Vocabulary
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ - hunter (cf. ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎭ )
ᎤᏙᏓᏆᏓ - all day
ᎡᏙᎮ - was walking
ᏚᏲᎮ - looking for them (ᎠᏲᎭ)
ᎠᏫ - deer
ᏙᏓᎸᎢ - in the mountains
ᎥᏝᏃ - but not
ᏱᏓᏩᏘᎮ - didn’t find them
ᎬᏂᏃ - until
ᏧᏍᏔᏰᏐᏅ - exhausted (ᏓᏍᏔᏰᏍᎦ)
ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏅ - he became
ᎠᎴ - and
ᎤᎵᏍᏛᏡᏁ - he sat down (cf. ᎠᎵᏍᏛᏡᏍᎦ)
ᎠᏙᎯ - on wood, a log
ᎤᏣᏪᏐᎸᏍᏔᏁ - he was resting (ᎤᏓᏪᏐᎸᏍᏔᏁ)
ᎤᏓᏅᏖᎴ - thought about, wondered about
ᎢᏳᏛᏁᏗ - for him to do it
ᎾᏊᏃ - then
ᏑᎵ - Buzzard, a buzzard
ᏥᏍᏆ - bird
ᎢᏳᏍᏗᎭ - that kind, of the kind
ᏂᎪᎯᎸ - always
ᎤᏕᎵᏛ ᎠᏛᏁᎸᏗ - magical
ᎤᏬᎮᎢ - dropped down (?) cf. ᎤᏬᎭᏒᎩ
ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏜ - overhead, upwards
ᎤᏃᎯᎶᎴ - he was flying
ᎤᎵᏃᎮᏔᏁ - he spoke to him
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏁᎲ (cf. ᏄᎵᏍᏓᏁᎲ) - what happened, what’s the matter, what’s wrong
ᎾᏊᏃ - Now when
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ - the hunter
ᎤᏃᎮᏠᎾ - told him
ᎧᏃᎮᏗ - his story
Ꮎ ᏑᎵ - the buzzard
ᎯᎠ ᏄᏬᏎᎢ - said this
ᏰᎵᏃ ᎢᎦ - It's possible that
ᏳᏂᏨ - a lot, many of them (cf. ᎤᏂᏣᏘ, ᎤᏂᏨᏘ)
ᎠᏫ - deer
ᎠᏁᏙᎰ - they are there, they are walking around
ᏕᎦᎳᏛ - ridges (?)
ᎤᏟᏗᏜ - away from, beyond here
ᏑᏓᎴᎩᏊᏃ - if only one thing
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ - Hunter
ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏜ - above, upwards, high above
ᏱᏄᏛᏁ - if he did it
ᎦᏃᎴᏍᎬ - in the air
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ - them, those
ᏫᏗᎬᏩᎪᏩᏛᏗ - he would see them there
ᏱᎩ - it would be
ᎤᏔᏂᎴ - he asked for, requested
ᏧᎾᏓᏁᏟᏴᏍᏗ - for them to take turns, trade places with each other (cf. CED ᎠᏓᏁᏟᏴᎠ)
ᏄᎾᏍᏛ - their forms, conditions
ᏞᎦᏊ - just for a while
ᎢᎪᎯᏓ - length of time
ᏑᎵ - Buzzard
ᎢᎡᎨ - would go back
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ - Hunter
ᎤᏍᏔᏴᎲᏍᎩ - his wife (ᎤᏍᏓᏴᎲᏍᎩ)
ᏧᏬᏅᏒᎢ - their home
ᎠᏫ - deer
ᏫᏚᎭᎴᎨᎢ - would (go) look for them(?)
ᎣᏏᏃ ᎤᏰᎸᏁ - he agreed, he was satisfied
ᎠᏍᎦᏯ - a man
ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ - he became, turned into
ᎤᏍᏓᎲᏍᎩ - his wife
ᏧᏬᎸ - their home
ᏭᎶᎭ - he went back there
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ - (She)
ᎤᏯᏅᎮ - she received him
ᎠᏂᏁᎵ - her husband
ᎾᏍᎩᏯ - like, accordingly
ᎾᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ - and the Hunter
ᏑᎵ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ - he became a buzzard
ᎤᎳᏫᏛᎮ - he flew off
ᏙᏓᎸ - (to) the mountains
ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏜ - high over, above them
ᏧᏩᏛᏗᏱ - to find them
ᎾᏊᏃ - When (after)
ᎡᎵ - for some time
ᎤᏬᎯᏳ - she believed
ᎤᏜᎳᏍᏔᏅ - (when, while) he spent time there (ᎤᏜᏅᏓᏕᎭ?)
