Hotc‰k Text -- East Shakes the Messenger

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

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

alpha
beta
gamma
epsilon
rho
tau
psi
M
T
9
Žgi
Ždja
h‰«bera
g‡dj‰
‡n‰ga
g’ji
h‰kŽ
M‰'una
w‰kcigo'ina
-xdj”

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, [ ].

English Translation

p. 218 --

h‰bogœreg’n‰gere
w’djirawasŽwexŽdera
[M]
wiror‡gij‰«
[gamma]**
H‰bogœreg’n‰gere
W’djirawasŽwexŽdera
M‰'una
wiror‡gij‰«
h‰«bera
The East
Island Weight
Earthmaker
a messenger*
[light]***
*"(a messenger)" has been crossed out and "(a medicine bag)" has been written above it. The translation of The Road of Life and Death is followed here.
**just before this word, tc’ra has been crossed out.
***the interlinear has "day", followed by "(of the dance)".

tc’rirogik—nokce
[tau«]
dasŽsepdj”«j‰**
herejŽ
wir—ragen‰«ka
Tc’rirogik—nokce
g’ji.
DasŽsepdj”«j‰
herejŽ.
Wir—ragen‰«ka
That which Stands within the Lodge*
[.]
One blackened by age***
it was.
The gourd****
*the interlinear has, "inside the house he placed for him", which has been crossed out. Above it is written an illegible line. Above the Hotc‰k line is written, "life he put within his house". The translation used here is taken from The Road of Life and Death.
**the /dj/ has been inserted above the line by a caret.
***this is written above some crossed out words.
****this is written above, "the medicine bags" which has been crossed out.

kœruz[rho«]
kœrux'—
djireh’je
jesg‡djireh’je
w‰«ger‡
kœruz‡n‰ga
kœrux'—
djireh’je.
Jesg‡djireh’je.
W‰«ger‡
he took it and
to rattle*
he began.**
[He began that way.]
Man
*the interlinear has only "rattle" after a couple of crossed out words.
**the interlinear has, "he picked it up".

hŽseretc”«j‰
hŽrigim”cdjirŽje
[gamma]
djasg‡djeg’
hŽseretc”«j‰
hŽrigim”cdjirŽje.
H‰«bera
djasg‡djeg’,
one with long hair*
[his hair, shaking from side to side, began to spread out.]**
Light
as it was,
*this is written above "make one with long horns.
**the original translation under hŽrigi, "it was that one", has been crossed out. Under m”cdjirŽje the translation, "he commenced to spread out", has also been crossed out.

hidja’ra
kiridjŽhijŽ
tciokis‡gon‰j”«na
[psi]
hi‡pozop'”n’
hidja’ra
kiridjŽhijŽ.
Tciokis‡gon‰j”«na,
h‰kŽ
hi‡pozop'”n’,
better
he made it.
It Stands in the Middle of the Lodge,
not
he can't even get him down with his teeth,

hodap'”nina
rotc‰«
kiridjŽhije
m‰«xiocec’nina
dj‡sgakirŽcge
hodap'”nina,
rotc‰«
kiridjŽhije.
M‰«xiocec’nina
dj‡sgakirŽcge,
the twisting blaze,*
straight
it became.
Small, thin, white clouds
that even as it is,**
*the interlinear has, "I made it spin around", which has been crossed out and above it has been written, "blaze".
**a word has been crossed out before "it is".

p. 219* --
han‰«tc”[9]
howucgœninŽgi
hois”tc«
reh’je
wiror‡gen‰ka
han‰«tc”xdj”
howucgœninŽgi
hois”tc«
reh’je.
Wiror‡gen‰ka
[virtually all]
to the bad place**
he swept
[he sent away.]
The gourd***
*near the upper left of the page, above han‰«tc”[9], is written, "East is at the fire place".
**the text has "(road)" instead of "place".
***"his bag" has been crossed out and "gourd" written after it.

H‰bogœregin‰ka
waj—cic’k
higis”tc«
han”«gi
H‰bogœregin‰ka
waj—cic’k
higis”tc«
han”«gi
the East
badness
to sweep with*
his instrument**
*this is written above "he sweeps away", which has been crossed out.
**just before this, "it was" has been crossed out.

herejŽ*
hinžb—h™na
kurux'—djirejŽ
jesg‡djirehi[epsilon]
herejŽ.
Hinžb—h™na
kurux'—djirejŽ.
Jesg‡djirehigadj‰,
it was.
For a second time
he began to rattle it.
[When he began that way,]
*some form of this word was affixed to the previous word, but heavily crossed out. The word herejŽ was then written in small letters to the right and below the cross out, and to its right and below, connected by a line, is the translation, "it was".

