Hocąk 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 | hą́bera | gáją | ánąga | gíži | hąké | Mą’una | wąkšigo’ina | -xjį |
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, [ ].
p. 218 —
haⁿbōgū́rĕgī́naⁿgĕrĕ | wī́djīrāwasḗwexḗdĕra | [M] | wīrōrā́gījáⁿ | [γ]† |
Hąbogúregínągᵋre | Wíjirawaséwexétera | Mą’una | wirorágižą́ | hą́bᵋra |
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)".
tcī́rīrōgīkŏ́nŏkcĕ | [τ´] | dāsḗsĕpdjī́ⁿjaⁿ† | hĕrējḗ | wīrṓrāgĕnáⁿkā |
Círirogikónokše | gíži. | Tasésepjį́žą | herežé. | Wiróragᵋną́ka |
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 Hocąk 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.
kū́rŭz[ρ´] | kū́rūx’ŏ́ | djīrĕhī́jĕ | jesgā́djirĕhī́jĕ | wáⁿ́gĕrā́ |
kúruzánąga | kúrux’ó | jirehíže. | Žesgájirehíže. | Wą́gᵋrá |
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".
hḗsĕrĕtcī́ⁿjaⁿ | hḗrīgimiⁿcdjīrḗje | [γ] | djasgā́djēgī́ |
héserecį́žą | hérigimįšjiréže. | Hą́bᵋra | 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 hḗrīgi, "it was that one", has been crossed out. Under miⁿcdjīrḗje the translation, "he commenced to spread out", has also been crossed out.
hīdjaī́rā | kĭrĭdjḗhijḗ | tcīōkīsā́gonaⁿjį́ⁿna | [ϕ] | hīā́pŏzōp’iⁿnī́ |
hijaíra | kirijéhižé. | Ciokiságonąžį́na, | hąké | hiápozop’įní, |
better | he made it. | It Stands in the Middle of the Lodge, | not | he can't even get him down with his teeth, |
hodap’íⁿnĭnā | rotcāⁿ | kĭrīdjḗhījĕ | máⁿxīōcecĭ́nīnā | djā́sgākīrḗcge |
hotap’įnina, | rocą́ | kirijéhiže. | Mą́xiošešínina | 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* —
hanáⁿtciⁿ[9] | howŭcgū́nīnḗgī | hōīsíⁿtc | rehī́jĕ | wīrōrắgenąkā |
haną́cįxjį | howušgúninégi | hoisį́c | rehíže. | Wirorágᵋnąka |
[virtually all] | to the bad place† | he swept | [he sent away.] | The gourd‡ |
* near the upper left of the page, above hanáⁿtciⁿ[9], is written, "East is at the fire place".
Page 219 verso has the following notes written on it:
When spider is working it's sign of nice weather
hakikāras sgisgīge = as if Ipricked myselfexcite myself
hakigúⁿz— = all the original spirits
if heprepahis to the stones for the bath well
† the text has "(road)" instead of "place".
‡ "his bag" has been crossed out and "gourd" written after it.
Hambogŭ́rĕginąkā | wajṓcīcĭ́k | hīgīsĭ́ⁿtc | hanĭ́ⁿgī |
Hąbogúreginąka | wažóšišík | higisį́c | hanį́gi |
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* | hīnumbŏ́hoⁿna | kūrūx’ŏ́djirējḗ | jēsgā́djīrĕhī[ε] |
herežé. | Hinųbóhǫna | kurux’ójirežé. | Žesgájirehigają, |
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".
waxopĭni | tcitcā́bīrḗrā | pḗtcĕdjĕrā | naⁿgū́rā | hanaⁿtciⁿ[9] |
waxopini | cicábiréra | pécejᵋra | Nągúra | hanącįxjį |
spirits | their lodge | near the fire | the Road | entire |
sīⁿsíⁿ́tciⁿ | djĭⁿbī́jĕ | hopiⁿắcanà | djĭⁿbī́jĕ | tcī́ōkīsā́k |
sįsį́cį | jįbíže. | Hopįnášanà | jįbíže. | Cíokisák |
swept | it became. | The good only | it became. | The Middle of the Lodge |
hōnaⁿjĭ́ⁿna | haⁿka | bozōp’įnī́ | hodā́p‘iⁿnīnā | rotcáⁿ |
Honąžį́na | hąka | bozop’įní, | hotáp’įnina | rocą́ |
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.
