Hočąk Text — Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Version 8

Hočąk Text — Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Version 8

narrated by J. F. (John Fireman ?)

English Translation

The following are signs used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text.

α	β	γ	ε	ɜ	λ	ρ	υ	ψ
égi	éja	giži	ésge	šaną	žesge	ánąga	-regi	hąké

X	2	6	9	-	/	·/	>	⨪
wąkšig	-že, -še	-xjį	-ižą	-(e)ra	-ną	-kjé(ną)	gáją	-nąk

p. 1 —

[X]	hokirádj[-]	[X]’í//ⁿnegi	wakaⁿdjaíkikáradj[-]	maⁿ’úṇa
Wąkšik	hokirájera	wąkšigo’įnegi,	Wakąjaíkikárajera	Mą’úna
[Men]	all kinds of	when they originated,	[the Thunderbird Clan]	Earthmaker

édjowadjíre[2]	wákaⁿdjaíkikáradjᴇ[⨪´]a	’ŭañgonina	dj[ρ´]ki
éjowajíreže.	Wakąjaíkikárajenąka	’uągonina	jánągaki
there they came from.	[The Thunderbird Clan]	bands	[all]

etconī´[6]	[X]’īⁿ´[2]	[γ´]	[α]	hag[β´]
ečoníxjį	wąkšigo’į´že,	giži.	Égi	hagéja
first	they lived	[.]	[Then]	afterwards

’ŭañgonina	wonágirê [X][-]	édjironáñk	[X]’īⁿ[2´]	[ε]
’uągonina	Wonágirê Wąkšigera	éjiranąk´	wąkšigo’įžé.	Ésge,
[bands]	[Warrior People]	it followed	[they lived].	Therefore,

wakaⁿdjaíkikáradj[-]	wonágirê [X´][⨪]a	waíre[2]	wakaⁿdjaíkikáradj[-]
Wakąjaíkikárajera,	"Wonágirê Wąkšígenąka,"	waíreže.	Wakąjaíkikárajera
[the Thunderbird Clan,]	"The Warrior Clan,"	they said.	[The Thunderbird Clan]

hini[6´]	higaíre[2]	[α]	[β´]	hirakíruxê
hinixjį´	higaíreže.	Égi	éja	hirakíruxe
"Older brother,"	they called him.	[And]	[there]	in rotation

[X]’íⁿṇe[2]	wakaⁿdjaíkikáradjega	pëdj[-]	eaní	[X´]’īⁿ´[2]
wąkšigo’įneže.	Wakąjaíkikárajega	pejera	eaní	wąkšígo’į´že.
they originated.	[The Thunderbird Clan]	[fire]	[they had]	[they originated.]

eperêzsê´	[ε]	wakandjánúñgᴇrê	nāⁿṇá	[ψ]
Eperezšé.*	Ésge	Wakąjáną´gere	nąná	hąké
He knew of it.	[And so]	the Thunder People	trees	not

*< e-hiperezše.

da-ép‘ini	nāⁿ	dókê[6]djagê	da-é	hirekdjê´ga
da-épini	ną	dókexjįjagê,	da-é	hirekjéga,
impossible to burn	trees*	when they are even very wet,	to burn	[when] they will cause,

*in this context, ną actually means "wood".

da-ë[6]	djecehírega	[ψ]	djisê´p‘ p‘îⁿ
da-exjį	ješehírega,	hąké	jisép pį[ni];
to burn	when they wished to make it,	not	in such a state that it would not be possible to put it out

p‘ëtc	wakandjá[⨪]a	haní[⨪]a	hikurúkôná[6][⨪´]a
peč	Wakąjanąka	hanínąka	hikurúkonáxjįną´ka,
[fire]	the Thunder	has	that he is very much in control of,

wakaⁿdjaíkikáradjᴇ[⨪´]a	hicgé	pëdj[-´]	haníṇe[/]
Wakąjaíkikárajeną´ka	hišgé	pejerá	haníneną.
[the Thunderbird Clan]	[also]	[the fire]	they have.

