Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster Concludes His Mission

Told by an elder of the tribe in 1912

Transcribed by Sam Blowsnake

Translation based on the interlinear of Oliver Lamère
For a description of this manuscript, its source, style, transcription, and interlinear translation, see the syllabic text to Trickster's Warpath.
English Translation

 

p. 566 —
e Ki.
A Kor se d.
we de.
A A.
de tt ny xitti.
Égi
hagoréžą
weže,
"Hąhą́,
žejanaíxjį
Then
finally
he said,
"Now then,
this long

 

 

e Ki.
Ai lAo dA n.
Ao tt
rii
Ai Ki
égi
hipošaną.
Hoją́
s’i
higi
here
I stayed.
As
a long time
here

 

 

p. 567 —
A o K tt.
m n Kse
de tt ny xitti
Ao we
Ao s tte Ktt.
ha’ųgają.
Mąnągere
žejanaíxjį
howe
horajegagają,
I have remained.
On the earth
[about now]
around
I will go visiting,

 

 

ne n.
e de.
Ao tt d di
ni Ktt Ks
A ntt
neną,"
éže.
Hoją́ži
nįkjągera
haną́č
[I myself,"]
he said.
[In any case, already]
my children
all

 

 

Ai Ki
xeAe te
Ai se K tt.
e de.
Ai Ke
higi
xete
hiregają,"
éže.
"Hįké
here
grown up
they are,"
he said.
"Not

 

 

de rKe
Ai Koro ni
no ni Ke
w o nK dA n
e de.
žesge
hįgųsní
nunige
wa’ųnąkšaną,"
éže.
for this
I was not created,
but
I did this,"
he said.

 

 

p. 568 —
e Ki.
di Ke
m n Kese
Ao we
Ao o de.
Égi
žigé
mąnągere
howe
ho’ųže.
Then
[again]
on the earth
about
he went.

 

 

niy o xeAe te
Ai rA wy tt
w o Ao de
ay se n.
niyo xAe te s
Nioxete
hisawaíja
wa’ųhúže.
aíreną.
Nioxetera
Mississippi
at the end
he started,
it is said.
The Mississippi

 

 

A se Ko tti se de
ay se n.
niyo xeAe tey K.
de e.
w xoAo liAi ni
hareku-jireže,
aíreną.
Nioxeteąka
žee
waxopíni
he went down,
it is said.
The Mississippi
this
spirit

 

 

p. 569 —
w s tti se
ttAi n Ki d
Ae se de.
e rKe.
niy K.
warájire
činąkižą
hereže.
Ésge,
niąka
[various]
a village
it is.
Therefore,
the river

 

 

n Ko
Ao xeAe te xitti d
Ae se de.
e Ki.
ni
nągú
hoxetexjįžą
hereže.
Égi
ni
road
a main one
it is.
Then
water

 

 

de e.
w Kidi Ks.
e
w Kidi Ko i se Ktt n Ae s.
Ai lAe sere deAe.
žee
Wąkšigera
e
wąkšigo’įrekjanahera,
hipéresše.
this
Indians
[they]
it would be inhabited,
he knew.

 

 

p. 570 —
e rKe
Ai so A.
Ao o Ka
w o de.
w d s
Ésge
hiruha
ho’ųga
wa’ųže.
Wažąra
That is why
down it
he traveled
[he did it.]
[The things]

 

 

Ai d
ni Ke.
w Kdi Ks.
n tteKe wo tti
w Ai Ktt ne de
hižą
nįge
Wąkšigera
nąčgé-woči
wahikjaneže,
[one of them]
[some place]
Indians
to trouble
he would do it,

 

 

Ai se Ki di.
liAi
o Kette Ke
w o de.
K tt K.
hiregiži.
Pį
’ųkjege,
wa’ųže.
Gająga,
[he decided.]
[Good]
[since he would do,]
[he did it.]
Now,

 

 

tt Ko
o Kette
m o s.
Ao Ki Ki s.
Ai leAe sere deAe.
jagú
’ųkje,
Mą’ųra
hogigira,
hipéresše.
[what]
he was to do,
Earthmaker
he sent him,
he knew.

