Hotcâk Text -- The Osage Massacre

Near the upper left of this document is a large handwritten "15". In the upper right corner, written vertically from bottom to top, is "Story no 5.". The title is centered about 3 inches from the top in two typewritten lines as indicated below. The document is a typescript, and therefore has excellent legibility. However, there are virtually no diacritical marks whatever. Those found in the text presented here have been supplied where the lexical material justified it. The orthography is strikingly similar to that of the 1903 Bible, which suggests that the material was among the earliest that Radin processed, since he quickly abandoned this form of orthography. Some of its unusual features are tabulated below:

g	gk	j	jh	ph	sh	sr	xh
g or k	uncertain	dj or tc	tc	p	c or j	s'a	gh

That /sr/ = /s'a/ is very unusual and is found elsewhere only in the 1903 Bible. Missing altogether is the stop ('). In repairing these deficiencies, I have adopted the late Radin orthography. The English lines are handwritten in pencil by an unidentified translator. As interlinear translations, they are more sentence by sentence than word for word.

Whether due to dialect or to inaccurate phonetic interpretation, there is a systematic shift from the standard /c/ in many words to an /s/: Warac > Waras, cge > sge, mâcdjâ > mâsdjâ, hâkerecge > hâkeresge; on the other hand, we have wakicara for wakisara. Also hâké, hâkaga, hâkeresge, hâkaga'û, are de-aspirated: âké, âkaga, âkeresge, âkaga'û. We also have the common use of the extremely rare, ariea-, "to say".

English Translation

Title --

Worak . . . .	De . . . .	E . . . .
[Story]	[this]	[it]

Xedeic[a]ragka . . . .	E . . . .	Horakc[a]na
[Wren]	[he]	[he told it]

p. 1 --

Égi	Seseke Nicnâgedja	Hotcâgra	mînâk	hireregi,
[And]	on the Turkey River	the Hotcâgara	they lived	when they did,

hodá	hiromâ´hâdja	hisgé	nâkíkara	hararegije.
some	up the river	also	to hunt	when they were living there.

Édja	hahí	tcinâk'û,	hagorejâ	wâkra
There	they went	[while from the village,]	one day	the men

wajóni	harahiregadjâ,	egixdjî	hododjahijâ	wawiradjije.
on a hunt	when they were,	when	a warparty	they came upon them.

Warasra	wa'ûhahireje.	Djanâga	wâkcik	xedenigra
Osages	they were.	All	people	the old ones

hidjakije,	égi	hinukrasge	hanâtc´	t'ewahireje.
that were there,	and	the women also	all of them	they killed.

Égi	hidjihakarahieje.	Wâkwajonira	'ûnâk'û	haga
Then	they went away.	The hunters	[finally]	[in time]

hakiri	hiregadjâ,	dee	mahodjawahireje.
they returned home	when they did,	[these]	they were all killed.

Ésge	wâknâka	wa'ûhireje.	Djanâga	t'ehirega
So	[these men]	[they did it.]	[As many as]	their dead

hanâtc´	rokíkewé	wagigihiranâga	égi	pîhiwakju
all	to paint their faces	[they did and]	then	to lay them away

hireje.	Égi	jedjâga	waruxé	harareje.
[they did.]	And	then	to take up the trail	[they went ?].

Ûhanihahireje.	Égi	'ûnâk'û	hagorejâ	dee
They kept on.	[And]	finally	[in time]	them

édja	hakarahahireje.	Hotcîntcîn	hijâ	hidjahorok
[there]	they were going on.*	Young man	a	with them

*the translation has, "they sighted them going on in front of them".

ûgije.	Djowedja	honûwâkce.	Wâkra	higusagre
[he was.]	Ahead	he ran.	The men	they were fleet of foot

hiranagûnî.	Jegû	wawirucaratc	maníje.	Jegûhidjahahi,
[he must have done.]	But	he ran right away from them	[as they went.]	[As he went,]

xawanije.	Dee	hidjahahiregadjâ,	wâkra	wakicara.**
he disappeared.*	They	when they got there,	the man	he was fighting them.

*the translation adds, "into the distance".
**more commonly, wakisara, or wakizara.

'Ûxdjîje.	Je	jegûhahi,	wawogharanâga	t'ewahidjeje.
[He did much.]	[This one]	[as he went along,]	he would catch up to them and	he would kill one.

