Hočąk Text — Trickster Loses Most of His Penis

Hočąk Text — Trickster Loses Most of His Penis

translation by Oliver LaMère

The syllabic text appears to have been written in pencil in large and, for the most part, clear letters. It was transcribed in syllabic script by Sam Blowsnake from oral presentations made by an old member of the tribe living in Nebraska in 1912. The interlinear translation for the Trickster Cycle was done initially by John Baptiste, who was later replaced by Oliver LaMère. This portion of the cycle was translated by Oliver LaMère.

English Translation

p. 381 —

e tt	Ao we	ow Koo.	te we s Ki	e tt
éja	howe	u'wák'ų,	tewéraki,	éja
There	he was going about	[as he did it],	unexpectedly,	there

ow Ai K tt.	Ai Ki tt xitti se Ki.	w di d	n w de.	we de
'úwahigają	hikijąxjįregi	wažįžą	nąwą´že,	wéže,
as he was going	right by his side	something	sang,	saying,

p. 382 —

w Ktt K.	tt Ko	s Ko so Kii	se s	s Ko so Kii.
"Wakjąka,*	jagú	rakorok'į?	Rera	rakorok'į."
"Trickster,	what	are you packing?	Your privates	do you pack."

*dropping the -ga (suffixed to indicate a personal name) can be considered disrespectful.

Aow.	e de	tt Ko	diAi diAi Ki d.	di Ke	te e
"Howá!"	éže.	"Jagú	šišigížą.	Žigé	tee
"Oh!"	he said.	"What	a bad one.	[Furthermore]	this

tt Ko	e K tt	w nK.	tt Ko	A Kii
jagú	egáją	wánąk?	Jagú	hak'į
what	does it mean to say?		What	I am carrying

Ki A Ke Ai Ki tt ni Kini	e de.	de Ko	di Ke
kihąkehikija-nįgini	éže.	žegų´´	žigé
he [himself] has full knowledge of,"	he said.	Then	again

p. 383 —

de Ki xitti	ttA	we de.	ow Ai K tt.	Ai Ki tt xitti se Ki.
žegixjį	čą	wéže,	'úwahigają	hikijąxjįregi
in a certain direction		it said,	as he went	right by his side

di Ke	we s Ki.	w Ktt K.	tt Ko*	s Ko so Kii.
žigé	wéraki,	"Wakjąka,	jagú	rakorok'į?
again	unexpectedly,	"Trickster,	what	are you packing?

*the text has so in place of Ko.

doAo tteKe Ai s	ttAi K nK.	e de.	Aow	tt Koyi d
Šočgehira	čikanąk,"	éže.	"Howá!	jaguyižą
His testicles	a pair,"*	he said.	"Oh!	what [one]

*the text has "together with," but I take čikanąk to be a variant of čik-konąk, "a pair".

p. 384 -

te e	w n K tt.	Ao we Ai	we riAi wi
tee	wanąkaja?	Howehi	wesįwį´
this	that says it?	[Going] around	he was watching

tte Ko ni.	tt Ko	w Kii s	liAi	A K s Kii Kette n.
jegúni.	Jagú	wak'įra	pį	hakarak'įkjeną,"
[he did].	[How]	my pack	right	I will pack,"

a n K.	a K s ttAo de.	e Ki.	so n
anąga	akaračúže.	égi	runą.
he said and	he emptied it out.	Then	over he turned them.

