Hocąk Text — Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Version 7

narrated by J. F. (John Fireman ?)


Notebook 77: 1

English Translation


The following are signs used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text.

α β γ ε ɜ λ ρ υ ϕ
égi éja giži ésge šaną žesge ánąga -regi hąké


X 2 ɕ 9 - / ·/ >
wąkšig -že, -še -xjį -ižą -(e)ra -ną -kjé(ną) gáją -nąk


 

p. 1 —
[X] hokirádj[-] [X]’î́ ⁿnegi wakaⁿdjaíkikáradj[-] maⁿ’úṇa
Wąkšik hokirájera wąkšigo’įnegi, Wakąjaíkikárajera Mą’úna
[Men] all kinds of when they originated, [the Thunderbird Clan] Earthmaker

 


 

édjowadjíre[2] wákaⁿdjaíkikáradjᴇ[⨪´]a ’ŭañgonina dj[ρ´]ki
éjowajíreže. Wakąjaíkikárajenąka ’uągonina jánągaki
there they came from. [The Thunderbird Clan] bands [all]

 


 

etconī́[ɕ] [X]’īⁿ´[2] [γ´] [α] hag[β´]
econíxjį wąkšigo’į́že, giži. Égi hagéja
first they lived [.] [Then] afterwards

 


 

’ŭañgonina wonágirê [X][-] édjironáñk [X]’īⁿ[2´] [ε]
’uągonina Wonágirê Wąkšigera éjiranąk´ wąkšigo’įžé. Ésge,
[bands] [Warrior People] it followed [they lived]. Therefore,

 


 

wakaⁿdjaíkikáradj[-] wonágirê [X´][⨪]a waíre[2] wakaⁿdjaíkikáradj[-]
Wakąjaíkikárajera, "Wonágirê Wąkšígenąka," waíreže. Wakąjaíkikárajera
[the Thunderbird Clan,] "The Warrior Clan," they said. [The Thunderbird Clan]

 


 

hini[ɕ´] higaíre[2] [α] [β´] hirakíruxê
hinixjį́ higaíreže. Égi éja hirakíruxe
"Older brother," they called him. [And] [there] in rotation

 


 

[X]’íⁿṇe[2] wakaⁿdjaíkikáradjega pëdj[-] eaní [X´]’īⁿ´[2]
wąkšigo’įneže. Wakąjaíkikárajega pejera eaní wąkšígo’į́že.
they originated. [The Thunderbird Clan] [fire] [they had] [they originated.]

 


 

eperêzsê´ [ε] wakandjánúñgᴇrê nāⁿṇá [ϕ]
Eperezšé.* Ésge Wakąjáną́gere nąná hąké
He knew of it. [And so] the Thunder People trees not
*< e-hiperezše.

 


 

da-ép‘ini nāⁿ dókê[ɕ]djagê da-é hirekdjê´ga
da-épini dókexjįjagê, da-é hirekjéga,
impossible to burn trees* when they are even very wet, to burn [when] they will cause,
*in this context, actually means "wood".

 


 

da-ë[ɕ] djecehírega [ϕ] djisê´p‘ p‘îⁿ
da-exjį ješehírega, hąké jisép pį[ni];
to burn when they wished to make it, not in such a state that it would not be possible to put it out

 


 

p‘ëtc wakandjá[⨪]a haní[⨪]a hikurúkôná[ɕ][⨪´]a
pec Wakąjanąka hanínąka hikurúkonáxjįną́ka,
[fire] the Thunder has that he is very much in control of,

 


 

wakaⁿdjaíkikáradjᴇ[⨪´]a hicgé pëdj[-´] haníṇe[/]
Wakąjaíkikárajeną́ka hišgé pejerá haníneną.
[the Thunderbird Clan] [also] [the fire] they have.