Mâsdjâ*	wâkra	rokanaje,	ûke**	higisge pinîje.
[Mighty]	[the man]	he was great,	not	not to be equalled.

*more commonly, mâcdjâ.
**for hâke.

Nuwâknaîna	gáske,	hahiwogharanâga	nasurawamadjes'aje.
They (tried to) run	when,	he would catch up to them and	he would scalp them.*

*since madje is used in the Gospel of Luke to mean "circumcise," a more literal translation of nasurawamadjes'aje would seem to be, "he would circumcise their heads," which might also mean that he decapitated them, although the imagery is consistent with scalping as well.

Ûkeresge*	wâkwawirana îdjeje.	Rohaxdjî	t'ehiregi,
[Never]	he did not consider them to be men.	Many of them	when they had been killed,

*for hâkerecge.

wagirusdjâ	hireje,	arieagadjâ,	ecana	jegûdowe
to stop	[they did,]	they decided, but	[he alone]	he kept right on

ûraheje.	Ésge	rokaragighiregadjâ,	mâsdjâwogidekce.
[he did.]	So	they told him to stop but	he got [mighty] angry.

Wawagéje,	"Hodjicánâ	djaguwacânik?	Hiwahíwira
He said to them,	"[Just]	[how can you say that?]	Our relatives

t'ewahirege	djeniege,	hanâtc´	t'ehiwahiwidje,	hicawihare
they killed,	so	all of them	we must kill,	you said.

Djagú'û	égi	wanihekwije?"	wawigéje,
[How]	[then]	you relent?"	He said to them,

"Deeji	ûke*	wagidusdjânîdjenenâ,"*	anâga	jigé
["But]	not	I will not stop,"	he said, and	again

*for hâké. This word is run together with its successor.

wat'ûbgadjâ,	jigé	rogighireje.	Ésge,	édja
he rushed for them, but	again	they pleaded with him.	Therefore,	[there]

wâknîkra*	xakanâga	exdjî	t'ekîje.	Hotcîntcîn**
[the young man]	he wept and	himself	he killed himself.	The young man

*this word is followed by three dots, which is normally a sign of a diaeresis, but in this case may simply be a typographical error.
**this word is conjoined with the previous one (by mistake).

dee	wâk	rokana*	hijâ	h[irenu]nige**
this	man	great	a	he was, but

*the text reads, de ewangrokana.
**the bracket letters reflect an area of the typescript that is obliterated from running ink due, apparently, to water damage.

p. 2 --

wa[k]ik'ûje.*	Tcek	wonaghire'ûgadjâ,	édja	wakik'ûje.**
he did thus.	First	he did this in battle, and	there	[he did thus.]

*the ink has run in the typescript, obliterating the letter in brackets; wa[k]i and k'ûje are separated by a space as if they were two words.
**again written as waki k'ûje, as if it were two words.

Wâkra	woinîkijâ*	hotcîntcîn	dee,	égi
The man	a great loss	young man	[this,]	and

*written as woinigkije.

Sinîhogiwega	higahireje.	Wâknunîk	hijâ	Wakâdjaxedega*
Goes Where It is Cold	it was his name.	Old man	a	Big Thunder

*written as Wakanjaxe dega.

higahiregiji,	e	hinik	hijâ,*	Sinîhogiwega,
he is called,	he	son	[a,]	Goes Where It is Cold,

*this and the previous word are conjoined as hinighishe.

e	Tcapósgaga	higahiregi,	e	hiâtc
he	Tcapósgaga*	[is called,]	he	father

*this name is never translated, but it means "White Breast".

hijâ	arieacûnûnâ.	Ésge	Wakâdjaxededjega	exdjî
[a]	they say.	[So]	Big Thunder	himself

Tcapósgaga	nâtc hodjaje.*	Ésge,	wakâdjâkce,**	arienâ.
Tcapósgaga	he had blessed.	Therefore,	he was holy,	it is said.

*these words were written as, japosgaganaj hojashe.
**this was written as, waka n jakshe.

Wâkcik	de	dotcâhahirare,	jee	hijâ
People	these	the one who led them on the warpath,	[that one]	one

watcojuhigijâ	wâkwacocehijâ	herenagûnî.	Égi	wosgana
leader [they had]	a brave man	he was.	But	the rituals

*the typescript ends this word in /e/.

