Yana Texts

S*uwā'! S*ê'galt!imāyā![312] May ye speak to make me happy! May you suddenly experience that wherewith you curse me! May you suddenly drop dead without being sick! May you drop dead, you who drink my blood! May you suddenly all perish! Drink my blood![313] Would that I might be happy! May I not be sick in any way!

[312] It has not been found possible to get at the significance of this apparently formulaic word. It would seem to be a term of address to the supernatural powers concerned in man's happiness or woe. For s*uwā', see note 310.

[313] Either to be interpreted as s*ī'? dji watdu‘w "drink (imper.) my blood!" or contracted from s*ī'dj dji watdu‘w "drink-me my blood!" As Betty Brown expressed it, "You folks are always mixing up my blood with your coffee," i.e., "curse me and wish my death."