Hocąk Text — Ceremonial Lacrosse

by a member of the Bear Clan

English Translation

Original Texts: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

Stylistic Features

  hapaxlegomena: hijōnéra, "the other"; hišga, "game"; s’ak, "fleet".

The following are Greek letters and other symbols used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text. Their values mostly correspond to those given in Radin's notebook Winnebago II, #6, on the interstitial page between 107/108:

α β γ ε ɜ λ ρ
égi -eja -giži ésge -šaną žesge anąga

ω ·נ X շ ɕ ƪ
žigé nųnįge wąkšig(o) -že, -še -xjį -ižą

- / ᴗ ·| ⨪ >
-ra -ną -regi -kjé, -kjanèną -nąk -gają

 

Notebook 42:1*      
maⁿṇégirera wangᴇ[ᴗ]rera† kisîk hiri[·|]ne[շ] á[⨪][ɜ] hi[ƪ´] dani
Mąnégirera Wągᵉregirera kisīk hirenągᵉneže, ánąkšaną. Hižą́ tani
The Lower Moiety the Upper Moiety to play lacrosse they used to, they were saying. [One] tobacco

* the top of the page reads, "Ceremonial Kisîk".
† re is inserted above the line with a caret.

 

nañkcîk hirawadjo* hok’uíṇe[շ]‡ wañg[ᴗ´]rera wagi-ûⁿhirawo[շ] [ω] maⁿ[ᴗ´]re[-]
nąksīk hirawajo hok’uíneže. Wągrégirera wagi-ų̄hirawože. Žigé Mąrégirera
stick attached with† they gave it to. The Upper Moiety were the ones there ...?... to. [Again] the Lower Moiety

* this word is difficult to read.
† Helmbrecht-Lehmann define hirawájo as, "something comes along with something, something goes with something."
‡ this word is preceeded by what appears to be an aborted letter /z/.

 

[ω]* gi-úiṇe[շ] dani nañkcîg[-] hiráwodja híre[շ] [α] haⁿb[-] maṇádjire[շ]
žigé gi-úineže. Tani nąkšīgᵉra hiráwoja híreže. Égi hą́bᵉra manájireže.
[again] they did to them. Tobacco the stick attached with they did. Then the day it was fixed.

* this is preceeded by an aborted letter /z/.

 

djobóhañ[γ] here[·|]ne[/] tcabᴇnâ´na wopiñk’uiṇekdjégê hodacgê tcabenâⁿṇa tcûⁿcguni
Jobóhągiži herekjaneną, cabᵉnā́na wopįk’uįnekjége, hotašgē cabᵉną̄na cų̄šgųnį
In four it would be, their sticks so that they might fix, some of them their sticks to be without

 

 

hicegêdjîni [α] wañg[ᴗ´]rera waíre[շ] é[ɜ] s’agᴇraíre[շ] [λ] [X]’iⁿṇe[շ]
hišegējīnį, égi Wągrégirera waíreže, éšaną s’ágᵉraireže. Žesge wąkšigo’įneže.
[as you said,] and the Upper Moiety they said, only they were the fleet ones. That way they lived.

 

NB 42:2          
[ε] warudjok‘ū́ini[β] xap‘énîñk warutc hok‘înikirés’a[շ] [ε] s‘agᴇrê
Ésge, warujok’ū́iniéja xap’énį̄k waruc hakīnikirés’aže. Ésge s’agᵉrē
Therefore, in looking for food for themselves soon food they would return. Therefore fleeter

 

 

wiwá-kdjaṇe[շ] [X]oiⁿ´[-] wakaⁿtcañk [X] ya-iⁿnaⁿ mé[λ] himaⁿcdjaⁿ
wiwákdjaneže. Wąkšiko’į́ra wakącąk wąk ya-įną, méžesge himąšją
they would win from them. Life holy man I came into, for that reason to be strengthened

 

 

k’iⁿṇe[·|]ne[/] hotcîntcîn wánina é[/] [α] hicgê maⁿ[ᴗ´]re[-] hiruk‘ốnôna
k’į́nekjaneną, hocįcį wánina, éną. Égi hišgē Mąnegírera hirukṓnōna
they will be, [young men] his, he said. Then also the Lower Moiety the head one

