Xonsahding Q'un-ch'iwichwil (Xonsahding Young Man)
told by Mary Marshall
July, 1901
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 174
- xonsahding
- Xonsahding
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man
- misq'it
- to Misq'it
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- xontah
- "Houses
A young man who was living at Xonsading said to a young man living at Miskut, "Let us go visiting."
- misq'it
- Miskut
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man
- 'a:xoł-ch'ine:
- always said it.
- xa'
- "Very well,"
- ch'ide:ne'
- he said.
"Very well," said the Miskut young man.
- niłtuqi-lay
- "Niłtuqilay
- yisxun-de'
- tomorrow
- xutł'e'-dung'
- morning."
- haya:ł
- And
- ch'itehsyay
- he went
- misq'it
- Misq'it
- mił
- from.
"Tomorrow then we will meet at NiLtukalai," said the Xonsading young man.
- niłtuqi-lay
- To Niłtuqilay
- xa:'isyay
- he came up.
- tin
- The trail
- ch'inehł'e'n
- he looked at.
The next morning the Miskut young man climbed the hill to NiLtukalai and examined the trail.
- sa'a:
- A long time
- ya[']wing'a:-hit
- when he had sat
- ye:w
- way down
- yisinch'ing
- up the hill
- ye:
- he saw
- k'ił-na:dil
- a wolf
- wilda:l-e:
- coming along
- tin
- trail
- yisinch'ing
- up.
After a long time he saw a wolf coming up the trail.
- ła'ay-xw
- Really
- k'ehsła:t-e:
- he climbed up he saw
- k'iwa'nich
- stump
- k'isxa:n
- standing there.
It came up, and climbed a hollow stump that was standing there.
- do:-winsa'a:y-mił
- It was not long
- xoning'
- his face
- ch'e:na[']niłqe:t-e:
- he poked out.
Soon it put its face out and looked about.
- hay
- That
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- hay
- the one
- ch'itehsde'tł-te:
- he was to travel with.
The Miskut young man then saw it was the one with whom he was to travel.
- haya:ł
- And
- na:na[']widyay
- he came down.
- diywho'owh
- Something
- xoje:'-ding
- in front of himself
- ch'iwa'a:l-e:
- he carried
- yisinch'ing
- along up.
He saw him come down the stump holding something in front of himself.
- ła'ay-xw
- At once
- haya:ł
- then
- xoq'eh
- after him
- ch'itehsyay
- he went
- ye:w
- there
- hayah
- where
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- ya[']wing'a:
- him sitting.
He went along the trail a little way past him and sat down to wait.
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- he said,
- ya:wh'ay
- I have been sitting here."
"I have been here a long time," he told the Miskut young man when he came along.
- haya:ł
- And
- misq'it
- Misq'it
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said,
- whe:
- "I
- ning
- you
- na:tse:
- ahead of
- ne:yay
- came.
"No," said the Miskut young man, "I came ahead of you.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ch'itehsde:tł'
- they went on.
- mine:jixomił
- After a while
- 'a:xoł-ch'ide:ne'
- he said to him,
- keh
- "Come
- 'a:dich'ing'
- on yourself
- nuliwh
- put it."
After they had been travelling sometime the Xonsading young man said, "Come, dress up in it."
*Probably it was a wolf skin.
- hayah-mił
- And
- xoch'ing'
- on him
- no[']nilay
- he put it.
- haya:ł
- And
- xoh
- in vain
- wun-na:'usya'
- he tried.
He put it on him but the Miskut young man could do nothing with it.
- do:-heh xoł-diniwił'a'
- He did not know how.
He did not know how to use it.
- haya:ł
- And
- ch'itehsde:tł'
- they went on
- ch'e:wilin-ch'ing'
- to mouth of Redwood creek.
- hayah-mił
- And
- miyeh
- under
- xwe:ya:lwe:tł'
- they camped.
They went on to the mouth of Redwood creek and camped.
- haya:ł
- And
- xutł'e'
- at night
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said
- xonsahding
- Xonsahding
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man,
- keh
- "Come
- keh
- let
- whe:
- me
- xontah
- house
- na:wha:
- visit."
When it was dark the Xonsading young man said, "You stay here. I will go to the house."
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a:dich'ing'
- on himself
- no:na[']nilay
- he put it.
- xe'e[']wingqoch'-e:-ts'iw
- He heard him lope away.
He dressed himself in the wolf skin and loped away.
- xołiqay
- Dawn
- tehsyay
- it came
- mił
- when
- nundiqoch'-ts'iw
- he heard him lope back.
At dawn he came running back.
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- he said,
- ła'
- "One
- ne:ył'ing'
- I looked at."
"I looked at a man," he said.
*An expression which means to cast the "evil eye."
- ch'e:wilin-ding
- At the mouth of the creek
- ch'e[']ninde'tł-hit
- when they came out
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- a man
- duxo:-'a:diyah-xola:n*
- was dead they found out.