 

 

p. 571 —
e rKe
w o de.
Ao s.
tt n K.
wK diAiKi
Ésge
wa’ųže.
Hura
jánąga
wąkšik
That is why
[he did it.]
He went about
and those
people

 

 

tee Ai n Ki dKe.
tee
w Ai de.
w sotto ra de.
di Ke.
t’ehinąkisge
t’e
wahiže.
Waručis’aže.
žigé,
those killing, also
to kill
he did it.
He would eat them.
Again

 

 

ni Ke dA n.
w Kette xiAi s.
m doAo s.
A s deeKe
w K s Ke se
nįgešaną.
Wakjexira
mąšųra
haraš’ek*
wakarakere
here and there,
the Waterspirits
their routes
in a short depth
to be put

*this is a hapaxlegomenon. Cf. haraš’ók, "to pop up, to swell" (Helmbrecht-Lehmann).

 

 

p. 572 —
Ai se Ki dKe.
s Kidi*
w Ke se de.
m doAo n K.
Ao loAo xs.
hiregišge,
rókši
wakereže.
Mąšųnąka
hopoǧera
they did, and also
deeper
he put them.
These routes
holes

*the syllable so is written over an erasure and is hard to make out. However, rókši is well attested.

 

 

niye tt
Ai s Ke se
w Ke se n Ki di
de e
w w Ky se de.
nieja
hirakére
wakerenąkiži,
žee
wawagaireže.
into the rivers
to reach
[that were put, and]
these
they meant.

 

 

ni s.
Ao so liAi ni
xeAe te
n di se Ki di.
de e
Nira
horupį́nį
xete
nąžįregiži,
žee
The rivers
eddies
big
they would have, and
them

 

 

p. 573* —
Ai K[e ?].†
niy K
e tt.
w tto we
Ao we
higa,
niąka
éja
wajowe
howe
[as he did,]
the river
there
boat
to go

*te e. w Ktt K K. Ae se n. ("This is Wakjakaga") is written at the top of the page.
†is this suppose to be for hįké? There is no following -ni to complete the negation, yet the translation has, "... it would be impossible to go on it in a boat ...".

 

 

liAi n Ktt n Ae Ke
e rKe.
de de rK n K.
wo n reAe we de.
Ao we.
pįnakjanahege,
ésge
žežesganąga
wonąseweže.
Howe
[as it would {not} be good,]
that is why
those things
he trampled under.
He went

 

 

p. 574 —
e Ki.
de e e tt.
A Ko sey d.
ni s.
Ao xa
égi
žeeja
hagoreižą,
nira
hox’á
and
there
one day
the waters
falls

 

 

n di de.
A Kidi
ni s
diAi ls
n di de.
nąžįže.
Hakši
nira
šibera
nąžįže.
[it stood.]
Very high
the water
falling
[it stood.]

 

 

de e.
w Ke de.
Ai tt Ai.
s mi Ki di.
te e.
žee
wageže,
"Hijąhį́
ramį́giži,
tee
That
he said to it,
"Some other place
[you can lie, as]*
this

*the translation has "remove yourself".

 

 

p. 575 —
w Kidi Ks.
eyo xA.
Ai se Ktt n Ae s.
n tteKe wo ttiAi
w s Ktt n Ae n.
wąkšígera
e-oxá
hirekjanahera,
nąčgé-woči
warakjanaheną,"
the people
the falls
they are going to be,
to be troubled
you will make them,"

 

 

e de.
K tt
we de.
A Ke
de rKe
éže.
Gają
weže,
"Hąké
žesge
he said.
But
it answered,
"Not
it

 

 

A ni Ktt n Ae n.
Ao rKe
Ai deKe
e Ki
A mi Ke
hanikjanaheną.
Hosge
hišké
égi
hamįke,
I will not do it.
[For no reason]
myself
here
as I am lying here,

 

 

p. 576 —
w o mK dA n.
e de.
Ai tt Ai
s mi Ki y se Ke
w Ae n.
wa’ųmą́kšaną,"
éže.
"Hijąhį́
ramįgiarege,
wahéną,"
it is why I am doing it,"
it said.
"Somewhere else
you should lie,
[I mean,"]

 

 

e K tt.
Ai rKe xitti
A Ke
o ni de.
e Ki.
egają,
hisgexjį
hąké
’ųnįže.
Égi
he said, but
[sure enough]
not
he would not do it.
Then

 

 

w Ktt K K.
we de.
m e.*
m nK Kese.
w Kidi Ke.
Wakjąkaga
weže,
"Mae*
manągre
wąkšige
Trickster
he said,
"This
the earth
the people

*m e (mae) is unattested. The normal form would be mee or me’e.