ᎨᏎ - it was
ᎠᎨᏯ - the woman
ᏙᏳ - really
ᎠᏂᏁᎵ - her husband
ᎨᏒ - it was
ᎡᎵᏍᎨ - she thought
ᏂᎪᎯᎸ, - always
ᏑᎵ - Buzzard
ᎤᏩᏌ ᎢᏴ - only
ᏄᏓᏛᏁᎴ - was representing (him)
ᎠᏎ ᎠᏇᏅᏍᏗ - I have to go
ᎢᎾᎨ ᎡᎯ - wild animals (forest dwellers; game animals)
ᎠᎩᏯᎸᏍᏗ - TBD (for me to look for them)(??)
ᎤᏩᏒᎯᏃ - or else,
Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ - nothing
ᎩᏂᎩᏍᏗ - for us to eat
ᏱᎩᏂᎮᏍᏗ - we would (not) have it
ᎤᏛᏁ - he said (ᎠᏗᎭ)
ᎤᎷᏤᏃ - So he returned
ᎤᎿ - back
ᎢᎬᏱ - first
ᏚᎾᏠᏒ - they met
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ. - Hunter
ᎠᏥᏩᏛᎮ - he appeared
ᎦᏳᎳ - already
ᎤᎿ - over there
ᎡᏙᎮᎢ - he was there, standing there, (waiting)
ᏏᏃ - still
ᎠᏑᎵᏊ - a buzzard
ᎨᏎᎢ, - it was
ᎠᏓᎦᏘᏰᎢ - he appeared as
ᎠᎦᏛᏛᏁᏃ - he asked him
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ - Hunter
ᎣᏍᏓ - good
ᏱᏄᎵᏍᏓᏁᎳ, - when he became
ᎤᏁᏣ - he said
ᎯᎸᏍᎩᏛ - several indeed, a lot
ᎠᏫ - deer
ᎦᏥᏩᏔ - he saw
ᎦᏝᏛᎢ - in the hills
ᎾᏍᎩᏯ - as thus
ᏄᏪᏒ ᏑᎵ - Buzzard said it
ᏴᏫᏊ ᏄᎾᏍᏛ - human shape
ᏄᏩᏁᎴ - he caused it, made it happen
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ. - hunter
ᎤᏩᏌ - himself
ᏂᎤᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ - he became, he turned into
ᎤᏝᏫᏛᎮᎢ - he flew away
ᎤᏪᏅᏎ - he went
ᎤᎿ - over there
ᏚᎪᎲ - he had seen
ᎠᏫ - deer
ᎯᎸᏍᎩ - several
ᏚᏞᎢ, - he killed them (ᎠᎯᎭ)
ᎾᎯᏳ - thereafter, then
ᎬᏩᏓᎴᏅᏓ - since that beginning
Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ - nothing
ᎾᏰᎲᎾ - not empty handed (ᎠᏰᎭ)
ᏱᎦᎷᎨ - would he return
ᎠᏙᎯ - (from) the woods
ᏅᏓᏳᎶᏒᎢ. – from there (variant of ᏚᎶᏒᎯ)
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎠᎴ ᏑᎵ
ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎤᏙᏓᏆᏓ
ᎡᏙᎮ ᏚᏲᎮ ᎠᏫ ᏙᏓᎸᎢ ᎥᏝᏃ ᏱᏓᏩᏘᎮ ᎬᏂᏃ ᏧᏍᏔᏰᏐᏅ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏅ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎵᏍᏛᏈᏁ ᎠᏙᎯ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏣᏪᏐᎸᏍᏔᏁ
ᎠᎴ ᎤᏓᏅᏖᎴ ᎢᏳᏛᏁᏗ. ᎾᏊᏃ ᏑᎵ ᏥᏍᏆ ᎢᏳᏍᏗᎭ ᏂᎪᎯᎸ ᎤᏕᎵᏛ ᎠᏛᏁᎸᏗ ᎤᏬᎮᎢ ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏜ ᎤᏃᎯᎶᎴ ᎠᎴ
ᎤᎵᏃᎮᏔᏁ. ᎤᏛᏛᎲᏍᎨ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏁᎲ.
ᎾᏊᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎤᏃᎮᏠᎾ ᎧᏃᎮᏗ, Ꮎ ᏑᎵ ᎯᎠ ᏄᏬᏎᎢ ᏰᎵᏃ ᎢᎦ ᏳᏂᏨ ᎠᏫ ᎠᏁᏙᎰ ᏕᎦᎳᏛ ᎤᏟᏗᏜ
ᏑᏓᎴᎩᏊᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏜ ᏱᏄᏛᏁ ᎦᏃᎴᏍᎬ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏫᏗᎬᏩᎪᏩᏛᏗ ᏱᎩ, ᎠᎴ ᎤᏔᏂᎴ ᏧᎾᏓᏁᏟᏴᏍᏗ
ᏄᎾᏍᏛ ᏞᎦᏊ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ. ᎾᏊᏃ Ꮎ ᏑᎵ ᎢᎡᎨ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎤᏍᏔᏴᎲᏍᎩ ᏧᏬᏅᏒᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎠᏫ
ᏫᏚᎭᎴᎨᎢ. ᎣᏏᏃ ᎤᏰᎸᏁ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ, ᎠᎴ ᏑᎵ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎤᏍᏔᎲᏍᎩ ᏧᏬᎸ ᏭᎶᎭ.
