Four Steps of the Cougar, Narrative Structure

Four Steps of the Cougar, Narrative Structure

Key —

[I] Exposition vs. Recapitulation: the entrance into and departure from the Creation Lodge

[A] Approaching the entrance (of the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite)

[1] the door of the lodge
[2] going towards, coming to

[B] A long tailed animal is placed in a particular position vs. hąp is placed in a particular position with respect to a long tailed animal

[1] attribute (sex, color, holiness)
[2] position
[3] to place vs. to extract
[4] what was placed or extracted: long tailed animal vs. hąp

[C] Shaking an animal's long tail in order to sweep away evil spirits from the Creation Lodge vs. shaking an animal's long tail in order to anchor good spirits in place within the Creation Lodge

[1] moving the animal's tail
[2] spirits
[3] the Creation Lodge

[D] All of the evils ones are swept up and pushed away to the bad place (the north) thereby purifying the Creation Lodge/Day

[1] the evil ones (šišigera)
[2] all of them (hanącį)
[3] the bad place (howušguni)
[4] sweeping (hoisįc)
[5] pushed away (rehi)
[6] what is purified: Creation Lodge vs. Light (Hąp)
[7] pure

[E] Augmentation of hąp in the fire at the center of the lodge

[1] properties of the light (hąp, fire): glittering vs. straight, half vs. full

[a] property of the light
[b] he made it (kiri...hi)

[2] the fire in the center of the lodge vs. light (hąp)
[3] entering with light vs. exiting with light

[F] What an animal possesses remains motionless vs. what an animal possesses is put in motion by being taken away

[1] here and there
[2] type of animal
[3] what the animal possessed
[4] moving vs. standing

[II] Chiastic Center: The four steps of the cougar

[G] Limb
[H] Placement
[I] Hare vs. Grandmother

[1] He Whom They Call "Nephew" vs. Our Grandmother
[2] attributes with which they are identified (snow vs. earth)

[J] Elbow
[K] Penetration

[note]

I. Exposition

[A]

[1] Rek'uhuhira cirob-o- (South the door)

[2] -cagiwera (going towards)

[1] cirobera (the door)

[2] cagiwekjanegiži (when he's going towards),

[B]

[2] sanįgoišoroija (direction right)

[3] ruse (he took from)

[4] wicąsįcserejera (long-tailed cat)

[1] sącąxjį (awe inspiring)

[1] sgaxjįžą (a very white one)

[2] cowera (in front)

[3] hojijehiže (he placed).

[2] Cabonihara (On top of his head)

[4] hąbera (light)

[3] hiniuanąga (he placed it and)

[2] sirokura (on the bottom of his feet)

[3] hiniuanąga (he put and)

[2] cowera (in front)

[3] hokereže (he placed him)

[4] wicąsįcserecjega (the cougar).

[2] Cower- (In front of him)

[3] -ojijehigi (as he placed him)

[4] Wažągųzera jagu hirokono (the Creator what he is in charge of)

[3] gigigiži (he put)

[4] hanącį (all of it)

[3] rohikuanąga waųjžeže (he clothed himself with it and thus he did).

[4] Rohira (His body)

[1] x'ox'e (frail from holiness)

[3] hakikaraniže (he held himself).¹

Gają (Now),

[C]

[1] sįcera waririšhigają (his tail is wriggled bent)

[2] waxop'ini (spirits)

[3] cicabirera (their lodge)

[D]

[1] hošišigera (the evil ones)

[2] hanącį (everyone of them)

[3] howušguninegi (to the bad place)

[4] hoisįc (to sweep)

[5] rehiže (he pushed away).

[6] Wogųzocira (The Creation Lodge)

[7] sisįcį (neat and clean)

[E]

[1]

[a] ru-kiri-kiri (shimmering and glittering)

[b] kirijehiže (he made it).

[2] Ciokisag Honąžįna (He Who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge),

[2] hotazobera (the blaze of fire),

[1]

[a] ro-ca (straight)

[b] jijehiže (it was made to become),

[2] herešgera (he the very one even).

[D]

[1] Mąxi šišigera (Clouds the evil ones)

[2] jasgakiži hanącįxjį (how all of them)

[3] yowušgunina (in the bad place)

[4] hoisįc (to sweep)

[5] rehiže (he pushed away).

