Hočąk Text — Tobacco Origin Myth, V. 3

Hočąk Text — Tobacco Origin Myth, Version 3

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

Winnebago II, #1.152 = Winnebago II, #5: 164 = Winnebago III, #1: 128 —

Hąbera*	sgaxjį†	hiwap'úru‡	jirehíže.
[The day]	[very white]	[steam clouds]	[they came forth.]

*the original MS text (Winnebago III, #1: 128) has hąb-´ (the dash standing for /era/); Winnebago II, #1.152 has hą́bera.
†the original MS text indicates sgaxjį́; the corrected MS text (Winnebago II, #1.152) has sgáxjį.
‡the original MS text has hiwapúru.

Winnebago III, #1: 129 —

Égi	"Wíjera"	jasgé*	higánągere,†	haną́čįxją
[And]	"the Island"	[what]	[which is called,]	[all]

*this word is omitted in Winnebago II, #1.152, line 10.
†for jasgé higánągere, the original MS text has jasgíganą́gere.

šojožú	miną́kše.*	Waxop'íni	warájirera	jánąga
murky	it was.	Spirits	[the various ones]	[as many as there were]

*the original MS text has šojožu minąkše.

Wažągų́zera	'ųgí,	žénųga	haračáp*	rogų́†
[the Maker of Things]	[having created,]	[all of them]	to taste of it	to long for

*Winnebago II, #1.152 has hanačáp.
†for haračáp rogų́, the original MS text has haračábrogų́.

minągireže.	Ponapįna*	číra	howáregi,†	hanąčįxjį
they sat.	The good odor	[the lodge]	if it goes in,	[everyone]

*the corrected texts have p'onap'įna.
†for číra howáregi, the original MS text has čirowáregi.

janąga	hožuák'a*	rogų́	minągiréže.	"P'ežéxjį
[as many as there are]	that are within	to long for	they sat.	"Who

*for janąga hožuák'a, the original MS has janagožuáka.

eruk'ánągigik'jegi,"*	hiraminągireže.	Hačį́jahį	hirak'araírek'ježe?†
he will put it in charge of,"	they sat thinking.	Who else	they would take care of it?

*the original MS text has érukonogigíkjegí.
†the original MS text has hirakarairekjéže.

Hąboguminą́gera	éšaną	heregáją	éjaxjį	éja
[The one sitting in the east]	[only]	he it is,	[perhaps]	[there]

hirakáragigikjanegáją,"*	hiraminągireže.	Égi	"hičųšge"	gik'arajirera
he will let him take care of it,"	they sat thinking.	[And]	["nephew"]	[he whom we call]

*the corrected texts have hirak'aragik'janegają (Winnebago II, #5: 164) and hirak'áragìkjanegàją (Winnebago II, #1.152).

wéže,	"Hitegenįkwahára	hi'uninįkwahara	teé	haní*
[he said,]	"My uncles,	my aunts,	this	to have

*for teé hani, the original MS text has teeaní.

Winnebago II, #5: 165 —

wąkšíko'į́rekjanáre.*	Čira	hoixjįšáwągera,†	hąk'é	hižą́
as they will live.	[The lodge]	[the ones going in to fill it,]	[not]	[one]

*the corrected texts have incorrectly omitted the letter /o/, sic — wąkšík'į́rekjanáre.
†the original MS text has čiroixjį́šawañgré.

honįgé	waragíšurúzenįkjanáwiną.*	Wągregi†	Wažągų́zera	é
[even]	you will not take it from me.	Above	the Creator	[he]

*the corrected texts have waragiršúruzeniñkjanàwiną (Winnebago II, #1.152) and waragiruzenįk'janáwiną (Winnebago II, #5: 164).
†the original MS has the form 'uañgiregí.

žésge	gųsáną.	[Wągiregi]*	Wažągų́zera	exjįnéšge
this	he ordained.	[Above]	[the Maker of Things]	even

*the original MS has 'uañgi, and the corrected texts have wañk and wąk' ("man").

tanina	hožúižą	hirowahaíregi,	hąk'é	hoinįge
the tobacco	[a full one]	if it was extended towards him,	[not]	[even]

wagíruzenįkjanéže.*	Jagú	rogų́	wa'ųnegi,	žésge
[he would not take it.]	[Whatever]	[to long for]	[if they do it,]	[this]

*the corrected texts have wagirúzenañkjanèže (Winnebago II, #1.152) and wagiruznįk'janéže (Winnebago II, #5: 164).

wagiwéwįk'janeže.	Égi	jánąga	waxopínina
he'll think of it for them.	And	[as many as there are]	the spirits

Winnebago II, #1.153 —

či-óžuminąkšáwągere*	hižą́	tanina	hožúižą
[the ones going in to fill the lodge,]	one	the tobacco	[a full one]

*the original MS text has čióžumináñkšawañgre.

Winnebago III, #1: 130 —

nįgiwaxúįnawigiži,	jagú	rogų́	wa'úinegi,	žésge
after he pours it out for you,	[whatever]	[to long for]	[if he does it,]	that

wiráragášeni,*	rajišánągiánąga†	rahįk'jáwi,	hąk'é	hoínįge
you'll take hold,	as you seize it, and	you'll smoke it,	[not]	[otherwise?]

*the corrected texts have wiragášeni.
†the original MS text has rajišónogiánąga.

waragíhinįk'jawi.	Wągeregi*	Wažągų́zera	e	žésge	híną."†
you will not smoke it.	Above	[the Maker of Things]	[he]	[this kind]	[he made."]

*the original MS text has 'uañgiregi.
†at this point, the two corrected texts omit a passage in the original.

[X]é	hunubímani	ep'į[\|]	gųs[>´]
Wąkšigé,	hunubímani,	ep'įną,	gųsgáją,
[Humans,]	[two-legged walkers,]	[it was good,]	[after he created,]

hiraíre[2]	[(•]	warájire-j[ρ´]ki*
hiraíreže,	waxopini	warájire	janągáki.
they thought,	[spirits]	[the various ones]	[as many as there were.]

*this is the last word in the passage omitted by the corrected texts.

"Wąkšigé,	hunubímani,	wąkšígo'į	žipjinįgížą	wogára.
["Humans,]	two-legged walkers,	life	a short span	he had given them.

Teé	hąbikaratá*	hi'uinanihékje,"†	wigežé.‡
This	life to ask with	we'll use it forever,"	[he said to them.]

*this is the form in the original handwritten text. The other texts have hąp hak'aratá.
†the original MS text has hi'uinanihékje, with an /r/ written above the second /n/ to indicate the alternant hi'uiranihékje. The corrected MS text (Winnebago II, #1.153) has hi'unanihékje, and the typescript text (Winnebago II, #5: 165) has hi'unanihek'je.
‡the original MS text has wígegíži, followed by a "#" sign, indicating the end of the story.

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago II, #1.152-153, Winnebago II, #5: 164, Winnebago III, #1: 129-130. A published 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]) 151.