Northern Pomo Stories and Texts: Why Dove Cries

Why Dove Cries

This Pomo story (told in English) explains why the song of the mourning dove sounds the way it does.

This story was recorded in 1999.

Speaker:

1

ES

Well the way… story is that… this boy, pigeon boy, I guess, musta went hunting. And left his mother and sister in a camp or something like that. Then he was gone for a day I think or night? When he come back they find them murdered.

2

CO

Oh!

3

ES

And it sound like that pi- uh, dove sound like it's crying! You know, ever hear them, when they sing? Sound like it's crying.

4

CO

So that's that legend?

5

ES

Yeah.

6

CO

So he, the pigeon boy went out, and

7

ES

Yeah.

8

CO

left his mother,

9

ES

Sister.

10

CO

and sister. His sist-

11

ES

Yeah. Go hunting.

12

CO

Uh-huh. To go hunting.

13

ES

Yeah. Come back.

14

CO

And he just left them there.

15

ES

Yeah, and come back,

16

CO

And they were dead.

17

ES

find them dead. Somebody killed them.

18

CO

Ohh…

19

ES

And then, sound like that pige- pigeon or dove, whatever it is, sound like it's crying. You ever hear them?

20

CO

Yeah, they do, they sound like "oooooh, ooooh"

21

ES

Yeah.

22

CO

Yeah.

23

ES

Always be one over here, sit down.

24

CO

Yeah? You can hear it?

25

ES

Make me feel sad.

26

CO

Yeah.

27

ES

Yeah, that's our legend.

28

CO

So that legend must go way back.

29

ES

Yeah.

Why Dove Cries

This story explains why the song of the mourning dove sounds the way it does.

Speaker:

Edna Campbell Guerrero

1

kawiya baa t̪it̪i ma-kaʔaknam

2

t̪it̪i diye:ka t̪ahin datʰaʔnama:n so baʔaʔ duhun

3

nan be: yo:w yo:w habeda t̪ʰint̪a so baʔaʔyeʔ

4

kawiya baanamo:wal de:din

5

nan mu: so ma:da k'ana:huhi datʰaʔnama:n so jimen jimen

6

"The word jimen means, you know, gathering it like that" (gathering motions towards her)

7

nan nahe t'i:n ʔul jimehe she: kawiya baanamo:wal

8

t̪o: xa jo: k'ala:jade

9

xa xadim ʔal pʰik'anamili

10

kawiya baanamo:wal bayokan

11

nakan kawiya baanamo:w pʰik'anamu:l dejin

12

mu:l be: yo:w xabedaxaʔ duhun

13

mu:l howda: tʰadin howda: tʰadin

14

xabe jat̪kan

15

dano mina: xoljawint̪an

16

mu:t̪u ma:l jat̪in

17

nan xalet̪u xolpʰidin

18

she: ʔul t̪ʰint̪a xamu kohuy

19

nahe pʰik'awi ʔul xa pʰewjin

20

nahe mo:w kay ʔoʔ tʰadin tʰadin

21

howda: kʰemanen

22

howda: xabewi ts'it̪ banedin

23

shako:donameʔ xoldidit̪in

24

nan min wa:din ʔuyt̪emkan wa:din tʰadin ma-kaʔ jimay mixaʔ

25

nan she: ʔul ma-kaʔ nay mu k'ana:hun

26

nan mu:l ma-kaʔ sho:wkan

27

kaʔday habeda t̪a ma naʔ

28

hin ma-kaʔal baʔoladin

29

kaʔday kaʔday habeda t̪a ma naʔ hin ʔul ʔa: miʔ xa japʰi hin

30

nan she: ʔul t̪i ma:yo:wt̪u habedat̪u ba-kaʔ hayeʔin

31

t'i:n ma sho:wkan t̪o: xa jo: k'ala:

32

nan ʔa: mu:l ʔal mit̪o k'a:

33

nan ʔuyuldanaʔ kawiya baanamo:w pʰiʔe:man

34

nan mu:l ʔuyuldanaʔ ʔal ts'it̪bich'uʔyaʔ ja:din

35

mu:l nanan ba-kaʔ

36

nan mu:l min ʔuyuldanaʔ pʰide:din pʰide:din nakan kawiba:namo:w t̪oman jadin

37

nahe minayuwjiʔin ma-kaʔ jo:

38

nan minakan mu:l ʔal ts'it̪ch'a:yaʔ minaminan

39

mu:l kawiya baahoʔnamo:w ma-kaʔ jo: minaminay mu:l ʔal (mo:w) ts'it̪namu:lyaʔ min ʔoʔ belmaji min jano:din

40

mu:l kawiya baanamo:waʔ mina kʰe

41

ʔul mu:l ʔal ya showjin

42

meʔ mu:l ts'it̪yaʔ

43

ma hu: hu: hu: ʔin

(♫song of that bird♫)

44

kawiya baanamo:w ma-kaʔ jo: minay mu:l

Why Dove Cries

This Pomo story (told in English) explains why the song of the mourning dove sounds the way it does.

This story was recorded in 1995.

Speaker:

Elenor Stevenson Gonzales

1

ES

Yeah, I know, that would be them wild, dove, innit, or pigeon, whatever?

2

CO

Yeah.

3

ES

Always say that, and we got legend for that, little bit different from that story.

4

CO

Oh yeah, what's that?

5

ES

Well, I just know here and there, I'll just say what I remember. There was him and his sister and mother, I guess, staying, but I don't know where the father was.

6

ES

Well anyway, he went hunting.

7

CO

Yeah.

8

ES

Deer, something I guess, didn't say what kind. Then when he come back, bring the food, somebody been murdering his mother and the sister. And everything's dead.

9

ES

That pigeon sound like a real cry, too, you ever hear the wild dove?

10

CO

Yeah, oooooh.

11

ES

Yeah, that make me feel sad.