Formula of the Spring Dance
told by Senaxon
December, 1901
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 234
- haya:ł
- And
- do: ch'o:wila'n
- he stopped.
- haya:ł
- And
- na:łiwung
- another one
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- sang.
He stopped and another sang a song.
- hay
- That
- da'ng
- awhile ago
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- he sang
- mitis-ding
- farther
- dahna:diwidyay-e:
- it went back.
While he was singing it went farther back.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- k'iye:
- again
- łiwung
- one of them
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- sang a song.
- nisahch-ding
- Little way
- dahna:diwidyay-e:
- it went back.
Again one of them sang a song and it went back a little way.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And,
- xa'
- "Come,
- ning
- you
- me:k'iłteh
- sing."*
"Come, you sing."
*The speaker was probably Yiimantuuwingyai. See p. 127.
- no:ning'ung-hit
- When he finished
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- nisahch-e:-xoliwh
- a little way
- nahsdile'n-e:
- it had gone back.
When he had sung he saw it had gone back a little way.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- hay
- that
- de:-xw
- here
- me'niłchwit
- he put aside
- mił
- then
- na:łiwung
- another one
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- sang.
When he had finished that song another one sang.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- na'ne:ł'ing'
- he looked at it
- hay-yo:w
- that
- k'ich'int
- sickness.
- haya:ł
- And
- nisahch-e:-xoliwh
- a little way
- na:'udliw-e:-xola:n
- it had gone back.
And when he looked he saw it had gone back a little way.
- haya:ł
- And
- k'iye:
- again
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- he sang.
- hayah-mił
- And
- xostun
- six
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- had sung.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked.
- sa:k'iding
- He saw
- nisahch-e:-xoliwh
- a little way
- nahsdile'n-e:-xolung
- it had gone back he found out.
- yinehsgit
- It was afraid.
- q'ut xolung xa'a[']t'in-tehł
- That it will do.
- haya:ł
- And
- nisahch-ding
- a little way
- na:dile:l-e:
- it had gone back.
- yiniwilgilil
- It kept getting afraid of
- hay-yo:w
- that
- me:k'iwiłte:l
- singing.
It had gone back a little way, it was afraid of that one's singing.
- haya:ł
- And
- 'a:diwine:lil
- he said,
- nisahch-e:-xoliwh
- a little way
- nahsdile'n-e:
- it has gone back.
"A little way it has gone back," he said.
- mił
- When
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked,
- sa:k'iding 'ungya'
- he saw with surprise
- nisahch-e:-xoliwh
- a little way
- nahsdile'n-e:-xolung
- it had gone back.
He was surprised to see it had gone back a little way.
- hayah-mił
- And
- yo:w
- those
- k'e:ning'e:tł'
- leaned up
- hay
- the
- chwich
- wood.
The sticks of wood were leaning up.
- hay
- The
- minłun-ding
- tenth
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- he had sung
- mił
- when
- hayahujit-'ung'
- then
- no'ninta:n
- he put it on.
- hayahujit-'ung'
- And then
- hay-yo:w
- that
- chwich
- wood
- hay
- that
- mina:t
- around
- łe:na'niłno'*
- he stood up.
Then when the tenth on had sung he put the stick in the fire and leaned the bark around it.
*A large block of wood is placed in the middle against which many pieces of bark are leaned.
- hayahujit-'ung'
- And then
- k'iye:
- again
- na:ła'
- another
- me'k'iwiłtiw
- sang.
- hay
- That
- mił
- with
- xon'
- fire
- mina:t
- around
- ch'itehsyay
- they went.
Then they sang another song and danced, circling around the fire.
- hay-'ung'
- And
- minłun-ding
- ten
- yisxa:n-ey
- days;
- hay-yo:w
- that
- łe:na[']liwh
- he built fire
- chwola'-ding
- five
- yisxa:n-ey
- days;
- hay-yo:w
- that
- ch'idilye:
- they danced
- q'ing'
- too
- chwola'-ding
- five
- yisxa:n-ey
- days.
The ceremony lasted ten days. Five days the priest built the fire and five days they danced.
- xo'ji-xw
- Really
- duxo:'-q'
- bad way
- do: ch'ixine:wh
- he never talks.
He carefully avoided saying anything wrong.
- hayahujit-'ung'
- And then
- do: ch'o:wila'n-e:
- they stopped.
- minłun-ding
- Ten
- yisxa:n-ey
- days
- mił
- when
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked
- hay-yo:w
- that
- k'ich'int
- sickness
- 'unt'e:-ne'in
- used to be seen
- ninis'a:n
- world
- me:q'
- in
- sa:k'iding 'ungya'
- he saw with surprise
- do:-na:xole:n-e:
- was gone.
When they stopped after ten days, he looked. He was surprised to see that the sickness which had been in the world had gone.
- na:'isdaw-e:-xolung
- It had melted away.
It had melted away.
- xa'a:winehł-te:
- "This way it will be
- k'iwinya'nya:n
- Indians
- na:na:nde'tł'-de'
- when they come.
"This way it will be when Indians become.
- hayi-xw
- This way
- 'a[']de:n'-de'
- if he sings
- yinehsgit-te:
- it will be afraid.
If they sing this way it will be afraid.
- hayi-xw
- This way
- 'a:k'iwile:lił-te:
- it will do.
- haya:ł
- And
- niwho:ng-xw
- good
- na:na[']widił-te:
- the people will live again."
If they dance around the fire this way the people will live happily again."