Hocąk Text — Descent of the Drum, Version 2

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake


English Translation

The following are Greek letters and other symbols used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text. Their values mostly correspond to those given in Radin's notebook Winnebago II, #6, on the interstitial page between 107/108:

α β γ ε λ τ υ
égi éja -gíži ? -gáją ? žesge gų ? -regi

ψ K ·נ C X ʆ ɕ
hąké janą́hi nunige š'ageniwína uañk -že, -še -xjį

ƪ - / ·/ ·/, ·/
-ižą -ra -ną -kjéną -kjanèną -nañk

In the interlinear text where the translation is missing, it has been supplied whenever possible from the English text of The Road of Life and Death (see Source below). Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].


Title
Neghodjį Ruwína
Neǧojį Ruwína
Drumming [the Acquisition of]

p. XX —
'Uañge[υ´] [K] widjádja éwa'ú[/] widjádja
'Uañgerégi janą́hi Wijája éwa'úną. Wijája
From above [as many as] [the Messengers] he made it. The Messenger

 


 

nañjíñkdje[-] 'uañge[υ´] nąboréhi gųsá[/] [α]
nąžíñkjera* 'uañgerégi nąboréhi gųsáną. Égi
that might stand up above [with his own hands]† he made it. [Then]
*the text version where /ñ/ is before /ž/ is not well-formed.
†the translation has, "he handled it".

 


 

mąnégi howáhugigi[·/] wogų́zotcí[-] tcąt'iáñgere [α]
mąnégi howáhugigikjéną. Wogų́zocíra cąt'iáñgere égi
[to earth] [he would make it come.] The Creation Lodge as it appears [here]

 


 

howáhugigi[·/] 'uañge[υ´] hura hąb[-´] tciwį́hu[/]
howáhugigikjéną. 'Uañgerégi hura. Hąberá ciwį́huną.
[he would make it come.] From above it came. [The light] roaring it came.

 


 

XXI* —
hąb[-´] djobóhi hokikó[⨪]† konañk[γ´] hi[ƪ´]
Hąberá jobóhi hokikónañka konañkíži, hižą́
[The light] [four] within one another that he placed, [one]
*at the top of this page Radin has the following conjugations: "to walk = máni, macíni, maní; to shout = hawána, rawáną, wáną". At the left top of the page, he has written, "mąráni also permitted but (?) ...".
†the symbol [⨪] has an /a/ above over it.

 


 

hiradjíga hąbe[-] tciwį́djikére maní[ʆ] hikarókihíwi[-]
hirajíga hąbera ciwį́jikére maníže. Hikarókihíwira
it came to [the light] [arriving with a roar] it walked. Our Grandmother

 


 

[X´]a'iądją́ne [ψ] [α] hiwucáni[ʆ] hiradjígi
uáñga'iąją́ne hąké égi hiwušániže. Hirajígi,
that we live on [not] [here] did it stop. When it came to,

 


 

hąb[-´] ksųtc djikere[ʆ´] tciwį́djikere[ʆ´] gisgą́djire[ʆ´]
hąberá ksųc jikerežé. Ciwį́jikereže. Gisgą́jirežé.
[the day] shaking it became. [It arrived with a roar.] It pierced through and went on.

 


 

hikarokihíwi[-] mokiságe[υ] huñgé hi[ƪ´] xgicgúni
Hikarokihíwira mokiságeregi huñgé hižą́ xgišgúni
Our Grandmother in the middle of the earth* [chief] [a] quiet†
*this has "center" written above it.
†"quiet" is written above "calm", which has been crossed out.

 


 

t'ąp[ʆ´] [γ´] jeé [ϕ] wogų́zotci[-]
t'ąpšé gíži. Žeé hąké Wogų́zocira
he placed it [.] [That one] [not] the Creation Lodge

 


 

wowéwina hókarakéreniñge [ε] wowéwina jé[τ´]gi
wowéwina hókarakéreniñge gają (?). Wowéwina žegų́gi (?)
his thoughts he did not add [.] [His thoughts] if it was thus

 


 

hidjókewehí[·/]ge [ε] wagi'ų́[ʆ] widjádja[-]
hijókewehíkjege gają (?). Wagi'ų́že. Wijájara
he would send it in [.] That's why he did it to him.* [The Messenger]
*this is connected by a line to the bottom of the page where a footnote reads, "the creator sent the drum to the huñgé so that he might add his thoughts to it."

 


 

tciókiság[β] kiridjégigi[ʆ´]* [α] wakdjexiáka hanį́dji[⨪]†
ciókiságeja kirijégigižé. Égi Wakjexiáka hanį́jinañka.
[in the center of the lodge] he made it land. [Here] [the Waterspirit] he seized.
*hi[ʆ´] was crossed out and gigi[ʆ´] written above it.
†/a/ is written above the [⨪] symbol.

 


 

hodją́ p'į'úinege p'į́dja[·נ´] hidjaíra[ɕ] p'į'ų́[ʆ]
Hoją́ p'į'úinege p'į́janunige hijaíraxjį p'į'ų́že.
Already it had been made well, but [as good as it was, however,]* much more he fixed it.
*the original translation, "it was good but", has been crossed out.

