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Table of Contents
Masset Mourning Songs
Overview
These song texts were transcribed and first translated by John R. Swanton (1912). This collection of Haida songs, collected early in the 20th century, gives many insights into Haida culture, including class divisions, belief in reincarnation, and the status of women.https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/nw/hs/index.htm In this Alcheringa issue, these songs are accompanied by Dell Hymes’ commentary and analysis based on grammatical meanings and hints. Swanton translations are presented with the full Haida interlinear text.
Commentary
The first song from 'mourning songs' collection is:
Hao gua dAñ qâ'gulAgî.
? | you | are going down.
Djîgô'es gu qagû'lAga kuda'l.
Sun there is going down, dear.
Are you going down?
The sun there is going down, dear,
**Through his interlinear translations, Swanton arrives at the conclusion that the dead man is likened to the sun. The question mark alludes to an interrogative according to Hymes.
In the following song:**
Qoangê'dAñ, qoangê'dAñ, qoya'sga
It becomes too much, | it becomes too much, | dear.
Qoangê'dAñ, qoangê'dAñ, qoya'sga
It becomes too much, | it becomes too much, | dear.
Qoangê'dAñ, qoangê'dAñ, qoya'sga
It becomes too much, | it becomes too much, | dear.
Qoangê'dAñ, qoangê'dAñ, qoya'sga
It becomes too much, | it becomes too much, | dear.
It becomes too much, it becomes too much, dear.
It becomes too much, it becomes too much, dear.
It becomes too much, it becomes too much, dear.
It becomes too much, it becomes too much, dear.
In his smooth translation, Swanton notes that the poet's grief is too great to bear. Notice how the line breaks and repetitions are aligned with the original.
Context
In the winter of 1900-1901 Swanton worked among the Haida. The Haida are a Canadian Native American group which lives on the Queen Charlotte Islands, just off the coast of British Columbia. Masset is the name of a community at the northern end of Graham Island, and the name Swanton adopted for the northern of the two main dialects of the Haida language then surviving. .
Bibliography
Bruno, John. “Haida Songs by John R. Swanton (1912).” Sacred Texts. 2010, https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/index.htm