wawikíkerádjire[-´]	pëtc	hani[⨪]ê´	hicgé	pëtc
Wawikíkerájirerá	peč	haninąké,	hišgé	peč
The things that they originate from	fire	[since] they have,	also	fire

da ê´	hiruxúrûgiré[/]	pëtc	da-ê´	kerér[ρ]
da-é	hiruxúrugiréną.	Peč	da-é	keréránąga
to start [fire]	so they are able.	Fire	burning	they keep, and

p. 2 —

pëtc	hicgô´nañk[ɜ]	gê	[ε]	’ŭáñgonina
peč	hišgónąkšaną.	Gê	ésge	’uągonina
fire	they heat themselves by.	[Indeed]	[so]	[the subclans]

dj[ρ´]	niáⁿp[γ]	hiniñk’ê´hi	wakandjaík’ik’áradjᴇ[⨪]a	naⁿgíⁿṇe[2]
jánąga	ni’ą´pgiži,	hinįkéhi	Wakąjaíkikárajenąka	nągį´neže.
[all of them]	that lived,	one by one	the Thunder Clan	they kept on.

waíres’á[2]	hû´ñgᴇnitcab[-´]	pëtc´	hacîniwí[/]	wagi’ŭaⁿdjiwí[/]
waíres’áže,	"Hų´geničaberá,	péč	hašiniwiną	wagi’uąjiwiną.
They would say,	"My chief,	fire	your	we came for.

honiñgínaⁿtc	hadjíwi[/]	[α]	pëdj[-´]	hanîñkérê
Honįgínąč	hajíwiną."	Égi	pejerá	hanįkére
To borrow from you	we came."	[Then]	[fire]	to take home

wagigíres’á[2]	ép’ā	wajaⁿdūtc´	rudjiré[2]	k‘êni
wagigíres’áže.	Ép’a,	wažądúč	rujiréže.	Keni
they would let them.	Since then,	cooked food	they ate.	Before

pë´dj[-]	hiperê´zirani	wajáⁿsak’ê´	rúdjᴇnank’ŭê´[υ]	wajaⁿ
péjera	hiperézirani	wažąsak’é	rújenąk’uéregi,	wažą
the fire	they know of	raw things	they were eating,	thing

p‘íⁿ[9]	hiperês´	hirê[2´]	p‘īⁿ´	[X]’íⁿwi[>´]
pį´žą	hiperés	hirežé.	Pį´	wąkšigo’į´wigáją,
good	to know	they did.	Well	they lived,

aíre[2]	[α]	pëtcdjegá	ä	jêê´
aíreže.	Égi	pečjegá	a	žeé
[it is said.]	[And]	[the fire]	[to ask]	[them]

worá[ɜ]	[β´]	naⁿjíⁿṇe[2]	wakandjaikikáradjᴇ[⨪´]a	hi[9´]
worášana	éja	nąžįneže.	Wakąjaikikárajeną´ka	hižą´
insults	[there]	they were.	The Thunder Clan	[one]

wakandjaíkikáradjê´dja	pëtc	hakoádjináⁿ	aíres’á[2]	pë´dj[-]
Wakąjaíkikárajê´ja	peč	hakoájiną´,	aíres’áže.	Péjera
from a Thunder person	fire	he came after,	[they would say.]	Fire

’ŭáñgoni	djénôgágᴇrê	[β]	rū´ziregê	[ε]
’uą´goni	jénągágere	éja	rúzirege,	ésge,
bands	all of them	[there]	they took it from,	[therefore,]

hi[9´]	pëtc	hakoádjináⁿ	[α]	jêê´ji
hižą´	peč	hakoájiną´.	Égi	žeéži
[one]	fire	he came after.	And	[they at least]

p. 3* —

[ψ]	waracánaⁿ	wanínânaⁿ	hō-erá	jêéji
hąké	warašá[ni]ną.	Wanínaną,	ho-erá	žeéži
not	he would [not]insult.	He would say,	thus speaking	that [in any case]

*At the top of page 3, Radin says, "It's all right to say I come after fire but not to say I beg fire". Just below this, Radin writes: "Wagirácanaⁿ = really means the use of words where they shouldn't be used".

