Origin of the Kinahłdung Dance
told by Robinson Shoemaker
June, 1901
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 237
- yima:ntiw'winyay
- Yiimantuuwingyai
- xotse:'
- his daughter
- hił
- both
- no:na'ninde:tł'
- lived there.
Yiimantuuwingyai and his daughter lived by themselves.
- dahch'e'ida'
- He always fished.
- tł'iwhxa:n
- Eels
- ch'e'exa:wh
- he always caught.
- 'a:xołch'ide:ne'
- He said to her,
- k'iłna:
- "Cook
- ła:n
- many."
- 'a:xołch'ide:ne'
- He said to her,
- nita:y
- "Your uncle
- xoch'ing'
- to him
- k'itinge:n-e:
- carry them."
- haya:ł
- And
- k'ite'iwiwh-e:
- she used to carry them.
He used to fish for eels and when he had caught some he would say to his daughter, "Cook plenty of them and carry them to your uncle."
- haya:ł
- And
- yima:ntiw'winyay
- Yiimantuuwingyai
- xontah
- house
- ya'awiwh
- used to carry.
- dahch'ide'ilła:t
- He used to run
- xonin'-ding
- ahead of her.
- hay
- The
- ch'iningya:-tehł-ding
- she was going place
- hayah
- there
- no'iwiwh
- he put down
- hay
- the
- xontah
- house,
- ta:kiwh
- sweathouse
- q'ina'
- too.
When she had gone with them Yiimantuuwingyai would take the house on his head and, by following a trail higher up on the mountain, run ahead and place it where the imaginary uncle was supposed to live. He would also bring the sweathouse.
- haya:ł
- And
- na[']te'ida:wh
- she always went home
- mił
- then
- xong
- he
- q'ing'
- too
- ya:na'k'e'iwiwh
- used to pack up.
- mił
- Then
- dahna[']de'ilła:t
- he ran back,
- xontah
- house
- xotsida'
- on his head
- dahna:sa'a:n
- sitting.
- haya:ł
- And
- xonin'-ding
- ahead of her
- na[']ne'idiwiwh
- he used to carry it back.
- xa'a[']xo'iliw
- Always he did that.
After his daughter had started back he would take the house on his head again and run back, so that on her arrival she found it as she had left it.
- 'a:xołch'ide:ne'
- He told her,
- do: yiduq ch'itehs'in'*
- "Don't look up.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- mine:jixomił
- after a time
- ch'ite:ng'ing'-hit
- when she looked up
- 'ungya'
- she saw
- ye:w dah-xw
- on upper trail
- yinuq
- south
- xontah
- house
- ch'e:we:l-e:
- someone carrying along.
He used to tell her not to look up as she was carrying the eels, but one time she did look up and saw someone carrying a house along the upper trail.
*The third person is used here in a prohibition of general application as also in pp. 135, 1. 3; 150, 1. 2.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- k'ininging-hit
- when she came with the load,
- xontah
- house
- sa'ung
- was there.
When she got to the place, the house was there.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- na:tehsdiyay-e:
- she had gone home
- mił
- then
- yima:ntiw'winyay
- Yiimantuuwingyai
- ya:na'k'inge:n
- packed up.
When his daughter had gone home he took up the house and carried it back.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- na:'ndiya:-hit
- when she got home
- 'a'de:ne'
- she said,
- whe:
- "I
- 'e:na:ng'
- it was
- yiduq
- up
- te:y'e'n
- I looked
- hay-'ung'
- and
- dungwho'owh
- somebody
- dah-xw
- upper trail
- yinuq
- south
- xontah
- house
- ch'e:we:l-e:
- was carrying along."
When the girl got home she said, "I looked up and saw someone was carrying a house along the upper trail toward the south."
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- yima:ntiw'winyay
- Yiimantuuwingyai
- 'a'de:ne'
- said,
- duxo:'-ye:
- "Wrong
- na:te:ng'ing'-xola:n
- you looked it was.
- yo'n
- Back of the house
- dinung
- facing
- nintsah
- sit down.
"It was wrong for you to look," said Yiimantuuwingyai, "sit down facing the back of the house.
- sehłwa'tł'-te:
- I am going to shake stick."
I am going to shake a stick."
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- kinahłdung-ts'e:y'
- kinaLdung stick
- ch'iswchwe'n
- he made.
He made a kinaLdun dance stick.
- dungwhe'eh
- Nobody
- 'e:ng'
- it was
- do: ch'ixołtsis
- he saw.
- haya:ł
- And
- wilwe:tł'-mił
- after night
- 'ungya'
- he heard
- xołit wilsiłts[']e[']
- heavy footsteps.
He saw no one, but after night-fall he heard the sound of many feet.
- yehxo:ta'a:n
- They ran in.
- xowits[']e[']
- It was crowded
- xontah
- house
- me:q'
- inside.
The invisible people ran in until the house was crowded.
- yisxung-hit
- Next night
- dahdi-ła:n
- more
- ch'iningyay
- came.
- yisxun-din-ding-hit
- Next night after that
- dahdi-ła:n
- more
- ch'iningyay
- came.
The next night more people came and the night after still more.
- minłun-ding
- Ten
- yisxa:n-ey
- days
- mił
- after
- do:-yehna[']widyay
- he did not come in.
After the tenth night they ceased dancing.
- miday'
- Outside
- mił
- from
- mixa:ch'e'-xole:n
- incense root
- de:de'iłq'as
- he threw into the fire.
- k'ine:sohyun-te:
- "May you grow to be men,"
- ch'ide:ne'
- he said.
Standing outside Yiimantuuwingyai threw incense root into the fire praying, "May you live to be men."
- xołiqay
- Dawn
- tehsyay
- it came
- mił
- then
- do: ya'xołtsun
- he did not see
- hay
- them.
When it was dawn he did not see them.
- yehch'iwingyay
- He came in.
He went into the house.
- no[']ning'a:n
- They stopped dancing
- mił
- then
- ts'ima'-na:xowinse'n
- the noise stopped
- xontah
- house
- me:q'
- inside.
When they ceased dancing the noise stopped in the house.
- min'-tsida'
- In the smoke-hole
- me:na'k'iwiłtiw
- they sang again.
The invisible ones sang in the smoke-hole.
- xoł-yaywilkit-e:
- The fog took her away.
A cloud enveloped her and took her away.
- de:-nohq'it-ch'ing'
- To the world above
- xayxohste:n-e:
- it took her up.
They took the girl with them to the world above.
- hayah
- There
- ch'iłwahł-wint'e:
- they always dance.
- de:-xwo-tah
- Here
- ch'e'iłwa:l
- they dance
- hijit
- then
- 'e'ida'
- they always stop.
They always dance there; only when the Hupa dance here they stop up there.