Post by Okwes on Mar 30, 2008 14:37:45 GMT -5
Formula of the Rain-rock Medicine[1] - Hupa
Ten brothers lived at Yastsime. One of them went away toward the south. At
the end of the world to the south he stayed. After a time he felt the wind
blow on him. Frost rolled out of the ground in big chunks. "What is it going
to do?" he thought. He took some incense root with him and started back
south. When he came back to Yastsime he looked around. He saw nothing. He
went on and came down opposite Mime. He was surprised to see some one
sitting there. He turned about and went again to Yastsime. "What is the
matter here?" he asked. From some place he heard a voice say, "Indians will
become." Here at the world's end toward the north sickness flew up. "Those
weather spirits who used to be here have gone away," he told him.
Then that one, who used to stay at the world's end at the south, started
down the river. When he came to the creek above Eslick's he built a fire.
Then he went on down, coming out on the river bank south of Xaslindiñ. He
saw someone sitting above Xaslindiñ. He built a fire there where a pepper
wood tree was standing. He went down to Sugar Bowl. The wind was so cold he
could hardly face it. He saw someone had taken up his abode each side of the
fishing place at Sugar Bowl.
Then crossing the river he went below Nilinkindiñ. He turned back to
Nilinkindiñ and built a fire there. "Here he will do this who knows my
body," he thought. Then he put incense root into the fire. He started down
river climbing the mountain. When he got up the hill he was warm. "This way
it will be," he thought, "when Indians come to be." He built a fire on top
of the hill and then went down to the northern side.
On the north side of the creek opposite Djictañadiñ above the trail he built
a fire. Then he commenced to talk. "Here they will build a fire," he
thought. "I first of all will know Indians' hearts when they pass."
Then he started back. "I will lean my foot up this way. The wind will blow
up from the ground. They will call me first at the end of the world toward
the south where I used to live. Then they will call me here at the end of
the world toward the north. There he stays who first knew it." "This way
they will do if frost comes," he thought. "Just this way it will happen to
the one who talks about my body. In the fashion of the Indian world he will
let go from his hand the incense. The wind, just a little warm, will blow
gently, if they put this incense in the fire. The fog will stay in the
middle of the mountain." This way he established it.
"West it will draw back, north too it will draw back, east too it will draw
back, south it will draw back. There will be sunshine. It will be good
weather in the world. It will be wet. The frost that used to be will melt.
It will settle down. I brought it down."
Footnotes:
[1] Told at Hupa, December 1901, by Emma Lewis, whose father belonged to the
southern division of the Hupa.
Hupa Texts, by Pliny Earle Goddard; (University of California Publications
in American Archaeology and Ethnology 1:2); [1904] and is now in the public
domain.
Ten brothers lived at Yastsime. One of them went away toward the south. At
the end of the world to the south he stayed. After a time he felt the wind
blow on him. Frost rolled out of the ground in big chunks. "What is it going
to do?" he thought. He took some incense root with him and started back
south. When he came back to Yastsime he looked around. He saw nothing. He
went on and came down opposite Mime. He was surprised to see some one
sitting there. He turned about and went again to Yastsime. "What is the
matter here?" he asked. From some place he heard a voice say, "Indians will
become." Here at the world's end toward the north sickness flew up. "Those
weather spirits who used to be here have gone away," he told him.
Then that one, who used to stay at the world's end at the south, started
down the river. When he came to the creek above Eslick's he built a fire.
Then he went on down, coming out on the river bank south of Xaslindiñ. He
saw someone sitting above Xaslindiñ. He built a fire there where a pepper
wood tree was standing. He went down to Sugar Bowl. The wind was so cold he
could hardly face it. He saw someone had taken up his abode each side of the
fishing place at Sugar Bowl.
Then crossing the river he went below Nilinkindiñ. He turned back to
Nilinkindiñ and built a fire there. "Here he will do this who knows my
body," he thought. Then he put incense root into the fire. He started down
river climbing the mountain. When he got up the hill he was warm. "This way
it will be," he thought, "when Indians come to be." He built a fire on top
of the hill and then went down to the northern side.
On the north side of the creek opposite Djictañadiñ above the trail he built
a fire. Then he commenced to talk. "Here they will build a fire," he
thought. "I first of all will know Indians' hearts when they pass."
Then he started back. "I will lean my foot up this way. The wind will blow
up from the ground. They will call me first at the end of the world toward
the south where I used to live. Then they will call me here at the end of
the world toward the north. There he stays who first knew it." "This way
they will do if frost comes," he thought. "Just this way it will happen to
the one who talks about my body. In the fashion of the Indian world he will
let go from his hand the incense. The wind, just a little warm, will blow
gently, if they put this incense in the fire. The fog will stay in the
middle of the mountain." This way he established it.
"West it will draw back, north too it will draw back, east too it will draw
back, south it will draw back. There will be sunshine. It will be good
weather in the world. It will be wet. The frost that used to be will melt.
It will settle down. I brought it down."
Footnotes:
[1] Told at Hupa, December 1901, by Emma Lewis, whose father belonged to the
southern division of the Hupa.
Hupa Texts, by Pliny Earle Goddard; (University of California Publications
in American Archaeology and Ethnology 1:2); [1904] and is now in the public
domain.