Hočąk 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.


English Translation


p. 151 —
Ai to Ke ni Kn K
we de.
Ai ttAo deKe niKi A xitti.
Hitokenįkanąk
wéže,
"Hičųšgenįkhaxjį,
The old woman
said,
"My dear grandson,


w n tto tty rKe.
w deAe n.
tt rKe s n K.
Ai teKe niKi w s K.
wanąjojaįsge
wašeną.
Jasgeránąga
hiteknįkwaraga
poor, pitiable
it is said.
How can you
your little uncles


Ai o ni niKi w s K.
w Kidi Ko i s.
wi Ki reKe
hiuninįkwaraka
wąkšigo'įra
wikisge
your little aunts
life
equal, same


doo Kette.
m o s.
wo Koro A ni s.
š'ųkje?
Mą'ųra
wogųshanįra
you will do something about it?
Earthmaker
his creation


Ao rKe de rKe
Ko rA n.
w d n Kese.
A ntt
hosge žesge
gųsáną.
Wažąnągere
haną́č
purposely
he created.
The things
all


Ao K ne.
ttAo w Ai Ai n.
Ao we
doo s tt ne.
hokąné*
čųwahihiną
Howe
š'ųrająne.
the fall (death)
he made possible.
Going around
you will will do it.

*more usually, hok'ąné.


n s.
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 se s.
hášjagi.
Kanege*
wa'ųną.
Hogaréra
you see.
To fall down
he made it.
[In the past]

*attested elsewhere (rw-W) as k'anégi.


Ai Ki se Ke.
de Ke
xA wi s.
ni Ke
A rK lese
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 s
Hašjagiži
kane
wa'ųnąkšaną.
Hokąnéra
When you saw it
it fell
it did.
The fall (death)


Ai Ki se se Ke.
di Ke
Al l
m ni s.
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 se s
hižą
nįgenąki
žigé
Hogaréra
one
if it was someplace
again
the past time


Ai Ki se Ke
w o n Kd n.
Ao K ne
ttAo w Ai s.
higirege
wa'ųnąkšaną.
Hokąné
čųwahira.
because he thought of it
it came to pass.
The fall (death)
he made possible.


w d s
A ntt.
ni se deKe
te de rKe.
wažą́
haną́č
nįreške
težesge
things
all
they are alive, also
in this way


Ai Ko rA n
a n Ke.
Ao so xotto K tt.
n Ke
higųsáną,"
anąge.
Horuxučgają
nąké
[...] created, started,"
she said.
When he looked around
the back


Ao s.
Ao so xA n nK deAe
ni Ke
m s.
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 s.
de rKe
A tt de.
hoxąnąne.
Hajawišųnųra
žesge
hajáže.
caved in.
When they had usually seen it
that kind
he saw.


te we s Ke.
e tt deKe.
w KidiKi
Ai s rA.
Tewéraki,
éjašge
wąkšik
hirasá
Unexpectedly,
there also
life
together with, in addition


Ao so xA n.
A tt de.
Ai ttAo deKe
te de rKe n.
horuxąną
hajáže.
"Hičųšgé,
težesgeną."
it caved in
he saw.
"Grandson,
it is this way."


so s.
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 s.
wi s Ki rKe
doo Ki.
m n Kse.
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 sy tty s.
w n
hoixjįkjaneną.
Éčą
hiraijaira
waną́
it will be filled up.
Instead
you should even more
to outdo


tt tty rKe
Ai se Ktt ne n.
w rotto
Ai Ki so ttiri Ki se Ki.
jajaisge
hirekjaneną.
Waruj
hįgirujisgiregi,
perhaps as far as
it shall be.
Food
were they to have enough,


AoKi ttAo s.
liAi
Ai se Ki
m n Kse.
hokičųra
hiregi.
Manągre
descendants
good
it would be.
The earth


p. 154 —
Aoy xitti Ktt ne n.
Ao K
ne ttA
Ai s no n Ki.
hoixjįkjaneną."
Húga.
Nečą́
hiránunge.
it will be filled up."
He came.
Instead
they did it in vain.


e tt
Ae se de.
w ditti Ke K.
Ko ni K K.
Éja
hereže
Wašjįgéga.
"Kunikága
There
he was
Hare.
"My grandmother


Ai teKe niKi w A s.
Ai o ni niKi w A s.
w Kidi Ko i
hiteknįkwahara,
hi'ų́ninįkwahára,
wąkšigo'i
my little uncles,
my little aunts,
life


liAi d
w Ki
to xoAo so Ks.
A Ke
pįžą
wagi
tuxúrukra."
Hąké
a good thing
[to gain for them]
I can do it."
Not


liAi ni Ki Ki
Ai se Ki de
n tteKe s
teKe deAe.
pinįgigi
hiregiže.
Nąčgera
tekše.
it was not good
he thought.
His heart
it ached.


e tte se de.
w i d
i
Ki di.
Ko so r n K.
Ejereže.
Waį́žą
i
giži
kurúzánąga
There he was.
Something
mouth
[?]
he took and


so Ke tt
mi K n K.
xK deAe.
w Kidi Ks
rogéja
mįkánąga
ǧakše.
Wąkšikra
inside
he lay down and
he cried.
The people


w Ki
xK
we de.
e tte se n.
wagi
ǧak
wéže.
Ejereną.
[to gain for them]
he cried
he said.
There he was.


p. 155 —
m K o
wo dK s.
e lA
di Ke
Mąka'ų
wošgara
e'pá
žigé
The Medicine Dance
the actions
from that point on
again


o se n.
te e.
wo s Ks.
Ae se n.
'ųreną.
tee
worákra
hereną.
[he did].
This
the story
it is.


English Translation


Source:

The Hare Cycle, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #23: 151-155.