 


 

wawikíkerádjire[-´] pëtc hani[⨪]ê´ hicgé pëtc
Wawikíkerájirerá pec haninąké, hišgé pec
The things that they originate from fire [since] they have, also fire

 


 

da ê´ hiruxúrûgiré[/] pëtc da-ê´ kerér[ρ]
da-é hiruxúrugiréną. Pec da-é keréránąga
to start [fire] so they are able. Fire burning they keep, and

 


 

p. 2 —
pëtc hicgô´nañk[ɜ] [ε] ’ŭáñgonina
pec hišgónąkšaną. ésge ’uągonina
fire they heat themselves by. [Indeed] [so] [the subclans]

 


 

dj[ρ´] niáⁿp[γ] hiniñk’ê´hi wakandjaík’ik’áradjᴇ[⨪]a naⁿgíⁿṇe[2]
jánąga ni’ą́pgiži, hinįkéhi Wakąjaíkikárajenąka nągį́neže.
[all of them] that lived, one by one the Thunder Clan they kept on.

 


 

waíres’á[2] hû´ñgᴇnitcab[-´] pëtc´ hacîniwí[/] wagi’ŭaⁿdjiwí[/]
waíres’áže, "Hų́genicaberá, péc hašiniwiną wagi’uąjiwiną.
They would say, "My chief, fire your we came for.

 


 

honiñgínaⁿtc hadjíwi[/] [α] pëdj[-´] hanîñkérê
Honįgínąc hajíwiną." Égi pejerá hanįkére
To borrow from you we came." [Then] [fire] to take home

 


 

wagigíres’á[2] ép’ā wajaⁿdūtc´ rudjiré[2] k‘êni
wagigíres’áže. Ép’a, wažądúc rujiréže. Keni
they would let them. Since then, cooked food they ate. Before

 


 

pë́dj[-] hiperê´zirani wajáⁿsak’ê´ rúdjᴇnank’ŭê´[υ] wajaⁿ
péjera hiperézirani wažąsak’é rújenąk’uéregi, wažą
the fire they know of raw things they were eating, thing

 


 

p‘íⁿ[9] hiperês´ hirê[2´] p‘īⁿ´ [X]’íⁿwi[>´]
pį́žą hiperés hirežé. Pį́ wąkšigo’į́wigáją,
good to know they did. Well they lived,

 


 

aíre[2] [α] pëtcdjegá ä jêê´
aíreže. Égi pecjegá a žeé
[it is said.] [And] [the fire] [to ask] [them]

 


 

worá[ɜ] [β´] naⁿjíⁿṇe[2] wakandjaikikáradjᴇ[⨪´]a hi[9´]
worášana éja nąžįneže. Wakąjaikikárajeną́ka hižą́
insults [there] they were. The Thunder Clan [one]

 


 

wakandjaíkikáradjê´dja pëtc hakoádjináⁿ aíres’á[2] pë́dj[-]
Wakąjaíkikárajê´ja pec hakoájiną́, aíres’áže. Péjera
from a Thunder person fire he came after, [they would say.] Fire

 


 

’ŭáñgoni djénôgágᴇrê [β] rū́ziregê [ε]
’uą́goni jénągágere éja rúzirege, ésge,
bands all of them [there] they took it from, [therefore,]

 


 

hi[9´] pëtc hakoádjináⁿ [α] jêê´ji
hižą́ pec hakoájiną́. Égi žeéži
[one] fire he came after. And [they at least]

 


 

p. 3* —
[ϕ] waracánaⁿ wanínânaⁿ hō-erá jêéji
hąké warašá[ni]ną. Wanínaną, ho-erá žeéži
not he would [not]insult. He would say, thus speaking that [in any case]
*At the top of page 3, Radin says, "It's all right to say I come after fire but not to say I beg fire". Just below this, Radin writes: "Wagirácanaⁿ = really means the use of words where they shouldn't be used".

