Hotc‰k Text -- Grandmother's Gifts

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

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
eta
theta
rho
tau
Žgi
Ždja
h‰«bera
g‡dj‰
jesge
djan‰ga
‡n‰ga
g’ji

psi
omega
2
M
T
h‰kŽ
jegž
-je, -ce
M‰œna
w‰kcigo'ina

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, [ ].

p. 253 --
hitcž«cge
gikar‡djirŽra
hikorokŽra
w’giw‰xcŽ
wagejŽ
Hitcž«cge
Gikar‡djirŽra
HikorokŽra
w’giw‰xcŽ.
WagejŽ,
Nephew
He whom We Call
Grandmother
he asked her.
He said to her,

kunik‡
[psi]
[M]
waj‰«nij‰
h‡nihœnigig’nije
"Kunik‡
h‰kŽ
M‰œna
waj‰«nij‰
h‡nihœnigig’nije?"
"Grandmother,
not
Earthmaker
something
he didn't let you bring?"

higŽje
[tau«]
tcžcg‡kdjin”gr‡
hisgŽ
wacŽna
higŽje,
g’ji.
"Tcžcg‡kdjin”gr‡,
hisgŽ
wacŽn‰,
[he asked her]
[.]
"My dear grandson,
the truth
you [have spoken],

higejŽ
w‰«geraninŽdj‰
wanan”ksap[epsilon«]
higejŽ
[M]
higejŽ.
"W‰«geraninŽdj‰,
wanan”ksapg‡dj‰,"
higejŽ.
"M‰œna
[she told him.]
"Since you're a man,
you're good and wise,"
[she told him.]
"Earthmaker

hi‰«djihiw’ra
djagœj‰
hanihœ”gig’ra
higž«
jegu‰«nin—kcena
Hi‰«djihiw’ra
djagœj‰
hanihœ”gig’ra
higž«
jegu‰«nin—kcen‰."
Our Father
[what it is]
he let me bring
still
I have."

[alpha]
wažjŽ
m‰ks‡n”koic—roŽdja
w‡sp‡hidj’n‰
[tau«]
Žgi
wažjŽ.
M‰ks‡n”koic—roŽdja
w‡sp‡hidj’n‰
g’ji.
[Then]
[she did it.]
From the right side of the breast
she made a nipple appear*
[.]
*"tit" is crossed out and "nipple" written above it. A note at the top of p. 254 says, "referring to the fact that in planting the earth is put in a hill".

p. 254 --
hakar‡nidj’n™k‡dj‰
[gamma]
sgaxdj”«
hiwapurudj’reh’je
rucdj™djikŽre[epsilon«]
Hakar‡nidj’n™k‡dj‰,
h‰«bera
sgaxdj”«
hiwapurudj’reh’je.
Rucdj™djikŽreg‡dj‰,
When she grabbed it,
[light]
extremely white
burst forth.*
When she quit,
*"he made" is crossed out and "burst" written above it. At least one other word is heavily crossed out, then "like white" was written above it and also crossed out. To its right is written "forth".

r‡beratc‡wan’sge*
hois'”
djidjŽje
[tau«]
dj‰«beridj‰b’re[epsilon«]
r‡beratc‡wan’sge
hois'”
djidjŽje
g’ji.
Dj‰«beridj‰h’reg‡dj‰,
like beaver ears
it appeared
[it became]
[.]
When they took their eyes off,**
*"leaf" is written above this word in reference to the English translation.
**this translation is given on the interstitial page 253/254. The original translation, which was, "when they charged ... [l]ight", has been crossed out.

wa’xara
hidja’ja”dj’djejŽ
[epsilon«]
hotc”tc”«n”gra
pazixdj”«j‰
wa’xara
hidja’ja”dj’djejŽ
g‡dj‰.
Hotc”tc”«n”gra
pazixdj”«j‰
branches*
coming one after another
[.]
A little boy
with yellow hair**
*a number of illegible words are crossed out and "branch" written to the right and above them.
**"yellow" is written over "light", which has been crossed out. The word means literally, "one with a very yellow head".

