Hočâk Text — East Shakes the Messenger

Hočąk Text — East Shakes the Messenger

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

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

α	β	γ	ε	ρ	τ	ϕ	M	T	9
égi	éja	hâ´bera	gájâ	ánâga	gíži	hâké	Mâ'una	wâkšigo'ina	-xjî

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, [ ].

English Translation

p. 218 —

hâbogúregínâgere	wídjirawaséwexédera	[M]	wirorágijâ´	[γ]†
Hâbogúregínâgere	Wíjirawaséwexétera	Mâ'una	wirorágižâ´	hâ´bera
The East	Island Weight	Earthmaker	a messenger*	[light]‡

*"(a messenger)" has been crossed out and "(a medicine bag)" has been written above it. The translation of The Road of Life and Death is followed here.
†just before this word, tcíra has been crossed out.
‡the interlinear has "day", followed by "(of the dance)".

tcírirogikónokce	[τ´]	dasésepdjî´jâ†	herejé	wiróragenâ´ka
Čírirogikónokše	gíži.	Tasésepjî´žâ	herežé.	Wiróragenâ´ka
That which Stands within the Lodge*	[.]	One blackened by age‡	it was.	The gourd‡‡

*the interlinear has, "inside the house he placed for him", which has been crossed out. Above it is written an illegible line. Above the Hočâk line is written, "life he put within his house". The translation used here is taken from The Road of Life and Death.
†the /dj/ has been inserted above the line by a caret.
‡this is written above some crossed out words.
‡‡this is written above, "the medicine bags" which has been crossed out.

kúruz[ρ´]	kúrux'ó	djirehíje	jesgádjirehíje	wâ´gerá
kúruzánâga	kúrux'ó	jirehíže.	Žesgájirehíže.	Wâ´gerá
he took it and	to rattle*	he began.†	[He began that way.]	Man

*the interlinear has only "rattle" after a couple of crossed out words.
†the interlinear has, "he picked it up".

héseretcî´jâ	hérigimîcdjiréje	[γ]	djasgádjegí
héserečî´žâ	hérigimîšjiréže.	Hâ´bera	jasgájegí,
one with long hair*	[his hair, shaking from side to side, began to spread out.]†	Light	as it was,

*this is written above "make one with long horns".
†the original translation under hérigi, "it was that one", has been crossed out. Under mîcdjiréje the translation, "he commenced to spread out", has also been crossed out.

hidjaíra	kiridjéhijé	tciokiságonâjî´na	[ϕ]	hiápozop'îní
hijaíra	kirijéhižé.	Čiokiságonâžî´na,	hâké	hiápozop'îní,
better	he made it.	It Stands in the Middle of the Lodge,	not	he can't even get him down with his teeth,

hodap'înina	rotcâ´	kiridjéhije	mâ´xiocecínina	djásgakirécge
hotap'înina,	ročâ´	kirijéhiže.	Mâ´xiošešínina	jásgakiréšge,
the twisting blaze,*	straight	it became.	Small, thin, white clouds	that even as it is,†

*the interlinear has, "I made it spin around", which has been crossed out and above it has been written, "blaze".
†a word has been crossed out before "it is".

p. 219* —

hanâ´tcî[9]	howucgúninégi	hoisîtc´	rehíje	wirorágenâka
hanâ´čîxjî	howušgúninégi	hoisîč´	rehíže.	Wirorágenâka
[virtually all]	to the bad place†	he swept	[he sent away.]	The gourd‡

*near the upper left of the page, above hanâ´tcî[9], is written, "East is at the fire place".
†the text has "(road)" instead of "place".
‡"his bag" has been crossed out and "gourd" written after it.

Hâbogúreginâka	wajócicík	higisîtc´	hanî´gi
Hâbogúreginâka	wažóšišík	higisîč´	hanî´gi
the East	badness	to sweep with*	his instrument†

*this is written above "he sweeps away", which has been crossed out.
†just before this, "it was" has been crossed out.

herejé*	hinûbóhôna	kurux'ódjirejé	jesgádjirehi[ε]
herežé.	Hinûbóhôna	kurux'ójirežé.	Žesgájirehigajâ,
it was.	For a second time	he began to rattle it.	[When he began that way,]

