Formula of Medicine to Insure Long Life for an Infant
told by Emma Lewis
December, 1901
Hoopa Valley, California
Transcribed by Pliny Earle Goddard
Source: Hupa Texts (UCPAAE vol. 1, no. 2), p. 292
- hayah-mił
- And
- ta:kiwh-ch'ing'
- by the sweat-house
- xomiq'its'isday
- his stool
- 'e'e'a'
- always lay.
His stool always lay in the sweat-house.
- hayah-mił
- And
- łah
- once
- yehna'widyay
- he came in
- xomiq'its'isday
- his stool
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked at.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- xomiq'its'isday
- his stool
- na'ne:ł'e'n-hit
- when he looked
- sa:k'iding 'ungya'
- at he saw with surprise
- mije'e:din
- baby
- noydiwinta'tł'-xolung
- had made a track.
Once when he came in and looked at his stool he was surprised to see a baby's track near it.
- yisxun-de'
- next day
- k'iye:
- again
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked.
- xo'ji-xo-ding
- more still
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- na:'ine:l-e:-xolung
- it had been playing.
The next day when he looked again he saw it had been playing still more.
- yisxun-de'
- next day
- k'iye:
- again
- xo'ji-xo-ding
- still more
- 'a:ne'it'e'-xo-xolung
- it had done that he saw.
The next day he saw it had done that again.
- mine:jixomił
- after a time
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- me:liwh-te:
- "I am going to watch,"
- ch'ondehsne'
- he thought.
- xoh
- in vain
- ch'inehsday
- he sat there.
After a time he thought he would watch, so he sat near by.
- xutł'e'-dung'
- in the morning
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked.
- k'iya:wh-me:da'ay
- Woodpecker heads
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- mił-na'we:ne:l-xolung
- he had been playing with.
In the morning when he looked he saw it had been playing with woodpecker heads.
- yisxun-hit
- next day
- k'iye:
- again
- k'iya:wh-me:da'ay
- woodpecker heads
- mił
- with
- na[']we:ne:l-e:-xolung
- he had been playing.
- yisxung-hit
- next day
- k'iye:
- again.
The next day again it had been playing with woodpecker heads, and the next day also.
- dink'i-ding
- fourth
- yisxun-te:-mił
- day nearly
- me'eh na'nehsday
- hidden he sat watching.
- dingk'i-ding
- Fourth
- xutł'e'
- night
- silin'-te:-mił
- it nearly was.
- xo'ch
- quite
- mino:lwe:tł'-mił
- it was midnight
- hayah-mił
- and
- xwe:da'ay yehwingyay
- he heard
- k'iwindił-ts'iw
- a jingling noise.
When he had watched nearly four days and the fourth night was nearly passed, well after midnight he heard a jingling noise.
- haya:ł
- And
- ya'wiłte:n
- he picked it up.
- dichwili-ch
- A piece of buckskin
- ya'wiłkyo:s
- he picked up.
- hay
- That
- mił
- with
- ts'isloy'
- he wrapped it.
- ya'wiłte:n
- he picked up
- hay
- that
- mije'e:din
- baby.
He got a piece of buckskin, picked up the baby, and wrapped it up in it.
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- xwe:di-kya'awh-'ung'
- "What do
- 'awhlah-te:
- shall I with it?"
- hayahujit-'ung'
- And then
- 'a:dit'ah
- in his knapsack
- ch'iwiłte:n
- he put it.
- do:-no:niłtin-te:-sile'n
- He did not want to leave it.
- hayah-mił
- And
- ch'itehsyay
- he went away.
Then, because he did not want to leave it, he put it in his sack and went away.
- xa[']niwinte'
- He looked for
- hay
- that
- mitł'o:w'
- medicine
- ch'ischwin'-te:
- he was going to make.
- ch'itehsyay
- He went
- ninis'a:n
- the world
- me:q'
- over.
He went all over the world looking for the herb with which he was going to make medicine.
- yiwidin-e:-mił
- Finally
- łe:na'niłte:n
- he took it all the way around.
- do:-heh-ch'iłtsa:n
- He did not find
- hay
- that
- mitł'o:w'
- medicine
- silin'-te:
- that was to be.
Finally he went all around the world without finding it.
