Hotc‰k Text -- Lifting Up the Bear Heads

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

p. 94 --
ƒgi
Hitc—kihiwira
Hinžkx'op'ini
horucdj‰«nereg‡dj‰**
Hitc—kehiw’ra
[And]
Our Grandfather**
Sacred Woman
when they finished,
Our Grandfather*
*"friend", which had been inserted between "our" and "grandfather", was crossed out.
**the /re/ has been inserted above the line here by a caret.

r—ra
w‰kcikxedŽ
hadja’rejŽ.
ƒgi**
w‰gŽredjinigr‡***
the body
old person*
they saw.
[And]
small boys****
*a word is completely scribbled out before "old". The word "old" is followed by "--- people" which has been crossed out. Below this line, the words "big human" have been crossed out.
**something has been completely blackened out over the /e/ in egi.
***the initial /w/ has been written over a crossed out /y/.
****"I spoke most to" has been crossed out. The translation is from The Road of Life and Death.

djop’wi
hakiw‡goc*
hadj‰«wiga.
W‰kc’k
xedŽxdj”
the four
they bent forwards**
that stands.***
People
very old****
*just before this word, hah’g—gadj‰«wiga has been crossed out.
**just before these words, "old aged" has been crossed out.
***these words are written below a number of crossed out words. "There we see" has been crossed out, and just below it, "they are" has been crossed out; to their right, "they stood" has also been crossed out.
****below w‰kc’k, "human" has been crossed out, and below xedŽxdj”, "old age" has been crossed out. Above the cross outs, "very old people" has been written.

hux‡ra
gojer‡n‰kce.
P'‡ra
sg‡xdj”
hex—konagen’sge.
back
it was bent over.
The head
very white
as if he had a swan.*
*"little" has been erased and "as if" written over it. The translation adds, "(on his head)".

ƒgi
inira’x‡gera*
n‰djœra
tc—xdj”
rusg’djenihŽra,
[And]
stone-sprinkler**
the hair
very green***
he used to tie it,
*the first /r/ is written above an /n/.
**the interlinear translation has, "water for the purpose of sprinkling on the stone". Following the word "sprinkling", the word "water" has been crossed out. The phrase, "water for the purpose" was later written above the line. The translation used here comes from The Road of Life and Death.
***after "green" the translation adds, "(black)".

n‰djœra
sg‡xdj”
hadja’reje.
W‰kc’k
xedŽ
the hair
very white
they saw.
People*
old
*"people" is written over a crossed out "age".

hotc‰t'”«
k'”
wažjŽ.
ƒgi
h”«cebra
to appear*
he made himself
he did.
[And]
dark hair**
*the translation has just "appear" which is written above a crossed out "he appeared".
**the word "few" is written in ink above "dark hair", but this is not contained within the meaning of h”«cebra.

s‰«dj‰xdj”«j‰
hirorœc'ž
hikik'ž«je.
HihŽra
yerŽcgera
a mature, strong one
he put it around
he made himself.
[He was on the point of reaching there]*
even that
*hihŽra normally means "I said", and that is what the translation in the interlinear has. However, this makes little sense here, so I hake hihŽra to be a variant of hihŽna, which Dorsey says meant, "to be reaching there, to be on the point of reaching there".

p. 95* --
h‰bogœra
p'ah’,
w‰kcik
xedŽxdj”
jesg‡n‰kce.
the east
facing,
people
very old**
that kind it was.***
*at the top left of this page is written, "= description of bear powerful, fear-inspiring".
**the word "age" is crossed out and "old" written next to it.
***"they were" has been crossed out, and "it was" has been written above it.