ttA K s do de.	e Ki.	doAo tteKe s	ttA wi s
Čakaražuže.	égi	šočgera	čawira
[He placed them on his own back].	Then	his testicles	next to his back

p. 385 —

w ttAl deAe.	de Ko	Aiy n K.	we s Ki xitti	di Ke
wačapaže.	žegų´´	hianąga	werakixjį	žigé
he put them.	Thus	he did and	[most unexpectedly]	[again]

ttA we de.	di Ke	we s Ki.	Ai Ki tt xitti se Ki.	w Ktt K
čawéže.	Žigé	weráki	hikijąxjįregi,	"Wakjąka
anywhere he went.	Again	unexpectedly	[right] at his side,	"Trickster

tt Ko	s Ko so Kii	tt Ko	s Ko so Kii.	doAo tteKe Ai s
jagú	rakorok'į?	Jagú	rakorok'į?	Šočgehira
what	are you packing?	What	are you packing?	[His] testicles

w ttAl.	doAo tteKe Ai s	w ttAl.	e de.	Aow
wačapa.	Šočgehira	wačapa,"	éže.	"Howá!
placed underneath.	His testicles	placed underneath,"	he said.	"Ah!

p. 386 —

tt Ko	diAi diAi Kitti d	Ai s ditti.	tt Ko o
jagú	šišikjįžą	hįražič.	Jagú-u
what	a bad thing	that teases me.	[How]

w Kii s	Ai Ki we riAi wi Ko ni	a n K.	di Ke
wak'įra	higiwesįwįguni,"	anąga.	Žigé
my pack	he must have watched,"	he said.	Again

w Kii s	liAi Koo de.	se lA s.	e ttA	Ai A K tt
wak'įra	pįk'ųže.	Repara	eča	hihagają
his pack	he fixed.	The head of his private	[instead]	on top

p. 387 —

toolo deAe.	de Ko	Aiy n K.	te we s Ki xitti
t'ųpše.	žegų´´	hianąga	tewerakixjį
he put.	Thus	he did and	[quite unexpectedly]*

*translated as "just anywhere".

Ao w se de.	di Ke	we s Ki.	Ai Ki tt ne Ki.	w Ktt K
howareže.	Žigé	weráki	hikijąnegi,	"Wakjąka,
he went.	Again	unexpectedly	at his side,	"Trickster,

tt Ko	s Ko so Kii.	se s	s Ko so Kii.	se lA.
jagú	rakorok'į?	Rera	rakorok'į.	Repa
what	are you packing?	Your private	you are packing.	The head of the private

Ai A Ke tt	toolo	se lA	Ai Ke tt	toolo.
hihagéja	t'ųp,	repa	higeja	t'ųp,"
on top	he placed,	the head of the private	on top	he placed,"

p. 388 —

e de.	Aow	tt Koyi d	te e	w n K tt.
éže.	"Howá!	jaguįžą	tee	wanąkają?"
it said.	"Ah!	what [one]	this	that says it?"

a n K.	A tal lK tt.	Kiyr nK deAe	ti. Ki. ti. Ki. ti. Ki. ti. Ki.
anąga.	Hat'ąpgają	kiasnąkše.	"Ti ki ti ki ti ki ti ki,"
he said.	He jumped towards him	and it ran away.	"Ti ki ti ki ti ki ti ki,"

a n K	no loAo xi d	e tt	Aoy K w nK deAe.	Ae tteKe ni Ki d
anąga.	Nopoxižą	éja	hoikawanąkše.	Hejgenįkižą
it said.	A hollow tree	into	it ran.	A chipmunk

p. 389 —

w o de.	dette Ktt ni Ae n.	Ai soyi se	w dA dA n KeK.
wa'ųže.	"Šjekjaniheną,	hiroyire	wašašąnąkeka.
it was that did it.	"You will die,	homely	you thing that said it.

