This story about Bear Woman recounts how she attempted to kill some of her family members. Edna Campbell Guerrero said she first heard this story when she was about 7 or 8 years old from her "Grandma Campbell."
And so the little one gathered all the basket awls and all the flints,
nakan
because
hoʔ
small
-nam
-the
-mo:w
-he
-mu:l
-that
dits'iya
awl
-nam
-the
-meʔ
-char.
xaja
flint
-nam
-the
-meʔ
-char.
diley
all
da-
hand-
-yo:yi
-gather
-n
-ing
And so the little one gathered all the basket awls and all the flints,
50
nakan hawkʰenamo:w
so then the older one
nakan
because
haw
before
-kʰe
-from
-nam
-the
-mo:w
-he
so then the older one
51
mu:l ma:daʔ da dama mu:da ma: yow mu:l kilaʔkan
put them in her path, standing them up under the ground;
mu:l
that
ma:daʔ
her
da
road
da
road
-ma
-cont.
mu:
there
-da
-at
ma:
land
yow
under
mu:l
that
kila
stand
-ʔ
-semelf.
-ka
-cause
-n
-ing
put them in her path, standing them up under the ground;
52
mil mina: mu:l datʰaʔnama:n wanda
when that old lady walked on top of those,
mil
from.that
mina:
on top of
mu:l
that
datʰaʔ
old woman
-nam
-the
-ma:n
-she
wan
walk
-da
-when
when that old lady walked on top of those,
53
ma:dal mat̪ʰolkʰe
she would puncture her feet.
ma:dal
her
ma-
foot-
-t̪ʰol
-poke
-kʰe
-future
she would puncture her feet.
54
nan mili ma:dal jit̪en
And with that, they would stop her.
nan
and
mil
from.that
-wi
-with
ma:dal
her
jit̪e
stop
-n
-ing
And with that, they would stop her.
55
nahe she: kawiyanampʰow koljaden
So then the children ran away.
nahe
so then
she:
now
kawi
child
-ya
-plural
-nam
-the
-pʰow
-they
kol
away
-jad
-run
-e
-present
-n
-ing
So then the children ran away.
56
nan mu:l xa xamu jadejin
And they ran to the river.
nan
and
mu:l
that
xa
water
xa
water
-mu
-there
jade
run
-ji
-semelf.
-n
-ing
And they ran to the river.
57
nan tsinan t̪a ya showmal pʰilamkʰeʔ hin
Saying, "And how will we cross to the east side?"
nan
and
tsin
how
-na
-be
-n
-ing
t̪a
Q
ya
we
show
east
-mal
-dir.
pʰila
go.plural
-m
-cont.
-kʰe
-future
-ʔ
-Q
hi
say
-n
-ing
Saying, "And how will we cross to the east side?"
58
pʰilamda t̪ʰint̪a ʔal (that's the one I was telling you, I wanted- couldn't remember the name of that crane… Indian name… I can't remember it… I don't know where I… anyway,)
Where (they) went, wasn't it?
pʰila
go.plural
-m
-cont.
-da
-at
t̪ʰin
not
-t̪a
-Q
ʔal
this
Where (they) went, wasn't it?
59
ʔal ts'it̪matonamu:lyaʔ
this big bird,
ʔal
this
ts'it̪
bird
-mato
-big
-nam
-the
-mu:l
-that
-ya:ʔ
-nom.
this big bird,
60
kʰe kʰunamil ma: pʰilamkʰena hin hi kawiyanamu:l
(he) says to the children, "You will cross over on my neck."
kʰe
my
kʰu
neck
-nam
-the
-mil
-from.that
maa
you (plural)
pʰila
go.plural
-m
-cont.
-kʰena
-future
hi
say
-n
-ing
hi
say
kawi
child
-ya
-plural
-nam
-the
-mu:l
-that
(he) says to the children, "You will cross over on my neck."
So now she returned back to the river and because that basket was floating southward, she dove right in after it.
na
be
-da
-when
she:
then
ʔul
now
xamal
back
xabeda
river
kohu
come
-n
-ing
mu:l
that
ʔal
this
pʰik'a
basket
-nay
-the
-mu:l
-that
yo:w
south
-danaʔ
-dir.
pʰaden
float
-ka
-cause
-n
-ing
mil
from.that
xama:
accompanying
beʔ
dir.
ka:la
dive
-n
-ing
So now she returned back to the river and because that basket was floating southward, she dove right in after it.
89
nan pʰik'anamu:
And that basket there,
nan
and
pʰik'a
basket
-nam
-the
-mu:
-there
And that basket there,
90
daje jo: diyal didiman mil xama: pʰade:din pʰade:din
struggling to catch it, she was floating along, floating along with that (basket,)
da-
hand-
-je
-catch
jo:
for
diyal
struggle
didi
chase
-ma
-cont.