jesg‡djeje
hidanihôna
dj‰«beridj‰h’re[epsilon«]**
waixaidan’na
hidj‡djidjŽje
jesg‡djeje.
Hidanihôna
dj‰«beridj‰h’reg‡dj‰,
waixaidan’na
hidj‡djidjŽje.
it stood.*
For the third time
[when they took their eyes off her,]***
[stalks]****
they appeared.
*this is written over "was standing there", which was crossed out.
**the text has following this word, "(?)".
***The Road of Life and Death has, "when they looked at her".
****The Road of Life and Death has, "stocks", a synonym for "stalks". However, how can stalks be a stage after the rise of the yellow tassels?

hidjob—h™na
dj‰«beridj‰h’re[epsilon«]
w‰«genœn”gra
p‡sgaxdj”«j‰
jesg‡djeje
Hidjob—h™na
dj‰«beridj‰h’reg‡dj‰,
w‰«genœn”gra
p‡sgaxdj”«j‰
jesg‡djeje
For a fourth time
[when they took their eyes off her,]
an old man
white headed
he stood

[tau«]
[epsilon«]
h‰bida’un‡
haxixdj”
djŽje
[tau«]
g’ji.
G‡dj‰
h‰bida’un‡
haxixdj”
djŽje
g’ji.
[.]
[There]
[the means of life]*
very ripe
it was
[.]
*The Road of Life and Death has "life beseecher". The interlinear has, "perhaps cotton is meant".

[alpha]*
san”ho’ratcgŽdja
hak‡ran’djinokcŽ
[epsilon«]
[gamma]**
ƒgi
san”ho’ratcgŽdja,
hak‡ran’djinokcŽ
g‡dj‰.
H‰«bera
[And]
from the left side,
she grabbed
[.]
Light
*before this symbol, the following is crossed out: hitcžcgŽ gikar‡djirŽra wažjŽ tcab’rug‰« a’regi jesgŽj‰ hanit'‰pdjirejŽ n™ga.
**just before [gamma] the letter /h/ is crossed out.

sg‡xdj”
hiwapœrudjirŽje*
rucdj‰«djikŽre[epsilon«]
warutc
x—pini
sg‡xdj”
hiwapœrudjirŽje.
Rucdj‰«djikŽreg‡dj‰
warutc
x—pini
extremely white
[burst forth.]
[When she quit,]
food
spirit
*the /w/ is written above a crossed out /y/.

‡bera
ruj‡tc
djidjŽje
dj‰ber’dj‰hire[epsilon«]
hinž«gen”«gera
‡bera
ruj‡tc
djidjŽje.
Dj‰ber’dj‰hireg‡dj‰
hinž«gen”«gera
the leaves
branched
appeared.
When they turned their eyes away,
a little girl

pazixdj”«j‰
djŽje
[tau«]
hinžb—h™na
dj‰«benidj‰h’re[epsilon«]
pazixdj”«j‰
djŽje
g’ji.
Hinžb—h™na
dj‰«benidj‰h’reg‡dj‰,
very yellow hair
[she stood]
[.]
The second time
[when they took their eyes off her,]

waixara*
hinûbraídjádjidjejé
[epsilon´]
hidaníhôna
waixara
hinûbraídjádjidjejé
gádjâ.
Hidaníhôna
branches
the second came
[.]
The third time
*just before this word, abinûbra has been crossed out.

djâ´benidjâ[epsilon´]
híre[epsilon]
waíxara
djâ´benidjâhiregádjâ,
hiregádjâ,
waíxara
[when they took their eyes off,]
[when they did,]
[branches]
*just before this word, abinûbra has been crossed out.

p. 255 --
hidan’na
hidj‡djidjŽje
hidjob—h™na
hodj‰beridj‰h’re[epsilon«]
hidan’na
hidj‡djidjŽje.
Hidjob—h™na
hodj‰beridj‰h’reg‡dj‰,
[the third one]
[it came forth.]
The fourth time
when they looked,

hinžgr‡
[T]*
h’xdj”**
jesg‡nukce
par‡sga
hinžgr‡
w‰kcigo'ina
h’xdj”
jesg‡n‰kce.
Par‡sga
woman
life
[somewhat advanced]
[that kind she was.]
White headed
*just before this word, /w‰/ has been crossed out.
**this word is followed by two vertical parallel lines designed to separate it from the word that follows it.

