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Edition: Andrew Garrett, unpublished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.

Yurok audio:  
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  1. Kues ke'l, wonoye'eeks 'ue-me'y?
    [Girl:] "Where are you, daughter of the sky?
  2. Nek kwelekw nee ko nee yo gegook'.
    I have been wandering around.
  3. Keech 'o meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'weskwehl.
    People are afraid of my body.
  4. Keech neemok'w nue mehl 'ela meskwelek' 'o'loolekweesh 'o'l.
    There is no village dweller who can make medicine for me.
  5. Nek kwelekw keech ma yohpechook' k'ee 'o'loolekweeshol ekaahlkome
    I have gone around men stepping (in the ground)
  6. Keech mela hegook' nee kee exkwuen
    I went about way off"
  7. 'Aawokw, 'o'loolekweeshol!
    [Daughter of the sky:] "Alas, human being!"
  8. To kwelekw keech na'amee yegook' To soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    [Girl:] "I have been walking for a long time because people are afraid of me.
  9. Kwelekw 'ee yo 'o keech neenee yegook' 'ee nee kaap'oleehl, keech soneenee hlmeyorkwek' k'ee mekwcheewo.
    I have just been walking around here in the brush because Indians (all) fear me.
  10. K'ee nue mekwcheewo kem keech hlmeyorkwo'
    Indians (all) fear me
  11. Weetue kem keech mee' noolenee laayek' k'ee nee legaayekw, soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    I can't go on the trails because people are afraid of me.
  12. Weet kem keech noolenee mehl 'ahs k'ee mehl 'ahspeema, soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    I can't drink what they drink because people are afraid of me."
  13. Tue 'aawokw, 'o'loolekweeshol, hehl cho' kweles mokee mehl nee chpareson (?)
    [Daughter of the sky:] "Alas, human being, you better see him
  14. Chuehl nee heemoorech, 'o'loolekweeshol, 'O Kego wohpek (?) ? neskwech...
    Hurry up, human being, 'O Kego the water gone
  15. Keekee k'e-neskwechook', 'o'loolekweeshol.
    You will return, human being.
  16. Kwelekw we kee nep newohpa' seen ee ko'op.., 'o'loolekweeshol.
    ... You see me standing here, human being.
  17. kee kwon (?) cho uenegouena (?) 'ne-pekoyek.
    [Girl:] "I have lots of blood."
  18. Tue kwelekw, 'o'loolekweeshol, 'aawokw.
    [Daughter of the sky:] "Alas, human being.
  19. To kweele keech na'amee hegook'.
    I have gone about long.
  20. Hehl neee'no'wos 'o'loolekweeshol, yo wookseehl 'o 'ueket'ue'logehl
    Look over here, human being in the middle lake.
  21. kue wes'onah 'O Keto kol ch'eegol keech qa ay koyohl qa-laayekws
    sky middle lake You can see like saliva that is ...
  22. mue kweehl noohl weeshtue ol 'ahspee'mehl k'ee nue mehl tuuewomehl
    That's where they drink the money
  23. Wo'eek etue noohl weeshtue ol 'ahspee'mehl k'ee neryermertr, 'o'loolekweeshol.
    that is this one, that's where game yet drink, human being.
  24. Kwelekw weeshtue keech 'o meneykwenoome'l 'ue-'wes.
    That's why people are afraid of my body.
  25. tuye kwen cho kwe nohpewom 'o'loolekweeshol 'o'lepeek keekee 'ooluuekwseyhl
    any place you go in the money will be in the house
  26. 'o'loolekweeshol 'o'lepeek k'ee cheeekcheeek yee kwen cho ka nohpewo'm
    human being, in the house, money that is where you enter
  27. Tue' 'o'lepeek keekee 'ooluuekwseyhl k'ee cheeekcheeek.
    and money will be in the house
  28. seeega wee keehl (?) 'ne-meneykweno (?) 'ne-'wes.
    You need not be afraid of me.
  29. Tue chuehl to cho' nee yeemooreyo'm, 'o'loolekweeshol, kwelekw to wee kee tue sonowo'm, 'o'loolekweeshol.
    Hurry, human being, you will be that way, human being.
  30. yee kwen cho k'e-nohpewo'm tue 'o'lepeek keekee 'ooluuekwseyhl, tue 'o'loolekweeshol kee chpee kohchee yer'ermerchek'.
    any place you enter, will be in the house, Indians, I will dive only once.
  31. puelekuech 'o so 'er yer'ermerwerchek' 'o'lepeek... meekee kee k'e-neskwechook'.
    sink down river, come home!
