Bird Clan Origin Myth

Narrated by J. W.

with an Interlinear Text by Paul Radin

English Translation

This story is numbered 51 (the story before it, "Worúxega," is numbered 52). The initials (of the informant?) "J.W." occur at the top of the page to the right. Below them is the remark, "A Fourth [is] missing" (last word double-underlined) and is followed by "(Neb. w?t?o?l?)." Below the story number (51), a large numeral 10 has been crossed out by a wavy line. Given its size and position, this may have been an earlier story number. The page number 1 is centered above the first line.

The manuscript, which is in the hand of Paul Radin, is sometimes difficult to read. Every attempt has been made to check the text against other texts and word lists, but in cases where the reading is doubtful, question marks appear after illegible letters. About 30% of the hand written interlinear text has no English translation, but almost all of the untranslated words could be found elsewhere. Radin also used Greek letter abbreviations for common whole words or syllables some of which he interpreted here and in other manuscripts, although there are some whose values are unknown. The Greek symbols used in the text appear on the table below:

alpha
beta
gamma
epsilon
backward epsilon
lambda
rho
psi
tau
égi
édja
gadjâ
unknown
canâ
jesge
ánâga
hâké
jegû ?

upsilon
X
omega
2
6
9
bar-dot
dot-bar 
rocker-dot
-
>
regi
uañk
jégû
je/ce
xdjî
(d)jâ
nâk, nañk
nâ
nîk(a), nîg(a)
ra
gi

Words supplied by the editor (Richard Dieterle) are found in brackets '[ ]'. It was also necessary for the editor to supply all punctuation and to determine the beginning and ending of sentences.

p. 1 --

[... ?] t'ewahíre[2] Hotcoñg[ara]. [beta] wa'ú[bar-dot][2]
[... ?] they killed them [the Hotcâgara]. [There] [to be, to lie, to do]

uañg[-] t'ewahí[upsilon], hanâ´tc daxú wahíre[2]
[men] [after they killed them], [all] they burned up

[alpha] hinuñg[éra] hoda wa-utcgónañge[bar-dot]i hicgé
[and] [women] [remainder, some] who were pregnant also

t'ewahir[rho] daxú wahíres'á[2]. [alpha] [omega]
they killed them [they burned] [he caused them to be ?]. [And] [so]

niñkdjóñge[rocker-dot][-] dj[rho] uañgeniñgrági hanâ´tc waiságir[rho]
[the children] [all] [old men ?] [all] [they killed them]

daxú wahíre[2].* Hotcîtcî´niji[9] [beta] rúzi[upsilon]
[they burned] [up]. [A youth] [there] they took
*After this word there follows a set of words that have been stricken with a single line through them: "[beta = édja] tcowé waníñgikikárodj-- jenâ´nâ[2 = je]" ("there the Bird Clan was almost ended").

niñkdjoñk tcúcguni[beta] Hotcintciníñge[bar-dot]a hiwáñghire[2]. "Jeé
family without children. That [boy] they asked for him. ["This one]

djagúnigiâne[2] Uañgeníñgiánegi? Haníhuwire," aíre[2]. Nânoká
what is he? It is a boy? Bring him here," [they said]. [Naked]

hotcîtcîniñge[bar-dot]a wagi'ú[bar-dot]i. Réniñg[-] heg[beta] hagirúsgapir[rho]
[that little boy] they made him. The penis behind they took ahold of*
*Connected to this by a line is the following: "[x to make him look like a woman]

wahaíre[2] de[lambda][dot-bar]. "Hinuñgeniñgánena aíre[2]. Hotcîtcî´niñk
they showed to the public this way. "A little girl he is," [they said]. [Boy]

jée [psi] t'ehírani[2]. "[X] hodaxú
[this one] [not] they did not kill him. ["The people] where they burned them up

hi[bar-dot]a hóradj[-] deséxetedjédja nobozaídja," higaíre[dot-bar].
[find ?] none of it that long leg at the post," [they said it to him].

