Hocąk Text — The Necessity for Death, Version 3
translated by Richard L. Dieterle
The syllabic text, which has neither transliteration nor translation, is written with a dark, thick pencil, with good clarity. The text is of unknown provenance. The handwriting is very similar to that of Sam Blowsnake, so the text may have been transcribed by him from oral dictation. It was never published, nor was it even so much as transliterated and translated.
p. 151 —
| Ai to Ke ni Kn K | we de. | Ai ttAo deKe niKi A xitti. |
| Hitokenįkanąk | wéže, | "Hicųšgenįkhaxjį, |
| The old woman | said, | "My dear grandson, |
| w n tto tty rKe. | w deAe n. | tt rKe L n K. | Ai teKe niKi w L K. |
| wanąjojaįsge | wašeną. | Jasgeránąga | hiteknįkwaraga |
| poor, pitiable | it is said. | How can you | your little uncles |
| Ai o ni niKi w L K. | w Kidi Ko i L . | wi Ki reKe |
| hiuninįkwaraka | wąkšigo’įra | wikisge |
| your little aunts | life | equal, same |
| doo Kette. | m o L . | wo Koro A ni L . |
| š’ųkje? | Mą’ųra | wogųshanįra |
| you will do something about it? | Earthmaker | his creation |
| Ao rKe de rKe | Ko rA n. | w d n KeL e. | A ntt |
| hosgé žesge | gųsáną. | Wažąnągere | haną́c |
| purposely | he created. | The things | all |
| Ao K ne. | ttAo w Ai Ai n. | Ao we | doo L tt ne. |
| hokąné* | cųwahihiną | Howe | š’ųrająne. |
| the fall (death) | he made possible. | Going around | you will will do it. |
| n L . | Ai d | ni Ke | my ttK |
| Nąra | hižą | nįgé | maįjąga |
| The tree | one | someplace | standing on the earth |
p. 152 —
| A dtt Ki. | K ne Ke | w o n. | Ao K L e L . |
| hášjagi. | Kanege* | wa’ųną. | Hogaréra |
| you see. | To fall down | he made it. | [In the past] |
| Ai Ki L e Ke. | de Ke | xA wi L . | ni Ke | A rK leL e |
| Higirege, | žege | xawira | nįgé | hasgapere. |
| because he thought of it , | thus | the grasses | someplace | [?]. |
| A dtt Kidi | K ne | w o n Kd n. | Ao K ne L |
| Hašjagiži | kane | wa’ųnąkšaną. | Hokąnéra |
| When you saw it | it fell | it did. | The fall (death) |
| Ai Ki L e L e Ke. | di Ke | Al l | m ni L . |
| higirerege | žigé | hapapá. | Manira |
| because the one who thought of it | again | it touched repeatedly. | The winter |
| Ai d | ni Ke n Ki. | di Ke | Ao K L e L |
| hižą | nįgenąki | žigé | Hogaréra |
| one | if it was someplace | again | the past time |
| Ai Ki L e Ke | w o n Kd n. | Ao K ne | ttAo w Ai L . |
| higirege | wa’ųnąkšaną. | Hokąné | cųwahira. |
| because he thought of it | it came to pass. | The fall (death) | he made possible. |
| w d L | A ntt. | ni L e deKe | te de rKe. |
| wažą́ | haną́c | nįreške | težesge |
| things | all | they are alive, also | in this way |
| Ai Ko rA n | a n Ke. | Ao L o xotto K tt. | n Ke |
| higųsáną," | anąge. | Horuxucgają | nąké |
| [...] created, started," | she said. | When he looked around | the back |
| Ao L . | Ao L o xA n nK deAe | ni Ke | m L . |
| hųra | horuxąnąnąkše. | Nįgé | mąra |
| the body | it caved in. | At a place | the earth |
p. 153 —
| Ao xA n ne | A tt wi doAo no L . | de rKe | A tt de. |
| hoxąnąne. | Hajawišųnųra | žesge | hajáže. |
| caved in. | When they had usually seen it | that kind | he saw. |
| te we L Ke. | e tt deKe. | w KidiKi | Ai L rA. |
| Tewéraki, | éjašge | wąkšik | hirasá |
| Unexpectedly, | there also | life | together with, in addition |
| Ao L o xA n. | A tt de. | Ai ttAo deKe | te de rKe n. |
| horuxąną | hajáže. | "Hicųšgé, | težesgeną." |
| it caved in | he saw. | "Grandson, | it is this way." |
| L o L . | xoAo no | Ai Ai o n. | e rKe. |
| Rora | xonų | hįhi’ųną. | Ésge |
| The flesh | to cave in | you and I cause. | Therefore, |
| w Kidi Ko i L . | wi L Ki rKe | doo Ki. | m n KL e. |
| wąkšigo’ira | wirák’iske | š’ųgi, | manągre |
| the life | like your own | if you make, | the earth |
| Aoy xitti Ktt ne n | e ttA | Ai L y tty L . | w n |
| hoixjįkjaneną. | Écą | hiraijaira | waną́ |
| it will be filled up. | Instead | you should even more | to outdo |
| tt tty rKe | Ai L e Ktt ne n. | w rotto | Ai Ki L o ttiri Ki L e Ki. |
| jajaisge | hirekjaneną. | Waruj | hįgirujisgiregi, |
| perhaps as far as | it shall be. | Food | were they to have enough, |
| AoKi ttAo L . | liAi | Ai L e Ki | m n KL e. |
| hokicųra | pį | hiregi. | Manągre |
| descendants | good | it would be. | The earth |
p. 154 —
| Aoy xitti Ktt ne n. | Ao K | ne ttA | Ai L no n Ki. |
| hoixjįkjaneną." | Húga. | Necą́ | hiránunge. |
| it will be filled up." | He came. | Instead | they did it in vain. |
| e tt | Ae L e de. | w ditti Ke K. | Ko ni K K. |
| Éja | hereže | Wašjįgéga. | "Kunikága |
| There | he was | Hare. | "My grandmother |
| Ai teKe niKi w A L . | Ai o ni niKi w A L . | w Kidi Ko i |
| hiteknįkwahara, | hi’ų́ninįkwahára, | wąkšigo’i |
| my little uncles, | my little aunts, | life |
| liAi d | w Ki | to xoAo L o KL . | A Ke |
| pįžą | wagi | tuxúrukra." | Hąké |
| a good thing | [to gain for them] | I can do it." | Not |
| liAi ni Ki Ki | Ai L e Ki de | n tteKe L | teKe deAe. |
| pinįgigi | hiregiže. | Nącgera | tekše. |
| it was not good | he thought. | His heart | it ached. |
| e tte L e de. | w i d | i | Ki di. | Ko L o r n K. |
| Ejereže. | Waį́žą | i | giži | kurúzánąga |
| There he was. | Something | mouth | [?] | he took and |
| L o Ke tt | mi K n K. | xK deAe. | w Kidi KL |
| rogéja | mįkánąga | ǧakše. | Wąkšikra |
| inside | he lay down and | he cried. | The people |
| w Ki | xK | we de. | e tte L e n. |
| wagi | ǧak | wéže. | Ejereną. |
| [to gain for them] | he cried | he said. | There he was. |
p. 155 —
| m K o | wo dK L . | e lA | di Ke |
| Mąka’ų | wošgara | e’pá | žigé |
| The Medicine Dance | the actions | from that point on | again |
| o L e n. | te e. | wo L KL . | Ae L e n. |
| ’ųreną. | tee | worákra | hereną. |
| [he did]. | This | the story | it is. |
Source:
The Hare Cycle, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #23: 151-155.