éwagé[/]	pëtc	wánâgikikáradj[⨪]a	[β]	pëtc
éwagéną,	peč	Wánagikikárajnąka	éja	peč
I meant,	[fire]	the Bird Clans	[there]	[fire]

ruzí[·/´]gi	pëtc	wak‘î´niadjínaⁿ	egíji	wara[ɜ´]
ruzíkjégi,	"Peč	wakíniajíną,"	egíži,	warašáną
[if] they were going to get from,	[fire]	I come to beg,"	if he says,	insult

wanâ´nê	wakandjaíkikáradj[⨪]a	wagirácanaⁿ	wanâ´nê	[γ´]
wanáne.	Wakąjaíkikáraj[e]nąka	wagirášaną,	wanáne,	gíži.
you would say.	[The Thunder Clan]	he would insult,	when he says thus	[.]

wakandjaíkikáradj[⨪]a	wa[9´]	djagú	p‘îⁿná	hi[9´]
Wakąjaíkikáraj[e]nąka	wažą´	jagú	pįná	hižą´
[The Thunder Clan]	thing	whatever	good	one

hanináñki	woíkikax	waíni	jê[λ]	hok’unâ´na
haniną´ki	woíkikax	waíni	žežesge,	hok’unána
if he had,	[to wear]	clothing	[this kind,]	he would give him

wagirácanañgê´	[ε]	waracánadjegá	hikinúwegi,
wagirášanągé.	Ésge	warašánajegá	hikinúwegi,
because he had insulted him.	[So]	the one who insults	because he said it unintentionally,

jeji	p‘īⁿ´na	[ψ]	wa[9]	woícananí[/]
žeži	pį´na,	hąké	wažą	woíšananíną.
[this at least]	good,	not	[thing]	it is not a sin.

wara[ɜ´]djegá	hosgê´	wa[9´]na	wagirácanákdjanéga	hi[9´]
Warašánajegá	hosgé	wažą´na	wagirášanákjanéga	hižą´
The one who insults	intentionally	something	the one he's going to insult	[one]

gigípîñgê´	wagirá[ɜ]	nâîñgi	jêê´	woí[ɜ]
gigípįgé	wagirášaną	nąįgi	žêê´	woíšaną
he likes for him	he insults him	if he tries to,	[that one]	sin

kik’ûⁿ	wê´[·/]gê	rokíghixdjiⁿṇes’á[2]
kik’ų	wékjege,	rokíǧixjįnes’áže,
[to make for himself]	he is going to say,	they used to forbid one another very much

aíre[/]	hosgê´	hi[9]	wagirá[ɜ]	naⁿîⁿ´
aíreną.	Hosgé	hižą	wagirášaną	nąį´
[it is said.]	[Intentional]	[one]	he insults him	to try

wegi	[X]oîⁿ´ṇa	hikaraí[ɜ]	wëkdjáne[2]	airêcônú[/]
wegi,	wąkšigoį´na	hikaraíšaną,	wekjáneže,	airêšonúną.
if he says,	[life]	he injured for himself,*	he would say it,	[they always say.]

*"injured" is written above "spoiled".

wakaⁿtcáñkdjîⁿ	karagíres’á[2]	[ε]	[ψ]	wara[ɜ´]
Wakąčą´kjį	karagíres’áže.	Ésge	hąké	warašáną
Very sacred	they used to make it.	[So]	[not]	insult

p. 4 —

tcûⁿnis’á[2]	hagaíra[6]	wakirácanaíⁿnega
čųnis’áže.	Hagaíraxjį,	wakirášanaį´nega
there were not many who would do it.	Once in awhile,	they insult one another,

jê´ji	wajo’ᵋk’uíṇadjega	wórucigésgê[6]*	hêregê´
žéži	wažąk’uínajega	wórušigésgexjį	herege,
[this one at least]	the one to whom something is given	very shameful	it is, so

*the text has an improper [9] (-jaⁿ) rather than the appropriate [6] (-xdjiⁿ).

[ψ]	wara[ɜ´]	hiránis’á[2]	hirak‘ára[6]	jê´dja
hąké	warašáną	hiránis’áže.	Hirakáraxjį	žéja
[not]	to insult them	they did not used to do it.	Very watchful	there they

[X]’îⁿ´ṇe[2]	nañkê´wê[6]ṇé[/]*
wąkšigo’į´neže.	Nąkéwexjįnéną.
they lived.	They were very much afraid of it.

*the end of this section is indicated by a giant caret placed after this word.

Source:

Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Notebook 77: 1-4.