41. Prayer When Building the Ceremonial Tipi, Chiricahua Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
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41. Prayer When Building the Ceremonial Tipi
as told by David Fatty
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| 41.1. |
| 41.2. |
| 41.3. |
| 41.4. |
| 41.5. |
| 41.6. |
 | 41. Prayer When Building the Ceremonial Tipi, Chiricahua Apache Text |  |
41. Prayer When Building the Ceremonial Tipi as told by David Fatty
When the earth had been created,
nDii 'ágojílaadáͅ,
Jo'oł díͅíͅ' t'aͅaͅnábáͅáͅzé.
Jo'ołí díͅíͅ'gosíͅ shá'iłeeshndzigo,
'Ákooná 'áánshá.
T'aͅaͅnábáázé díͅíͅgo 'iłeeshndzigoná,
'Áánshá.
There were four fir trees [and] aspens.[1]
When fir trees of the four directions have been put together for me,
Only then shall I go there.
Only when the four aspens have been put together,
Shall I go there.[2]
1. t'aͅaͅnábáͅáͅzé 'aspens'. t'aͅaͅ- 'leaf'; nábáͅáͅz 'it is round, it is full [as of the moon]'. ná- 'around, in a circle' [?]; - báͅáͅz 'to be round' [imp. neut. intr.].
2. shá'iłeeshndzigo, 'when they have been put together for me'. shá- 'for me' plus the perf. of 'ił-ee-j-di-...[ni- perf.]-d-zii 'to be put together [as are the poles of a tipi at its apex] ' [pass.]. 'iłieei 'by means of one another'; ji- di-.
3. 'áánshá 'I shall go there'. 'áá- 'there' plus the 1st person imp. of ni- ...[ni- perf.]-yá 'one person moves completively' [act. intr.].
Here the entire earth is likened to the main poles which constitute the framework of the ceremonial tipi. For the girl at the time of the ceremony, the ceremonial tipi is to be the whole world, cleansed and purified.
These lines, though said by the shaman, imply that the girl is speaking. She is to go to the ceremonial tipi referred to.
The White Painted Woman, on the earth today, her mind has been created.
'Isdzánádleeshé ndiibikázhiͅ dííjíͅ, bíndii gooslíͅ.
Bizaa gooslíͅ.
Bits'ís goslíͅ.
Bigále gooslíͅ.
Her words have been created.
Her body has been created.
Her strength has been created.[3]
These lines refer to the girl in terms of the White Painted Woman. The adolescent girl is at the time of the ceremony called White Painted Woman. She is being re-created by the performance of the ceremony. Similarly, in paragraph 1, may be explained the reference to creation.
[Of] the four that will move together,
Díͅíͅgo łe'naahindáí,
Ha'óó'ání bich'iͅiͅshíͅ nkeen'áí, biyaa, gózhóͅ.
nDiibiká ndé díík'eh beebiyaagózhóͅ.
Nandi'áí biyaashíͅ nkeen'áí, biyaa, gózhóͅ.
nDiibiká ndé gobá'ájił'iͅiͅ.
'I'óó'ání biyaashíͅ nkeen'áí, biyaa, gózhóͅ.
nDé gobá'ájił'iͅiͅ.
Náhakosí bich'iͅiͅshíͅ nkeen'áí, biyaa, gózhóͅ.
nDiibiká ndé gobá'ájił'iͅiͅ.
That which lies extended toward the east, under it, there is good.
All the people on the earth share in the good under it.
That which lies extended to the south, under it, there is good.
They customarily make it so for the people on the earth.
That which lies extended to the west, under it, there is good.
They customarily make it so for the people.
That which lies extended toward the north, under it, there is good.
They customarily make it so for the people on the earth.[4]
ha'óó'ání bich'iͅiͅshíͅ nkeen'áí 'that which lies extended toward the east'. ha'óó'ání 'east'; bich'iͅiͅshíͅ 'from toward it'; inkeen'á 'a rigid object lies extended' [ni- perf. neut. intr. with the prefix nkee- ?].
That is, everything under the tipi poles, each of which is referred to a cardinal direction, is sanctified.
From the east, a road leads here.
Ha'óó'áͅshíͅ, koyá 'á'ítin.
Sáͅgish tsiiba' dzaͅaͅee beekooghaͅ.
'Áídá'tinee, jígonaa'áí bitł'óle díͅíͅgoyá beech'é'ítin.
Ts'is'ahnaagháí! Bik'ehgózhóní.
Here the tipi is made of old age staffs [and] gray hair.[5]
Right at the door, roads made of the rays of the sun go out to the four directions.
Long life! Its power is good.
1. koyá 'á'ítin 'a road leads here'. koyá 'here'; 'á 'here'; 'á'ítin 'road', cf. 'áńítin.
2. sáͅgish 'old age staffs'. sáͅ 'old age'; gish 'stick, cane'.
3. tsiiba' 'gray hair'. tsii- 'head', -ba' 'gray', cf. łi-ni-...-bá 'to be gray' [imp. neut intr.].