 

 

p. 577 —
e Ki
w KidiKi e Ktt n Ae s.
tt n K.
w s.
s Ae s
égi
wąkšígekjanahera,
jánąga
wara
rahera,
[here]
it is for them to live on,
as many as
[to go to it]
[the ones going,]

 

 

sK w Ai Ktt n Ae Ki di.
de e.
liAi Ai w do Kette
w o A A tte n.
rakawahikjanahegiži,*
žee
pįhi-wažukje,†
wa’ųhahajeną,"
[you will arise, and]
[this one]
he is to be replaced,
it is what I came for,"

*the passage, janąga wara rahera rakawahikjanahegiži, is given the incomprehensible translation, "as many as will worry them.". Marino represents kawa as meaning, "to arise (?)", a meaning that better fits the context.
†wažu comes from wa-, "something," and žu, "to place, put, plant; touch, bag" (Marino). The stem žu in this context functions as a pun, as it also means, "to precipitate" (Miner). The word pį́hi means, "carefully, gently, quietly, restfully, easy, good, well; over"; and it has also the sense "to renew." So the compound means, "to be eased over."

 

 

p. 578 —
e de.
A Ke
doo ni Ktt n Ae Ki di.
A Ke
liAi Ai ni
éže.
"Hąké
š’ųnikjanahegiži,
hąké
pįhini
he said.
"Not
if you do not do it,
not
not very gentle

 

 

Ki o ni Ktt n Ae n
e de.
e Ki.
w Kette xiAi s.
we de.
ki’ųnikjanaheną,"
éže.
Égi
Wakjexira
weže,
I will use you,"
he said.
Then
the Waterspirit
he said,

 

 

ttAe Ki A se tt.
A Ke
A o ni Ke
Ao mi Ki tK dA n
e de.
"Čekihareja,
hąké
ha’ųnigé,
homį́kitakšaną
éže.
"When I first spoke,
not
I would not do it,
[to move from here,"]
he said.

 

 

p. 579 —
e Ki.
w Ktt K K.
w o de.
ny d.
Ki ttiKi r n Ki.
Égi
Wakjąkaga
wa’ųže.
Naįžą
kičgisanąki,
Then
Trickster
[he did it.]
A stick
he cut for himself,

 

 

e Ki.
Ki rAK
lo Ko noKo deAe.
e Ki.
a tts
égi
kisak
bokų́nųkše.*
Égi
ajera,
then
[into the middle]
he shot it into it.
Then
[away from the shore,]

*this word means, "to shoot in two something long, leaving a clean break" (Miner), but it may have been a misunderstanding of boką́nąk, "to push or knock over with a quick blow."

 

 

wo too ne de.
e Ki
e tt.
i ni
se xi d
wot’ųneže.
Égi
éja
ini
reǧižą
he threw him out.
Then
there
stone
a kettle

 

 

p. 580 —
Ki Koo de.
Ai A.
Ai sow Ks.
m Ai A Kese Ki.
w A tti Ktte n
kik’ųže.
"Hįhá,
hiroágera
mąhihakregi
wahajikjeną,"
he made for himself.
Now then,
for the last time
on earth
I will eat,"

 

 

e de.
e tt
Ao A de.
e Ki
to tti Ki di.
éže.
Éja
hohą́že.
Égi
tujigiži,
he said.
There
he boiled it.
Then
when he cooked it,

 

 

w rKe
xeAe tey d.
e tt
Aoyi ri de.
i ni.
wasgé
xeteižą
éja
hoisiže.*
Ini
dish
a big one
there
he dished it out.
Stone

*a hapaxlegomenon.

 

 

p. 581 —
w rKe
Ki Koo de.
e Ki
e tt
mi nK K n K.*
wasgé
kik’ųže.
Égi
éja
mįnąkanąga
dish
he made for himself.
Then
there
he sat, and

*this spelling suggests mįnąkakanąga.

