The Nightspirits Bless Djobenâgiwíñxga

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation

Sam Blowsnake told the following story about his forefather Djobenâgiwíñxga as part of the ritual of the Thunderbird Warbundle Feast.

The text occurs only on even numbered pages. Uncertain translations are placed in brackets "[ ]".

p. 428 --

Tcok'agá Djobenâgiwíñxga hâbogúregi Hok'áwas Manína
Grandfather Djobenâgiwíñxga who are in the east Darkness the Ones who Walk

waxop'íni wana'î djok'arak'éreje. Tcok'agá Djobenâgiwíñxga
spirit that which has mind they add. Grandfather Djobenâgiwíñxga

p'érez na'iñgíji tok'éwehi iwús t'ék'îje
to know when he tried to be hungry to thirst to death

uanâdjodjaî´sge wa'ûje. Tcek'djína hati-áginâ`tcgi djobâ´hôna
pitiable he made. The first time he fasted the four

gádja Hok'áwas Manína hagúiregi. Rok'óno
and then Darkness the Ones who Walk they came to him. Much

gúireje nihá gu-ireje higí kiridjéreje.
with noise windpipe with noise to us they came.

"Uañkcigé iwust'é rak'î´ge nâdjonidjâ´winâ. Hâhé
"Human thirsted to death you made yourself we bless you. Night

wigaírera jésge wahadjáwinâ." Wonághirera uañkcigo'î´na
they call the kind we who speak." The war with life

nâdjirorádjanâ higaírejé. Woruxúdjgadjâ, "Djaguanácge
they blessed him, they said to him. Then he looked, "How

te'e Hâhé wanágenâ híregi?" Woruxútcgadjâ te
these Nights the ones who speak could they be?" So he looked at these

wániñk xonúniñk hecépge wánañkce. Gicdjahéregi.
birds little "hecépge (dark swans?)" they are called. They had fooled him.

Jige hiraítcera nântcgéra tékce. "Tcak'ó!
Again a little more his heart sore. "Well!

Jegu tcékdje!" hireje. Jégu hatiáginâdjera
Then I will increase!" he thought. And so he fasted

jigé p'ihí hiwajáje jégu hañk'é
again carefully he rubbed it on and so not

wárudjenìje. Hak'éwehâ nañgádja. Égi hâbogúregi
he did not eat. Six times he slept. And from the east

Hâhéra hagú-iregi. Rok'óno hagú-ireje nihá
the Nights they came. Much they came windpipe

gu-ireje, égi hidjá k'iridjéreje, "Uañkcigé
with noise and there they came, "Human

p. 430 --

nâdjonidjâ´winâ. Íwus t'érak'îñge nâtcgéra nitégera.
we bless you. Thirst to death you have the heart yours is sore.

Nâtcgéra niñgitegwínâ. Wonághirera uañkcigo'î´na nâdjirorádjâgi,"
The heart you have made ours sore. War with life we bless you,"

hiñgaírenâ. Gijí woruxútcce, "Djaguáhâhé wanáñgenâ
they said. When he looked at them, "How Nights the ones who speak

hiregádja?" hireje. Te hâñk'é Hâhé
they could be?" he thought. These not Nights

wanínâñkce. K'awícge, tcoxdji,* cík'ok'ok',** jejésge
not those who were speaking. (Unknown species of bird), ("very? blue," an unknown species of bird), robin, these kinds
*cf. tcóxtca, "a blackbird, bird on horses, cows."
**cík'ok'ok -- this is equivalent to Dorsey's ciñkókogara, "robin."

wánañkce gicdják'e wánañkce kíji. Étcâ
those who were speaking they were the ones who fooled him those who were speaking [these ?]. Instead

nâtcgéra tek'djíje, "Tcak'o! Giji tcek'dje,"
the heart to feel sore, "Well! So I will increase,"

hirejé. Giji hatáginâdjera. Jigé p'ihî´
he thought. So he began fasting. Again carefully

hiwa jáje. Hataginâ´djenañk'a haruwógahâ nañgádja. Égi
he rubbed it in. He began that fast eight times he slept. And

jigé hâbogúregi Hâhéra nâwâgú-ireje. Nihàgú-ireje
again from the east the Nights they came singing. With great wind from their throats they came

higí k'iridjé regi wagaíreje, "Hitcûcgé,
to us they came there they said, "Grandson,

nâdjonidjâ´winâ. Higû k'íni s'i hirághagwìnâ.
we bless you. Indeed to continue long you cried to us.

Uañkcigé, hiñk'agá hijâ´ nâdjwadjáwininâ. Wonághirera
Human, never one we did not bless you. The war

uañkcigo'î´na djagú gip'î´ c'uñk'djénâ," higaíreje.
with life what you liked you can eat it," they said.