4. beekooghaͅ 'the tipi is made of'. bee- 'by means of it'; kooghaͅ 'tipi, dwelling'. This construction occurs quite commonly in the songs and prayers.
The substances of which the tipi is to be constructed--old age staffs and gray hair--refer to the purpose of the ceremony, to give Long life to the girl.
The White Painted Woman, on the earth, her mind has been created.
'Isdzánádleeshéń ndiibikázhiͅ, bíndii gooslíͅ.
Díídíí yeehanáyołí,
Díí bits'ísí,
Díí bigáleí.
Dánahík'eh 'áí beenahigále.
Doodáłee'é jíͅ gózhóͅ bíká 'áńndida!
Díídíí ndiií dánheest'óí 'ázhiͅ,
Yáí dánheest'óí 'ázhiͅ,
Dádzaͅaͅeená dighiͅ ná'godzii.
'Áłchinéne'át'éyó díík'eh bánahíndii.
This is that by means of which she breathes,
This is her body,
This is her strength.
The strength of all of us is made of that.[6]
Do not say that it is good for only one day![7]
On this earth which has become old,
In the sky which has become old,
Only in this place does power remain.
We want it for all of those who are children.[8]
[a typo in the original labels this section '41.15'-- MEC.]
1. ndiií dánheest'óí 'ázhiͅ 'on the earth which has become old'. ndiií 'earth'; 'ázhiͅ 'to there, on there'. dá- 'just' plus the perf. of ni-hi-... [si- perf.]-t'oo 'to wear out, to become old' [act. intr.].
2. ná'godzii 'it remains, survives, is left over' [no analysis].
That is, the strength of a woman and her ability to carry on tasks of womanhood is directly attributable to this ceremony.
That is, let the benefits of the ceremony continue throughout a long and fruitful life.
These sentences neatly mirror the Apache conception of changeless supernatural power and the desirability of manipulating it for personal benefits.
White Painted Woman, do not push us toward all of that which is evil on the earth!
'Isdzánádleeshé, díí'ághánéńłt'éí ndiibikáee yáadantóͅóͅyé'át'éí doobich'iͅiͅnaheenághiłda!
'Isdzánádleeshé, dánahík'eh nch'áͅshíͅ nndédlíͅ.
'Íyaͅaͅ kát'égo, nahaa'ónkáͅ ndiibikáee yádasi'áͅí bigizhee ndiitádídíńí.
Dooha'yágo'át'éda.
'It'abighe'gondlíͅ.
White Painted Woman, all of us were created from you.[10]
Because this is so, you have brought to us the earth pollen which lies in the space between the earth and the sky.
There is nothing wrong with it.
We are still living in it.[11]
Here the term White Painted Woman is used to designate the mother of the culture hero and not the girl.
That is, girls who go through this ceremony bear children as White Painted Woman did the culture hero, thus perpetuating the group.
By conceiving the ceremony to take place in the midst of pollen, the holiest surroundings are given it.
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
1. t'aͅaͅnábáͅáͅzé 'aspens'. t'aͅaͅ- 'leaf'; nábáͅáͅz 'it is round, it is full [as of the moon]'. ná- 'around, in a circle' [?]; - báͅáͅz 'to be round' [imp. neut. intr.].
2. shá'iłeeshndzigo, 'when they have been put together for me'. shá- 'for me' plus the perf. of 'ił-ee-j-di-...[ni- perf.]-d-zii 'to be put together [as are the poles of a tipi at its apex] ' [pass.]. 'iłieei 'by means of one another'; ji- di-.
3. 'áánshá 'I shall go there'. 'áá- 'there' plus the 1st person imp. of ni- ...[ni- perf.]-yá 'one person moves completively' [act. intr.].
ha'óó'ání bich'iͅiͅshíͅ nkeen'áí 'that which lies extended toward the east'. ha'óó'ání 'east'; bich'iͅiͅshíͅ 'from toward it'; inkeen'á 'a rigid object lies extended' [ni- perf. neut. intr. with the prefix nkee- ?].
1. koyá 'á'ítin 'a road leads here'. koyá 'here'; 'á 'here'; 'á'ítin 'road', cf. 'áńítin.
2. sáͅgish 'old age staffs'. sáͅ 'old age'; gish 'stick, cane'.
3. tsiiba' 'gray hair'. tsii- 'head', -ba' 'gray', cf. łi-ni-...-bá 'to be gray' [imp. neut intr.].
4. beekooghaͅ 'the tipi is made of'. bee- 'by means of it'; kooghaͅ 'tipi, dwelling'. This construction occurs quite commonly in the songs and prayers.
[a typo in the original labels this section '41.15'-- MEC.]
1. ndiií dánheest'óí 'ázhiͅ 'on the earth which has become old'. ndiií 'earth'; 'ázhiͅ 'to there, on there'. dá- 'just' plus the perf. of ni-hi-... [si- perf.]-t'oo 'to wear out, to become old' [act. intr.].
2. ná'godzii 'it remains, survives, is left over' [no analysis].
| 41. Prayer When Building the Ceremonial Tipi, Chiricahua Apache Text | |