The shaman Staryj

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(23-1)   
l'E     ke:jE-n     c'O:l'E-d     omni:     starIj     mon-u-t    
DP   before-ADV   ancient-GEN   people   Staryj   say-0-SS.IMPF  
SoromE-lEk     l'e:-l'El-u-l,     {Saman}-Ek.    
man-PRED   be-EV-0-SF   shaman-PRED  

In the days of the ancient people there was a shaman named Staryj.

Comment:
The shaman Staryj who lived in the middle of the 19th century was a shaman of the Ushkan clan. He lived on the river Popovka, a tributary on the left bank of the Kolyma. At present there is no permanent population on Popovka. Staryj is regarded as the ancestor of the Yukaghir family of Spiridonov's. His son Atyl'xan is mentioned in Text 31.


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(23-2)   
d'E     tamun     irk-i-n     l'e:-l'El     pOgi-n'e:-l'El,     n'a:s'pEn-gEn    
DP   that   one-0-ATTR   be-EV   master-PROPR-EV   Popovka-PROL  
mido-l'-a:-l'El-Ni     ...     c'O:l'E-d     omni:     saqanE.    
roam-0-INCH-EV-3PL   ...   ancient-GEN   people   at.time  

He had a master at the time when the ancient people roamed on Popovka.

Comment:
The word pOgil' generally means 'master`, but here refers to the shaman's spirit-protector. Shamans could have up to 12 spirit-protectors.


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(23-3)   
ta:-t     ...     mon-i,     d'i:bE-n     me:stE-k     l'E-l.    
there-ADV.ABL   ...   say-3SG   miracle-GEN   place-PRED   be-SF  

They say it was a miraculous place.


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(23-4)   
ta:     Sa:l-dE     jO:-dE-gE     irk-i-n     marqil'-Ek     Sa:-n    
there   tree-3   see-3-DS   one-0-ATTR   girl-PRED   tree-GEN  
kis'il-gE     modo-t     jaqtE-t     modo-j.    
end-LOC   sit-SS.IMPF   song-SS.IMPF   sit-3SG  

One man saw a girl sitting and singing on the top of a tree.

Comment:
In the dependent clause headed by the Different-Subject Converb the object takes the possessive Genitive form Sa:ldE.


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(23-5)   
d'E     tamun-gElE     l'e:-l'El-u-m,     tude     l'E-gElE     {istr'ela}-gElE    
DP   that-ACC   be-EV-0-TR.3SG   he.GEN   be-ACC   arrow-ACC  
min-dEllE     tabud-E     d'E     aji:-l'El-u-m     ...    
take-SS.PERF   that-ACC   DP   shoot-EV-0-TR.3SG   ...  

He took an arrow and shot her.


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(23-6)   
aji:-dE-gE     los'il-Ek     tamun     l'E-gEt     je:-r-ej-l'El-u-l.    
shoot-3-DS   fire-PRED   that   be-ABL   float-NONIT-PERF-EV-0-SF  

When he shot, fire poured out of her.

Comment:
The other variants of this legend explain that the devil's daughter flew up with fire. From fear she sent the man's soul to the lower world.


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(23-7)   
[ti:]     ti:     OnmE-lE     ta:-t     SoGo-Sa:-l'El-u-m.    
here   here   mind-ACC   there-ADV.ABL   lose-CAUS-EV-0-TR.3SG  

He lost his mind then.


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(23-8)   
d'E     ta:-t     aNs'i:-t     e-di-N     an'-n'E-j,     ta-N    
DP   there-ADV.ABL   search-SS.IMPF   PRON-this-ATTR   speak-PROPR-3SG   that-ATTR  
pOgil'-gi     starIj     {srazu}     lej-tej-l'El-u-m,     {Sto}     ta:-t    
master-3   Staryj   immediately   know-PERF-EV-0-TR.3SG   that   there-ADV.ABL  
kude-j     mon-u-t.    
become-3SG   say-0-SS.IMPF  

He was speaking to someone and looking for something. But that shaman Staryj, who had a master, immediately understood what had happened.


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(23-9)   
d'E     jO:-dEllE     pojj-e:-t     kes'i:-l'El-Na:,     kes'i:-dEllE     d'E    
DP   see-SS.PERF   lift-INCH-SS.IMPF   bring-EV-TR.3PL   bring-SS.PERF   DP  
jalGi-n'a:-l'El     ta-N     starIj.    
tambourine-PROPR-EV   that-ATTR   Staryj  

When he saw it, they lifted him up and carried him there. They brought him, and the shaman started shamanizing.


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(23-10)   
jalGi-n'E-t     d'E     ta:-t     mol-l'El,     n'an'-u:-l-bEn     marqil'-Ek    
tambourine-PROPR-SS.IMPF   DP   there-ADV.ABL   say-EV   sin-INTR-AN-N   girl-PRED  
mo-llE     mOd-i-s'     aji:-nu-mlE     mo-llE     mOd-i-s'.    
say-SS.PERF   hear-INTR-3SG   shoot-IMPF-OF.3SG   say-SS.PERF   hear-INTR-3SG  

He shamanized and said: "Apparently you shot the devil girl."

Comment:
On n'an'u:lbEn see (15-52). The expression mollE mOdis' here functions as an evidential marker.


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(23-11)   
aNnumE     ta-N     marqil'     jalGi-n     l'E-N     n'an'-u:-l-bEn-de:    
first   that-ATTR   girl   lake-GEN   be-ATTR   sin-INTR-AN-N-DIM  
l'e:-l'El-mElE     emtE-dej-l'El-mElE,     ta:-t     kel-dEllE     tude     pOgil'    
be-EV-OF.3SG   cure-PERF-EV-OF.3SG   there-ADV.ABL   come-SS.PERF   he.GEN   master  
emtE-dej-l'El-mElE.    
cure-PERF-EV-OF.3SG  

First the shaman treated that girl, the lake devil, then his master came and treated that man.

Comment:
During shamanizing the shaman returned the devil's daughter to the earth and then his spirit-protector returned the soul of the man.


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(23-12)   
tamun     an'-n'E-dE-gE     e-dO:n     pe:-d     albE-gE     {Saman'iqa}    
that   speak-PROPR-3-DS   PRON-that   mountain-GEN   bottom-LOC   Shamanixa  
pe:-d     albE-gE     {palka}-lEk     ege-te:-l'El-mElE,     {sp'ec'ial'nIj}     Sa:l-Ek.    
mountain-GEN   bottom-LOC   stick-PRED   stand-TR-EV-OF.3SG   special   tree-PRED  

Then he said that one should erect a special stick by the foot of the hill Shamanixa.

Comment:
The devil's daughter was personified in a wooden statue erected on the Popovka. The word Shamanixa is here used by mistake.


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(23-13)   
ta-N     Sa:l     c'irtE     c'umu     {statuj}-lEk     ege-te:-l'El-mElE.    
that-ATTR   tree   completely   all   statue-PRED   stand-TR-EV-OF.3SG  

He erected a wooden statue.


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(23-14)   
ta-N     {statuj}     ti-N     id'i:     len'ingrad-kE     l'E-j.    
that-ATTR   statue   this-ATTR   now   Leningrad-LOC   be-3SG  

It is now in Leningrad.