Hotcâk Text -- Thunder Cloud is Blessed

narrated by Sam Blowsnake


English Translation


p. 308 --

Égi
jige
hagaréjâ
nanák'û
hâdéje.
Then
again
once
while sleeping
he dreamt.


Uañgíjâ
hak'idjágiji
uáñk
skaijonéje.
A man
he met and
man
a white one he looked like.


p. 309 --

"Horuxúdjera
k'árahieskiñxdjî´je
wáxuskaràrik'i
"To behold
he was very pleasant
in a suit of white buckskin


hik'ik'ájanañga,"
wagejé.
"Hitcak'áro
hañk'aíjâ
he was dressed.
he said.
"My friend,
it is not


jeskániñkdjonège
éske
hiránidjìnâ,"
higejé.
it is not mere chance
through
I have come to you,"
he said to him.


"Wocgaî´jâ
p'îc'ûcura
hicgé
dejéske
"A deed
you have done (well)
[also]
for this reason


nâdjironídjâne,"
higejé.
"Hitcûcge
gik'arádjirera
I am going to bless you,"
he said to him.
"'Nephew'
the one that they call


wadjegúni,"
hirejé.
"Djagúicekdjanèra,
hicegíji,
it is he,"
he thought.
"Whatever you will say,
if you only say it,


djánañga
hañk'é
hanánixgùnigi
je
anâ´tcî
[as many as]
not
if they have not listened
those
all


honanásewekdjanènâ,
egi
djánañga
hanâníxgùñgi
they will be confounded,
and
[as many as]
if they listened


jeéji
ni-â´birekdjanènâ.
Hitcûcgé
gik'arádjirera
those (at least)
they will live.
Nephew
he whom we call


wáxop'ini
cicigerá
djánañga
wairecgúnina
spirits
the bad ones
as many as
[they say]


hanâsgábera
djasgé
wawagígigi,
jéske
reincarnation
[how]
he denied it to them,
that kind


waragígikdjanènâ
djánañga
k'ibániñgigìgi,"
higejé.
you will bring them back
as many as
who doubted your teachings,"
he said to him.


Égi
jige
uáñkcigak'ìhâ
ánañgre
hijâ´
And
again
reincarnation*
they say
one

* < wâkcig-hak'i-hâ, literally, "carrying towards life".


hâdáginâdjànañga
rok'ónoxdjî
hâdaginâ´djera,
higícanâ
he fasts and
very much
the fast
certainly (?)


waxop'íni
warádjirera
hijâ´
nâdjodjânañga.
spirits
the various ones
one
they will bless him.


"Hagaréjâ
cdjegíji
égi
rak'írikdjanènâ,"
"At any time
if you die
then
you will come back again,"


higegí.
Uáñkdjega
hagaréjâ
t'egíji,
nañghiragera
he said to him.
The man
[finally]
when he died,
the ghost


warádjire
nâdjodjâ´nihera
edja
ginánâgiji
jeé
the various ones
that blessed him
there
it could go back
those


waxop'íni
waradjirénoñk'a
waganâ´je.
Jigé
p'îhi
spirits
those various ones
they told him.
Again
he did well


uañkcík
c'iñkdjégi.
Hakdjá
uañkcígeregi
human
if he became.
Back
as a human being


hak'íri
uañkcík'înâ`je,
aírecanúnâ.
Égi
jige
he could come
and live,
they used to say.
Then
again


uañgerútcge
wigaíregi
jéske
nâdjodjaî´neje,
Giants*
those who are called
[that kind]
they blessed him,

*Radin uniformly translates this by the literal "cannibals".


uañgerútcgenoñk'a
dedjô
agédja.
Wajâ
wak'âtcáñkdjî
these Giants
the sea
across.
Something
very holy


wagánañkce,
uañgerútcgenoñk'a.
Uáñkcík
wagánañkce.
they are said to be,
these Giants.*
Human beings
they are said to be.

*this sentence was not translated.


Uañkcík
hiyá'uanàñgwire
hicge
jéskexdjînèje,
Human beings
they are like
also
to be very much like this


p. 310 --

hít'et'éracge
híwik'iskaíreje
airecanúnâ.
Wak'âtcáñk
they speak also
[?]
it is said.
Holy


hirejé,
uáñgerutcge
ánañgre,
uañgerútcwige
wánañkce.
they are,
the Giants
it is said,
they who ate human beings
it is told.


English Translation


Source:

Paul Radin, Personal Reminiscences of a Winnebago Indian, Journal of American Folk-Lore, 26, #102 (1913): 293-318 (Sam Blowsnake narrative, pp. 308-310). Informant: Sam Blowsnake, Thunderbird Clan.