Hočąk Text — East Enters the Medicine Lodge, Version 2

Hočąk Text — East Enters the Medicine Lodge, Version 2

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake


Winnebago II, #6: 181	Winnebago III, #6: 379

English Translation

p. 378, s. 10 —

¹⁰djasgéją	hąbogurĕ́gi	widjirásĕwĕ	xĕ́dera	naŋk’íji
Jasgéžą	hąbogurégi	Wijirásewe	xétera	nąkiži?
What kind	in the east	[Island Weight]	[great]	[while it sat] ?

p. 379 —

hítcųcgĕhàra	hiranąk’ik’į	’úiṇĕ	wogų́zotcira	tcawegíji.
Híčųšgehára	hiranąk’ik’i	’úine	Wogų́zočira	čawegíži.
My Grandson	[he felt]	they made	[Creation Lodge]	[as he went towards it.]

¹¹hoidjĕ	djobŏ́hą	ruhadjídjegàdją	tciróbĕrĕgi	djidjéjĕ
Hoije	jobóhą	ruhajíjegáją,	čiróberegi	jijéže.
[Steps]	[four ]	[after he took steps,]	[to the door]	he came.

wógųzotcìra	tciróbera	haŋkĕ	wają́	ṇonosanídjejĕ,
Wógųzočíra	čiróbera	hąke	wažą́	ronosaníježe,
[The Creation Lodge]	the door	[not]	[anything]	not to close it,

¹²jesganúnigĕ	hĭŋkĕ	waxop’íni	wahehe	wáną-iok’àwadjihuhìp’ini.
žesganúnige	hįke	waxop’ini	wahehe	wáną’i-ok’áwajihuhíp’ini,
and yet	[not]	spirit	weak*	mind - they can’t get it inside,

*placed before this word are the two words, "~~minor~~ ~~young~~".

¹³jesgádjejĕ	hąbogúrĕginą`gĕrĕ	hik’áwadjihu-ànąga	hą́bĕra
žesgáježe.	Hąborúreginą́gere	hik’áwajihu-ánąga	hą́bera
that’s how it was.	Those in the east*	he came inside, and	Life

*the translation lines this out in favor of "the last". This actually refers to just one individual.

djásgirukŏ̀nǫ	k’onak’íji.	¹⁴wajągų́zĕra	jenųga
jásgirukóno	k’onak’iži.	Wažągų́zĕra	ženųga
as much as he had charge of*	[he placed.]†	The Creator	[that much]

*below this, the text has, "~~in what way~~".
†the translation has only, "~~he put in charge~~".

rohik’ŭánąga	wa’ų́jĕ	p’edjitcédjera	naŋgúra
rohik’uánąga	wa’ų́že.	P’ejičéjera	nągúra
[he clothed himself with, and]*	[he did it.]	By the fire	[the road]

*the translation has only, "~~he made himself an image~~".

mąnirá’uni-ą`k’i	howahįbíjĕ,	hąbinąt’ék	tci-ok’iságĕra
mąnirá’unią́k’i	howahįbíže.	Hąbinąt’ék,	či-ok’iságera
the whole length of the earth*	he went on.	Imprinted with light,	[the center of the lodge]

*this is written around, "~~from one end of the earth to the other~~".

hą́bera	rugígis	k’iridjéhijĕ	naŋgúra	haŋkĕ́
hą́bera	rugígis	k’irijéhiže.	Nągúra	hąké
the day	round	he made it become.	[The Road]	[not]

hotcąṇépĭni	jésga	hįbíjĕ.	¹⁵egi	hą́bera
hočąnépini,	žésga	hįbíže.	Égi	hą́bera
it was impossible to fall,*	[that way]	it was.	[And]	the day

*this is written above, "can't take it".

ha-éhidjirèjĕ	giji	hą́bera	k’arap’i-ésgĕ	k’iridjéhijĕ
ha-éhijiréže,	giži.	Hą́bera	k’arap’i-ésge	k’irijéhiže.
he talked about	[.]	The day	[nice]	he made it become.

¹⁶haŋkĕ́	nįgĕ́	huhíni	hą́bera	mąxi
Hąké	nįgé	huhíni,	hą́bera	mąxi
[Not]	anywhere	the wind came,	the rays of light	clouds

k’ą́kereràcăną	hirabóhųk’	djagú
k’ą́kererá šaną	hirabóhųk	jagú
cobwebs only	they waved	what

p. 380 —

irok’araíresgĕ	jesgádjejĕ
irok’araíresge	žesgáježe.
they were hanging on it seemed	[the way they were.]

Source:

Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) Winnebago II, #6: 181-182, and Winnebago III, #6: 378.10-380.17 (revised phonetic text). A loose English translation can be found 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]) 267.