Wèwtënëwèsi Achimëwakàn

The Wèwtënëwès Story . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in 1967. [This is sometimes called the Mermaid Story.]

English:

Long ago there were many kinds of corrections.

Lenape:

Lòmëwe xahelènawki hateyo kwìtëlìtëwakàna.

English:

One is, "Young women should not bathe in the nude [in a large body of water],

Lenape:

Kwëti, "Matàch yuki skixkweyok ènta tixëmwihtit supsiyëwàk

English:

so that some spirit in the water will not come into them."

Lenape:

wënchìch mata manëtu pèxus'hìkawiyok mpinkink."

English:

The old people said

Lenape:

Nèki kìkainkahke luweyok

English:

many spirits lived there under the water.

Lenape:

xaheli manëtuwàk tëntalawsineyo èkwpiyenk.

English:

It is said that one young woman was stubborn.

Lenape:

Kwëti skixkwe ahchinkxe hùnt.

English:

When she went to bathe she was naked.

Lenape:

Enta may tixëmwit supsu.

English:

A spirit that lived in the water came into her,

Lenape:

Na mpiyink èntalawsit manëtu pèxus'hìkao,

English:

and her body began to swell.

Lenape:

tòlëmi mahkwisu tuhwèpiyëmink.

English:

Finally that person was born.

Lenape:

Xantki mhitahpu na awèn.

English:

And here he was, half fish and half human.

Lenape:

Kèku lah wàn, pahsi namès òk pahsi awèn.

English:

The young woman was scared, so she went and threw it into the lake.

Lenape:

Wishasu na skixkwe, mòy chòpònihin mënëpèkunk.

English:

In the lake is where that person grew up,

Lenape:

Nal në tënta kishikin mënëpèkunk na awèn,

English:

that half fish and half human. (Like a mermaid or Merman)

Lenape:

na pahsi namës òk pahsi awèn.

English:

When the children would go to bathe they all drowned.

Lenape:

Enta nèki mimënsak may tixëmwihtit, tòptëpèneyo.

English:

That person must have pulled them, and that is why they drowned.

Lenape:

Wtënao èt na awèn, wënchi aptëpèneyo.

English:

The Delaware were all scared

Lenape:

Wishas'hatuwàk wèmi nèk Lënapeyok,

English:

and they said, "What will we do?"

Lenape:

luweyok, "Kèku hàch xu ktëlsihëna?"

English:

Then one old man said, "We will have to kill that person."

Lenape:

Na kwëti hilusës luwe, "Nhilawënàch nàni awèn."

English:

Two young men came there

Lenape:

Nisha nèk skinuwàk peyok,

English:

and they said, "We definitely can kill him."

Lenape:

luweyok, "Niluna ta kàski nhilawëna."

English:

They left to go look for sunbeams

Lenape:

Na tòlëmskaneyo ènta natunamuk wipèko

English:

on which they could begin to climb to where ours elder brother the sun lives.

Lenape:

wënchìch kàski alëmàkusineyo wikit na xansëna kishux.

English:

They started to climb on the sunbeams and finally got to where the sun lives

Lenape:

Na tòlëmi àlëmàkusineyo wipèkunk, xantki peyok kishux wikit.

English:

The sun was surprised, he said,

Lenape:

Kanshelìntàm na kishux, luwe,

English:

"What do you fellows want?"

Lenape:

"Kèku hàch katatàmuhëmo?"

English:

The young men said,

Lenape:

Luweyok nèk skìnuwàk,

English:

"We really want some ashes, hot ashes."

Lenape:

"Punkw ta nkatatèmënèn, kèshtèk punkw."

English:

The sun said, "There they are. Help yourselves."

Lenape:

Luwe na kishux, "Shè lah nën, wichëm kàkayëwa."

English:

Then the two young men dipped up some ashes.

Lenape:

Na nèki nisha skìnuwàk tòns'hamëneyo në punkw.

English:

They said, "Thanks!" Then they left by way of the sunbeams.

Lenape:

Luweyok, "Wanìshi!" Na tòlëmskaneyo wipèkunk lih.

English:

They brought the ashes to where the Lenape were gathered.

Lenape:

Na pwètuneyo në punkw ènta nèki Lënapeyok maehëlahtit.

English:

They threw the ashes into the lake.

Lenape:

Na ìka tòlanihineyo në punkw mënëpèkunk.

English:

The water began to boil.

Lenape:

Alëmi wënte në mpi.

English:

Finally that person, half fish and half human

Lenape:

Xantki na awèn, pahsi namès òk pahsi awèn

English:

was seen on top of the water.

Lenape:

nèwkwësu xkwìchi mpinkink.

English:

Before he died that person told them, "You have killed me for nothing!

Lenape:

Nèsko ankëlëk na awèn tëlao nèl awènik, "Nuchkwehihëmo!

English:

I do have many grandchildren and children

Lenape:

Xaheli ta ni nulhala ahanhùkwi nuxwisàk òk nichanàk.

English:

Everywhere where there is a lot of water

Lenape:

Wèmi yu tali ènta xaheli mpi

English:

that is where my children and grandchildren live.

Lenape:

nichanàk ènta lawsihtit òk nuxwisàk.

English:

You have killed me for nothing!" But anyway the people killed him.

Lenape:

Nuchkwehihëmo ta!" Shùk amënchi nhilawo na awèn.

English:

One old man said, "Take him out of the water, we will cut him up."

Lenape:

Na kwëti hilusës luwe, "Yukwe ta kahpal, pikshawënèch."

English:

Then they took that person out of the water and began to cut him up.

Lenape:

Na kòhpalaneyo na awèn, alëmi piksha.

English:

They gave to all the different tribes one piece of him.

Lenape:

Wèmi yuk lakeichik mwilawo kwëti pàke naka awènika.

English:

That is why they still use it [the piece of him]

Lenape:

Nal në wënchi yukwe mèchi nhakatàmëneyo

English:

these Indians so they can dance and

Lenape:

yuki mèxkeòhkësichik tìli këntkaneyo òk

English:

when they pray, they use that piece.

Lenape:

patamaneyo, nhakatàmuk pàke naka awènika.

English:

This is what my late mother told me.

Lenape:

Nal yushe ntëlkwën naka nkahèsa.

Na Òkwës Òk Na Chëmamës Achimëwakàn

Këkhìtkil Hùnt Na Xanikw

Nushhùkòwën Ta Ni

Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmënt Enta Këntkahtit

Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmunt Enta Këntkahtit - 2

Weòpsichik Pèchi Witawsumku