 

 

wé[/] dani wogíju[շ] [X]o’îⁿ hakik‘áwa-aⁿṇî maⁿcdjaⁿ [X] ya-îⁿ
wéže, tani wogížuže. "Wąkšiko’į́ hakikáwa-ąni mąšją wąk ya-į̄
he said, tobacco he poured. "Life that I arose - [to have] strong man [I became]

 

 

hak‘ik‘áwa-á[/] mé[λ] himaⁿcdjañkdjanihé[/] hotcîntcî́n waní[/]
hakikáwa-áną, méžesge himąšjąkjanihéną. Hocį̄cį̄́ wanína
and with this strength, [for that reason] they will be strengthened. Young men my

 

    NB 42:3    
himaⁿcdjaiⁿ´ṇe[·|]ne[/] [X]o-îⁿ haniná wak‘aⁿtcañk‘ yakikawa-á[/] dé[λ]
himąšjaį́nekjaneną. Wąkšiko’į̄ haniná wakącąk yakikawa-áną, žéžesge
they will be strengthened. Life my holy that I arose - [to have,] [in that way]

 

 

himaⁿcdjaⁿ* hire[·|]ne[/] de[λ] aíre[/] [α] wak‘aranina wawa-úiṇe[/]
himąšcą hirekjanéną. Žežesge aíreną. Égi wakaranina wawa-úįneną.
to be strengthened they will be. [In that way] [they say]. Then the goals they were made.

* following the /ⁿ/ is an opaque smudge indicating that the orignal letters here have been deleted.

 

haitcek‘iⁿ úiṇe[·|]ne[/] [ε] hik‘uruhoírekdjônąⁿ* djasgê honañg[-]
Haicek’į úinekjaneną. Ésge hikuruhoirekjaneną. Jasgē honągᵉra
To arrange for the points they would do. Thus they were going to get ready. How running from them

* it's odd that an ogonek and an /ⁿ/ are both used in this terminal letter.

 

maⁿcdjaíⁿ hiranâ´ñg[γ] [λ] híre[շ] warasiriranaga cgê iniok‘êwecge u-iⁿṇ[ρ´]
mąšjaį́ hiraną̄́giži, žesge hireže. Warasiriranąga šgē inokēwešge u-įnánąga
faster when they did, [thus] they did. They vomitted, and [also] sweat bath also they did it, and

 

 

djasgê s’i maⁿcdjaⁿ hiranañ[γ] [λ] híre[շ] wak‘aranina harik‘iⁿ naⁿjíⁿ
jasgē s’i mącją hiranągiži, žesge híreže. Wakaranina hāríkį nąžį́
how the longest strong they would be, and [this way] they did. Goals far apart to stand

 

               NB 42:4  
hire[2´] Here[·|]nihe[շ] aíre[շ] [γ] stoirê[շ] stoire[γ]
hirežé. Herekjaniheže, aíreže, giži stoirēže. Stoiregiži,
they were. They were going to be, they said, when they gathered together. When they gathered together,

 

 

[α] nûpíwi wok‘arak‘ herekdjôné[շ] wañgwácoce[-] nûᵐp‘íwi maⁿ[ᴗ]re[-] hi[ƪ]
égi nūpíwi wokarak herekjōneže. Wąkwášošera nų̄píwi Mąregirera hižą
then two to tell of their exploits they would. Brave men two the Lower Moiety one

 

 

here[ρ´] wañgerêgire[-] [ω] hi[ƪ] wok‘aragikdjané[/] wañgwacocera   nûᵐp‘íwi ruzire[շ]
hereánąga Wągᵉrégirera žigé hižą wokaragikjanéną. Wągwašošera nųpíwi ruzireže.
there was, and the Upper Moiety [again] one he would tell. Brave men two they took.

