Susie of Wechpus

Menstruation medicine (dictated) (1902)

Writing system: no hyphens | hyphens
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Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished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. Heenuek'wo nes 'o'loolekweeshol. Kues ke'l 'oo'?
    [Girl:] "I come here as a human being. Where are you?
  3. To kee nep (?) newohpa' nep (?).
    You will see me.
  4. Nek kwelekw to 'o kwenee (?) yoolek'.
    I live around here.
  5. Wee... heenuek'wo mehl neskwechook'.
    That is why I came here
  6. Kee yegeseepa' 'Aawokw, 'o'loolekweeshol.
    You will think about me, 'Alas, human being.'
  7. Keech mee wo wesepek'.
    I can't wash.
  8. nuues nee mehl hegee', Keech chpuerowok'.
    Somebody told me, 'I have flowers.'
  9. Keech nemegw kwenomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    They have become afraid of me."
  10. Hes? Tawox to kee nohpew 'o'loolekweeshol.
    [Sky girl:] "Is it so? That's maybe, you'll come in to the human beings
  11. Kwelekw to keech nahcheechek'.
    I have given it to you."
  12. mekwcheewoo (?) kee hlmeyorkwo'.
    (all)together (those living together) they are afraid of me.
  13. To kee nahcheechek' kuuena wesah.
    I will give it to you to wash.
  14. Wee'eeet koo'opek'. Cho' neee'no'wom! Hehl neee'no'wes!
    I stand here. Look! Look!
  15. k'ee 'o koo'op... 'ne-pekoyek
    my blood
  16. Wee'eeet ko 'o newohpa'.
    That's where you will see me.
  17. tahlee 'o nohpewek'.
    I'll come in.
  18. 'O kaap'oleehl nee 'ok' 'ne-hlmeyorkwoyek'.
    I live in the brush (and?) I am feared.
  19. Cho' nue wesahpe'm mee kee 'o nohpewe'm.
    Go wash and you will come in!
  20. To kee syahhlew mocho kee wesahpe'm.
    You will be rich if you wash.
  21. To kee nohpewe'm, kee syahhlew.
    You will come in, you will be rich.
  22. kwo (?) 'oohl 'o'lep keekee 'oole'm k'ee cheeek.
    Money will come to people's houses.
  23. kwo (?) 'o'lepeek 'o sootok'.
    .. go in the house.
  24. kee syahhlew
    will be rich
  25. Hehl cho' hegoo'm! Wonoye'eeks cho' sooto'm!
    Go! Go to the sky!
  26. Hehl neee'no'wes! Hehl neee'nes!
    Look! Look!
  27. kwee 'o ket'ue'logehl weet ko ko'o wesahpe'm.
    You will wash in the lake.
  28. Kee chpee kohchee yerrmerwechep
    Just once you will submerge yourself.
  29. Kowecho' na'mee yerrmerwechep
    Don't submerge yourself twice.
  30. Wek 'ee mekwehl k'ee cheeek.
    There's a pile of money here.
  31. Kee nohpewe'm, chuehl pa'ah soot'os k'ee chpee kohchee!
    You will come in, go in the water only one time!
  32. Puelekuek kee nomoyewe'm.
    You will put your head downriver.
  33. Cho' negeme'm ha'aag!
    Take a rock!
  34. Mee 'o'lep kee soone'm meesh kee 'o syahhlew.
    You will bring it up into the house so you will be rich.
  35. Kee 'o me'lonem, 'ee 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. Pechkuek 'e neskwecho..
    Upriver ... arrive
  38. Puelekuek 'o soo, noohl kee 'o kwom, noohl kee 'o kwomhlecho
    Go downriver, then you will come back, then you will come back.
  39. Cho' wesahpe'm! Noohl 'Okego ko 'o neskwecho'm meekee kee k'e-nes.
    Wash yourself! Then come down to Okego so you'll come.
  40. Keech e (?) k'er-werhlerweryr
    You have got through [sic].
  41. Peesh chuehl heemerk'ses keekee k'e-nes!
    Come quickly!
  42. Keech 'eme hlmeyor, chuehl heemerk'ses keekee k'e-nes!
    They will not fear you, so come quickly!
  43. 'Aawokw, mekwcheewa (?), To kwelekw keech hegoo'm.
    Alas, ..., you have gone around.
  44. 'Okego kee womewechomek (?) kee k'e-kemeyek', chuehl heemerk'ses!
    You will go to 'Okego (and) you will go home, hurry!
  45. We'yk'oh ... Peesh, weet kee k'e-neskwechook', kee chpee kohchee pa'aahl sooto'm.
    Now ... When you arrive, you will go in the water only once.