*some form of this word was affixed to the previous word, but heavily crossed out. The word herejé was then written in small letters to the right and below the cross out, and to its right and below, connected by a line, is the translation, "it was".

waxopini	tcitcábiréra	pétcedjera	nâgúra	hanâtcî[9]
waxopini	čičábiréra	péčejera	Nâgúra	hanâčîxjî
spirits	their lodge	near the fire	the Road	entire

sîsî´tcî	djîbíje	hopînácanà	djîbíje	tcíokisák
sîsî´čî	jîbíže.	Hopînášanà	jîbíže.	Číokisák
swept	it became.	The good only	it became.	The Middle of the Lodge

honâjî´na	hâka	bozop'îní	hodáp'înina	rotcâ´
Honâžî´na	hâka	bozop'îní,	hotáp'înina	ročâ´
He who Stands*	not	it could not be bent,†	[the twisting blaze]	straight

*the text has "standing place". The translation given here comes from The Road of Life and Death.
†Radin places this translation in brackets.

jesgákiridjéhije	[τ´]	[α]	[γ]	hidjaíra
žesgákirijéhiže	gíži.	égi	hâ´bera	hijaíra
[he made it that way]	[.]	[Then]	the light	better

jesgátcâtcîdjidjehíje	hidaníhôna	jigé	wiróragerá	kúrux'ó*
žesgáčâčîjijehíže	hitaníhôna	žigé	wiróragerá	kúrux'ó
[he caused it to become that way in appearance.]	For the third time	again	the messenger	[he rattled]

*just before this word, kúruksûtc´ has been crossed out.

djirejé	jesgádjirehí[ε]	tcíokisagonâjî´na	hâka
jirežé.	Žesgájirehígajâ	Číokisagonâžî´na,	hâka
[he began.]	[When he began that way,]	He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge,	not

bozóp'îni	jesgádjídjehíje	hodapî´nina	rotcâ´
bozóp'îni,	žesgájíjehíže.	Hotapî´nina	ročâ´
it could not be bent,	[he caused it to become that way.]	[The twisting blaze]	straight

djidjehíje	waxopî´ni	tcitcabiréra	tcâ´t'iâ´gere	[γ]
jijehíže.	Waxopî´ni	čičabiréra	čâ´t'iâ´gere	hâ´bera
[he caused it to became.]	Spirits	[the ones assembled]	it's in sight	the light

hidjaíra	djidjehíje	wâ´gera	héseretcî´jâ	niherá
hijaíra	jijehíže.	Wâ´gera	héserečî´žâ	niherá
better	[he caused it to became.]	[The man]	[the one with long hair]	he used to be

[T]	hiragínaxdjî´	jesgánokce	hidjobóhôna	jesgadjirehi[ε]
wâkšigo'ina	hiragínaxjî´	žesgánokše.	Hijobóhôna	žesgajirehigajâ,
life	he is near the age of death	[that kind he was.]	For a fourth time	[when he began that way,]

tciokisagonâjîna	hodapinina	rotcâ	wajâgûzera	[β]
Čiokisagonâžîna,	hotapinina	ročâ	Wažâgûzera	éja
He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge,	[the twisting blaze]	straight	the Creator	there

p. 220 —

hirakére	djidjehíje	waxopíni	tcitcábirera	wagû´zotcíra
hirakére	jijehíže.	Waxopíni	čičábirera	Wagû´zočíra
to reach	he made it.	The spirits	[the assembled ?]	the Creation Lodge

hâ´berikokíri	kárapiésge	xgicgúni	jesgákce
hâ´berikokíri	kárapiésge	xgišgúni	žesgákše.
resplendent with Light and Life*	[like something pure]	[it moved about]	[it lay that way.]

*the interlinear text has, "to shine with the day".

[γ]	[ϕ]	nîge	huhíni	wakírihókere
Hâ´bera	hâké	nîge	huhíni,	wakírihókere
The light	not	direction	it did not blow,	spiders

ûnácana	djagúirókaraíresge	jesgánâjî´je.*
ûnášana	jagúirókaraíresge	žesgánâžî´že.
[the making alone]	[how they fastened it is uncertain]	[it stood that way.]

*this word is followed by cross hatches indicting the end of the story. On the interstitial page 219/220, Radin has the following note: "When spider is working it's sign of nice weather."

Source:

Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #7: 218-220; an English translation exists 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]) 293-294.