Hocąk Text —Paint Medicine Origin Myth

Hocąk Text — Paint Medicine Origin Myth

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

Sam Blowsnake

p. 424 —

Hicók’ewahíwira	cinągijaį́žą	wažają́giži	wirok’úna	wawirók’ųgi.
Our grandfathers	one of a different tribe	they knew	material	he had obtained it.

P’íną	hip’ereziréže.	Hip’érez	na’į́negi	nąjok’íją
[To be good]	[they were known.]	[To know]	they tried	to take pity on

šíregi.	Hínųk	waróni	mąk’ą́	aíreže.
they asked him.	[Woman]	[bad]	medicine	[it is said.]

Hit’énųk’èžą	ną́cgera	tek’	híregi.	Hinųgížą
[A member of an unknown tribe]	his heart	sad	[it did.]	A woman

iwust’ék’įgiži	hųgé	mągicáwą	wat’ų́pše,	hųgé
she thirsted herself to death	[chief]	for all eternity	he had placed,	[chief]

xgišgúni,	Wažągų́zera	wažinuk’óno	gigigi,	hinųk’jega
to keep it quiet,	the Creator	in charge of	he made him,	the woman

nąjojaį́že.	Hųgé	t’ewagik’ík’u-ànąga	hinų́k’jega	éja
he blessed her.	[Chief]	he had himself die and	the woman	there

wirok’ú	rusgi,	p’íną	hip’eréziregi.	Mąk’aį́k’araìcgagi.
material	when she took,	to be good	they knew it.	She tried her medicine.

Cek’jíną,	wa’ų́že.	Mąxí	uągeregí	hiwizígižą
For the first time,	she did it.	[Sky]	up above	a hawk

mąxík’orasšop	giwįx´	nąžíže.	Hinųgera	wa’ųžé.
near the vault of the sky	whirling about	he stood.	The woman	she did it.

p. 426 —

Mak’aį́žą	nąpwiróra	hik’í-o	hi-ánąga	hiwizík’jega
A medicine	her forefinger	she dipped in	[she did and]	the hawk

himaną́k’i	t’éxjį	šíberegi;	cirahéra	howájihuhìže.
when she pointed at it	dead	it fell;	the top of the house	she made it fall.

Hinųgeną́k’a	cowehi-éja	k’iriną́kše.	Mąk’ók’onąk	že’é
The woman	right in front	it landed.	Medicine bag	[this]

’ųk’jégi	hereže.	Egi	uąk	našérege
to use it	she was.	Then	man	he might fast

ihą́pšaną,	nihéra	hatégi.	Uąk’jega	wagežé,
he was taken away,	[she had in the past]	she dreamt.	The man	she said to,

"Hak’ik’úruk’ozàje.	Hąk’é	égi	owahú	na’iyą́je."
"Put forth all your strength.	Not	here	to come	do not try."

Wažą́	wahírašge	wawogírakše:	hirak’árak’arawi-ą̀je.	"Hąhé te’e
[Something]	his relatives also	she told to them:	they should watch over him.	"Tonight

wasé	nąwąk’jonéną.	Uąk’jega	jigí,	t’ek’jonéną.
paint	I am going to sing.	The man	if he comes,	he will die.

Hąk’é	jinįk’jéną,	hirak’árak’arawi-ą̀je."	Égi	hąhéregi
Not	he does not come,	take care of him."	[And]	that night

wasé	nąwą́gi	uą́k’jega	nągajíže.	Rogiǧira,
paint	she sang and	the man	he came running.	She forbade it,

nunige	hok’awánąga	wašijá’ų	t’eže.	Égi
but	he came anyhow and	dancing	he died.	[And]

wasénǫk’a	Hit’énųk’e	Wasé	higaíreže.	Cina
[the paint]	Hit’énųk’e	[Paint]	they called it.	[Coming]

gijaížą	mežénųga.	Wasénąk’a	p’ina	hip’érezirège.
[a help ?]	[this much.]	This paint	to be good	they knew it.

Higik’íšereže.	Nąjok’íją	šíregi,	wagirúšją
[They handled it.]	To bless them	[when they asked,]	[he let up on them]

huhíže.	Ege	wasénąk’a	harucą́biregi,	hąk’é
[he sent it in the direction of the speaker.]	[?]	the paint	when they obtained it,	not

ci-orógeregi	wažįnok’ú-inanìže.	Waruǧáp	k’ú-ineže.	Wasénąk’a
in the midst of their lodge	they did not use it.	[Warbundle]	they made it.	The paint

wonáǧireja	hi’ú-inegi	p’įgi	hi’éreztinege.	Hík’arašìšik
in war	when they used it,	[how good]	they knew well.	So valuable

hiregé	waruǧápregi	hok’árak’ànąk	hiréną.	Honihára
they thought	in a warbundle	they placed it	[they did.]	[Breath]

cąt’į́	wahák’jonihàwiną.	Wasi-áni	haniwi-ánąga	wahék’jonihàwiže.
[audible]	[we will make them.]	[His paint]	[we have and]	we will sing something.

Waruǧáp	nawą	wahék’jonihàwiną.	Wasįáni	haniwígi,
Warbundle	songs	we will sing.	His paint	if we had it,

haga	wažánižą	’ú-inewišgùniną.
[in the past]	something	we amounted to.

Source:

Sam Blowsnake, The Warbundle Feast of the Thunderbird Clan (First Version), in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 399-481 [424-427].