A A.	Ai roAo Ki tti.	ne	s Ki doo Kette n.	ni s ditti dA n
Hąhą´,	hisųgijį	ne	ragiš'ųkjena	niražičšaną
Now then,	my younger brother,	you	you may attend to him	as he teased you

rii	a n K.	se s.	ni Ke	a ttAo de.
s'i,"	ánąga.	Rera	nįge	ąčúže.
a long time,"	he said.	His private	[someplace]	he took out.

p. 390 —

e Ki	e	Ai ow n K.	n xoAo loAo x K.	Ao w K sK deAe.
égi	e	hi'ųwánąga	nąxopoxka	howakárakše,
Then	this	he used and	the hollow log	he probed,

K tt.	A Ke	Ao de tt s	A w ttAl ni de.	di Ke.
gają	hąké	hožéjąra	hawačapnįže.	Žigé
but	not	the end	he could not reach.	Again

ni Ke	a ttK n K n K.	di Ke	Ao w K sK deAe.	di Ke
nįgé	ąjkąnąkanąga	žigé	howakárakše.	Žigé
some more	he took out more of it and	again	he probed.	Again

p. 391 —

Ai Ke	Ao de tt s	A w ttAl ni de.	di Ke	ni Ke.
hįké	hožéjąra	hawačapnįže.	Žigé	nįgé
not	the end	he did not reach with it.	Again	some more

Ki si x n K.	a ttK nK deAe.	di Ke	Ao w K sK deAe.	di Ke
kirixanąk	ąjkąnąkše.	Žigé	howakárakše.	Žigé
he unwound	he took out.	Again	he probed.	Again

A Ke	Ao de tt s.	A w ttA lini de.	K tt K.	Ao t n Ki di
hąké	hožéjąra	hawačapnįže.	Gająga	hotanąkiži
not	the end	he could not reach.	So now	the remainder of it

p. 392 —

A ntt	a ttK nK deAe.	Ko Ks	m s Ai de.	di Ke
hanąč´	ąjkąnąkše.	Kokra	mąrahiže.	Žigé
[all]	he took out.	The box	it was emptied.	Again

o de.	Ao w K sK deAe.	de Ko de.	A Ke	Ao de tt s.
'ųže,	howakárakše.	žegų´´že.	Hąké	hožéjąra
he did it,	he probed into it.	Thus it was.	Not	the end

A w ttA lini de.	de tt K.	Ai tt	tti n.	K n K.
howačapnįže.	Žejąga	hiją	jíną	anąga
he could not reach.	So then	[there]	[he came]*	and

*this is translated very liberally as "he sat up to the log".

Aoyi tts	Ai s w roAo ttiAi	no ni Ke.	de Ko	Ai Ke
hoijara	hirawasųji	nunige	žegų´´	hįké
as far as he could	he probed [closely]	but	still	not

p. 393 —

A w ttA lini de.	Aow	a n K.	A ni Ko K tt	te we s Ki
hawačapnįže.	"Howá!"	anąga.	Hanikugają	tewéraki
he could not reach it.	"Howa!"	he said.	[When] he took it out	unexpectedly

se	Aoyi tts	di litti niKi	A ni Ko de.	Ao Ao.
re	hoijara	žipjįnįk	hanikuže.	"Hohó!
[penis]	the butt end	just a little [short]	he brought it out.	"Oh my!

A K	w d	wi Ki dA n xitti d.	Ai soyi se xitti s.
haka	wažą	wigišanąxjįžą.	Hiróirexjį´ra!
[what did occur is not occurring now]	[something]	a great injury he has done me.	[What a shame!]*

*LaMère has "the homely thing" as if from hiro-ere. The translation given in brackets follows the entry in Miner's Field Lexicon (s.v).

p. 394 —

Ai s leAe se ri Ktt ne n.	a n K.	n xA s.	n xoAo xoAox deAe.
Hirapéresikjanèną,"	anąga.	Nąxara	nąxoxoǧše.
You will know,"*	he said.	The log	he kicked it to pieces.

*this is an idiom which can be expressed as the translation gives it: "you will catch it." Closer might be, "I'll teach you!"

e tt.	n rt rtK Kitti de	Ae tteKe ni K.	te we s Ki.
éja	nąstastakjįže	Hečgenįka.	Tewéraki,
There	he tramped him flat	Chipmunk.	Unexpectedly,

e tt.	s Ko no Ko noKo.	A Ki K w tte de.	Ao Ao.
éja	rakonokonok	hagikawą-ježe.	"Hohó,
there	all gnawed up	it was there in a pile.	"Oh my!

p. 395 —

A tt	w d.	wi so Koyi d	n tteAeKe wi d.
hačą	wažą	wirokúyižą	nąčekwižą
what	good*	an instrument	he has deprived me of.