 

 

w sotto deAe.
i ni.
Ai A Ke tt
w o de.
Ao mi nK s.
waručše.
Ini
hihagéja
wa’ųže.
homįnągera
he ate.
Stone
on top
he did this.
His seat

 

 

Ai Ko
de Ko se Ki
dKe
ttA tii tte n.
se xs
higų
žegųregi
ške
čąt’į́jeną.
Reǧera
even
to this day
also
it is visible.
The kettle

 

 

p. 582 —
deKe.
w reKe s
deKe.
e Ki.
Ao mi n Ki de.
ške
wasgéra
ške
égi
homįnąkiže,
also
the dish
also
and
where he sat,

 

 

o di.
Aoyi Kd ls
dKe
ttA tii de.
dAo tteKe s
’uží
hoikšabera
ške
čąt’į́že.
Šųčgéra
his buttocks*
his crack†
also
it is seen.
His testicles

*everywhere else ’uží means, "anus, rectum," but here it clearly means "buttocks."
† in Marino, hoikšap is said to mean, "to split," and in Miner, "to split by hitting."

 

 

deKe.
ttA tii xitti tte de
ay se dAo no n
de Ko ne Ki deKe.
niyo xeAe te s.
ške
čąt’į́xjiježe,
airešųnųną,
žegųniške.
Nioxetera
also
it is visible,
it is said,
even now.
The Mississippi

 

 

p. 583 —
ni doAo tts.
A Ki detteKe
n Ke di.
niyo xeAe te.
Nišójera
hakišjék
nąkéži,
Nioxete
the Missouri River
where it enters
[it's back, in any case,]
Mississippi

 

 

Ae Ke we tt.
a dKe
niKi
w o de
ay se n.
hokeweja,
ašge
nįk
wa’ųže,
aíreną.
at the entrance,
near
a short distance,
he did it,
it is said.

 

 

p. 584 —
e Ki.
e tt
so dtt Ki di.
te tt s.
Ao tal deAe.
Égi
éja
rušjągiži,
tejąra
hot’ą́pše.
Then
there
he quit, and
the ocean
he went into.

 

 

e Ki.
e tt.
m xiAi
w Ke tt.
Ao w Ke se de.
Égi
éja
mąxi
wągéja
howakereže.
Then
there
heavens
[above]
he went back.

 

 

m o s.
m
ni Ke.
Ao mi nK n Ki di.
Ko Ay tt.
Mą’ųra
mą
nįge
homįnąknąkiži,
kųhaį́ja
The Creator
land
where
he sits, and
under there

 

 

di Ke
m
de rKe
ni Ke n Ki di.
e
žigé
mą
žesge
nįgenagiži,
e
again
land
like
[the place, and]
[he]

 

 

 

de e
A Ki
Ai so K n s
Ae se nK deAe
ay se n.
žee
hagí
hirukąnąra
herenąkše,
aíreną.
that one
there
he is in charge
he is,
it is said.

 

 

Ai t ni n Ki di.
de e.
Ke ttA Ke K.
e
de e
Ai so K n nK dAe
Hitaninagiži,
žee
Kečąkega,
e
žee
hirukąnąnąkše,
The third one,
this one,
Turtle,
he
that one
he is in charge,

 

 

p. 586 —
ay se n.
e Ki
m
te e.
Ao o
aíreną.
Égi
mą
tee,
ho’ų
it is said.
And
land
this,
the place

 

 

A tt ne.
w ditti Ke K.
e
Ai so K n n.*
e rKe.
hająne,
Wašjįgega
e
hirukąnąną.
Ésge,
we are in,
Hare
he
he is in charge.
Therefore,

*Radin's published version ends here.

 

 

w ditti Ke K.
wo dK A ni s.
Ai d
liAi Ai Ki di.
m o s
  ...*
Wašjįgega
wošgahanira
hižą
pįhigiži,
Mą’ųra
...
Hare
his affair
one
if he does it right,
[Earthmaker]
...

*underneath the last word on the page, m o s, is written "Where the," demonstrating that the text continued on, although page 587 is missing. The missing portion may have been something like, Mą’ųra mą nįge homįnąknąkše, rekjéną — "he may go to the land where Earthmaker dwells."

 

Source:

The original text, which is incomplete, is found in John Baptiste (trs.), "Wakdjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 566-586. An English translation is found in Paul Radin, The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology (New York: Schocken Books, 1956) 52-53.