Giji worughítcce te, "Djaguánacge Hâhé
So he looked at these, "How Nights

wanágenâ hiregi gadjâ?" Te hañk'é Hâhé
the ones who spoke they could be?" These not Nights

waninâ´kce. P'atco, gî´sge, wî´ghera, djanâga
not those who were speaking. Bluebird, ("squeaking ones," birds of unknown species) duck, as many as there were

tcap'oxgéra cépgi. Jesge wánâñkce djanâga
breasts dark. That kind who were speaking as many as there were

waniñk cicígeniñgera k'iji. "Híkcakcà-ire," hirejé
birds little bad ones [these ?] "They have abused me," he thought

Djobenâgiwíñxga. "Tcak'o! Hataginâ´djeregi jégû tcék'djé,"
Djobenâgiwíñxga. "Well! I will begin a fast and so I will increase,"

hereje. Hataginâ´djera jigé p'ihí wajaje
he thought. He fasted again carefully he rubbed

jédjuñga mâcdjâ´ akce. Tanína nâbák'i
and then strength, to be loud he cried. Tobacco in both hands

hojú Hâhiówak'irirèdjâ hop'áhi nâji-ánâga tanína
he placed in the direction from which the Nights came [he pointed himself ?] he stood and the tobacco

nâbóju edjop'áhi tanína wagiwáhâ nâbák'i
the held in hand there [pointed] the tobacco [open ?] in both hands

nâji-ánâga nâdjok'idjáxdjî akce. Jédjuñga mâcdjâ´
he stood and most piteously he cried. And then strong

nâtcgéra tekce. Giji k'éreponâ`ijâ nâgádja.
his heart sore. So ten times he fasted.

Égi haguadjíreje. "Uañkcigé, haniñk'oádjinâ." Hironâ´gireje
And they came to him. "Human, I have come to you." He followed them

hâbogúregi hap'áhi howániak'araìreje; Hâhé tcinô´gera
the east towards they took him; Nights the village

hatcíndjanañk'i édja hani-â´girèje. Hâhé huñgera
where, whither there he took back with him. Nights the chief

e hagúhi wagigíje. Tcinoñk'iságedja tciseredjíjâ
he to come after him he sent. Village there a long lodge

hâbogúra hap'áhi-àkce. Édja hani-ó-ik'awraìreje. Hâhé
the east towards-[it faced?]. There they took him. Nights

djánâga xete-ák'i wajîruk'ónonoñk'ìji jénuñga tciroixdji-â`kce.
as many as there were great blessings these many there were that's all the lodge was full.

Hok'awáregi wahisô´sgara si koc'ógedja hip'á
When he entered white feathers feet knee up to

hinâ´p'ogerèje. Tci-ák'a wohô´na p'edjerá djanagák'i
he walked. Across the lodge kettles the fire as many as there were

wohô´na godjowaíreje hadjaje. Égi tcehára*
kettles reaching a great distance he saw. And buffalo hide

*The text says tcahára, "the bucksin"; but the Hotcâk seems more likely a misprint than that the English translation is in error.

tcisániñk tcowéra 'uninâ´je. Égi wagaíreje,
entire lodge across it stretched. And they said to him,

"Uañkcigé, higûk'íni s'iarawénâ; higûk'íni nâtcgéra
"Human, indeed you have persevered long have you gone around; indeed you have persevered the heart

p. 432 --

nitékce. Ha'éninèna djanisgék'djera tci-óju-àgere mejénûga
you hurt. They talked about what is to happen this lodge full of [the end of them?]

hanâ´tcî Hâhé wa'uáñkcana. Égi ne Hâhé
all of them Nights they did. And I Nights

wiruk'ónanâ 'uinénâ. Wogûzotcíra hacdjacónañgre,
the one who is in control the ones who do it. The Creation Lodge just as you see it

te'e honik'ú-inenâ. Wohô´na djasgágere hañk'agá
this I give to you. Kettles [what is left in ?] never

curuc'ágeniñk'djonènâ. Tcahá nâbiruxádjera djanâgácdjare tejénûga
you will fail to have. Buckskin the offerings as many as you see [this end ?]

tani-ówaxu rak'eréranicek'djonenâ. Hoicíp djasgágere jesgánihek'djanènâ.
tobacco offerings [for all time ?] Always [what is left in ?] [thus it will be ?].

Hâhé tcinô´geregi Wogûzotcíra honik'ú-inenâ. Wonághirera
Nights the village of the Creation Lodge I give you. Warpaths

djagú c'unanac'î c'uñk'djonénâ; égi uañkcigo'î´na
however many you want to go on you can swallow; and with life

djadjaî´xdjî p'a. Tani-ówaxû`na 'unánihègi jedjaî´xdjî
as far as it has been. The tobacco offerings [that saying done ?] thus far

p'a hoicíp'djî, tanína, wohô´na, tcahá
it has been as many as there are, the tobacco, the kettles, buckskins

nâbiruxádjera, macû´ cudjerá, hoicíp'djî, Wogû´zotcira
the offerings, feathers the red ones, as many as there are, the Creation Lodge

hacdjare. Égi dji-â´gik'djonènâ hoicíp hiniñgi
they will be present. And we will accept them always if sons

p'erez hiranihék'djonènâ." Tcok'agá Djobenâgiwíñxga,
to be conscious they would be." Grandfather Djobenâgiwíñxga,

téjesge hîgaíregi. E éje.
thus they did speak. He he said.

English Translation

Notes:

-- cf. tcóxtca, "a blackbird, bird on horses, cows."

cík'ok'ok -- this is equivalent to Dorsey's ciñkókogara, "robin."

Source:

Sam Blowsnake, The Warbundle Feast of the Thunderbird Clan, in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 399-481 [428-433].