waxopini
tcitc‡birŽra
pŽtcedjera
n‰gœra
han‰tc”[9]
waxopini
tcitc‡birŽra
pŽtcedjera
N‰gœra
han‰tc”xdj”
spirits
their lodge
near the fire
the Road
entire

s”s”«tc”
dj”b’je
hop”n‡canà
dj”b’je
tc’okis‡k
s”s”«tc”
dj”b’je.
Hop”n‡canà
dj”b’je.
Tc’okis‡k
swept
it became.
The good only
it became.
The Middle of the Lodge

hon‰j”«na
h‰ka
bozop'”n’
hod‡p'”nina
rotc‰«
Hon‰j”«na
h‰ka
bozop'”n’,
hod‡p'”nina
rotc‰«
He who Stands*
not
it could not be bent,**
[the twisting blaze]
straight
*the text has "standing place". The translation given here comes from The Road of Life and Death.
**Radin places this translation in brackets.

jesg‡kiridjŽhije
[tau«]
[alpha]
[gamma]
hidja’ra
jesg‡kiridjŽhije
g’ji.
Žgi
h‰«bera
hidja’ra
[he made it that way]
[.]
[Then]
the light
better

jesg‡tc‰tc”djidjeh’je
hidan’h™na
jigŽ
wir—rager‡
kœrux'—*
jesg‡tc‰tc”djidjeh’je
hidan’h™na
jigŽ
wir—rager‡
kœrux'—
[he caused it to become that way in appearance.]
For the third time
again
the messenger
[he rattled]
*just before this word, kœruksžtc« has been crossed out.

djirejŽ
jesg‡djireh’[epsilon]
tc’okisagon‰j”«na
h‰ka
djirejŽ.
Jesg‡djireh’gadj‰
Tc’okisagon‰j”«na,
h‰ka
[he began.]
[When he began that way,]
He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge,
not

boz—p'”ni
jesg‡dj’djeh’je
hodap”«nina
rotc‰«
boz—p'”ni,
jesg‡dj’djeh’je.
Hodap”«nina
rotc‰«
it could not be bent,
[he caused it to become that way.]
[The twisting blaze]
straight

djidjeh’je
waxop”«ni
tcitcabirŽra
tc‰«t'i‰«gere
[gamma]
djidjeh’je.
Waxop”«ni
tcitcabirŽra
tc‰«t'i‰«gere
h‰«bera
[he caused it to became.]
Spirits
[the ones assembled]
it's in sight
the light

hidja’ra
djidjeh’je
w‰«gera
hŽseretc”«j‰
niher‡
hidja’ra
djidjeh’je.
W‰«gera
hŽseretc”«j‰
niher‡
better
[he caused it to became.]
[The man]
[the one with long hair]
he used to be

[T]
hirag’naxdj”«
jesg‡nokce
hidjob—h™na
jesgadjirehi[epsilon]
w‰kcigo'ina
hirag’naxdj”«
jesg‡nokce.
Hidjob—h™na
jesgadjirehigadj‰,
life
he is near the age of death
[that kind he was.]
For a fourth time
[when he began that way,]

tciokisagon‰j”na
hodapinina
rotc‰
waj‰gžzera
[beta]
Tciokisagon‰j”na,
hodapinina
rotc‰
Waj‰gžzera
Ždja
He who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge,
[the twisting blaze]
straight
the Creator
there

p. 220 --
hirakŽre
djidjeh’je
waxop’ni
tcitc‡birera
wagž«zotc’ra
hirakŽre
djidjeh’je.
Waxop’ni
tcitc‡birera
Wagž«zotc’ra
to reach
he made it.
The spirits
[the assembled ?]
the Creation Lodge

h‰«berikok’ri
k‡rapiŽsge
xgicgœni
jesg‡kce
h‰«berikok’ri
k‡rapiŽsge
xgicgœni
jesg‡kce.
resplendent with Light and Life*
[like something pure]
[it moved about]
[it lay that way.]
*the interlinear text has, "to shine with the day".

[gamma]
[psi]
n”ge
huh’ni
wak’rih—kere
H‰«bera
h‰kŽ
n”ge
huh’ni,
wak’rih—kere
The light
not
direction
it did not blow,
spiders

žn‡cana
djagœir—kara’resge
jesg‡n‰j”«je.*
žn‡cana
djagœir—kara’resge
jesg‡n‰j”«je.
[the making alone]
[how they fastened it is uncertain]
[it stood that way.]
*this word is followed by cross hatches indicting the end of the story. On the interstitial page 219/220, Radin has the following note: "When spider is working it's sign of nice weather."

Source:

Untitled, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #7: 218-220; an English translation exists in Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 293-294.