article

Marie Norris's interpretations of fifty of Gatschet's Klamath chants and incantations

American Indian culture and research journal7 (3) • Published In 1983 • Pages: 55-63

By: Weaver, Roger.

Abstract
This article includes the texts and interpretations of 50 Klamath songs which were originally collected by Albert S. Gatschet and published in 1890. In 1979, Robert Weaver, an English professor at Oregon State University, gave a copy of the songs to an elderly Klamath women, Marie Norris, and asked her to comment on them, believing she had the experience and knowledge to shed some light on the meaning of the texts. The songs are very short, most are one or two lines, and one is four lines. Many are the songs of animals expressing a variety of sentiments including anger, shame, pride, commitment, awareness, happiness, courage, fear, sadness, and confusion. Some are conjurers' songs about power and curing. A few are philosophical, e.g., 'In the fog I am straying blind/ All over earth I am wandering.' Interpretation: 'I lack the wisdom to find my true self.'
Subjects
Informants
Interviewing in research
Recording and collecting in the field
Music
Literary texts
culture
Klamath
HRAF PubDate
1998
Region
North America
Sub Region
Plains and Plateau
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Humanist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 1996
Field Date
1979
Coverage Date
1890-1982
Coverage Place
Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Notes
Roger Weaver
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
78643481
LCSH
Klamath Indians