Hočąk Text — Tobacco Origin Myth, Version 4

Hočąk Text — Tobacco Origin Myth, Version 4

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

Winnebago II, #1.171 = Winnebago II, #5: 187 = Winnebago III, #1: 150 —

Wąkšík'	nąnók'a	hiníwi.	Wažągų́zera
[People]	naked	we were.	[The Maker of Things]

jagúra	hanąčįxjį	'ųčébigiži,*	hagéja
[whatever]	everything	when he finished making,	[last]

*the original handwritten text (Winnebago III, #1: 150) has 'ųčébigi.

wągagų́se.*	Waxop'íni	warájirera	janągágere	hanąčį́xjį,
[we were made.]	[Spirits]	[the various ones]	[as many as there are]	[all of them],

*the original text (Winnebago III, #1: 150) has wañgágųse.

Winnebago III, #1: 151—

égi	hąbamanína	yągéxjįnįgera	nąžį́nągere,	wakíri
[and]	[walkers on light]	[the poles (trees)]	that stand,	insects

*this is the form of the original text, and the form prevailing in most other sources. The corrected texts have wak'iri.

xonóxjį	mąnégi	čowéxjį	čąt'į́t'į́	nįnk'
small	on earth	just a little	that are visible	[little]

nągereréšge,	hąk'é	hiwikísganiže.*	Haną́čįxjį	Hąb
that are,	[not]	we are not equal to.	[All those]	[Light-and-Life]

*the corrected version read hiwihísganiže, miscopying the original's /k/ (which looks like an /h/).

hirukáną*	Mą'úna	wagigíną.	Teéži	hąk'é
[in charge of]	[Earthmaker]	[he made them.]	But us	[not]

*the original MS text (Winnebago III, #1: 151) has hą́birukono in place of hąp hirkána.

Hąpkísak*	čowejášge	wažą́nižą	hip'éres†
half a life	even in the future ahead	[not a thing]	to know

*the corrected texts have hąp k'ísak (Winnebago II, #1.171) or hąp' k'isak' (Winnebago II, #5: 187). In translating Hąp, literally "light", I have followed Radin's "Light-and-Life" used in most other cases.
†the original MS text has hiperés.

hinuxúrugeníną.	Égi	haną́čįxjį	hiworujistíną.	Waxop'ini
we cannot.	[And]	[all of them]	we are far inferior.	[Spirits]

Wažągų́zera	wa'úną.	Hąbitaí'una	haní	wągagíginą.†
[the Maker of Things]	[he made them.]	[The life-asking one]*	to have	he let us.

*more literally "the light (life) asking one". In The Road of Life and Death, Radin renders it as, "the prayer-compelling means of life", which is not quite the same.
†the original MS text has wągágiginą.

Winnebago II, #1.171 —

Hąbikaratá*	hi'ųk'jegi.	Howaréra	teéšge	š'agiahíwira
Light ask for	we'll use.	Sure enough	[this also]	[our ancestors]

*this is the version of the original handwritten text (Winnebago III, #1: 151). The other texts have hąp´hik'aratá.

hąbitaí'una	Hąp'	hitániagere.*	Wažągų́zera
[the life-asking one]	[Light-and-Life]	that they asked for it with.	[The Maker of Things]

*the original MS text has hąbitánąñgre, translated as, "that they ask life with".

Winnebago II, #5: 188 —

é	žésge	egé	žésge	hihiajegają.*
[he himself]	[that]	he said,	[that]	we do it.

*the original MS text has žesgihiajégają.

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago II, #1.171-172, Winnebago II, #5: 187-188, Winnebago III, #1: 150-151. A loose English translation is published 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]) 163.