Hocąk Text — The Claw Shooter

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

Winnebago III, #1: 137 Winnebago II, #1: 159 Winnebago II, #5: 173

As is the case with a number of other Radin interlinear MSS, this text is full of abbreviations for common word terminations. The revised texts in Winnebago II, #1: 159-160 and Winnebago II, #5: 173-174, can be used as a kind of Rosetta Stone for interpreting their values: 

α β γ ·נ ρ ϕ ʆ ɕ
égi éja -giži nunige -ánąga hąké -že -xjį

ƪ ᴗ ᴗ̇ ⨪, ÷ | ·|
-žą -regi -nįk -nąk -ną -kjane

In the interlinear text where the translation is missing, it has been supplied whenever possible from the English text of The Road of Life and Death (see Source below). Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].

Key —

First Row "raw" interlinear text from Paul Radin, Notebook, Winnebago III, #1: 137-139.
Second Row typed and corrected version of the phonetic text, Winnebago II, #5: 173-174.
Third Row revised text.
Fourth Row English translation based on Winnebago III, #1: 137-139.

Winnebago III, #1: 137 Winnebago II, #1: 159 = Winnebago II, #5: 173 —

mañkáni ’uañgᴇnúnîñgi[ƪ] wajįⁿperezí[ƪ] jêế mañkáni
maŋk‘áni waŋgĕnúnĭŋgiją wáją hip‘érĕs hiją́ -* maŋk‘áni
Mąką́nį wągenunigížą wažįperezížą. Žeé Mąką́nį
Medicine Rite an old man [he knew something.] [These] Medicine Rite men

*omitted from both Winnebago II, #1: 159 and Winnebago II, #5: 173.

 

 

dj[ρ´]ki hanáⁿtcîñ[ɕ] nañkawaíres’á[ʆ] mañkaⁿ
djanągák‘i hanątcĭ́́ŋxdjį naŋk‘awaíres’àjĕ maŋk‘á
janągáki hanącį́xjį nąk’awaíres’áže. Mąk’ą́
[as many as there were] [every one of them] they used to be afraid of him. Medicine Dance

 

 

’úiṇega tcow[β´] [ϕ] mi[⨪´]ᴇnigácgê tcowé[-]
’uiṇèga tcowë́dja haŋkĕ́ miną́gĕnigàcgĕ tcowéra
’uinéga, cowéja hąké miną́genigášge, cowéra
when they have, [first] not when he doesn't sit, [the front]

 

 

Winnebago III, #1:138* —

wanacếs’a[ʆ] [α] [ϕ] gi’úiṇaniñga hi[ƪ´]
wánaces’àjĕ. ä́gi haŋkĕ́ gi’úiṇanĭŋga hiją́
wánašes’áže. Égi hąké gi’úinanįga hižą́
he would take it away from them.† [And] not if they dont let him, [one]

*at the top of the page, Radin writes, "The old man was the poisoner".
†Radin has this note at the bottom of the page, "i.e. if he didn't get the 1st seat, he'd take it away from them".

 

 

wa’ûñgá haⁿb[-´] mañgírats’á[ʆ] jêdjốnôñgi cdjë[·|´][|]
wa’ŭŋgá hąbĕra maŋgirats’ájĕ. jedją́nągi cdjëkdjănéną.
wa’ųgá, hąberá mągíracs’áže.* Žeją́nągi, šjekjanéną.
who did it, a day he would appoint for him. At that time, you would die.

*mągirat is unattested. In syllabic script, /t/ is rendered by /t/ and /c/ by /tt/. On the other hand, the sounds of /ts/ and /c/ are also very similar.

 

 

wigéga jêdjốnôñga t’aíres’á[ʆ]* hatcaⁿt’î́ⁿhi t’ehírekdjếgê
wigéga jedjắnaŋga t’aíres’àjĕ hatcąt’íhi t’éhirekdjègĕ
Wigéga žeją́nąga, t’aíres’áže. Hacąt’į́hi t’éhirekjége,
When [he said it] at that time, [they would always die.] Plainly that they would kill him,

*connected to this place in the English translation by a line is the following, written at the top of the page: "sometimes they would go directly over to him, to kill him".

 

 

tcawaíregácgê wacák wigudj[ρ´] hëp
tcawaíregacgĕ wacák wigudjánąga hëp
cawaíregašge, wašák wigujánąga hep
they would go to him, but claws he would shoot them with, and before

 

 

rudjîs wahis’á[ʆ] jigiañkế ’úniga
rudjís wahis’ájĕ. jigĕ́ haŋkĕ́ ’úniga
rujís wahis’áže. Žigiąké ’úniga
to fall short of their destination he would make them. [Again not] if he didn't do that,

 

 

Winnebago II, #5: 174 —

maⁿcû́ⁿ dakírîc wiguts’á[ʆ] tcí[-] rudjî́s
mącų́ dak‘íric wiguts’ájĕ tcíra rudjís
mąšų́ takíriš wigucs’áže. Círa rujís
feathers striped he would shoot them. Their lodges to fall short of their destination

 

 

wahis’a[ʆ] hëp t’aináñgires’á[ʆ] [ϕ] nîñkdjôñk
wahis’ájĕ hëp t’aínaŋgires’àjĕ. haŋkĕ́ nĭŋkdją́k
wahis’áže, hep t’aínągires’áže. Hąké nįkją́k
he would make them, before they would die. Not children

 

 

tcuni[ρ´] [ϕ] hitcáwîwahí tcuni [ρ´]
tcuni ánąga haŋkĕ́ hitcą́wįwahi tcuni-ánąga
cųnįánąga hąké hicą́wįwahi cųnįánąga
if they did not have, and not wife he didn't have, and

 

 

iṇéki[ɕ] tci[ρ´] wo’ú[⨪][ʆ] jêrë́cgêra t’ehíre[ʆ]
iṇék‘i* tci-ánąga wa’únąkcĕ. jerë́cgera t’ehírejĕ
inékixjį ciánąga wa’únąkše. Žeréšgera t’ehíreže.
[completely alone] they lived, and he did thus. Even he [he was killed.]