[6] Hąberašana (Day only)

[7] karapiesgexjį kirijehiže (perfect he made it)

[F]

[2] Wakirihokereųna (The web maker)

[3] jagu (what)

[4] rokarairesge (seemed to be suspended)

[4] nąžįže (it stood).

[II] Chiastic Center

[H] Cekjįna ruhaijegają (After he took the very first step)

[I]

[1] Hikorokehiwira hįcabera (Our Grandmother)

[J] ok'šųkšueja hip'a (up to the elbow)

[K] gipogijehiže (he penetrated).

[G] Asąnįgeja (The other arm)

[H] ruhaijehigają (he placed it)

[I]

[1] Hicųšge gikarajirera (the one they call "Nephew")

[K] sąwąxjį (he sank).

[K] Nų?sąwąxjį (To penetrate)

[H] hijehiže (he extended).

[J] Ok'šųš'uejap'a (up to his elbows)

[H] gijehiže (he took his step).

[G] Waizitanina (The third limb)

[H] ruhaijegają (when he placed it),

[I]

[1] Hikorokehiwira hįcabera (Our Grandmother)

[2] hax'ixjį (quite ripened)

[J] ok'šųkšuejip'a (up to his elbow)

[K] gipokgijehiže (he penetrated).

[G] Waizairuagera (His raised limb)

[H] ruhaijehigają (when he put it down),

[I]

[1] Hicųšge gikarajirera (the one they call "Nephew")

[2] hohocį (fine and powdered)

[J] ok'šųkšueja hip'a (up to the elbow)

[K] gipokgijehiže (he penetrated).

I´. Recapitulation

[A]

[1] Cirob- (entrance)

[2] -(h)ikerera (coming to)

[B]

[1] hinug hirakirus (female with them himself)

[4] wak'ą (snake)

[1] cora (green)

[1] wągera (male)

[2] hoišorora (the right)

[3] hokereže (he placed it).

[4] wak'ąna (snake)

[1] wąk'jega (the male)

[2] hoišoror(a)- (to the right)

[3] -(h)okereže (he placed it).

[1] Hinųkjega (the female)

[2] hoiracgera (to the left)

[3] hokereže (he placed).

[4] Wak'ąnąka akiwake (both the snakes)

[3] wanijinoganąga (he grabbed and)

[C]

[1] waruksųksųcše, gíži (he shook them).

[2] Hikorokehiwira (Our Grandmother)

[3] jajaįxjiąki (how far it is)

[3] žejaįxjį (that far)

[1] wowajas (he pushed them in)

[3] hije- (there)

[1] -hiže (to go)

[1] kiųnepini (they couldn't be made loose)

[1] hijewahíže (he placed them).

[E]

[3] cirobera hakja hoitu (the door he threw it back, he did).

[2] Hąbera (Light)

[1] hokiwasik (half of it)

[2] ciokisageja (within the center of the lodge)

[1]

[a] rugigis (full)

[b] kirinąk hiže (he made it appear).

[2] Hąbera (Light)

[1] hokiwasik (half of it)

[3] hanihinop gikereže (he took out, he did).

[F]

[1] Nįgešana (Here and there)

[2] Hąbamanina (the Light Walkers)

[3] warawa (something in their mouths)

[4] t'ąhihįpše (they were flying).

[1] Nįgešana (Here and there)

[3]warawa (something in their mouths)

[4] hihįpše (they were moving on)

[2] mąnegerera (the earthly ones).

Notes

The Overall Structure. The overall structure is chiastic:

I

II

I

Its major parts are arranged in the following pattern:

A

B

C

D

E

D

F

H

I

J

K

G

H

I

K

H

J

H

G

H

I

J

K

G

H

I

J

K

A

B

C

E

F

As can be seen, this is a tripartite set of structures that are essentially serial in nature.

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The Structure of [B]. The initial exposition of the structure of [B] appears to be more disordered than its recapitulated version. However, this is largely an illusion. The structure of [B] apart from its serial introduction, can be seen to be elagantly chiastic when arranged in sets of frames (as shown by the indenting). This chart was made in the old Dorsey-Radin orthography.

The matching of [1], [2], and [3] is clear and strong, but [4] may seem obscure. South, or the Creator, is manipulating two holy things: the animal himself and the Light and Life (hąp) which he places in various positions around the body of this animal. The unity of these superficially different things lies in their being the objects which the creative forces give as a benefaction to mankind through the Rite, the agents of purification and vitality.

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