 

 

hicga djikdjâihawirê [α] wonaγirê ha-uⁿṇá p‘îñ[ɕ] wañgᴇri[ƪ] p‘ara maⁿcic h[ρ]
"Hišga jikjāihawirē, égi wonaǧirē ha-ųná pį̄xjį, wągᵉrižą para mąšiš hanąga
"Game we are about to have, and war I did very well, a man head I cut off [and]

 

 

[α] hinûñgŭatcabᴇra hidokik’îⁿṇe[/] Naⁿcgúni wogijawa[ɕ] wacíre[/] e dêê
égi hinų̄gŭacabᵉra hitokik’įneną. Nąšgúni wogižawaxjį wašíreną," e. "Žēē
then my sisters they were proud of it. In peace happily they danced," he said. "This

 

                  NB 42:5    
huiacgadjikdjôniháwi[/] dé[λ] é[/] [α] hidjôné[-] [ω] wok’arak[ɜ] [α] [ω]
huiašgadjikjōniháwiną," žéžesge éną. Égi hijōnéra žigé wokarakšaną. Égi žigé
you will play with," [thus] [he said.] [Then] the other [again] he told his story. [Then] [again]

 

 

wé[/] [α] wonaγírê a[⨪]rê djasgê hanáⁿiⁿ ha-ú[/] [α] [ƪ] watcu[⨪]kísag[ᴗ]
wéną, "Égi wonaǧírē anągᵉre jasgē haną́į ha-ų́ną, égi hižą́ wacunąkisagregi
he said, "And war that's spoken of as as I pleased I did, and one between the firing lines

 

 

t’ehíre[-] wañganîñ[>] yaré[-] hat’aⁿb[ρ] hiñk‘aragutcina [·נ] p‘aramaⁿcicá[/]
t’ehíreną. 'Wąganį̄gają,' yaréną. Hat’ąbanąga hįkaragucina, nųnįgé paramąšišaną.
he had been killed. 'I am a man,' I thought. I ran hard for it, and they shot at me, but I cut off his head.

 

 

dêê hiracgadjikdjôniháwi[/] é[/] [α] karawá[/] [α] hak‘araγére[/]
Tēē hirašgajikjōniháwiną," éną. Égi karawána, égi hakaraǧéreną.
This you will play against," [he said.] [Then] he gave a whoop, and they shouted in unison.

 

 

[α] tci-ókônôgra wañgᴇ[ᴗ´] hobére[/] maⁿcdjaⁿ kisig[-] û́ⁿiṇe[/] hi[ƪ´] tconi
Égi ci-ókōnōgra wągᵉrégi hobéreną. Mącją kisigᵉra ų̄́įneną. Hižą́ coni
[Then] the ball up* it was thrown. [Mighty] lacrosse they did. One first

* the translation has, "in the air".

              NB 42:6  
djobốhaⁿ haitcê´ hirê[γ] e wokí[-] herekdjane[շ] aire[/] haⁿpserêtc úiṇe[շ]
jobṓhą haicḗ hirēgiži, e wokíra herekjaneže, aireną. hąpserēc úįneže,
four goals making, they the winner they would be, they said. All day they did it,

 

 

aíre[/] hoxdjánañ[ɕ][>] hok‘ihíre[շ] aíre[/] de[λ] hire[շ] aíre[/]
aíreną. Hoxjánąxjįgają, hokihíreže, aíreną. Žežesge hireže, aíreną.
they say. [Late] in the evening, they finished, they say. [In that way] [they were,] [they say.]

 

 

hocgadj[-] hi[ƪ] gip‘íⁿṇe[γ] dêê higirére[շ] aíre[/] e[ɜ] hok‘i-ûⁿ hoxêde[-]
Hošgajᵉra hižą gipį́negiži, tēē higiréreže, aíreną. Ešana hoki’ų̄ hoxētera
The game one that they liked, this it was, [they say.] [It alone] game the greatest

 

 

higerếre[շ] aíre[/] k‘isîg[-] jenûñgá[/].
higerḗreže, aíreną. Kisīgᵉra ženų̄gáną.
[it was,] [they say.] Lacrosse it is all.

 

Source:

Paul Radin, "Ceremonial Lacrosse," Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Notebook 42 (phonetic text with interlinear translation). English translation published in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1923) 120-121.