Hatcíndja[6] [X] daxuhírega wa'úinegi higû´ mé[tau]negi
Wherever it is [people] where they burn they did it up to the present time

p. 2 --

worucík [beta] hi-éres'á[2]. [omega] x'ex'écge
wampum [there] they often would find. [and so] ear knobs

[X]waíni hi-éres'á[2]. [X] daxuhírega pedjokére[ra] [psi]
Indian calico [they often would find]. [People] [where they burn] the fireplace [not]

x'â´wiñdjadjí[bar-dot][backward epsilon]. Pûzákexdjínañk[backward epsilon] [alpha] [beta]
grass does grow. A very sandy spot it is [and] [there]

uañg[-] ruhô´ hiniánukóziregi. Warusgídjir[rho] waíniañkaraíre[2].
[people] lots they took prisoners. They found them they took them home.

Uañgi[9] we[2], ["Ha]karaire[>]."* Hitcáwina wagejé,
[A man] [he said], "They've gone home (they're taking me along)." [His wife] he said to her,
*The brackets around 'ha' are supplied by Radin.

"Mâséghîwi djobóhañgi mâs'idjédja ? hagi[dot-bar]. [beta]
name, "Earth Shaking" [making noise with a club]* four days from now at a spring I will return. [There]
*Brackets are Radin's.

hîpiádji," e[2]. [epsilon] hinúñkdjega [beta]
wait for me," [he said]. [] [that woman] [there]

hagiáp'ejé, [alpha] djobóhôna hâ´bakirigí. Uañkdjega
she waited, [and] [four] [lights arrived ?]. [That man]

wagaíre[2], "Rakére[dot-bar][2] hice[-]. Djadjónañgi rakére[dot-bar][2]?" higaíre[2].
[they told him], "You will go home, you said. When are you going?" [they said to him].

[gamma] we[2], "Wirajépdjinañkí hakére[dot-bar]," e[2].
[There ?] [he said], "When she comes up I [will go back]," [he said].

Waixdjaíre[2] Rusgídje[bar-dot]i. [psi] niñgiówákere ruxúrugení,
They laughed at him. They tied. [Not] any home he was unable,

wanáñke. Waixdjaíre[2]. "Wiraghéphugi hakeré[dot-bar]. Hidokéniñka
he was saying. They laughed at him. "When the sun commenses to come up [I will go back]. My old woman


p. 3 --

mâiódjedja hakípeácira. Hiñkarakgôt?enañkuni y'arége," hakeré[dot-bar].
at the spring she is waiting for me. She must be waiting for me [I think ?]," [he said to them].

E[gamma] waixdjaíre[2] s'i[-]. Acgeki[6][rocker-dot] rusgítc
[] [they laughed at him] [long ?]. Very close together tied

wa'uáñk[gamma]. Tcowé[6] s'i[-] waxúruxúrutc. Karahé[2].
they were. Very little [footprints] he could move. He's going along.

[gamma] hicdjaíragicanaine[>], [psi]ainajíni[2]. "Horujúdjerehiwire. Wajañgé,"
[There ?] when they overlooked him, he was not there. "Go look for him. He must be something,"

we[gamma]. "Keregicge," aírege. Horughutcrehíra[>]. Deenâdjedja
he said. "If he's gone home," they said. They went and looked for him. This one more than half

karahé[2]. Hûdji[9] ninámani karahé[2]. "Kiré[dot-bar]
he was going. A bear walking on the water [he was going]. "He's gone,"

aíre[2]. Hanâ´tc horughúdjire[2] ag[beta] hagíâdji[bar-dot]i.
[he said]. [All] [looked] on the other side there he landed.

Sirá horughudj. Hahíre[2][> ?] sí[ra] hadjaíre[2].
Track they looked at. They went [tracks] they saw.