When they came to the village they were told that a man had died.
*"Some way he did" is the usual euphonistic form for he died.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ła'ay-xw
- really
- yehch'iwingyay
- he went in
- xontah
- the house.
The Xonsadin young man went into the house.
- na'dehsdiqot'
- that he rolled around.
He pretended to be so overcome with grief that he actually rolled about on the floor.
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a:ya[']de:ne'
- they said,
- wiłdung
- "Yesterday
- niwhong-xw
- all right
- 'a:'unt'e:-ne'in
- he was,
- xutł'e'
- in the night
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- an Indian
- miq'it
- on him
- ch'e[']ningyay
- came out."
"Yesterday he was all right," they said, "then in the middle of the night he suddenly came upon a man.
- hayah-mił
- "And
- xwe:da'ay
- his head
- diwinch'a:t
- ached,"
- ya[']de:ne'
- they said.
He had a headache and died."
- hayah-mił
- And
- no:na[']xonsow
- they had finished filling the grave
- mił
- then
- 'a:ya[']de:ne'
- he said,
- na:ydił
- "Let us go home."
When they had finished the burial, the Xonsadin young man said, "Come, let us go home."
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a:xoł-ch'ide:ne'
- she said to him,
- hay
- "That
- do: nehe:lwe'tł'-te:
- you may stay."
"Even as it is, you may stay," they said.
- daw
- "No,"
- ch'ide:ne'
- he said,
- do:-xoling whilwil
- "I will not stay over night.
- ła'ay-xw
- Really
- na:do:wehłdin'-ts'eh
- I am becoming lonesome for
- whe:
- my
- whima:lyo'
- friend
- duxo:-'ahdiyaw
- he died."
"No, I will not stay overnight, I am too lonesome for my dead friend," he said.
- hayah-mił
- And
- na[']tehsde:tł'
- they started back.
- ye:w
- Way
- yiduq
- up
- xwe:na:ya:lwe:tł'
- they camped.
They went back a way and camped.
- 'a[']de:ne'
- he said,
- keh
- "Let
- na:na:wha:
- me go back;
- keh
- come,
- ning
- you
- na:nunya:
- go back."
After dark the Xonsadin young man said, "I will go back, — no, you go back."
- do: xoł-diniwił'a'
- He did not know how.
He did not know how.
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a:xoł-ch'ide:ne'
- he told him,
- haya:ł
- And
- xa'ach'ilaw
- that way he showed him.
Then his friend showed him. "Here do it this way."
- haya:ł
- And
- ts'e:y-ding
- grave place
- xoning'
- his face
- xa[']wehs'a'
- he peeped out.
When he came to the grave he looked about.
- haya:ł
- And
- je[']wiłk'il
- he tore away
- hay
- the
- ts'e:y
- fence.
- na[']dilchwung'
- Eating
- xontah
- house
- me'
- in
- ts'iw
- he heard.
He heard them eating in the house. Then he tore away the fence which was about the grave and began to take down the things which were hung above it.
- haya:ł
- And
- dunłun-who'
- a few things
- wha:ne:
- only
- na:na[']wing'a:n
- he had taken down
- mił
- when
- ch'iwildahł-ts'iw
- he heard him coming.
He had only secured a few articles when he heard someone coming.
- hayah-mił
- And
- dahch'idiwinła:t
- he started to run.
- 'isdo'
- Nearly
- no:na[']xoniłtin-ne'in
- he caught up with him.
- hayah-mił
- And
- mina:na[']wiliwh
- he thought about it.
He started to run but was nearly caught before he thought of the kitdo:ngxoi* which he had.
*Kitdo:ngxoi is the name given to the material thing of whatever kind from which the evil power is obtained. See Life and Culture of the Hupa, p. 64.
- mide:na[']k'ilay
- He touched it.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ła'ay-xw
- really
- ya[']wingxits'-sile'n
- he nearly flew.
He touched that and then he nearly flew.
- na:'ndiyay-e:
- He got back
- hay
- where
- łiwung
- the other one
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- he said,
- ch'iwhiłki[t]-ne'in
- he nearly caught me.
When he came where his companion was sitting he said, "They nearly caught me."
- hayah-mił
- And
- xong
- he
- midiłwa:
- in turn
- 'a:dich'ing'
- on himself
- no[']nilay
- put it.
- hayahujit
- And then
- xe'e:na[']wilła:t
- he ran back up.
Then the Xonsadin young man put on the wolf skin and ran back.
- na:na[']wing'ung-xola:n
- he had taken down.
He had taken everything away from the grave.
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a[']de:ne'
- said
- hay
- the
- xonsahdin
- Xonsading
- q'un-ch'iwichwil
- young man,
- nahnine
- "Both of us
- mił
- With it
- xontah
- houses
- na:widilił-te:
- we will visit."
- haya:ł
- And
- na:'inde:tł'-e:
- they got back.
The Xonsadin young man said, "We will own it together; with it we will go visiting."