Hočąk Text — South Seizes the Messenger

Hočąk Text — South Seizes the Messenger

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

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	γ	ε	η	θ	ρ	T	9
égi	peǧ	gáją	žesge	janąga	ánąga	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. 257 —

wiórotcądjerégi	wídjirawaséwexédera	hijąną́kijí
Wióročąjerégi	Wíjirawaséwexétera	hižąną́kiží,
In the south*	Island Anchorer	one that is,†

*this is written above "at noon" which was later crossed out.
†before these words, "whenever" has been crossed out.

wiroragíją	[γ]	tcírirogíkonokí†	kúruz[ρ´]	rúx'ó
wiroragížą	[peǧ]*	čírirogíkonokí	kúruzánąga	rúx'ó‡
[a messenger]	gourd	the one dwelling within the lodge	he seized and	to shake

*beneath [γ] is only the English word "gourd".
†below this word is written "gourd", which is crossed out.
‡the word "pinpoint" is crossed out as is the word below it, "raised". The translation is from The Road of Life and Death.

djiréje	djobóhą	rúx'o[ε´]	hinųgrá	héseretcį́ją
jiréže.	Jobóhą	rúx'ogáją	hinųgrá	héserečį́žą
[he began.]	Four times	he shook it and	woman	long haired

hérigimį́cdjirejé	hinųbóhǫ́na	djobóhą	rux'ó[ε´]
hérigimį́šjirežé.	Hinųbóhǫ́na	jobóhą	rux'ógáją,
horns almost touching the ground.*	[For a second time,]	four times	he shook it and†

*the interlinear translation has "almost touching ground with horns" which is crossed out; The Road of Life and Death has, "almost touching the ground".
†the interlinear translation has "puff (?)", which was later crossed out.

[θ]	wajo	cicígera	mątcucícik	cicígera
janąga	wažo	šišígera,	mąčušíšik	šišígera,
[immediately]	things	evil,	dust*	evil,

*"dirt" is crossed out and "dust" written above it. The interlinear has "bad dust".

djasgákiji	hanątcį[9]	howucgúninégi*	hoisįtc´
jasgákiži	hanąčįxjį	howušgúninégi	hoisįč´
[as how ?]	all of it	in the bad place	to sweep

rehíje	tcíra	karapiésge	djínokce	[α]
rehíže.	Číra	karapiésge	jínokše.	Égi
he pushed towards.	The lodge	it looked clean	[it did suddenly.]	Then

p. 258 —

hidanihǫna	djobóhą	rux'ó[ε´]	hinugrá	[T]
hitanihǫna,	jobóhą	rux'ógíži,	hinugrá	wąkšigo'ina
for the third time,	four times	when he shook it,	woman	life

hixdjį	perácáraxdjį	jesgádjirejé	waxopíni
hixjį	perášáraxjį	žesgájirežé.	Waxopíni
somewhat advanced (in years)	bald to the head	[she appeared that way.]	Spirits

tcitcábiréra	djasgágere	hanątcį[9]	hocicigera
čičábiréra	jasgágere	hanąčįxjį	hošišigera
[from everywhere ?]	[?]	everything	evil

howucgúnina	waísįtc	reh[ρ´]	hą́berikokíri	djį́pce
howušgúnina	waísįč	rehánąga	hą́berikokíri	jį́pše.
in the bad place	to sweep it	[he pushed it towards and]	the light sparkled and glittered	[it became.]

aírera	[η]	djįpcéje	tciokiságonąjį́na	hodapį́nina
aírera.	Žesge	jįpšéže.	Čiokiságonąžį́na	hotapį́nina
[they say.]	This way	I wish it would be.	He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge	[flames]*

*the interlinear has only the word "bent". Marino's dictionary has "blaze".

rotcą́	hąkiabozókp'į́ni	djidjehíje	mą́xicícigerá	djásgakirècge
ročą́	hąkiabozókp'į́ni	jijehíže.	Mą́xišíšigerá	jásgakirèšge
straight	it can't be bent	[it was made to stand.]	The evil clouds	[how they went and]

haną́tcį[9]	howucgúninegí	hoisįtc´	rehíje
haną́čįxjį	howušgúninegí	hoisįč´	rehíže.
all of them	to the bad place	sweeping	he pushed them towards.

Source:

Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3887 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #7: 257-258; 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]) 326-327.