Hûtsí[9] deagíogináñk[2] [alpha] hag[beta] hagaré[9]
A bear track there he went through running [and] later on [after this]

tcináñgidja[bar-dot]a wakídjaire[>] tcináñgidjanóñka dokéwehi[-] rukónonañk[2]
this other tribe when they met together the other tribe starving very much they were

[gamma]. Hotcintcíniñk [psi] t'ehirenínihe[-] Uañk
[.] [Young man] [not] that they had killed. Man

rusgídjaniâkaraíre[>]. Wakcánihe[-] hitcûcgé higiére[2] [gamma].
they found him and took him home with them. The-one-who-turned-back he was the nephew of him* they found [for] him (among the other tribe) [.]

*the word hitcûcgé only means "nephew" -- the rest is interpretation by Radin.


p. 4 --

Karadá[2]. [>] wagaíre[2]. Raj[-] radjir[rho].
He asked for him. [When ?] they told him. Name they called.

Haninúka?zir[rho] "Deag[beta] ragiás. Cgu[-]. Sironídúxutc.
They had taken him prisoner. "Across the lake you ran away. You came home. We saw your back.

Hadjíne[>] hûtsí rakíricgú[-]," [epsilon]. "Hûdj[ijâ]
When we came the bear track you came with," [they said. ?] ["One bear]

niñge hadjwígi. Hitcûcgéragá rakúruzikdje[dot-bar]," higai[upsilon].
apiece we like to eat. Your nephew you can take him back," [they said to him].

"Hidok'éra wowát'ekdjiniñk hitcûcgehi[-] hakáraniñ[dot-bar][>]," e[2].
"My old woman very easy our gr. son [nephew] we're going to have him back," [he said].

Haíninegi haini[6][rocker-dot] mâná kuruz[rho] hihínop[2].
In the morning very early the arrow [he picked up] he went out.

Tciótcakénaîdja niñkdjoñge[rocker-dot] moc'ogi[j]â´ hacgâtc hires'áji.
Not far from the camp [children] a mound was playing on they used to.

[beta] wa'û[2] moc'óge[bar-dot]a hihag[beta] nâtcitcip[2]
[There] [he did this]: [that mound] on top he stamped it.

[>] hûdjí[9] [beta] hadjíhi[bar-dot]p[2] [gamma]
[When ?] [a bear] there he came out [.]

Aghúkâxdji[beta] maíñgutc[2] [gamma] T'ehí[2]. [alpha]
Right under the (left) arm* he shot them with an arrow [.] [He killed him]. [And]

*Connected to this by a line is a note at the bottom of the page: "they mean under the left arm because it is near the heart."

hitcûcgé[-] hatcíndja hanínañkî [beta] hi[rho].
[nephew] [wherever] they had him he was [there] he went.

"Hitcû´cgehára huñkaraîk'uináne. Hûdj[-] [>] niñgíhahañgwi[dot-bar],"
"My nephew give him back to me now. [A bear] [is ?] is over there,"

wige[dot-bar]. Hokaraík'uîn[rho]. Hûdj[-] hakáragwahíre[>] de. Woíraki,
[he said to them]. They gave him back. [The bear] they went after [lake]. Unexpectedly,


p. 5 --

tciótcikénaî´dja moc'ogi[9] niñkdjoñge[rocker-dot] hacgádje[bar-dot]conú[dot-bar].
near the house a mound [children] they used to play on it.

[beta] hûdjí[9] t'ehí[2]. Xighiré[2] hisge[6].
[There] [a bear] [he killed]. They thought he was wonderful holy [some (of them)].

"Wak'âtcáñk[>}," aíre[2]. Tcowécge. [beta] Wakâdjaíkikáradj[era].
"Holy he was," [they said]. It was near there (they almost made a mistake). [There] [the Thunderbird Clan].

jedjûna[2]. Uáñge[rocker-dot] hakdjá kuruze[bar-dot]a. Éjee.
was almost ended. Boy back that they took. Him

Waniñgikikáredj[era] x'î´ne[2]. Tcowé jedjónâ[2], aíreconu[dot-bar]. Jenúñga.
the bird clan took their origin. Almost it was at an end, [they said]. [That's all.]

English Translation

Source:

J. W., Untitled, in Paul Radin, [unpublished] Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society Library) Notebook 72, Story 51, pp. 1-5.