jesgā́kirīdjḗhījĕ | [τ´] | [α] | [γ] | hidjaī́rā |
žesgákirijéhiže | gíži. | égi | hą́bᵋra | hijaíra |
[he made it that way] | [.] | [Then] | the light | better |
jesgā́tcaⁿt’ĭⁿdjīdjēhī́jĕ | hīdanī́hoⁿna | jigḗ | w//irṓrāgĕrā́ | kū́rūx’ŏ́* |
žesgácąt’įjijehíže. | Hitaníhôna | žigé | wiróragᵋrá | kúrux’ó |
[he caused it to become that way in appearance.] | For the third time | again | the messenger | [he rattled] |
* kū́rūksŭ́ⁿtc occurs just before this word.
djīrējḗ | jesgā́djīrĕhī́[ε] | tcī́ōkīsāgōnaⁿjī́ⁿna | haⁿka |
jirežé. | Žesgájirehígają, | Cíokisagonąžį́na, | hąka |
[he began.] | [When he began that way,] | He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge, | not |
bozŏ́p‘iⁿnī | jesgā́djī́djĕhī́je | hodāpĭ́ⁿnina | rotcáⁿ |
bozóp’įni, | žesgájíjehíže. | Hotapį́nina | rocą́ |
it could not be bent, | [he caused it to become that way.] | [The twisting blaze] | straight |
djīdjĕhī́jĕ | waxopíⁿ́ni | tcitcabīrḗrā | tcą́t’ĭáⁿgĕrĕ | [γ] |
jijehíže. | Waxopį́ni | cicabiréra | cą́t’ią́gᵋre | hą́bᵋra |
[he caused it to became.] | Spirits | [the ones assembled] | it's in sight | the light |
hīdjaī́rā | djīdjĕhī́jĕ | wáⁿgĕrā | hḗsĕrĕtcĭ́ⁿjaⁿ | nihērā́ |
hijaíra | jijehíže. | Wą́gᵋra | héserecį́žą | niherá |
better | [he caused it to became.] | [The man] | [the one with long hair] | he used to be |
[T] | hīrāgī́nāxdjĭ́ⁿ | jesgā́nokcĕ | hīdjobṓhoⁿna | jesgādjīrēhi[ε] |
wąkšigo’ina | hiragínaxjį́ | žesgánokše. | Hijobóhôna | žesgajirehigają, |
life | he is near the age of death | [that kind he was.] | For a fourth time | [when he began that way,] |
tciokisagonaⁿjiⁿna | hodapinina | rotcaⁿ | wajaⁿguⁿzera* | [β] |
Ciokisagonąžįna, | hotapinina | rocą | Wažągųzᵋra | éja |
He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge, | [the twisting blaze] | straight | the Creator | there |
* the words in this line, tciokisagonaⁿjiⁿna hodapinina rotcaⁿ wajaⁿguⁿzera, are lacking all indications of accent or vowel length.
p. 220 —
hĭrākḗrĕ | djīdjĕhĭ́jĕ | waxopĭ́ni | tcītcā́birēra | wagúⁿzotcī́rā |
hirakére | jijehíže. | Waxopíni | cicábirera | Wagų́zocíra |
to reach | he made it. | The spirits | [the assembled ?] | the Creation Lodge |
hámberīkōkī́rī | kā́rāpīḗsge | xgīcgū́ni |
hą́berikokíri | kárapiésge | xgišgúni |
resplendent with Light and Life* | [like something pure] | [it moved about] |
* the interlinear text has, "to shine with the day".
jĕsgā́kce | [γ] | [ϕ] | niⁿge | hūhī́nī | wakī́rīhṓkĕre |
žesgákše. | Hą́bᵋra | hąké | nįge | huhíni, | wakírihókere |
[it lay that way.] | The light | not | direction | it did not blow, | spiders |
ųnắcana | djagū́īrṓkaraī́resge | jesgắnaⁿjįĭ́ⁿjĕ* |
ųnášana | jagúirókaraíresge | žesgánąžį́že. |
[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.
Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #7: 218-220; Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3888 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #2: 430-432; 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.