Hočąk Text — The Story of the Thunder Names

Hočąk Text — The Story of the Thunder Names

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation

p. 300 —

Uáñgera	jop'íwi	Mą'úna	éja	huwagigíra
Men	four	Earthmaker	here	he sent

'uañgéja	hahúirega	é'pa	hoixgǫ́na	jagú
from above	[as having come,]	[after that]	they came	what

'úineže[,]	haną́čiñxjį	žeé	ražera	eréreną.
they did,	all	[these]	names	[there were].

Higų́	hąp	teé	Wak'anjára	hoixgoñxgóna
Thus,	day	[this]	the Thunderbirds	the characteristics

jagu	'únañgere	haną́čiñxjį	žée	ražera
[what]	[which they did,]	all	these	the names

eréreną,	jájiga	hiñgéną.	Uáñgera	jop'íwi
[there were],	my father	he told me.	Men	four

uáñgeregi	hahúirera	žee	ražížą	heréną,
from above	[the coming of them]	[this]	a name	there is,

Uañgejáhuga;	egi	hínuñgera	hižéregi	ražera
"He Who Comes from Above";	and	the women	[having them]	the name

Uañgejahúwiñga.	Egi	uángera	jop'íwi	'uáñgeregi
"She Who Comes from Above".	And	the men	four	from above

Mą'úna	huwagigíra	waxop'íni	hik'íske	hahúirega
Earthmaker	the ones he sent down,	spirits	like	since they came,

eske	ražížą	žeéreną,	Uañgwáxop'iniga;	egi
[therefore]	a name	[this] there is,	"Spirit Man";	and

hínuñgera	hižéregi	hinuñg	Wáxop'iniwiñga.
the women	[having them]	[female]	"Spirit Woman".

Egi	uángera	jop'íwi	'uáñgeregi	Mą'úna
And	the men	four	from above	Earthmaker

eja	huwagigíra	nižuxočgura	xi	hahúireže[,]
[there]	[the ones he sent down,]	the drizzling	fog	when they came,

éske	ražížą	žeéreną	Ximániñga,	Xigúga;
so	[a name]	[this there is]	"Walking in Mist",	"Comes in Mist";

egi	hinuñgera	Nižuxočgewiñga	airanáną.	Egi
and	the women	"Drizzling Rain Woman"	they would call.	And

p. 301 —

čekjina	Terok	airegi	eja	jijéregi
the first	Térok	[as it is said,]	[there]	when they came,

xoxawaíja	hajijéreže	gają	hanǫ́zogirèže,	žée
upon bushes	they alit,	and	they bent them down,	this

ražížą	heréną,	Xąwiánǫzogewiñga.	Egi	žige
a name	there is,	"She Who Bends the Bushes".	[And]	[again]

čašgegúižą	ejájegi	ak'arečgéja	hajijéregają	ak'áračgèra
an oak tree	that stood there	on the limb	when they alit,	the limb

hanǫzógireže,	ražížą	heréną,	Nąnazógewiñga;	egi
they bent down,	a name	there was,	"She Who Bends the Branches Down";	and

žigé	ną́jega	eja	hajijéreną,	éske
[again]	on a tree	[there]	they alit,	[so]

ražížą	heréną,	Ną́jijega,	Nąjijewiñga;	egi
a name	there was,	"He Who Alights on a Tree",	"She Who Alights on a Tree";	and

ną́jega	ražížą	heréną,	Čašgegúwiñga.	Airanáną.
[the tree]	a name	there was,	"Oak Woman".	Thus, they would say.

Ną́jega	čašgegúižą	heregé	éske	égi
The tree	an oak	[because it was,]	[so]	[here]

maínja	hijéreže	maįjijérega	žeé	ražížą
on the ground	they stepped,	from their being on the ground,	[this]	a name

heréną,	Maįjijéga,	egi	hínuñgera	Maįjijewiñga
there was,	"He Who Alights on the Ground";	and	the woman	"She Who Alights on the Ground"

wigaires'áže.	Egi	žigé	wak'ánja	wak'ížu
they would call her.	And	[again]	Thunderbirds	with

hajírega	žeé	ražížą	heréną,	Wak'anjága;
since they came,	[this]	a name	there was,	"Thunderbird";

egi	žigé	hínuñgera	Wak'anjáwiñga;	egi
and	[again]	the woman	"Thunderbird Woman";	and

žigé	Wak'anjáskaga;	hínuñgera	Wak'anjaskáwiñga;	égi
[again]	"White Thunderbird";	the woman	"White Thunderbird Woman";	and

žigé	Wak'anjásepga;*	hínuñgera	Wak'anjásebiñga;	égi
[again]	"Black Thunderbird";	the woman	"Black Thunderbird Woman";	and

*this should be Wak'anjásepka.

