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Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished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. Hee-nuek'-wo nes 'o'-loo-le-kwee-shol. Kues ke'l 'oo'?
    [Girl:] "I come here as a human being. Where are you?
  3. To kee nep (?) ne-woh-pa' nep (?).
    You will see me.
  4. Nek kwe-lekw to 'o kwe-nee (?) yoo-lek'.
    I live around here.
  5. Wee... hee-nuek'-wo mehl nes-kwe-chook'.
    That is why I came here
  6. Kee ye-ge-see-pa' 'Aa-wokw, 'o'-loo-le-kwee-shol.
    You will think about me, 'Alas, human being.'
  7. Keech mee wo we-se-pek'.
    I can't wash.
  8. nuues nee mehl he-gee', Keech chpue-ro-wok'.
    Somebody told me, 'I have flowers.'
  9. Keech ne-megw kwe-no-me-lek' 'ne'-wes.
    They have become afraid of me."
  10. Hes? Ta-wox to kee noh-pew 'o'-loo-le-kwee-shol.
    [Sky girl:] "Is it so? That's maybe, you'll come in to the human beings
  11. Kwe-lekw to keech nah-chee-chek'.
    I have given it to you."
  12. mekw-chee-woo (?) kee hlmey-yor-kwo'.
    (all)together (those living together) they are afraid of me.
  13. To kee nah-chee-chek' kuue-na we-sah.
    I will give it to you to wash.
  14. Wee-'eeet koo-'o-pek'. Cho' neee'-no'-wom! Hehl neee'-no'-wes!
    I stand here. Look! Look!
  15. k'ee 'o koo-'op... 'ne-pe-ko-yek
    my blood
  16. Wee-'eeet ko 'o ne-woh-pa'.
    That's where you will see me.
  17. ta-hlee 'o noh-pe-wek'.
    I'll come in.
  18. 'O kaap-'o-leehl nee 'ok' 'nehl-mey-yor-kwo-yek'.
    I live in the brush (and?) I am feared.
  19. Cho' nue we-sah-pe'm mee kee 'o noh-pe-we'm.
    Go wash and you will come in!
  20. To kee syah-hlew mo-cho kee we-sah-pe'm.
    You will be rich if you wash.
  21. To kee noh-pe-we'm, kee syah-hlew.
    You will come in, you will be rich.
  22. kwo (?) 'oohl 'o'-lep kee-kee 'oo-le'm k'ee cheeek.
    Money will come to people's houses.
  23. kwo (?) 'o'-le-peek 'o soo-tok'.
    .. go in the house.
  24. kee syah-hlew
    will be rich
  25. Hehl cho' he-goo'm! Wo-no-ye-'eeks cho' soo-to'm!
    Go! Go to the sky!
  26. Hehl neee'-no'-wes! Hehl neee'-nes!
    Look! Look!
  27. kwee 'o ket-'ue'-lo-gehl weet ko ko-'o we-sah-pe'm.
    You will wash in the lake.
  28. Kee chpee koh-chee yerr-mer-we-chep
    Just once you will submerge yourself.
  29. Ko-we-cho' na'-mee yerr-mer-we-chep
    Don't submerge yourself twice.
  30. Wek 'ee me-kwehl k'ee cheeek.
    There's a pile of money here.
  31. Kee noh-pe-we'm, chuehl pa-'ah soot-'os k'ee chpee koh-chee!
    You will come in, go in the water only one time!
  32. Pue-le-kuek kee no-mo-ye-we'm.
    You will put your head downriver.
  33. Cho' ne-ge-me'm ha-'aag!
    Take a rock!
  34. Mee 'o'-lep kee soo-ne'm meesh kee 'o syah-hlew.
    You will bring it up into the house so you will be rich.
  35. Kee 'o me'-lo-nem, 'ee syah-hlew.
    You will rub (the rock on the rocks of the fireplace), and be rich.
  36. Che(?)yoh-pe-choo'm.
    You have come around (the world after me looking for medicine).
  37. Pech-kuek 'e nes-kwe-cho..
    Upriver ... arrive
  38. Pue-le-kuek 'o soo, noohl kee 'o kwom, noohl kee 'o kwom-hle-cho
    Go downriver, then you will come back, then you will come back.
  39. Cho' we-sah-pe'm! Noohl 'Oke-go ko 'o nes-kwe-cho'm mee-kee kee k'e-nes.
    Wash yourself! Then come down to Okego so you'll come.
  40. Keech e (?) k'er-wer-hler-weryr
    You have got through [sic].
  41. Peesh chuehl hee-merk'-ses kee-kee k'e-nes!
    Come quickly!
  42. Keech 'e-me hlmey-yor, chuehl hee-merk'-ses kee-kee k'e-nes!
    They will not fear you, so come quickly!
  43. 'Aa-wokw, mekw-chee-wa (?), To kwe-lekw keech he-goo'm.
    Alas, ..., you have gone around.
  44. 'Oke-go kee wo-me-we-cho-mek (?) kee k'e-ke-mey-yek', chuehl hee-merk'-ses!
    You will go to 'Okego (and) you will go home, hurry!
  45. We'yk-'oh ... Peesh, weet kee k'e-nes-kwe-chook', kee chpee koh-chee pa-'aahl soo-to'm.
    Now ... When you arrive, you will go in the water only once.