Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

ol,BRECHTs] THE SWIMMER MANUSCRIPT 299
described, the sucking being done by the medicine man, who holds
ice or snow water in his mouth.
"I am a wolf" is properly tstwa"ya' the initial syllable being
doubled to fill in the meter of the song. "Deer" is properly a'wi',
the final ya being added for the same reason.
The opossum has now two names: i;TyQ'su"Ga,and st*'kwa uDzc'tsti,
the latter meaning literally "grinning hog." It seems probable,
however, that st^'kwa was originally the name of the opossum alone,
and that, on account of the resemblance of the two animals, the name
was applied to the hog on its introduction by the whites, thus render-
ing an [epithet] necessary to distinguish [the former from the latter].
waGu' {4 times).
(moth)
larva
Ga-"wu' (4- times).
it is pulverized
Sa'na' (4 times).
88
{Waf "wa*s5"la tsa'nb.se!?-' a'Da'n9-wo-t*i' ^)
this "cocoon" as they call it to cure anyone
(Hab.) with
This is the Medicine (for) What They Call "Cocoons"
Cocoon! (4iiwes).
Pulverized! (4 times).
Sana (?) (4 times).
FREE TRANSLATION
EXPLANATION
"wa'so'la is the name of a small species of "horned" caterpillar,
and also of the tobacco worm, as well as of a butterfly or moth originating
from one of the larvae named. The name is also applied by
medicine men to a peculiar chilling boil or swelling, because it resembles
the same chUling or shuddering effect as that resulting from
contact with the larvae. Presumably the worm so constantly trodden
and crushed under the careless foot of man is held responsible for the
boil. The treatment consists in merely pressing the previously
warmed thumb upon the swelling, repeating four times each of the
words of the formula. [It has taken considerable effort to get the
meaning of the first two words. As for sa'na', it has not been possible
to find out its meaning or to analyze it, the most erudite m.edicine
men themselves being in the dark about these three words.]
5° Interpolated by J. M., probably based ou information by Ay.