  32. 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
    when you come to 'O Kego you will come, any place you enter, you will enter money
  33. seeega wee keehl k'e-meneykwenoo 'ne-'wes.
    much they will not fear you.
  34. hee nee nuek'wo neskwechook', 'o'loo'lekweeshol, kwel keech eesh neenee yegook'.
    I come back, village dweller, go around.
  35. Keech soneenee hlmeyorkwoome'l 'ue-'wes, keech mok'ws nue mehl 'elo meskwe'l, 'o'loolekweeshol.
    Thus people are afraid of her, there is nobody who can make medicine for her, Indian.
  36. Tue weetee' heenue ke mehl neskwechook', 'n-esek', To' keech heenee yegeseepa', 'Aawokw!"
    That's the reason I come, thinking, You will think about me, Alas!"
  37. "Kwelekw heenuues nee mehl hegee': Weetue keech sonowok', keech ko chpuerowok'. tue weetue mehl sonowok' nee ko nee yo gegook' tue kee nee legaayekws
    "Well, somebody told me: I have become this way, I am menstruating. This is why I am wandering around on the trails.
  38. kem keech mee' noolenee yegook'
    I never went around
  39. soneen keech hlmeyorkwoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    because people are afraid of me.
  40. we'yk'oh tue kem keech mee' noolenee 'ahspeeme(k') keech mee' noolenee mehl 'ahspee'm k'ee mehl 'ahspeem
    Now I never drink / I never drink what men use
  41. soneen keech hlmeyorkwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes k'ee mekwchee'woo weetue kemee hlmeyorkwo'(pa) k'ee 'ne-mekwchee'woolem
    because they fear me, the men, they fear me, myself the men
  42. Soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    Thus people are afraid of me.
  43. hehl chyewk he neee'no'wos soneen keech meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    now gone look here because people are afraid of my body.
  44. Kee newo'm kolo ch'eegol keech kaaikoyol k'ee 'we-laayekweesono
    You will see like saliva scratched scars the trail
  45. mo kwelekw weeshtue chpee 'o koma 'ahspee'mehl k'ee nue mehl tuuewomehl k'ee nue 'w-egorew
    because it's where that which makes you glad (money) and arrows only still drink.
  46. Tue wee' 'o koma 'ahspee'm.
    That's where they still drink.
  47. Tue kwelekw weetee' 'o ko mehl 'o ket'ue'logehl, mokee 'we-lerhperyehl.
    That's why there is a lake there, it is its saliva.
  48. Weetue noohl weetue kuen 'o wesahpew
    That's where you will wash.
  49. To kwelekw keech na'amee yego'm, 'oloolekweeshol, 'aawokw.
    Twice you have gone, human being, alas.
  50. Keech ma yohpechook' 'ee 'wes'onah.
    I went around in the sky.
  51. Tue kwelekw weetee' noohl keet nee k'-egook', 'o'loolekweeshol, soneenee keech hlmeyorkwoomelek' 'ne-'wes, 'o'loolekweeshol.
    That's where you going, human being, because they fear you so, village dweller.
  52. Tue kwelekw keech ma yohpechook' k'ee 'oolekwehl ekahlkueme
    I have gone around the world
  53. Tue kwelekw noohl wee'eeet ka 'ela neskwechook' 'O Kego wohpee
    That is when I arrived across 'O Kego
  54. mee keekee k'e-neskwechook' k'ee k'er-werhlerweryr
    then you will arrive in 10 days
  55. yee (?) kwen cho k'e-nohpewome (?), tue 'o'lepeek 'ee kee 'ooluuekwsey k'ee nue mehl tuuewomehl, k'ee cheeek.
    Wherever you are married, what people are always happy about will enter the house, money.
  56. 'O'lepeek 'ee kee 'ooluuekwseyhl yee kwen cho k'e-neskwecho'l 'o yo'.
    It will enter the house wherever you come.
  57. Sega (?) wee keehl 'ne-meneykwenoomelek' 'ne-'wes.
    For that reason nobody will be afraid of me.
  58. Kwel to wee kee sonowo'm, 'o'loolekweeshol.
    You will be the same way, village dweller.
  59. yee kwen cho kaa ? nohpewe'm e, tue 'o'lepeek 'ee kee 'ooluuekseyhl (?) k'ee cheeek.
    wherever you are married, money will enter the house.
  60. Chuehl nee yeemerk'ses, 'o'loolekweeshol!
    Hurry, village dweller!
  61. Kee chpee kohchee yer'ermerwechek'!
    You will dive only once.
  62. So puelek.. chuehl nee yeemerk'ses, 'o'loolekweeshol!
    Hurry downriver, village dweller!