Seven Mohave Myths :: II. VINIMULYE-PATŠE

II. VINIMULYE-PATŠE

Vinimulye-patŠe, more fully "Vinimulya-hapatŠa," is a song series prominent in Mohave consciousness, perhaps because it deals with war. I have never secured an etymology for the name. The present version was narrated April 23, 1904, upstream from Fort Mohave, by an old man called Hiweik-kwini'ilye, "her anus is black." He told his tale with unusual compactness: part of a day sufficed for his outline and the Englishing. He mentioned the place in the story of 196 songs; besides an indefinite group near the beginning: "4, 5, 6, 10, 12 while they are on the way," or "a night long, 50 songs." The whole cycle, when sung complete in sequence as tŠupilyk, a "gift" to a dying relative, takes two nights to sing, he said. Jack Jones, was, as usual, my guide, sponsor, and interpreter.

The tale is simple. The Mohave hero, Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe, with his people, leaves his home in the northern part of Mohave valley, for the Providence mountains, off to the northwest in Chemehuevi territory, and lives there a year. There is no farming possible in this desert range, but the story is silent on subsistence. The chief wants to return to make war, and, after a brief visit home, leads his people to the river at the south end of Mohave valley, and then makes a long detour downstream to below Ehrenberg, in Halchidhoma land; from there they turn back until they once more reach the foot of Mohave valley. Nothing happens on this excursion; it is perhaps introduced from sheer love of mental travel, or to suggest the progress of a war party. The Mohave in the southern half of the valley flee before the invaders, who appropriate a set of houses near where they had lived originally. Here they stay a year, as is shown by his daughter, when her feelings of modesty are hurt, running away to the Walapai for that period. Then they suddenly resume the march northward for a few miles, and finally join battle with Savilyuyave, Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe's own younger brother and leader of the refugees, at "Hawk-nose" near Fort Mohave. The account of this climax is quite meager. The residents run away across the river. Savilyuyave is killed and scalped, his daughter is made a "slave." After the despoiling of another group, the "Quail people," and some calling of names across the stream, the hero and his band return to the Providence mountains, where one of them dies of a wound received in the battle. Why the two halves of the OwitŠ clan should peacefully separate under the leadership of two brothers, and then the returning one insist on war to a finish, but abandon the conquered territory, is wholly unaccounted for. Either there is motivation which the narrator knows but considers it unnecessary to discuss; or the motivation is as lacking as in a dream. After all, these tales are all dreams, the Mohave insist. And while it is clear that they do not ordinarily invent new plots in their dreams, they do quite probably dream over or brood about or perhaps actually redream, each man, the plot or plots which he calls his. The one theme which runs through this tale as a unifying thread is the doom of war.

THE TALE

1. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe lived at Aha-kwa'i[1] with his people. At that time the river was near that place. He was the only one of them to talk to the rest. Then he and his people crossed the river to the western side to Ama?-kusayi.[2] (4 songs.)[3]

[1] Aha-kwa'i is at the "Old Gus" ranch, below Milltown, on an overflow pond or slough (an old river arm), at the foot of the mesa on the east edge of Mohave valley, upstream from Needles and downstream from Fort Mohave. At the time of the story, the river lay close to Aha-kwa'i.

[2] Downstream from HatŠioq-va?veve.

[3], [3a] The narrator stated that he usually omitted the songs credited to pars. 1 and 2 and began with those referring to the Providence mountains. I?ava is arrowweed.

2. Then they went up on the mesa, and from there into the mountains at I?ave-kukyave. (2 songs.)[3a]3. Then they went on to the large mountains, Avi-kwe-havasu,[4] the Providence mountains. (2 songs.)

[4] "Blue mountains," as they appear from the Mohave country.

4. They had found that land and kept it for their own. They lived there a year. Now Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe was a Mohave, and his relatives were Mohave in this country. He said: "I want to go back to my relatives." Then he returned by the way he had come, going back to Aha-kwa'i with his people. When he had returned, all the Mohave said: "I think he has come to make war." They talked of war. They were afraid of him, for he was very large. Then he went back to the Providence mountains with his people. Now he was a man who dreamed well.[5] He knew what the people were saying about him: he dreamed it. They were saying: "I wish Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe would come again. We would cook wheat[6] for him, and put meat into it, and make good food for him." No one sent for him to come but he knew what they wished. Then he was ready to come to make war. So he started with his people, but he did not go straight. He went past Hatalompe[7] far down to Aha-kwatpave.[8] (An indefinite number of songs.)[9]

[5] SumatŠ-ahotk.

[6] Frequently considered native by the Mohave.

[7] Six miles south of Beal, the point at which the Santa Fe railroad leaves California on its way east.

