Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster Visits His Family

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. 225 —
e Ki.
e tt.
w Ktt K K.
ni Ko Ki nK deAe.
A Ao
Égi
éja
Wakjąkaga
nįgoginąkše.
"Hąho!
Then
there
Trickster
ran away.
"Ho!

 

 

tt Ko
A o K tt
w o A tte Ko ni.
w Ktt K K.
jagú
ha'ųgają
wa'ųhajegųnį,"
Wakjąkaga
what
[having stayed in a place for a time]
I am doing I wonder,"
Trickster

 

 

e de.
de tt ny xitti.
Ai noKo K
K nK A ni Ae s.
éže.
"Žejanaíxjį
hinųka
kanąkhanihera
said.
"About now
the wife
that I married

 

 

p. 226 —
e
w w Ke se Kette
ny di
Ko no
e
wawakerekje.
Naį́ži
Kunu
[to her]
I will go.
About now
Kunu

 

 

Ai Ki xeAe te Ko ni
e de.
e Ki.
te
a K Ki nK.
higixetegųnį,"
éže.
Égi
te
agákinąk
must be getting big,"*
he said.
Then
lake
across

*the translation has "must big for me."

 

 

Ai noKo
K nK ni Ae K.
eyo w Ko de.
e Ki
Ai tt
hinųk´
kanąknihega
eyowaguže.
Égi
hija
woman
he had married
there he went home to.
And
there

 

 

Ki si K tt
te we s Ki.
w Ki d.
A K ni se Ki di.
kirigáją
tewéraki
wąkižą
haganiregiži
he got to and
unexpectedly
a boy
that was born to him

 

 

p. 227 —
Ki xeAe te K tt
Ki si de.
Ao Ks.
wo Ki d w de.
gixetegają
kiriže.
Hųgra
wogížawaže.
he was very big for him
when he got back.
The chief
was happy.

 

 

w to Ao ttAi K
Ki si n
a n K.
Ai Ke
w di
"Watohóčiga
kiriną,"
ánąga.
Hįké
wažį́
"The son-in-law
he has come home,"
he said.
[Not]
[something]

 

 

so K n Ai ni de.
e tt.
w Ktt K K.
niKi
n K s de.
rokanahinįže.
Éja
Wakjąkaga
nįk
nąkaraže.
[he did not cause] very much.*
There
Trickster
for his child
he hunted.

*this sentence is translated as "and very happy he was."

 

 

p. 228 —
w tee
Ai Ke s
so K n de.
e tt.
rii o de.
wat'é
higéra
rokánaže.
Éja
s'i'ųže.
Kill
he did
very much.
There
he stayed a long time.

 

 

ni Ktt Ks.
xeAe te K s Ki de.
A Ki Koxo so xoAo so Ki di.
Nįkjąkra
xetekaragíže.
Hikikxuruxurugiži,
His child
he raised to be big.
When he was able to take care of himself,

 

 

e Ki.
we de.
A Ao.
de tt ny xitti
Ao we.
égi
wéže,
"Hąho,
žejanaíxjį
howe
[then]
he said,
"Ho!
about now
around

 

 

p. 229 —
A o Ktt ne n.
Ao tt di Ai
niKi A s
xeAe te K tt.
ha'ųkjaneną.
Hoja[žihi?]
nįkhara
xetegają,
I will go.
As*
my boy
has grown up,

*added above the line is "one that is".

 

 

m n Kese
Ao s tte Ktt ne n.
de tt ny xitti
Ao to d aK dA n.
manągre
horajekjanena.
Žejanaíxjį
hotoš'akšąną.
the earth
I will visit.
About now
I am tired.

 

 

s doKo ni
m n Kese
w ow tte doAo no s.
e Ki
Rašgúni
manągre
wa'ųwaješųnųra.
Égi
In peace
the earth
I used to go about.
Here

 

 

p. 230 —
Aoyi dA Kiy tte n
e de.
hoišagiyajena,"
éže.
I am bothering myself,"
he said.

 

English Translation

Source:

Oliver LaMère (trs.), "Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 225-230.