-n
-ing
mil
from.that
xama:
accompanying
pʰade:
float
-di
-present
-n
-ing
pʰade:
float
-di
-present
-n
-ing
struggling to catch it, she was floating along, floating along with that (basket,)
91
nan bik'al pʰik'anamu:l kana:hut̪in meʔ dala:t̪ijin
and going a tiny bit closer to that basket, like that, swinging and missing,
nan
and
bik'al
little
pʰik'a
basket
-nam
-the
-mu:l
-that
kana:
close
-hu
-go
-t̪i
-mev.
-n
-ing
meʔ
char.
da-
hand-
-la:
-swing and miss
-t̪i
-mev.
-ji
-semelf.
-n
-ing
and going a tiny bit closer to that basket, like that, swinging and missing,
92
t̪it̪i shibalt̪amkan nan mu:t̪u pʰik'anamu:lyaʔ koljat̪in
letting her get close, then that basket would keep jumping away
t̪it̪i
her.logo.
shibal
close
-t̪a
-mev.
-m
-cont.
-ka
-cause
-n
-ing
nan
and
mu:
there
-t̪u
-from
pʰik'a
basket
-nam
-the
-mu:l
-that
-ya:ʔ
-nom.
kol
away
-ja
-jump
-t̪i
-mev.
-n
-ing
letting her get close, then that basket would keep jumping away
93
nan minʔi ja:din meʔ ja:din mu:l ʔal be: yo:w kopʰadin
and moving that way, moving… It floated out way down south,
nan
and
min
thus
-ʔi
-adv.
ja:di
move
-n
-ing
meʔ
char.
ja:di
move
-n
-ing
mu:l
that
ʔal
this
be:
dir.
yo:w
south
ko
out
-pʰadi
-float
-n
-ing
and moving that way, moving… It floated out way down south,
94
bo:xa: kopʰadin mu:l mi: t̪ʰint̪a xamu k'alay
floated out down at the ocean. So I guess that thing died in the water.
bo:xa:
coast
ko
out
-pʰadi
-float
-n
-ing
mu:l
that
mi:
there
t̪ʰin
not
-t̪a
-Q
xa
water
-mu
-there
k'ala
die
-y
-past
floated out down at the ocean. So I guess that thing died in the water.
95
nat̪e nan ma:n min kolhu sili: kawiyanampʰow ma-tʰeʔ shiba diyi pʰojakan
and after she went away that way the children stayed awhile next to the body of their mother.
nat̪e
but
nan
and
ma:n
she
min
thus
kol
away
-hu
-go
sili:
after
kawi
child
-ya
-plural
-nam
-the
-pʰow
-they
ma-tʰe
their mother
-ʔ
-possessive
shiba
body
diyi
next to
pʰo
stay (plural)
-jaka
-?.1
-n
-ing
and after she went away that way the children stayed awhile next to the body of their mother.
96
shina: sho:w ma-tʰe mititʰe
their mother had been lying there headless
shina:
head
sho:w
lack
ma-tʰe
their mother
miti
lie
-tʰe
-used to
their mother had been lying there headless
97
nan bakawi ba-ʔenamu:lnam misaxala jo:ʔon
and the boys' father, he had become a snake.
nan
and
ba
man
-kawi
-child
ba-ʔe
their father
-nam
-the
-mu:l
-that
-nam
-the
misaxala
snake
jo:
become
-ʔo
-reflex.
-n
-ing
and the boys' father, he had become a snake.
98
That's the end.
Note
When she'd hear this story, she'd picture the Bear Old Lady looking "just like a bear, [she] never gave it any thought beyond that listening to it."
Note
Here the speaker refers to the daughter-in-law putting lice on herself but the story line actually is referring to the mother-in-law putting lice in herself. However, other versions of this story do have the daughter-in-law with lice on herself, so this may be a reason the speaker used daughter-in-law here.
Note
Mrs. Guerrero affirmed that the Pomo Indians also thought eating lice was disgusting.
Note
She says ma-kaʔakt̪a "her daughter's children" here, but it should be ma-maʔakt̪a, "her son's children."
Note
When asked how old the grandchildren were in the story, Mrs. Guerrero responded that she didn't know: "they didn't say that, they didn't come out and say how old they were. 'kawiya' (children) they called them, that's all." She did know that they were "supposed to be" younger than teenagers, maybe around 7 for the younger one and 10 for the older one.
Note
Mrs. Guerrero said Coyote probably rescued the Bear Woman from the river after knocking her into it to be funny. "He never did anything unless he was making fun of somebody so he was probably making fun of her by carrying her to shore after he threw her in."
Note
When she first heard that line about the children's mother lying headless when she was a child, Mrs. Guerrero thought that was "the most horrible thing (she) ever heard."