[8] On the Colorado on the east side, below Ehrenberg. He had to cross the river to reach it, of course.

[9] The narrator first said he sang "4, 5, 6, 10, or 12 songs" about the journey to Aha-kwatpave Later he stated that he sang of this portion of the story "a whole night, 50 songs." The last place mentioned by name on the way south, however, is Hatalomve or Hatalompe.

5. From there he turned back and started north up the river. (10 songs.)

He came to HÔore.[10] (1 song.)

[10] Ehrenberg. The route now is back northward up the east bank of the river.

6. From there he started again with his people and went upstream to Kapotake-hiv'auve.[11] They slept there and went on up the river to Ama?-koahoatŠe. (2 songs.)

[11] No songs were mentioned for this place, perhaps by oversight.

7. Having slept there, they went on to Avi-helye'a. (1 song.)8. The next day they came to Avi-kwa-hapama, (1 song.)9. From there they went on, the next morning, until they reached Aqwaqa-have.[12] There they slept again. (5 songs.)

[12] Aqwaqa means deer.

10. Starting in the morning, they went on up to Tatasky-anve. They did not sleep there.[13] But Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe talked of war. He said: "When there is war, people are beaten and run away. Women are captured as slaves and pushed into the river." So they talked of what they would do. (2 songs.)

[13] Possibly meaning that they went past the place without stopping, but more probably that they made camp and spent the night there, and that Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe talked to his people instead of letting them sleep.

11. Then they came to HakutŠyepe.[14] There they made camp. Then they saw a beaver's track, like a little boy's foot. They had never seen it before and thought it was a little boy. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe showed it to his people and they were afraid. In the morning they started. (10 songs.)[15]

[14] The mouth of Bill Williams Fork of the Colorado, the place being known as Aubrey.

[15] Thus the narrative. In subsequently indicating the number of songs relating to each part of the story, the narrator made no mention of HakutŠyepe and the incident there, but proceeded as follows: "On the way north, 4 songs. At Selye'aye-kwame, 4 songs. At Chemehuevi valley, 2 songs." There is no discrepancy, but different events and stages of the same part of the journey are specified in the two accounts. It must be remembered that the narrative is unusually condensed.

11a. They came to Selye'aya-ita, where they slept. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe told his people how brave he was, and how good his luck was, and what he had dreamed. (4 songs.)12. They started up the river next day, came to Hatu?ve and slept there. (4 songs.)13. They went on up again. (3 songs.)14. That night they slept at Ama?-kyerekyere-kwitni.[16] (4 songs.)

[16] South of Mellen on the railroad. They are now at the foot of Mohave valley.

15. In the morning they came to Kwaparvete[17] and stood there. The people on the west side of the river, saw them and were afraid and ran off. (10 songs.)

[17] Kwaparvete is the name of a little mesa which the railroad ascends and traverses after it crosses the river and before it enters the mouth of the Sacramento wash, by which it climbs to the Arizona plateau.

16. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe and his people saw them going. He said: "Let us pursue but not kill them." Then they followed them.[18] Now women shout in war. But this time the women said: "We will not shout. You say you will not kill them, but only chase them; therefore there is no need for us to shout. When you are ready to kill, we will shout." Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe said: "We shall have war. We are not killing these people. We do not even wish to attack them. But there will be war." Those who fled came to above where Needles now is. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe and his people followed their dust until they came to Avi-hilykwampe.[19] There the pursued crossed the river, and Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe crossed after them. (20 songs.)

[18] Crossing the river to the west bank, as the context shows.

[19] About five miles north of Needles, where the mesa from the west runs down to the river.

17. The fleeing people came to Ama?-tasilyke and to A?'i-kupome. But Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe and his people went another way, eastward to Aha-kukwinve.[20] Now they were nearly at the place where they had formerly lived.[21] All the people in the vicinity were afraid and ran northward, upriver, abandoning their food and dishes and property. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe's people gathered up these effects, ate the food, and lived there.

[20] At the foot of the mesa. Both parties are now east of the river.

[21] Namely, Aha-kwa'i, where the story starts.

18. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe had a daughter, Ilya-owitŠ-maikohwere. He said: "Now that you are big enough, do not sleep near me. Sleep at a distance. Sleep in the corner of the house."[22] Then the girl was angry at his saying that and ran off. (4 songs.)

[22] He wanted her to have a lover and marry, and feared that no man would steal to her while she lay close to her parents. There is nothing disgraceful in this suggestion, to the Mohave, who scarcely make a distinction between lover and husband. The old people frequently exhort the young to enjoy themselves while they can.

19. She went east until she came to Hawi, where she slept. Then she went on to Avi-hoalye, the Walapai mountains.[23] There were many girls among the (Walapai) people living there, and she played with them and stayed with them a year. She liked it there. (30 songs.)