žigé	wakanjánañgre	k'ónañk'e	žee	ražížą
[again]	the Thunderbirds	since they thunder,	this	a name

heréną,	K'ónihéga,	égi	hinuñgera	K'onihéwiñga;
there is,	"He Who Thunders",	and	for women,	"She Who Thunders";

egi	žigé	k'oírega	čįwįhírañk'e	Čįwįjik'erehiga,
and	[again]	[as they thunder],	they make the noise čįwį,	He Who Makes Čįwį,

aires'áže,	egi	žigé	hotá,*	Čįwiñgúga
[they would say,]	and	[again]	some,	He Who Comes Making Čįwį

*this word mistakenly has a period after it.

ražera	aires'áže,	wak'anjára	hagúirega	čį́wįañgùnañk'e.
the name	they would call,	the Thunderbirds	when they come	they come making the sound čįwį.

Egi	žigé	wak'anjánañgere	nižú	manínañk'e
And	[again]	the Thunderbirds	rain accompanies them	when they walk,

ražížą	že-éreną,	Nižumániga,	hinuñgera	Nižumaníwiñga
a name	[this] there is,	"He Who Walks with Rain",	the women	"She Who Walks with Rain"

wigaires'áže,	egi	wak'anjánoñk'a	mani-añgúiregi,	žeé
they would call her,	and	the Thunderbirds	since they came walking,	this

ražížą	heréną,	Wak'anjámaniñga;	égi	žigé
a name	there is,	"Walking Thunder";	and	[again]

wak'anjára	mani-añgúiregi,	mąšją́	mani-añgúiregi,	ražížą
the Thunderbirds	[since they came walking,]	[mighty]	[since they came walking,]	a name

heréną,	Mąšjąmániñga,	hínuñgera
there is,	"He Who Comes with a Mighty Tread",	the women

Mąšjąmaníwiñga	wigaires'áže;	egi	žigé	wak'anjára
"She Who Comes with a Mighty Tread"	[they would call them];	[and]	[again]	the Thunderbirds

mąniañgúirega	mąná	giksunč	hagúnoñk'a	ražížą
when they come walking,	the earth	to shake	[coming],	a name

heréną,	Mañgíksunčga,	hínuñgera
there is,	"He Who Shakes the Earth by Force",	the women,

p. 302 —

Mañgiksunčwiñga.	Wigaíres'aže.*	Égi	wak'anjára
"She Who Shakes the Earth by Force",	they are called.	And	the Thunderbirds

*this is not a sentence, but the last word of the previous sentence, sic, Mañgiksunčwiñga, wigaíres'aže.

hagúirega	mąna	nañksúnč	hagúires'àže	gíži
when they came,	the earth	to shake	[they would come,]	and thus,

žee	ražížą	heréną,	Mąnañksunčka*	hínuñgera
[this]	a name	there is,	"He Who Shakes the Earth by Walking",	the women,

*the text has in error, Mąnañksunčga.

Mąnañksunjewiñga;	égi	žigé	wak'anjára	hagúirega
"She Who Shakes the Earth by Walking",	and	[again]	the Thunderbirds	when they come,

mą'é	hagúirešanùną	žée	ražížą	heréną,
wind and hail	they always come,	[this]	a name	there is,

Mą'emaniñga.	Égi	žigé	wak'anjánañk'i	hižą́
"He Who Comes with Wind and Hail".*	And	[again]	Thunderbirds	one of them

*this is normally translated as, "Storms as He Walks".

čoni	jéže	hagúirega	éske	žeé	ražížą
first	[he stood]	since he came,	[so]	[this]	name

heréną,	Čonimániñga;	wak'anjánañk'a	hižą́
there is,	"He Who Walks First";	[the Thunderbirds]	one of them

čoníjega	hawá'ų	žigé	žee	ražížą
first	since,	[again]	[this]	a name

heréną,	Wak'anjáčoniñga,*	hinuñgera	Wák'anjačonìwiñga.*
there is,	"Thunderbird Leader",	the women	"Thunderbird Female Leader".