*Marino gives the meaning, "to be important, purposeful."

A A.	tt Ko	Ai A tt.	w Kidi Ke.
Hąhą´,	jagú	hihaja?	Wąkšiké,
Ah!	what	am I saying?	The people,

wi so Ko	y Ki o Kette n.	e de.	e tt.
wirokú	yakiųkjeną,"	éže.	éja
instrument	I will make,"	he said.	There

se lA s.	nK deAe.	se doAo doAo so Ks.	soro deAe.
repara	nąkše.	Re šušurogra	rúsše.
the penis	lay.	The part of the penis without foreskin	he took.

p. 396 —

tt Ko	te e.	w Kidi K.	riAi loAo so s.	ay s ni Ae Kette n.
"Jagú	tee	wąkšik	'siporora'	airánihekjéną,"
"What	this one	people	'lily of the lake'*	they will ever call it,"

*now more commonly known as the "pond lily".

a n K.	tey d	e tt	n Ki di	e tt
anąga.	Teyižą	éja	nągiži	éja
he said.	A lake	there	that was near	there

Ao too ne de.	e Ki.	di Ke.	e tt	Ai s.
hot'úneže.	égi	žigé	éja	hirá
he threw it.	Then	again	there	in the water

p. 397 —

Ao s Ko no Ki d	so r n K	we de.	te e.
horakonokižą	rusanąga	wéže,	"Tee
one of the things that was gnawed off	he took and*	he said,	"This

*this is translated as, "Then again, other pieces that were gnawed off, one he took and ..."

w Ki[di] Ke.	to s.	ay s ni Ae Kette n	e de.	e Ki.
wąk[ši]ke	'tora'	airánihekjéną,"	éže.	égi
the people	'potatoes'	they will call it henceforth,"	he said.	Then

di Ke	Ai d	so r n K	we de.	te e.
žigé	hižą	rusanąga	wéže,	"Tee
again	one	he took and	said,	"This

w Kidi Ke.	to Ke we Ai s	ay se Kette n.	e de.
wąkšiké	'tokéwehira'	airekjéną,"	éže.
the people	'the [prairie] turnip'*	they will call from henceforth,"	he said.

*the tipsin, Pediomelum esculenta.

398 —

e Ki.	di Ki d	so r n K.	we de.	w Kidi Ke.
égi	žigižą	rusanąga	wéže,	"Wąkšiké
Then	another one	he took and	said,	"The people

te e.	lA xi s.	ay s ni Ae Kette n	e de.	e Ki.
tee	'pąxira'	airanihekženą,"	éže.	égi
this	'artichoke'	they will ever call,"	he said.	Then

di Ki d	so r n K	we de.	w Kidi Ke	te e.
žigižą	rusanąga	wéže,	"Wąkšiké	tee
another one	he took and	said,	"The people	this

Ao niKi mo tt s.	ay s ni Ae Ktte	e de.	e Ki	di Ki d
'hónikmojára'	airanihekže,"	éže.	égi	žigižą
'ground beans'	they will ever call,"	he said.	Then	another one

p. 399 —

so r n K	we de.	te e.	w Kidi Ke.	doAoKo Ai s.
rusanąga	wéže,	"Tee	wąkšiké	'šųk hira'
he took and	said,	"These	the people	'dog teeth'

ay se Kette n.	e de.	di Ki d	so r n K.	we de.
airekjéną,"	éže.	Žigižą	rusanąga	wéže,
they will ever call,"	he said.	Another one	he took and	said,