tcaber‡car‡
rora
tcak’risge
rinísge*
‡ra
tcaber‡car‡,
rora
tcakírisgeronísge,
‡ra
baldheaded,
her body
like a flea,
her arms
*it appears that the word that looks like rinísge is actually ronísge with a macron over the vowel. The macron makes the vowel look something like a dot over an /i/. Therefore, we probably have tcakírisgeronísge, which is tcakirisgera-honisge, "like a flea". This very word is repeated by the same author later in this account of the Medicine Rite in the story Journey to Spiritland, v. 4.

dan’hu‡ragen’sge
h‰bogœrap‡hi
djŽje
han‰ga
warœtc-x—pini
dan’hu‡ragen’sge,
h‰bogœrap‡hi
djŽje.
Han‰ga
warœtc-x—pini
like the stem of a pipe,
in the east
she stood.
Here
spirit food

hax’xdj”
djŽje
[tau«]
hitcž«cge gikar‡djirŽra
wažjŽ
hax’xdj”
djŽje
g’ji.
Hitcž«cge gikar‡djirŽra
wažjŽ.
over ripe and spent
it was
[.]
He Whom we Call Nephew
[he did it.]

tc‡haruz‰
a’regi
jesgŽj‰
han’t'‰«pdjirŽje
hanžga
Tc‡haruz‰
a’regi,
jesgŽj‰
han’t'‰«pdjirŽje,
han‰ga
Untanned buckskin
[what they call]
[one of this kind]
he stood up with
[and]

dan’sadjeg‡*
n‰«boreh’je
n‰«hžgr‡
hak’ruek'-i[rho«]***
[alpha]
dan’sadjeg‡
n‰«boreh’je.
N‰«hžgr‡
hak’ruek'-i‡n‰ga,
Žgi
the tobacco
he held in his hand.
The chief of trees**
it was mixed with it and****
[then]
*the first /a/ is written over an original /e/.
**the interlinear has, "the chief-stick". This translation is from The Road of Life and Death.
***just before the hyphen, the letter /h/ has been crossed out.
****"he opened the package" has been crossed out, and "sprinkled upon himself" has been written above it, but it too has been crossed out. This translation is from The Road of Life and Death.

tci—kis‡gedja
hiruŽ
djin‰[tau«].
[tau«]
hatcžga’xdj”
tci—kis‡gedja
hiruŽ
djin‰g’ji.
G’ji,
"Hatcžga’xdj”
in the middle of the lodge
he spread it out
[when he came.]*
[Then,]*
"I wonder which of us**
*there is a latice work drawn in just before the ditto marks below the second [tau«], and extending above it vertically, is a faint line separating the two successive [tau] symbols.
**this is written above "which one", which has been crossed out.

hina’tcawig’
hir‡min—gireje
p—nana
ho’dj‡
m”«kce
hina’tcawig’,"
hir‡min—gireje.
P—nana
ho’dj‡
m”«kce
he'll call on us,"*
they thought.
Smell
it filled**
[it lay].
*"he'll" is written above, "he's going to", which is crossed out.
**before this phrase, "(tent)" is crossed out, as is "with smoke" which follows it.

[tau«]
han‰tc”xdj”
hahuhu*
min—girŽje
[tau«]
g’ji.
Han‰tc”xdj”
hahuhu
min—girŽje
g’ji.
[.]
all
anxious**
they sat
[.]
*originally, the word hax™x™ was written here, but the two /x™/ syllables were crossed out and above them was written, huhu.
**this word is written above a crossed out, "(smoke they were covered with)".

hatc”«djah”«
wara’tceje
h‰«boguŽdjan‰ka
Žjee
herekdj—ne[epsilon«]
Hatc”«djah”«
wara’tceje.
H‰«boguŽdjanžka
Žjee
herekdj—neg‡dj‰,
where else*
would he call on.
The one in the east
[that one]
that will be,
*this is written above "what place", which has been crossed out.

hira’re[epsilon«]
tcinœxge
s‡n”k
hoicoro’dja
t'‰«pdjirŽje
hira’reg‡dj‰.
Tcinœxge
s‡n”k
hoicoro’dja
t'‰«pdjirŽje.
they thought.
Back of lodge
side
right
he rose.