- de:di
- This
- ninis'a:n
- world
- mine:jit
- the middle
- hay
- the
- ts'isday
- he used to stay place
- na:'ndiyay-e:
- he came back to.
- yehna'widyay
- He went in
- xontah
- the house.
- do:-heh-ch'iłtsa:n
- He did not find
- hay
- that
- mitł'owe'
- medicine.
He came back to the middle of the world where he used to stay and went into the house without having found the medicine.
- hayahujit
- And then
- xontah
- house
- me:q'
- inside
- na'te:ng'e'n
- he looked around.
- hayah
- There
- ye:
- instead
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- tehłchwing-xolung
- it growing.
- k'idiwilq'a'n
- The wall that holds the wood
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- hayah
- there
- tehłchwing-xolung
- it was growing
- hay
- the
- 'islun-ding
- it was born place.
When he looked around inside of the house he saw it growing by the wall that holds the wood, at the very place where the baby was born.
- hayahujit
- And then
- hay
- that
- ch'idiwimich
- he pulled it off.
- hayahujit-'ung'
- And then
- hay
- that
- miyeh
- under
- no'ningxa:n
- he placed.
Then he pulled it off and put it under the baby and steamed him with it.
- yiwidin-e:-mił
- after a time
- nahs'its-e:
- it ran around
- xa'a:tilte'-xw
- that strong
- 'a:niwehst'e'
- it was.
After a while it ran about, it was so strong.
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought
- na:'ił'its
- "It is running around
- hay
- that
- kile:xich
- boy."
- wung xokyung-na:na:ngya:
- He began to think about it.
He began to study about it.
- 'ahłch'ide:ne'
- he told him,
- nintiwh
- "Lie down,
- nikiwung
- go to sleep."
He said to the child, "Lie down and go to sleep."
- dingky'-it
- the fourth one
- xa:'usyay
- he got up
- mił
- then
- dahch'inehsday
- he sat down there.
When he got up the fourth ridge he sat down.
- na'te:ng'e'n
- He looked back
- hay
- where
- no'niłtin-ch'ing'
- he had left
- hay
- that
- mije'e:din
- baby.
He looked back where he had left the baby.
- midiłwa:
- in turn
- digyung
- here
- yiduq
- east
- to:-no:ng'a:-ding
- the water's edge
- ch'ite:ng'e'n
- he looked.
After that he looked toward the eastern water's shore.
- midiłwa:
- in turn
- yima:n-yitsin'
- across west
- ch'ite:ng'e'n
- he looked.
And then he looked across to the west.
- hay
- those
- ch'ite:wid'ing'ił-tah
- he looked places
- 'ah
- clouds
- ya:widxisil-e:
- flew up.
Wherever he looked clouds came up.
- na'nehł'ing'-hit
- when he looked
- 'ungya'
- he saw
- niłch'ing'
- toward each other
- te:diqe:t-e:
- they were sliding together.
- hay
- Those
- 'ah
- clouds
- hay
- that
- 'ahdiyaw
- did.
As he looked he saw them slide together toward each other.
- haya:ł-'ung'
- And
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- 'a:tilte'-xw tehłchwe:n
- "He is growing strong."
"He is growing strong," he thought.
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- [kida:xo:kya:] 'a'o:neh
- "What is going to happen?"
- whina:ł
- "Before me
- łinya:-te:
- they will come together,"
- ch'ondehsne'
- he thought.
"What is going to happen, they are going to come together before me," he thought.
- yiwidin-e:-mił
- Finally
- hay
- the
- sitin-ne'en-ding
- he used to lie place
- mił
- from
- łindiqe:t-e:
- they slid together.
Finally where he used to stay they came together.
- łah-xw
- Just
- łiwhin
- blackness
- na:ng'ay-e:
- hangs there.
- chwa:xołwil
- Darkness
- na:ng'ay-e:
- hangs there.
Just blackness and darkness hung there.
- hay
- that
- mije'e:din
- baby
- minehsgit
- was afraid
- hay-mił
- of that
- 'ahdiyaw
- it did.
The baby was afraid of that which had happened.
- ła'ay-xw
- Really
- 'inahsła:t
- it ran up.
- ła'ay-xw
- really
- 'aht'ing-ch'ing'
- every direction
- łe:yehna:ldidow-e:y
- they drew back.
Suddenly it ran up and at once in every direction they drew back.