te e.	Ai deKe.	w Kidi Ke.	w dAK.	lA s rs.
"Tee	hišgé	wąkšiké	'wašak	parasara'
"These	also	the people	'claws	sharp'

p. 400 —

ay s ni Ae Kette n.	e de	di Ki d	so r n K.	we de.
airanihekženą,"	éže.	Žigižą	rusanąga	wéže,
they will ever call,"	he said.	Another one	he took and	said,

te e.	w Kidi Ke.	riAi s.	ay si ni Ae Kette n.	a n K.
"Tee	wąkšiké	'sira'	airinihekjeną,"	anąga.
"This	the people	'rice'	they will ever call it,"	he said.

niye tt	Ai d	Ao too se de.	e Ki.	e tt.
Nįyeja	hižą	hot'ųreže.	égi	éja
Into the water	one	he threw.	Then	there

se	Aoyitti tts Ki di.	so r n K	we de.	te e
re	hoijaragiži	rusanąga	wéže,	"Tee
penis	the butt end	he took it and	said,	"This

p. 401 —

Ai deKe	w Kidi Ke.	ttAe s ls	ay s ni Ae Kette n	e de.
hišgé	wąkšiké	'čerábara',"	airanihekženą,"	éže.
also	the people	['water root'],"*	they will ever call,"	he said.

*the translation has "pond lily," which is another name for the lily of the lake, which was the first thing to arise from Trickster's seeding of the water. "Water root" is attested as the meaning for this word in Radin's "Winnebago Tribe".

Ao lA s lA s tts	w Ke de.	Aoyi tts.	se
Hoparapárajra	wagežé,	hoijara.	Re
The square part	he meant,	the end.	Penis

Aoyitti tts.	reAe se ttiniKi	Ao t Ki di	w Ke de.
hoijara	serečnik	hotakiži	wagežé.
the butt end	a little long	what was left of it	[he meant.]

p. 402 —

e Ki	de Ko	Aiy n K.	Ko Ks.	e tt
égi	žegų´´	hianąga	kokra	éja
Then	thus	he did, and	his box	there

K s too ne de.	e tt.	w Ks.	se s.	tt rK n Kese
karat'uneže.	éja	wąkra	rera	jasganąkere
he left his own.	There	men's	penises	how they are

de reKe	tti tte de.	e rKe.	w Ks.	se s.
žesge	jijéže.	ésge	wąkra	rera
that way	he became.	That is why	men's	penises

dili li se de.	Ai Ke	de e	se s.	Ae tteKe ni K.
šibíreže	Hįké	žee	rera	Hečgenįka
they are short.	Not	this	the penis	Chipmunk

p. 403 —

s Ko no Ko noKo ni Ki di	wK ttA ni s.	de rKe	Ai s n de
rakonokonoknįgiži,	wakčanira	žesge	hiranaže,
if he did not gnaw it to pieces,	the first born	that way	he would be,

ay se n.	Ko no s.	se s	Kii Ai s n de
aíreną.	Kunura	rera	k'įhiranaže,
it is said.	The first borns	the penises	they would carry on their backs,

ay se n.	se s.	de de rKy se Ki di	A Ke	liAi ni n Ki
aíreną.	Rera	žežesgairegiži,	hąké	pinįnagi,
it is said.	The penises	if they were that way,	not	it would not be good,

e rKe	Ao rKe.	Ae tteKe ni K.	w se Ki Ki se Ke
ésge	hosgé	Hečgenįka	warégigírege
therefore,	purposely	Chipmunk	he was made to do it

p. 404 —

w o de	ay se n.	de e	A Ke	liAi ni Ktt n Ae Ke
wa'ųže,	aíreną.	Žee	hąké	pinįkjanahege,
he was,	it is said.	That	not	it would not be good,

e rKe	w Kio de.
ésge	waki'ųže.
thus	they did to him.

English Translation

Source:

"Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 381-404.