*in the text, neither name is capitalized nor italicized.

Wak'anjánañgre	ją́birega	wákšañkšą	jirehínañgre	žee
[These] Thunderbirds	since they flash,	in every direction	[these point],	[this]

ražížą	heréną,	Jąbwakšáñkšanga,	egi	hinúñk
a name	there is,	"Flashes in Every Direction",	and	woman

rážera.	Wak'anjánañgre	hañk'é	hiwajáwini-ànañga
the name.*	[These] Thunderbirds	not	we do not see, but

*the female counterpart is not given by the narrator.

jąbera-šanąčąt'į́nañk'e	žée	ražížą	heréną,	hinúñk
we see only their flashes,	[this]	a name	there is,	woman

ražížą	Jąberášanąčąt'įwiñga;	égi	wak'anjánañgre	jąp
a name	"Only a Flash of Lightning Woman";	and	[these] Thunderbirds	lightning

jišehínañk'a	ražížą	heréną	Jąpjirehíga;	égi
the streaks,	a name	there is,	"Streak of Lightning";	and

žigé	wak'anjánañgre	mañxíwi	manínañkšaną	mañxiwíxjiñgàšaną
[again]	[these] Thunderbirds	clouds	walking,	cloudiness

éja	máni-añgunàñkšaną,	žee	ražížą	heréną
[there]	it is caused by walking,	[this]	a name	there is,

Mañxíwimàniñga;	égi žigé	wak'anjánañgre	ahúra	serečináñkšaną
"He Who Walks in the Clouds";	now	[these] Thunderbirds	wings	they are long

žee	ražížą	heréną	Ahúserečka;*	égi
[this]	a name	there is,	"He Who has Long Wings".	And,

*the text has Ahúserečga in error.

žigé	wak'anjánañgre	ją́birega	nąna	hižą́
again,	[these] Thunderbirds	since they flash	the tree	one of them

éja	jijehírananą	éske	ražížą	žeéreną*
[there]	they will strike,	[so]	a name	[this there is]

*< žee-hereną.

Nojǫpka;*	égi	žigé	wak'anjánañgre	nąnižojínega
"He Who Strikes a Tree";	and,	again,	[these] Thunderbirds	for the action of hitting a tree,

*the text has Nojǫpga.

nąhojínoñk'a	ražížą	heréną	Nójiñga,*	égi žigé
[this striking of trees]	a name	there is,	"He Who Hits a Tree";	now

*this name is not put in italics in the text.

hinuñgera	Nojíwiñga.	Wigaíres'aže,	aírera.	Égi žigé
the women	"She Who Hits a Tree".	They would say it,	so it is said.	Now

wak'anjánañgre	hagúirega	rujáxera	rok'óno	wa'úineną
[these] Thunderbirds	when they come	thunder crashes	[many]	[they do it]

aírešanùną;	uañkšígera	jánañga	mąnégiañk'i	é
[they would say];	the people	as many as there are	on the earth	[they]

žee	hereránañga	jánañga	wani-oíčgera	mąnégi-añk'i
[these]	there are, and	as many as there are	the animals	on the earth

here-ánañga	xawinanáną	janañgák'a	haną́čiñxjį	nižu
there are, and	the plants	as many as there are	everything	rain

p. 303 —

hiránañga	wak'anjánañgre	mą́nañgre	é	žee
[they cause, and]	[these] Thunderbirds	the earth	they	[this]

wárujaxenàñkšaną	éske	wánañkšaną	warujáxega	ánañgre
thunder crashes,	[so]	[they say it]	the thunder crashes	[they say]

ražížą	heréną,	Warujáxega.*
a name	there is,	["Crashing Thunder".]†

*this is left untranslated in the text, but a footnote to it reads, "This is the narrator's name. It signifies 'terrible thunder-crash'." The narrator was Sam Blowsnake. This name was originally that of his brother, Jasper Blowsnake.
†this is the translation of the name that came to be conventional.

Source:

Paul Radin, Personal Reminiscences of a Winnebago Indian, Journal of American Folk-Lore, 26, #102 (1913): 293-318 (Sam Blowsnake narrative: 300-303). Informant: Sam Blowsnake, Thunderbird Clan.