Hocąk Text — Hare Secures the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

Original Texts: | 69 | 70v | 70 | 71v | 71 | 72v | 72 | 73v | 73 | 74v | 74 | 75v | 75 | 76v | 76 | 77v | 77 | 78v | 78 | 79v | 79 | 80v | 80 | 81v | 81 |

Nota bene — generally, preference has been given to the spelling and accents found in the final draft version of CW. Microns and macrons have been assigned giving preference to Winnebago II #6 which is the most thorough transcription.

* the top left of the page has, "yarĕ́redjaⁿ = I say what I think". The top center of the page has

norus’anak’iⁿ = you [might make a mistake] (bracketed material added)
norus’as’ak’iⁿ

below which is "253". To the right is ⎷⎷, then in the upper right of the page is its number, 69.

* CW s. 382 adds parenthetically, mąrégi-herera?

* k‘o is not translated in any version of this text, and is not found in either Winn. 2.5 or CW.

* Winn. 2.5.1 s. 226, has hominą́girĕgiji; CW begins s. 384 with hominą́giregìži, a compounded error.
† CW adds after this word, (-mikje).

* CW adds (-giji) after this word.

* the bottom of the page reads, "[ a nice warm day ]".
† the page number, 70, is at the upper right corner. At the top center of the page is, "hohū́ra = the place"; and below that is the number 254.
‡ the translation given at Winn. II.6 is "the making | place of"; but above the line is written, "creation place", by which is meant the Creation Lodge.

* something difficult to decipher is written above the line before this word. Perhaps "EM" for "Earthmaker".
† it appears that an original /tc/ was overwritten by a /dj/.
‡ this word is written above "(hiroákiji)".
‡‡ CW follows this with "(hiroákiji)".

* CW has a misprint here: wogų́x.ra.

* CW follows this with "(wigihireje.)".

* the reading at CW is ’ųže.

* the text in parentheses is lightly lined out, however it is included in the CW text, sentences 393a - 393b, where it is also placed in parentheses. The parenthetical material is omitted in Winn. II.5 p. 259, after sentence 231.

* < mąra-howa.
† before this word, hugigi hugig has been lined out with a heavier line. CW omits the terminal -je (-že) in hū́gīgī́je.

* the top center of the page has "255", the right corner, "71".

* < wą̄žį-hipĕ́rĕzšĕ́.
† CW's translation adds, "(he was inspired ?)". Literally, it means, "he knew something."
‡ the brackets are in the text, their significance is unknown.

* hīkăragĕ́že, hicā́wīna, is untranslated in CW.
† omitted in CW.

* CW has, "is about to present (?)".
† CW has wają éra, which is followed by "(wająhiréną)". In Winn. 2.6.71, the original reading of wajiⁿṇḗnā was lined out in favor of wajaⁿ´ ḗra, which is followed in Winn. 2.5.260 s. 236. However, this last reading is an analysis of the original, and therefore not strictly what was uttered.
‡ Winn 2.5.260 s. 236 has wacdjĭn;;gĕga; omitted CW's Hocąk text, but not in its translation.

* CW has wagigų́istanèra, however Winn. 2.5.260 s. 236 has wagigúįsdanera, which follows the initial record.
† both Winn. 2.6.71 and CW s. 399 add "after death".

* Winn. 2.6 s. 399 has an unattested wōkāraī́k’ā́na, and CW has an unattested wakaráik’ųra. However, with this sense, wokaráik’ųra is attested in several instances elsewhere.
† CW has only hiko-róže. The accepted reading is well attested.

* jaⁿ is written above an original ha.

* the number 256 occurs at the top center of the page, and the page number, 72, is at the right corner.
† above this word is written, "he tied the things of earth to his 4 limbs".
†† this word is followed by "[djādjáⁿ kījī]".
‡ this word is followed by "(djadjąkgíži)".
‡‡ attached to this word by a line is, "when it was all exhausted".
# CW has "vanish", and adds, "(he rubbed his body with grasses that made him invisible?)". However, elsewhere this word means, "to use up."
## CW has rora-hí’ų-ànąga.

* a bracket occurs at the beginning of this word, but is not closed.
† < wāiza-hijōbì-hikĕ́.

* < rúha-hije-gàją.

* a word is crossed out after this word, and "(strongly aspirated)" is added.

* CW has ruha-hijegáją.

* this word is followed by, "(tcawéje?)".

* CW has ruha-hidjegádją.
† in place of wānaⁿhắgĕ waⁿniⁿ´hagī, CW has wąnihígi.

* the top center of the page reads, "257", and the page number "73" has been smudged.
† haniha means fundamentally, "to breathe", but has been given a secondary meaning of specifically yelling. CW translates it as "yell", but the present instance of hhū duplicates a prior instance in which it is made clear that hhū expresses in some ways the opposite of a yell: an inhaling.

* this word in CW is followed by "(yągéxdjinįk.ra, yagéxdjinįk.ra)".

* the last vowel has both a /u/ and an /o/ written above it.
† CW has wogų́s.-hotc-è‧ja.

* CW has wáną’įra-hokit’è.

* a second /k/ is inserted here, but is absent in the original text.
† CW hypercorrects the original text by deleting the second -hi-, but correctly replaces the first /i/ with an /e/. Hikorokehihiwira (Ai Ko Lo Ke Ai Ai wi L) is attested elsewhere.