 


 

hicdjá[-] hąberégi'ų́[ʆ] [α] wogų́zotcí[-] tcáwa
Hišjára hąberégi'ų́že. Égi Wogų́zocíra cáwa
The face he used the daylight on. [Then] [the Creation Lodge] [towards]

 


 

hugigí[ʆ] djobohą wanąhé[ʆ] [α] tciókiság[β]
hugigíže. Jobohą wanąhéže. Égi ciókiságeja
[he was sent.] [Four times] he shouted. [And] in the center of the lodge

 


 

hąbemaxárok haghépdjįp[ʆ] [β] horá tcąt'įdjikere[ʆ´]
hąbemaxárok haǧépjįpše. Éja horá cąt'įjikerežé.
light piercing it burnt forth. [There] [the voice] it was audible.

 


 

[α] mañxiócecínina djásgakirécge haną́tciñ[ɕ] sániñk
Égi mañxióšešínina jásgakiréšge haną́ciñxjį sániñk
[And] bad clouds [even as they were] [everyone of them] [direction]

 


 

howucgúninegi* hoisintc rehí [α] wogų́z[-]
howušgúninegi hoisinc rehí égi wogų́zera
[to the bad place] [to sweep] [he sent off] [and] [the creation]
*just before this word /howuc/ has been crossed out.

 


 

p. XXII —
djasgé[ɕ][⨪]i* haną́tcį[ɕ] nañxgų́ djinógire[ʆ] uañge[υ´]
jasgéxjįnoki* haną́cįxjį nañxgų́ jinógireže. Uañgerégi
[howsoever big it is] [absolutely all of it] to hear it [they suddenly did.] [From above]
*above the symbol [⨪] is written an /o/.

 


 

[K] récge nañxgų́ dji[⨪][ʆ´] 'uañgi[ƪ]
janą́hi réšge nañxgų́ jinañkšé. 'Uañgižą
[as many as] [started to go out also] he heard it [he did suddenly.] A man

 


 

widjádjadje nañxgúine[ʆ] wogų́zotciáka djagú rogų́
wijájaje nañxgúineže. Wogų́zociáka jagú rogų́
as one making announcements* they heard it. The Creation Lodge what they desired
*the English line has, "the public crier" above which is written, "announcing". But a line connects to a header note that reads, "they heard it as one making announcements".

 


 

wa'ú[⨪]k[γ] [λ] hidjadjádje[ʆ] haną́tcį[ɕ]
wa'únañkiži. Žesge hijajáježe. Haną́cįxjį
they did it. [In this way] [he made announcements.] [Everyone of them]

 


 

hiperésdji[⨪´]re[ʆ] [α] karókehíwi[-] djasgéga[⨪]re
hiperésjinóñkreže. Égi Karókehíwire jasgéganoñkre
they came to know it. [And] [Our Grandmother] [every time when it happened]

 


 

haną́tcį[ɕ]* tco[-´] dji[⨪][ʆ´] [α]
haną́cįxjį corá jinoñkšé. Égi
[all of it] green [she became suddenly.] [And]
*an arrow is drawn from the previous occurrence of this word to the present place in the Hocąk line where the word "repeat" is written.

 


 

tciókiságonąjį́ne hodazób[-] rotcáñ[ɕ] djidjejí[ʆ]
Ciókiságonąžį́ne hotazóbera rocáñxjį jiježíže.
[He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge]* the blaze [very straight] [it became there]
*the translation has simply, "fire".

 


 

[ϕ] habozógenądjení [α] [C] tcitcábire[-]
Hąké habozógenąjení. Égi š'ageniwína cicábirera
Not it was unbendable. [And] [the ancestors] [their lodge]

 


 

hąbe[-] rukírikíri kinibí[ʆ]* [α] 'uañge[υ´]
hąbera rukírikíri kinibíje. Égi 'uañgerégi
[the light] [resplendent] it became. [And] [from above]
*just before this word, kinip has been crossed out.

 


 

[K] wogų́z[-] hokúruxutc huhi wogų́z[-]
janą́hi wogų́zera hokúruxuc, huhi Wogų́zera.
[as much as] [the creation] he looked upon, his own [the Creator.]

 


 

hicdjarókitcórak[ʆ] wogų́z[-] karaípį[ʆ]
Hišjarókicórakše. Wogų́zera karaípįže.
Their faces were lit up by the reflection from one another. [The creation] [it was nice.]

 


 

widjádja[-] tcąt'į́dji[υ] hiwacísgedjá[-] here[·/´]gi [β´]
Wijájara cąt'į́jiregi. Hiwašísgejára herekjégi, éja
The Announcer [he began to be audible.] The main dance songs when it is time, [there]

 


 

hikaraítcga hagigí[·/, ·/] néghodjį hiñgirúwįdjé[-]
hikaraícga hagigíkjaneną, néǧojį hiñgirúwįjéra.
to try himself I will let him, the drumming he buys from me that did.

 


Source:

Jasper Blowsnake, Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3885 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #2: XX-XXII.