-neskwechook' mee k'ee kee k'e-neskwechook' yee kwen cho k'e-nohpewo'm tue 'o'lep kee kee o.. k'ee cheeekcheeek seeega wee keehl k'e-meneykwenoo 'ne-'wes. hee nee nuek'wo neskwechook', 'o'loo'lekweeshol, kwel keech eesh neenee yegook'. Keech soneenee hlmeyorkwoome'l 'ue-'wes, keech mok'ws nue mehl 'elo meskwe'l, 'o'loolekweeshol. Tue weetee' heenue ke mehl neskwechook', 'n-esek', To' keech heenee yegeseepa', 'Aawokw!" "Kwelekw heenuues nee mehl hegee': Weetue keech sonowok', keech ko chpuerowok'. tue weetue mehl sonowok' nee ko nee yo gegook' tue kee nee legaayekws kem keech mee' noolenee yegook' soneen keech hlmeyorkwoomelek' 'ne-'wes. we'yk'oh tue kem keech mee' noolenee 'ahspeeme(k') keech mee' noolenee mehl 'ahspee'm k'ee mehl 'ahspeem soneen keech hlmeyorkwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes k'ee mekwchee'woo weetue kemee hlmeyorkwo'(pa) k'ee 'ne-mekwchee'woolem Soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. hehl chyewk he neee'no'wos soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Kee newo'm kolo ch'eegol keech kaaikoyol k'ee 'we-laayekweesono mo kwelekw weeshtue chpee 'o koma 'ahspee'mehl k'ee nue mehl tuuewomehl k'ee nue 'w-egorew Tue wee' 'o koma 'ahspee'm. Tue kwelekw weetee' 'o ko mehl 'o ket'ue'logehl, mokee 'we-lerhperyehl. Weetue noohl weetue kuen 'o wesahpew To kwelekw keech na'amee yego'm, 'oloolekweeshol, 'aawokw. Keech ma yohpechook' 'ee 'wes'onah. Tue kwelekw weetee' noohl keet nee k'-egook', 'o'loolekweeshol, soneenee keech hlmeyorkwoomelek' 'ne-'wes, 'o'loolekweeshol. Tue kwelekw keech ma yohpechook' k'ee 'oolekwehl ekahlkueme Tue kwelekw noohl wee'eeet ka 'ela neskwechook' 'O Kego wohpee mee keekee k'e-neskwechook' k'ee k'er-werhlerweryr yee (?) kwen cho k'e-nohpewome (?), tue 'o'lepeek 'ee kee 'ooluuekwsey k'ee nue mehl tuuewomehl, k'ee cheeek. 'O'lepeek 'ee kee 'ooluuekwseyhl yee kwen cho k'e-neskwecho'l 'o yo'. Sega (?) wee keehl 'ne-meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes. Kwel to wee kee sonowo'm, 'o'loolekweeshol. yee kwen cho kaa ? nohpewe'm e, tue 'o'lepeek 'ee kee 'ooluuekseyhl (?) k'ee cheeek. Chuehl nee yeemerk'ses, 'o'loolekweeshol! Kee chpee kohchee yer'ermerwechek'! So puelek.. chuehl nee yeemerk'ses, 'o'loolekweeshol!

[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!