*both Winnebago II, #1: 159 and Winnebago II, #5: 173 omit the suffix -xjį.

 

 

hotcîntcíⁿ[ƪ]* wakaⁿtcáñgi[ƪ] hêregí daniógíjú[ᴗ] maⁿṇá
hotcįtcį́ją wak‘ątcą́k hiją́ heregí daní hogijúrĕgi mą́ṇą
Hocįc´žą wakącą́gižą́ heregí, taniógijúregi, mą́ną
[A young man] [a holy one] that was, they offered tobacco, his arrows

*for hotcîⁿtcíⁿ[ƪ].

 

 

Winnebago II, #1: 160 —

wakurúz[ρ] héroka nīⁿháhi[ρ´]
wak‘úruz ánąga hérok‘a nįháhi ánąga
wakúruzánąga Héroka nįháhiánąga
he took, and (spirits) without horns utterance that they make, that kind he made

 

 

hadjí tci[÷´]a tcawế[ʆ] ’uañgᴇnú[ᴗ̇]ᴇ[÷]a wacák
hadjí tcínąk‘a tcawéjĕ. waŋgĕnúnĭŋgĕnąk‘a wacák
hají cínąka cawéže. Wągenúnįgenąka wašák
towards the house he came to. [That old man] claws

 

 

wigúdjê [·נ] [ϕ] t’ehíni[ʆ] wagirúcgôp*
wigúdjĕ nunĭgĕ haŋkĕ́ t’ehínijĕ wágirucgàp
wigúje nunige hąké t’ehíniže, wágirušgáp
he shot, but not [he did not kill,] he caught them

*/ô/ is written over an original /a/.

 

 

mení[ʆ]* wácagᴇrá maⁿcû́ⁿ dakírejᴇra naⁿbroi[ɕ´]
maníjĕ. wacágĕra mącų́ dak‘írijĕra ną́bĕra hoixdjį́
mąnįže. Wašágera, mącų́ takírižéra ną́broixjį́
he walked. [The claws,] [feathers] [the striped ones] a handful

*/m/ is written above /w/.

 

 

Winnebago III, #1:139 —

haníhi[ʆ] kodế ’uañgᴇnú[ᴗ̇]cônôñgrế dêê wa[ƪ]
hanihéjĕ* kŏdĕ́ waŋgĕnúnĭŋgĕcànągĕrĕ dĕĕ́ wają́
hanihíže. "Koté, wągenúnįgešánagere teé wažą́
he had. "Koté, [you old man] [these] [things]

*both Winnebago II, #1: 160 and Winnebago II, #5: 174 have hanihéje in error for hanihíje.

 

 

wirórak‘û́ⁿs’agê macînicốnônkí wakúruzrê
wirorak’ų́s’agĕ macĭnicắnaŋk‘a wak‘úruzĕrĕ
wirorak’ų́s’age, mašinišánąka, wakúruzere."
if you're in the habit of using them, that you have them for, take them back."

 

 

hig[ρ´] wokáraik’ûⁿ[ʆ] [α] pedjerógigîñx nihádji[ρ´]
higánąga wók‘araik’ų̀jĕ. ä́gi p‘édjĕra hogigĭ́́ŋx nihádjiranąga
higánąga wókaraik’ų́že. Égi pejerógigįx nihájiranąga
[he said to him, and] he gave them back. Then [around the fire] he breathed

 

 

héroka niháhi[ρ´] p‘ëtc kísag[β´] maíñgutc[ʆ]
hérok‘a niháhi ánąga p‘ëtc k‘iságĕdja maiŋgutcĕ́
Héroka niháhiánąga pec kiságeja maįgucé
Héroka [he chanted, and] fire in the middle of he shot an arrow

 

 

[γ´] ’ŭañgᴇnúnîñgế[÷]a γabᴇradjire[ʆ´] p‘ëtc kísag[β´]
giji. waŋgĕnúnįgĕnaŋk‘a γabĕradjírejĕ p‘ëtc k‘iságĕdja
giži. Wągenúnįgenąka ǧaberajíreže. Pec kiságeja
[.] That old man he flew forward. Fire into the middle

 

 

Winnebago II, #5: 175 —

kêmêñkérê kirídjế[ʆ] t’ehira [·נ´] wíruhîndj[-]
kĕmaŋk‘érĕ k‘iridjéjĕ t’éhira. núnigĕ wiruhĭ́́ndjĕra
kemąkére kirijéže. T’éhira, nunige wiruhį́jera
head first he landed. He killed him, but [life-engendering greetings]

 

 

wawi’û́ⁿcônuṇa ë hiwíṇuhîtcawi[-]
wawi’ų́cănuną ë hiwiṇuhį́tcwira
wawi’ų́šųnųną, e hiwįnuhį́cwira.
that he used to use, [these] we might greet with.

 

Source:

The original texts are found in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #1: 137-139 (original handwritten text with trs.); Winnebago II, #1: 159-160 (handwritten phonetic text, no trs.); Winnebago II, #5: 173-174 (typed and corrected version of the phonetic text, no trs.). A loose English translation is given in Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 156.