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- hayi-q'
- "This way
- xolung 'ahdiyah-tehł
- it is going to be.
- hayah-mił
- And
- hayi-q'
- this way
- xolung
- it is
- k'ich'int
- sickness
- minehsgit-tehł
- will be afraid."
"This way sickness will be afraid," he thought.
- hay
- That
- na'ne:ł'e'n
- he looked at it.
- duxwe:di-q'
- "How
- xolung niwho:n-tehł
- will it be good?"
- ch'ondehsne'
- he thought.
He looked at it thinking, "How will it be good?"
- hayah-mił
- And
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- niwho:n
- "Good,
- na:sehłchwing'
- I have made
- mitł'owe'
- medicine.
"I have made the medicine good," he thought.
- hay
- Those
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- hay
- who
- na:na:nde'tł'-te:
- are coming to be
- hay
- this
- whinist'e'
- my body
- yo:na:łts'it-te:
- will know.
"The Indians, who are coming to be, will know of me.
- do:-łung
- A few
- whung
- only
- whinist'e'
- my body
- nayxine:wh-te:
- to will talk."
It will be only a few who will talk about my medicine.
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- hayi-q'
- "This way
- 'a:wilehł-te:
- he will do
- hay
- the one
- whinist'e'
- my body
- ch'o:nahłts'it
- who knows.
This way those who know my medicine will do," he thought.
- hay*
- That
- miyeh
- under
- no'ningxun-te:
- he will place it.
"They will place this under the child.
*The medicine used is tcimulkyo:, Lupinus latifolius.
- digyung
- Here
- yima:n-yide'
- across to the north
- ya'wixa:whił-te:
- he will take it up.
Here across to the north he will hold it up.
- digyung
- Here
- yima:n-yiduq
- across south
- q'ing'
- too
- ya'wixa:whił-te:
- he will take it up.
Here across to the south, too, he will hold it up.
- hay
- Who
- whinist'e'
- my body
- ch'o:nahłts'it
- knows
- hayi-q'
- this way
- 'a:wile:lił-te:
- he will do.
- hayi-q'
- This way
- 'a:wile:lił-te:
- they will do.
He who knows my formula will do this way.
- hay
- This
- whe:-de:t
- mine,
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n
- Indians
- ma:
- for
- na:sehłchwe'n
- I made.
I made this my medicine for Indians.
- 'a:ch'ondehsne'
- he thought,
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n-tah-ding
- "In the Indian world
- tilchwe:n
- what grows,
- mił
- with
- na:k'e:yun'-te:
- they will grow,"
- ch'ondehsne'
- he thought.
That which grows in the Indian world [tobacco] he will grow with," he thought.
- hayi-q'
- This way
- minehsgit-te:
- will be afraid
- hay
- that
- k'ich'int
- sickness
- hay
- that
- whe:
- my
- whitł'o:we'
- medicine
- miyeh
- under
- no'ningxun-te:
- if he puts.
Sickness will be afraid like this if he puts my medicine under the child.
- hayi-q'
- This way
- 'a:k'itise:-xw
- smart he will
- 'a:niwehst'e'
- grow
- hay whinist'e'
- my body
- yo:na:łtsit-te:
- who will know."
He, who knows my medicine, will grow in this way to be smart."
THE PRAYER
*This prayer with its answer is repeated after the formula. Such prayer is used in connection with all, or nearly all of the formulas.
- hay-de:t
- "Here
- 'e:ng'
- are
- minłung
- ten
- mida:łidyo:s
- packages.*
- mił
- With them
- na:'o:diwhdixit
- I ask you for it.
"Here are ten packages of tobacco with which I ask you for it.
*Of tobacco.
- whe:
- I
- do:-wha:da:da:tsin
- I have not got much
- k'iwinya'n-ya:n-tah-ding
- in Indian world
- tilchwe:n*
- grows."
I have not much of that which grows in the Indian world."
*The phrase means tobacco.
- yo:w
- There
- k'isxung
- it stands
- hay
- that
- whitł'o:we'
- my medicine.
- miyeh
- Under
- no:ngxahwh-ne'
- put it."
There stands my medicine; put it under the child."
- hayahujit
- And then
- xe'e'iłyo:l
- he blows away
- hay-de:t
- that
- mixa:ch'e'-xole:n
- incense.
And then he blows from his hand the offering of incense root.