* the initial /h/ was lost to external sandhi.
† this word is followed by "(hamianąk.ra?)".
‡ CW has háke-hiperes.nìje.
‡‡ the page number, 74, is at the top right corner, the center has 255.
# < higų́ hosge.

* CW has howa-hirehije.
† < círok-ejaka.

* written in small letters after the previous word's translation.
† the brackets are in the text and at the end of the word, jaⁿ is scribbled out.
‡ CW adds, "(radjesgé-hižą)".

* an initial /d/ is scribbled out.
† < žégų-howeže.

* at the center of the page is the number 259, followed by "if that was my place, you should have come after me". The page number, 75, is in the right corner.
† waikan is found just before this word.

* the terminal náⁿjĕ is underlined four times.
† < jāgú-hā’ų́kją̄ne.

* < žḗsge-hį̄gīgī́ge.
† probably in the sense of "that (place)".
‡ tciokera occurs after this word. The brackets are in the text.

* gījigī is written above the line.
† Winn. II.6 adds "(ga)" which is dropped in CW.

* just before this word we have hotcikerag.
† < róra-hikisgèže.
‡ CW adds, "(he, the stone used in the sweat-lodge became as hot as our grandfather, the fire)".
‡‡ as indicated in a parenthetical remark, this consisted of a headdress, feathers, and painting.

* jĕjḗ nŭⁿga occurs just before this word.
† CW has wakerešášge.
‡ CW adds, (co inihéga).
‡‡< hąbᵉra-hi’ų́ni-he-ga. CW adds, (hąp-hogúregi).

* "tent poles" is written in the upper left corner of the page, "260" at the center, and the page number, "76", is at the right corner of the page.
† < haji-háraire-ànąga.

* this word has redundant diacriticals: naⁿjĭ́´jĕ. The reading at CW was followed at the point of contradiction.

* once again this word has redundant diacriticals: naⁿjĭ́´jĕ. The reading at CW was followed at the point of contradiction.

* jobíhi seems to mean "quadripartite."

* appearing above huⁿgĕ́ are two check marks: ⎷⎷.
† < sąjąxjį́-hižą.
‡ Winn. II.6 has djāsgīṓwanaⁿ´gere (underline added to distinguish the altered letter).

* the top center of the page reads "261". The page number, 77, is at the upper right corner.

* waī́zā is written above araⁿniⁿk hōīrŏ́rōrā (uncertan readings).

* < hīnų̆p-ḗja-hèrēra.
† < hinųp-ḗjajega.

* howa occurs before this word, and below je are three curved, downward sloping, parallel lines.
† < jāsge-hōwā̀nąka.

* the initial /h/ was lost to external sandhi.

* "262" is written at the top center of the page, and the page number, 78, is written at the top right corner.
† followed by a bold cross-hatch indicating a new paragraph.
‡ CW has jée-herèna.

* < higų́-hąke.
† Winn. II.6 adds, "his back towards".

* CW adds, "(-wa’ujéna?)".

* "263" is written at the top center of the page, and the page number, 79, is enterred at the upper left corner.
† this reading is followed by a parenthetical question mark.

* inserted above the line with a caret.
† CW has, hiwapúru djirehíje.
‡ the attested forms of this word have a /j/ where Winn. 6.79 and CW have a /g/.

* apparently, the parenthetical material represents an uncertain transcription. The parenthetical material is omitted in Winn. II.5.266 s. 281.
† egi is lined out, but egi appears to have been rewritten above it.

* this word is omitted in Winn. II.5.266 s. 282.
† in Winn. II.6, "bear" is written above "chief".

* CW has žesge-hákirijèže.

* < a-ánąga (CW s. 473).

* there is a check mark (⎷) over this word.
† < rūsgicšĕ́.

* "264" is written at the top of the page, and the page number, 80, is written at the upper left corner. In between these numbers is, "her prominence will last forever".

* < hijḗ hįgīgī́rēgī, the /h/ having been lost through internal sandhi.
† < nąju-hā́ninā, the /h/ having been lost through internal sandhi.
‡ Winn II.6 adds, "(in a knot)".

* wāuīⁿnēkdjanḗnā dejeguⁿ is underlined.
† CW has "he said," which is a valid translation, as is "he"; but the former seems highly redundant.

* following this word is, hĭt’ĕt’ḗrā.
† CW has, "to procure salvation (a marked life)". Wanąk means, "to say".
‡ CW puts the whole sentence (478) in brackets.

* ḗjĕ ā́nuga occurs before this word; ḗna is written above ā́nuga and followed by a circle ho inserted above the line with a caret.
† this word is followed by hāīxą́kce hāīxā́kī.

* the top center of the page reads "265", with the page number, 81, in the upper right corner.

* for hīdānī́hoⁿṇa.

* the English translation stops at this point.
† for hīdjobŏ́hoⁿṇā.

Source:

Paul Radin, "Hare Secures the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite," Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago II, #5: 258-268 (handwritten text with partial interlinear translation). Paul Radin, "Hare Secures the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite," Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago II, #6: 69-81 (typewritten Hocąk text without translation, with some handwritten corrections). Paul Radin, Winnebago Culture as Described by Themselves: the Origin Myth of the Medicine Rite; Three Versions; the Historical Origins of the Medicine Rite (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 29-32. Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 198-202.