[23] Hoalye means yellow pine. The name Walapai, hawaly-ipai in Mohave, seems to be derived from this word.

20. After a year she went back. When she returned, she was ashamed and sat outside the house. She did not go indoors to her parents. She was painted red. The people she had been with, the Walapai, had given her the paint. The Mohave do not paint like that. So they did not know who she was. She sat with her head bowed. Then Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe came out. "That is my daughter," he said. (10 songs.)21. He said to her: "I thought you had died. When a woman visits her friends among another tribe, she stays two months or three months. You stayed a year and I thought you were dead." Then, after four days, Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe said: "Now it is four days. I am ready to fight. The people I am going to attack do not live very far away. But I think my daughter is tired. Have you become tired?" But Ilya-owitŠ-maikohwere said: "No, I am not tired. I will go with you." When they came to Ama?-tasilyke and A?'i-kupome, the people whom they had pursued before and who had fled there and were still living there, saw them, and took their property and fled north once more. They ran to Sokwilye-ihu.[24] There they lay down for the night. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe and his people slept at Selye'aye-'itŠ-patŠe,[25] downriver from them. Then Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe named a mesa near by: HavateitŠe-'isnave. (40 songs.)

[24] "Hawk-nose." Not far from Fort Mohave.

[25] Near the river, on the irrigation canal in use at Fort Mohave in 1904. Selye'aye is sand.

22. Then he started again. Now he wanted to kill the people at Sokwilye-'ihu. Savilyuyave,[26] his younger brother, was the head man among those who had fled. When Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe and his people came to Sokwilye-'ihu, they fought. Soon Savilyuyave's people ran away and jumped into the river. Savilyuyave himself was killed in the river. He sank to the bottom and they seized him, dragged him on the bank, and scalped him. His daughter[27] they took as a slave. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe's people went back downriver to Selye'aye'-kumitŠe.[28] (5 songs.)

[26] Also the name of a Mohave who died not many years before 1903.

[27] Her name was said also to be Ilya-owitŠ-maikohwere. OwitŠ is one of the women's clan-names. As Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe and Savilyuyave were brothers, and of the OwitŠ group, their daughters would both be named OwitŠ. In reply to a question, the informant stated decisively that all the people accompanying Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe called their daughters OwitŠ, showing that he regarded them as a clan. The totemic reference of the clan is to clouds.

[28] A mesa approaching the river about two miles south of Fort Mohave.

23. There they stayed and rested.[29] Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe stood up and named all the places along the river, up to the source. (5 songs.)

[29] Probably for the night, while their leader addressed them.

24. Then they started again and went north to Ama?-nyamasave-kwohave.[30] Those who lived there were called the Quail-people, Ipa-'ahma.[31] They saw Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe coming and fled across to the west bank of the river. He took their land and all their food. Now Savilyuyave's people were at Avi-kutaparve.[32] The Quail-people, being afraid, wanted to join Savilyuyave's people, and went to Avi-kutaparve. (3 songs.)

[30] Two or three miles north of Fort Mohave: "earth-white-kwohave."

[31] "When these people were killed, they became quail."

[32] Three or four miles north of Fort Mohave, on the west bank of the river, where the mesa or cliff is whitish.

25. Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe went up the east side of the river. He saw (his brother's and the Quail) people on the other side and stood and talked across the river to them.[33] He said: "I have fought you. Now I will spare you. You did not stand up against me: I will let you go." Then they talked badly[34] to each other, telling of each other's dead parents and ancestors. (4 songs.)

[33] Literally, "talking" is hardly possible. The Colorado is so wide that a conversation cannot be carried on across it except by shouting.

[34] Amatyesumak, "cursed."

26. Soon Umas-kwitŠit-patŠe crossed the river, not at Avi-kwutaparva, but below. "When a man is fighting, he does not stay in one place, he travels," he said. He wanted to go back to the Providence mountains. Then they came to Aha-kuhulyu'i.[35] But they found the spring full of vermin[36] and went on without drinking. One of them, Umas-elyi?e, who had been shot in the thigh, was in great pain as they traveled through the desert here. (1 song.)

[35] "Stinking-water," a spring on a slope, five miles or more from the river.

[36] Humkuyove.

27. They came to Avi-'itŠierqe[37] and stood there and saw their mountains, their own place, the Providence mountains. (1 song.)

[37] "Excrement-rocks" or "mountain."

28. From there it did not take them long to reach their home. (2 songs.)29. When they arrived, Umas-elyi?e died. (10 songs.)[38]

[38] These ten songs mention the roof, posts, and other parts of their houses—a favorite subject.

Clyx.com