Hocąk Text — Testing the Slave, Version 1

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

The following are Greek letters used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text. The Culture of the Winnebago: As Described by Themselves can be used as a kind of Rosetta Stone for interpreting their values:

α ρ τ ϕ Ↄ M
égi ánąga gíži hąké -kjonèną Mą’ųna

The top line in the interlinear text presented here as well as much of the English line, comes from the original interlinear text in Radin's notebook, Winnebago II, #6: 178-179. The second line is from the revised text in Winnebago III, #6: 375-376. Words in brackets represent translations supplied from other sources since no translation was given in the original interlinear.

English Translation

 

p. 178 —
djadjaįxdjįp’á wąkcikc’įcéregé jedjaį́djįpa
Jajaį́xjį p’a uąkšíkš’įšèregi, žejaį́xjį p’a
As long as [it has been] that you live on, [that far] [it has been]

 

 

hįkagá hocarágení[Ↄ] [-] [-] [-]
hįk’agá hošarágenįkjonèną, žejaį́xjį p’a hįk’aga
[never] you will not tell it, [that far] [it has been] [never]

 

 

[-]* hocarakíji mąnógere jedjų[Ↄ] [τ´]
hošarágenį́kjanèną[.] Hošarak’íži mąną́gere žejųkjonèną, giži.
[you will not tell it.] If you tell it, the earth it would come to an end [.]
*this and the previous three words all were omitted from the interlinear text.

 

 

hanątc´ hįt’ékdjanáwina ésge horágera rokixinąkcana
Haną́c hįt’ékjonàwiną. Asge, horágera rok’iǧiną́kšaną.
[Everything] we shall die. [Therefore,] [to tell] they warm one another.

 

 

jee hagoréją wanikįją je wigų́ziwínena* wanihį́djega
Žee hagaréžą wanihížą že wigųzi’úineną. Wanihįjega
[That one] [in the course of time] a captive, slave they mark the time. The slave
*a vertical separation line was placed between the /je/ and the succeeding syllable.

 

 

gixaídja híraper[ρ´] mąkįuną́gere djasgé hiwaúnąki
gixaíja hirap’eránąga, "Mąk’ą’únągre jasge hiwa’únąk’i
in the brush they wait for him and, "The Medicine Dance what they're doing

 

 

hocárai[Ↄ] higaíreje hąk’ocarágenįgi cdjé[Ↄ] higaíreje
hošáraikjonèną," higaíreže. "Hañk’ošarágenįgi šjékjonéną," higaíreže.
you're going to tell," [they said to him.] "If you don't tell it, you're going to die," [they said to him.]

 

 

p. 179 —
hocárakícaną́ [ϕ] t’éninįkdjenáwina higaíreje [τ´]
hošárak’ìšaną, hañké t’éninįkjonàwiną," higaíreže giži.
but if you tell, [not] we won't kill you," [they said to him] [.]

 

 

wanikį́djega wéje jegų t’éwíwiné éje
Wanihį́jega weže, "Žegų t’éwíwíni," eže.
The slave [he said,] "Just kill me," [he said.]

 

 

s’irédja hagatcéjare jeguąkodágenį[Ↄ] jegų t’éwíwine
"S’iréxjį hagacéžare. Žeguąk’otàgenįkjonèną. Žegų t’éwíwini,"
"Long time ago I died. I won't tell it at all. [So] kill me,"

 

 

éje jeskége hitcakorowahirá (horaíkdjenéje)* hicéjare
eže. "Žesgége hicak’árowahìwirá hóraíkjonèže hišéžare.
[he said.] ["It is the way] his friends (he's going to tell on them)* you said.
*the parentheses are in the interlinear text.

 

 

jerécgera hąkórageníje ésge hiją́ horagwigi
Žeeréšgera hañk’orageníže." Asge hižą horagwígi
Even he he didn't tell." [Therefore,] one of them if he told it,

 

 

newanódjodjaį́sge hiwakík’ųkdjonáwigi* horágera roghinąkce [M]
newanojojaį́sge hiwak’ík’uñkjonàwi horágera roǧinąkše. Mą’úna
poor we make ourselves to tell it is forbidden. [Earthmaker]
*/onáwi/ is written above an underlined /ane/.

 

 

ejesge hína mée hanugháwįna p’įhikdjáwi
éžesge híną. Mee hanuǧą́wįna. Pįhikjáwi
that he did. This keep it secret. We'll do good

 

 

jesgé. higé jesge hihiadjąwina hikorokehíwina
žesge. Higé žesge hihi-ają́winą. Hik’árokehìwira
[that way.] [Still] [that way] we're [keeping it.] [Our Grandmother]

 

 

[α] rokcéxdjį hañké* hurᇠhax’ép’įn퇇
égi rokšíxjį [-]† hura haǧep p’į́ni
[here] very deep [not] the root it can't stick out
*this is written over two crossed out [ϕ's].
†omitted in Winebago III, #6.376, s. 161.
‡in a note on the interstitial page (178v), Radin writes, "hañkéhura = anything held secret."
‡‡in a note on the interstitial page (178v), Radin writes, "haghépįni = not possible for it ever to come up."

 

 

rokcíxdjį hoicípdjį hit’ų́bikdjawi ([A]wína)
rokšíxjį hoišípjį hit’ų́bikjàwi. Niñk’uruhinjwìną.
[very deep] all the time we keep it that way. [We greet you ?].

 

 

Žegų kira yagé.
Žeguñk’íra yagé.
That is all I say to them.

 

Source:

For the original handwritten interlinear text, see Winnebago II, #6: 178-179. For a revised phonetic text, see Winnebago III, #6: 375.154-376.158. A loose English translation is found 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]) 265.