Hotc‰k Text -- Paint Medicine Origin Myth
narrated by Sam Blowsnake|
Hitc—k'ewah’wira
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tcin‰gidja”«j‰
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wajadj‰«giji
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wirok'œna
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wawir—k'žgi.
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Our grandfathers
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one of a different tribe
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they knew
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material
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he had obtained it.
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P'’n‰
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hip'erezirŽje.
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Hip'Žrez
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na'”«negi
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n‰djok'’dj‰
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[To be good]
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[they were known.]
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[To know]
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they tried
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to take pity on
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c’regi.
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H’nžk
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war—ni
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m‰k'‰«
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a’reje.
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they asked him.
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[Woman]
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[a kind of bird]
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medicine
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[it is said.]
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Hit'Žnžk'j‰
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n‰«tcgera
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tek'
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h’regi.
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Hinžg’j‰
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[A member of an unknown tribe]
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his heart
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sad
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[it did.]
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A woman
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iwust'Žk'”giji
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hžgŽ
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m‰gitc‡w‰
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wat'ž«pce,
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hžgŽ
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she thirsted herself to death
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[chief]
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for all eternity
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he had placed,
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[chief]
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xgicgœni,
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Waj‰gž«zera
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wajinuk'—no
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gigigi,
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hinžk'djega
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to keep it quiet,
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the Creator
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in charge of
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he made him,
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the woman
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n‰djodja”«je.
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HžgŽ
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t'ewagik'’k'u-ˆn‰ga
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hinž«k'djega
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Ždja
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he blessed her.
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[Chief]
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he had himself die and
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the woman
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there
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wirok'œ
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rusgi,
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p'’n‰
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hip'erŽziregi.
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M‰k'a”«k'ara“tcgagi.
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material
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when she took,
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to be good
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they knew it.
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She tried her medicine.
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Tcek'dj’n‰,
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wa'ž«je.
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M‰x’
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u‰gereg’
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hiwiz’gij‰
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For the first time,
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she did it.
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[Sky]
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up above
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a hawk
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m‰x’k'orascop
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giw”x«
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n‰j’je.
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Hinžgera
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wa'žjŽ.
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near the vault of the sky
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whirling about
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he stood.
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The woman
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she did it.
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Mak'a”«j‰
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n‰pwir—ra
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hik'’-o
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hi-‡n‰ga
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hiwiz’k'djega
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A medicine
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her forefinger
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she dipped in
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[she did and]
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the hawk
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himan‰«k'i
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t'Žxdj”
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c’beregi;
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tcirahŽra
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how‡djihuh“je.
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when she pointed at it
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dead
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it fell;
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the top of the house
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she made it fall.
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Hinžgen‰«k'a
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tcowehi-Ždja
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k'irin‰«kce.
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M‰k'—k'on‰k
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je'Ž
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The woman
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right in front
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it landed.
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Medicine bag
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[this]
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'žk'djŽgi
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hereje.
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Egi
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u‰k
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nacŽrege
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to use it
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she was.
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Then
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man
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he might fast
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ih‰«pcan‰,
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nihŽra
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hatŽgi.
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U‰k'djega
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wagejŽ,
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he was taken away,
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[she had in the past]
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she dreamt.
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The man
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she said to,
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"Hak'ik'œruk'ozˆdje.
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H‰k'Ž
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Žgi
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owahœ
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na'iy‰«dje."
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"Put forth all your strength.
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Not
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here
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to come
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do not try."
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Waj‰«
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wah’racge
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wawog’rakce:
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hirak'‡rak'arawi-‰`dje.
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"H‰hŽ te'e
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[Something]
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his relatives also
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she told to them:
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they should watch over him.
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"Tonight
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wasŽ
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n‰w‰k'djonŽn‰.
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U‰k'djega
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djig’,
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t'ek'djonŽn‰.
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paint
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I am going to sing.
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The man
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if he comes,
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he will die.
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H‰k'Ž
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djin”k'djŽn‰,
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hirak'‡rak'arawi-‰`dje."
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ƒgi
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h‰hŽregi
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Not
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he does not come,
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take care of him."
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[And]
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that night
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wasŽ
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n‰w‰«gi
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u‰«k'djega
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n‰gadj’je.
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Rogigh’ra,
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paint
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she sang and
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the man
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he came running.
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She forbade it,
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nunige
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hok'aw‡n‰ga
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wacidj‡'ž
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t'eje.
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ƒgi
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but
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he came anyhow and
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dancing
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he died.
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[And]
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wasŽn™k'a
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Hit'Žnžk'e
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WasŽ
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higa’reje.
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Tcina
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[the paint]
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Hit'Žnžk'e
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[Paint]
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they called it.
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[Coming]
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gidja’j‰
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mejŽnžga.
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WasŽn‰k'a
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p'ina
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hip'Žrezirge.
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[a help ?]
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[this much.]
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This paint
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to be good
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they knew it.
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Higik'’cereje.
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N‰djok'’dj‰
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c’regi,
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wagirœcdj‰
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[They handled it.]
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To bless them
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[when they asked,]
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[he let up on them]
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huh’je.
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Ege
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wasŽn‰k'a
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harutc‰«biregi,
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h‰k'Ž
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[he sent it in the direction of the speaker.]
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[?]
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the paint
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when they obtained it,
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not
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tci-or—geregi
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waj”nok'œ-inan“je.
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Warugh‡p
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k'œ-ineje.
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WasŽn‰k'a
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in the midst of their lodge
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they did not use it.
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[Warbundle]
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they made it.
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The paint
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won‡ghiredja
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hi'œ-inegi
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p'”gi
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hi'Žreztinege.
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H’k'arac“cik
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in war
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when they used it,
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[how good]
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they knew well.
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So valuable
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hiregŽ
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warugh‡pregi
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hok'‡rak'ˆn‰k
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hirŽn‰.
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Honih‡ra
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they thought
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in a warbundle
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they placed it
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[they did.]
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[Breath]
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tc‰t'”«
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wah‡k'djonihˆwin‰.
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Wasi-‡ni
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haniwi-‡n‰ga
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wahŽk'djonihˆwije.
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[audible]
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[we will make them.]
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[His paint]
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[we have and]
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we will sing something.
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Warugh‡p
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naw‰
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wahŽk'djonihˆwin‰.
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Was”‡ni
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haniw’gi,
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Warbundle
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songs
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we will sing.
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His paint
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if we had it,
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haga
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waj‡nij‰
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'œ-inewicgnin‰.
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[in the past]
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something
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we amounted to.
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Source:
Sam Blowsnake, The Warbundle Feast of the Thunderbird Clan (First Version), in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 399-481 [424-427].