H‰bogœra
p'‡hi
hiratc‡tcac
ixœra
cucœdjere
The east
facing
they chattered
the lips
the red part

hiras‰«ne
n‰kŽwe
sg‡n‰kce.
ƒgi
jŽ
their teeth showed
fearful
he looked fierce.
[And]
[this one]

w‰«gedj‡n‰k‡*
hot'‰pkirikŽrera
higirŽkdjanŽgije.
S‡n”
the One at the End**
he stepped out***
when it was time***
On the side
*an asterisk follows this word, and the note to it at the bottom of the page reads, "the rising time".
**this is written above the following, which is crossed out: "the upper ones".
***"they stepped and walked" is crossed out, below which is also crossed out, "the way they ---e"; and below this "from where he got up" is also crossed out, leaving no translation. The present translation is from The Road of Life and Death.
****this is written around, "he expected him to be there" which is crossed out.

ho’coroidja
han”guje.
H”cŽbera
w‡tcekdj”«j‰*
tcowerodjin‰«kije**
right
he brought it forth.***
Black hair****
a young one*****
he placed it in
*just before this word, hotcek has been crossed out.
**just before this word, tc—werag’ji has been crossed out.
***"brought it" is written over a crossed out word.
****this is written to the right of "otter skin" which has been crossed out. Below both, "dark (colored)" has also been crossed out.
*****"one" is written over a crossed out "person". To the right, "(? dragon ?)" has been crossed out, and to its right, "(bear)" has been added.

g’ji.
Hždjen‰«ka
tcowŽdja
djin‰g’giji.
Roh’ra
[.]
The bear
in front
he placed it.
The body

x'—x'e
hokikar‡nije.
M‰œna
djagœ
hiruk‰nagig’gi,**
frail from holiness*
he carried himself.
Earthmaker
what***
he has blessed him with,****
*"frail" has been crossed out and "held in holiness" written over it. The translation for this word comes from The Road of Life and Death.
**/hi/ is placed in parentheses at the beginning of the word.
***an asterisk follows this word with a note at the bottom of the page which says, "the strength he obtained".
****this is written over a crossed out, "he put in charge".

rohik'u‰nuga
waœn‰kiji.
ƒgi
waž«je.
Tcekdj’na
he clothed himself with (and)*
that one it was.
[And]
he did it.
The first thing
*this is written above a crossed out, "he made himself the frame". Above "frame" the word "body" has also been crossed out. Above and just a little to the right of the Hotc‰k word is written, "he used his life".

p'‡ra
rua”«gugi
tcab—niha
w‰gŽdja
h‰«bera
his head
he lifted up.
The top of the head
above
the light*
*written above these words is, "(day) life".

tc‰t'”-djikŽreje.
ƒgi
hinžb—h™na
p'‡ra
rua”«gugi.
it appeared to come.
[And]
the second one
the head
he lifted up.

Tcab—niha
w‰gŽdja
h‰ber‡
hiraitcŽra
tc‰t'”
The top of the head
above
light
more
it appeared

djikŽreje.
ƒgi
jigŽ
p'‡ra
rua”«gujŽ.
to come.
[And]
again
the head
he lifted up.

p. 96 --
Rua”gug‡dj‰,
h‰«bera
hidja’ra harux‡
tc‰t'i‡reje,
tcab—niha
[Having lifted it up,]
the light
more and more
it appeared,
the top of the head

u‰gŽdja.
ƒgi
wak’ju
'žn™k‡
win‰«j”
above.
[And]
with
these*
encouraged**
*after "these", "ones" is crossed out. Below these words, "the one he is" has been crossed out.
**below this word, "he defended" has been crossed out.

djinogwahije.
"Waj‰kdjanŽn‰,"
hir‡djen‰«gireje.
H‰«bera
he made them.
"There's going to be something,"
they thought.
The light

tc‰«t'i‰dja’regi.
ƒgi
hidjob—h™na
p'‡ra
rua”gugi.
they saw it appear
and
the fourth one
his head
he lifted up.

H‰«bera
h‰brigixœkdjieh’je.
Han‰tc
nihara
xe‡djiakaraŽreje.
The light
he drew the day forth.*
All
they breathed
they hollered.

Wa”n‰«biregŽ,
wa’reje.
"Eho-eho-ho,"
a’reje.*
They were thankful,
they said.
"Eho-eho-ho,"
they said.
*this word is followed by two heavy vertical lines indicating the end of the story.

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake, Untitled, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #6: 94-96.