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, [ ].

English Translation

 

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 I pricked myself excite myself
hakigúⁿz— = all the original spirits
if he prepa his 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.

 

Source:

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.