Hočąk Text — The Claw Shooter

Hočąk 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 II, #1: 159-160.
Second Row	revised text.
Third Row	English translation based on Winnebago II, #1: 159-160.

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	hanąčį́xjį	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,	čowéja	hąké	miną́genigášge,	čowéra
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 1^st 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	mągíračs’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 /č/ by /tt/. On the other hand, the sounds of /ts/ and /č/ 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.	Hačąt’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
čawaíregašge,	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	wigučs’áže.	Číra	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
čųnįánąga	hąké	hičą́wįwahi	čųnįánąga
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	čiánąga	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
Hočįč´žą	wakąčą́gižą́	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	čínąka	čawéže.	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	peč	kiságeja	maįgučé
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.	Peč	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	hiwįnuhį́čwira.
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.