kixikŽra
hicdjasgaxdj”«j‰
djagu’j‰
w’h”žkdj‡negi
hak‡rani[rho«]
KixikŽra
hicdjasgaxdj”«j‰
djagu’j‰
w’h”žkdj‡negi
hak‡rani‡n‰ga
Wolf*
a very white faced (one)**
[what one]
[that which he was to use ?]
he took and***
*"wolf" is written above letters that have been so thoroughly crossed out that they cannot be read.
**this has been written around a crossed out "head". The parenthetical material is my own.
***"he had it" has been crossed out, and what appears to be "he took his cane" has been written above it. The Road of Life and Death translates this and the previous word together as, "He held in his hand that which he was to smoke."

k‡waj‡ja
h‰bida’una
han’djin—kce
[tau«]
dan’hura
k‡waj‡ja
h‰bida’una
han’djin—kce
g’ji.
Dan’hura
he wiped it out*
[the Means of Obtaining Life]**
he grabbed***
[.]
The pipe
*this translation does not seem to make any sense and is simply omitted in The Road of Life and Death.
**in the interlinear it is interpreted (rather than translated) as "tobacco"; in The Road of Life and Death it is translated once again as "life-beseecher".
***this translation is crossed out. However, this is the correct translation, as attested in several other sources, and does not differ significantly from "he seized hold of" found in The Road of Life and Death.

p. 256 --
hoju[rho«]
[alpha]
djob—h‰
rax—tchigu[epsilon«]
[T]
hojuan‰ga
Žgi
djob—h‰
rax—tchigug‡dj‰
w‰kcigo'ina
he filled it and
[then]
[four times]
he took a puff [and]
his life

hixdj”«
djŽje
c'akdj”
tc‰t'”«hijŽ
[alpha]
hixdj”«
djŽje.
C'akdj”
tc‰t'”«hijŽ.
Žgi
very full*
[it stood.]
[Very old]
[he was made to appear.]
[And]
*Radin writes at the top center of page 256, with respect to w‰kcigo'ina hixdj”«, "his life was very full = he attained full life".

hohuh”«djob’ke
man‡x'o
rehi[rho«]
hohu[rho«]
hohuh”«djob’ke
man‡x'o
rehian‰ga
hohuan‰ga,
the four directions
he scratched the earth with his feet
[he sent it away and]
he howled it [and,]

hoho-ho-ho hwa-hwa
Žje
han™ga
[alpha]
kisis”«tc[epsilon]
hoho-ho-ho hwa-hwa,
Žje,
han‰ga
Žgi
kisis”«tcgadj‰,
hoho-ho-ho hwa-hwa,
[he said,]
[and]
[then]
[after he shook himself,]

djasg‡djira
jŽsg‡k’ridjŽje
[alpha]
weje
wacdj”gŽ
djasg‡djira
jŽsg‡k’ridjŽje.
Žgi
weje,
"Wacdj”gŽ,
just as he had been*
he became.**
Then
he said,
"Hare,
*"had" is written over "was".
**below this is written, "i.e., he became young".

nicgŽ
de[eta]
hin‡djir‡nihŽ[2]*
wor‡ginic‡n‰grŽ
hij‰«
nicgŽ
dejesge
hin‡djir‡nihŽje.
Wor‡ginic‡n‰grŽ,
hij‰«
[also]
this
they would repeat about me.
That you're looking for for them,
one
*after this word, the text has, "(hedegen etc. hiuni etc.) (T-na)" -- "the life of your uncles and aunts".

deŽ
p'”«hi[tau«]
[psi]
deŽ
ruc‡gen”[2]
deŽ
p'”«hig’ji,
h‰kŽ
deŽ
ruc‡gen”je.
this
if he makes good,
not
this
he cannot fail.

Hij‰«
wŽwina
p'”hig’*
djasgŽ
pah‡re
Hij‰«
wŽwina
p'”hig’,
djasgŽ
pah‡re
One
who thought
if he made good,
how
[?]**
*just after this word is written, "(T-na)" that is w‰kcigo-”na, "life".
**under dasgŽ pah‡re is written "that is how --" with "have" written above "how".

jesga’re[2]
[alpha]
hogig”x«
han‰«tc”
ikerŽregi
jesga’reje."
Žgi
hogig”x«
han‰«tc”
ikerŽregi,
they will be."
[Then]
[around]
all
when they held in their mouths,

harux‡
[gamma]
hidja’ra
harejŽ.
harux‡
h‰«bera
hidja’ra
harejŽ.
it commenced, continued*
the day
to become bigger
as it went.
*"continued" is written above "it commenced".

Source:

Untitled, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #7: 253-256; 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]) 323-324.