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎤᏯᏅᎮ ᎠᏂᏁᎵ ᎾᏍᎩᏯ. ᎾᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᏑᎵ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎳᏫᏛᎮ ᏙᏓᎸ ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏜ ᏧᏩᏛᏗᏱ
ᎠᏫ.
ᎾᏊᏃ ᎡᎵ ᎤᏬᎯᏳ ᎤᏜᎳᏍᏔᏅ ᎨᏎ ᎠᎨᏯ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏙᏳ ᎠᏂᏁᎵ ᎨᏒ ᎡᎵᏍᎨ ᏂᎪᎯᎸ, ᎾᏃ ᏑᎵ ᎤᏩᏌ ᎢᏴ
ᏄᏓᏛᏁᎴ. “ᎠᏎ ᎠᏇᏅᏍᏗ ᎢᎾᎨ ᎡᎯ ᎠᎩᏯᎸᏍᏗ ᎤᏩᏒᎯᏃ Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᎩᏂᎩᏍᏗ ᏱᎩᏂᎮᏍᏗ ᎤᏛᏁ. ᎤᎷᏤᏃ
ᎤᎿ ᎢᎬᏱ ᏚᎾᏠᏒ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ. ᎠᎴ ᎠᏥᏩᏛᎮ ᎦᏳᎳ ᎤᎿ ᎡᏙᎮᎢ. ᏏᏃ ᎠᏑᎵᏊ ᎨᏎᎢ, ᎠᏓᎦᏘᏰᎢ.
ᎠᎦᏛᏛᏁᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎣᏍᏓ ᏱᏄᎵᏍᏓᏁᎳ, ᎾᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ ᎤᏁᏣ ᎯᎸᏍᎩᏛ ᎠᏫ ᎦᏥᏩᏔ ᎦᏝᏛᎢ ᎾᏍᎩᏯ ᏄᏪᏒ
ᏑᎵ.
ᎾᏊᏃ ᏑᎵ ᏴᏫᏊ ᏄᎾᏍᏛ ᏄᏩᏁᎴ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ. ᎠᎴ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏑᎵ ᏂᎤᎵᏍᏔᏁᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏝᏫᏛᎮᎢ. ᎾᏃ ᎦᏃᎭᎵᏙᎯ
ᎤᏪᏅᏎ ᎤᎿ ᏚᎪᎲ ᎠᏫ ᎠᎴ ᎯᎸᏍᎩ ᏚᏞᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᎯᏳ ᎬᏩᏓᎴᏅᏓ Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᎾᏰᎲᎾ ᏱᎦᎷᎨ ᎠᏙᎯ
ᏅᏓᏳᏒᎢ.
The The Hunter and the Buzzard
A hunter had
been all day looking for deer in the mountains without success until
he was completely tired out and sat down on a log to rest and wonder
what he should do, when a buzzard -a bird which always has magic
powers- came flying overhead and spoke to him, asking him what was
his trouble.
When the hunter had told his story, the buzzard said there were
plenty of deer on the ridges beyond if only the hunter were high up
in the air where he could see them, and proposed that they exchange
forms for a while, when the buzzard would go home to the hunter's
wife while the hunter would go to look for deer.
The hunter agreed, and the buzzard became a man and went home to the
hunter's wife, who received him as her husband, while the hunter
became a buzzard and flew off over the mountain to locate the deer.
After staying some time with the woman [who believed him really to
be her husband while he was always only pretending], the buzzard
excused himself, saying he must go again to look for game or they
would have nothing to eat. He came to the place where he had first
met the hunter, and found him already there, still in buzzard form,
awaiting him. He asked the hunter what success he had had, and the
hunter replied that he had found several deer over the ridge, as the
buzzard had said.
Then the buzzard restored the hunter to human shape, and became
himself a buzzard again and flew away. The hunter went where he had
seen the deer and killed several, and from that time he never
returned empty-handed from the woods.
Story from James Mooney’s “History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees”. Translation by Anna Huckaby, Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center. Transcription to unicode, formatting, and word glosses by ᏔᎻᎵ.