ûké*	égi	pîhinige.	Ésge	édja
not	[here]	he did not do well.	Therefore	there

*for hâké.

t'ehireje.	Huhikere	hogiji,	weje,	"Égi
he was killed.	To come (toward)	when he was ready,	he had said,	["And]

nîkdjâknîkwanira	hijâ	higi	t'era,*	ésge	wa'ûdedjenenâ,"
my children	one	[for me]	they have killed,	that is why	I am going,"

*the last three words are run together as hishahigitera.

éje.	Jee	wajâhijâ	gucigixdjî	howadji
he said.	That	a thing	[over there]	[to come]

wâkcik xedenîkra	roghixdjî	hirenâ.	De	Waras
the old people	to forbid very much	they did.	[This]	Osage

wâkwacocenâka	wéje,	"Nîkdjâknîk	hanira	Hotcâk
the brave (warrior)	he said,	"Child	my*	Winnebago

*the translation has, "my child's grave".

nasura	hijâ	hidja	wawagikeredje	hihéra.
[head]*	a	[there]	it would be put	I said.

*translated as "scalp".

Ésge	wa'ûdenâ,"	éje.*	Ésge,	je
That is why	I am going,"	he said.	[Therefore,]	that

*run together with the last word thus: waudenaeshe.

hawa'û´	t'ehirega*	wa'ûhireje,	arieacûnûnâ.
that is why	they killed him**	[they did it,]	it is said.

*run together with the previous word, thus: hawautehirega. **the translation has, "that is what killed him".

Jee	wajâhijâ	Hotcâgra	ûkaga'û*	hiranîje,
That	a thing	the Hotcâgara	they never did	they did not,

*for hâkaga'û.

arienâ.	Wâkcik	wowâkhiranunige	hagahira	wajâra
it is said.	[People]	they were bad, but	sometimes	some things

hijâji	nâkewe	hires'aje.	Égi	wonâghire
[at least one]	afraid	they would be.	[And]	to war

'ûra	gipihiregedjeni.*	Wonâghiredja	wanâghi	haehira
to do	they liked.	At war	the dead	to speak of

*these two words are rendered as uragiphi hiregejeni.

roghirenâ.	Jee	wajâhijâ	dee	égi
it was forbidden.	That	[a thing]	this	[here]

Waras	wâkwacoce	hijâ	exdjî	wokigaweje.
Osage	brave	[a]	himself	he might as well have given himself over.

Ésge	t'ecicik	'ûje.	Jee	nîkdjâknîk
That was why	he died a bad death	[he did.]	[That one]	children

hijâ	git'eki	ûké*	jejesge	epinigadjâ,
one	(because) he died	not	[that way]	[it was not better, and]

*for hâké.

wéje.	Hosge	Wonâghire Hirukanara	jeje[s]ge	higirege,
he said it.	[Truly]	the One in Charge of Wars	thus	so he thought,

jeje[s]ge	howegadjâ	hirewahigadjâ	deje[s]ge	howahires'agi.
thus	he fared and	[so it seems and]	thus	[it should have fared.]

Ésge,	wâkra	hijâ	dotcâ	watcojudjega
Therefore,	man	a	warpath	[the leader]

kewesiwixdjî	hiranâga	égi	djagu	maratc*
taking notice of all these things	[he does and]	then	[how]	he plans

*run together with the previous word, thus: jagumaraj.

hiredjega	'ûhires'aje.	Wâkcik xedenîkra	ariacûnûnâ.	Hijâ
[he does]	it is usually (done).	The old people	so they say.	One

wowewira	pîga,	hoicib	hopi	howes'aje.
to have thinking qualities	if it is good,	always	well	he always fares.

Airenâ (?)*	Wâkcigra	hokíkû	hadjirare.	Égi
Thus they said,	the Indians	in their advise to one another	[who came.]	[And]

*this is written arjirena.

jenâga	kira	nâxgûna*	worak	dee.
the end	about	all [I know]	story	this.

*this is run together with the previous word thus, kiranaxguna.

Source:

John Hazen Hill (Xedenicaraga), Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1908) Notebook 66, Story 5, 1-2.