 


 

éwagé[/] pëtc wánâgikikáradj[⨪]a [β] pëtc
éwagéną, pec Wánagikikárajnąka éja pec
I meant, [fire] the Bird Clans [there] [fire]

 


 

ruzí[·/´]gi pëtc wak‘î´niadjínaⁿ egíji wara[ɜ´]
ruzíkjégi, "Pec wakíniajíną," egíži, warašáną
[if] they were going to get from, [fire] I come to beg," if he says, insult

 


 

wanâ´nê wakandjaíkikáradj[⨪]a wagirácanaⁿ wanâ´nê [γ´]
wanáne. Wakąjaíkikáraj[e]nąka wagirášaną, wanáne, gíži.
you would say. [The Thunder Clan] he would insult, when he says thus [.]

 


 

wakandjaíkikáradj[⨪]a wa[9´] djagú p‘îⁿná hi[9´]
Wakąjaíkikáraj[e]nąka wažą́ jagú pįná hižą́
[The Thunder Clan] thing whatever good one

 


 

hanináñki woíkikax waíni jê[λ] hok’unâ´na
haniną́ki woíkikax waíni žežesge, hok’unána
if he had, [to wear] clothing [this kind,] he would give him

 


 

wagirácanañgê´ [ε] waracánadjegá hikinúwegi,
wagirášanągé. Ésge warašánajegá hikinúwegi,
because he had insulted him. [So] the one who insults because he said it unintentionally,

 


 

jeji p‘īⁿ´na [ϕ] wa[9] woícananí[/]
žeži pį́na, hąké wažą woíšananíną.
[this at least] good, not [thing] it is not a sin.

 


 

wara[ɜ´]djegá hosgê´ wa[9´]na wagirácanákdjanéga hi[9´]
Warašánajegá hosgé wažą́na wagirášanákjanéga hižą́
The one who insults intentionally something the one he's going to insult [one]

 


 

gigípîñgê´ wagirá[ɜ] nâîñgi jêê´ woí[ɜ]
gigípįgé wagirášaną nąįgi žêê´ woíšaną
he likes for him he insults him if he tries to, [that one] sin

 


 

kik’ûⁿ wê´[·/]gê rokíghixdjiⁿṇes’á[2]
kik’ų wékjege, rokíǧixjįnes’áže,
[to make for himself] he is going to say, they used to forbid one another very much

 


 

aíre[/] hosgê´ hi[9] wagirá[ɜ] naⁿîⁿ´
aíreną. Hosgé hižą wagirášaną nąį́
[it is said.] [Intentional] [one] he insults him to try

 


 

wegi [X]oîⁿ´ṇa hikaraí[ɜ] wëkdjáne[2] airêcônú[/]
wegi, wąkšigoį́na hikaraíšaną, wekjáneže, airêšonúną.
if he says, [life] he injured for himself,* he would say it, [they always say.]
*"injured" is written above "spoiled".

 


 

wakaⁿtcáñkdjîⁿ karagíres’á[2] [ε] [ϕ] wara[ɜ´]
Wakącą́kjį karagíres’áže. Ésge hąké warašáną
Very sacred they used to make it. [So] [not] insult

 


 

p. 4 —
tcûⁿnis’á[2] hagaíra[ɕ] wakirácanaíⁿnega
cųnis’áže. Hagaíraxjį, wakirášanaį́nega
there were not many who would do it. Once in awhile, they insult one another,

 


 

jê´ji wajo’ᵉk’uíṇadjega wórucigésgê[ɕ]* hêregê´
žéži wažąk’uínajega wórušigésgexjį herege,
[this one at least] the one to whom something is given very shameful it is, so
*the text has an improper [9] (-jaⁿ) rather than the appropriate [ɕ] (-xdjiⁿ).

 


 

[ϕ] wara[ɜ´] hiránis’á[2] hirak‘ára[ɕ] jê´dja
hąké warašáną hiránis’áže. Hirakáraxjį žéja
[not] to insult them they did not used to do it. Very watchful there they

 


 

[X]’îⁿ´ṇe[2] nañkê´wê[ɕ]ṇé[/]*
wąkšigo’į́neže. Nąkéwexjįnéną.
they lived. They were very much afraid of it.
*the end of this section is indicated by a giant caret placed after this word.

 


Source:

Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Notebook 77: 1-4.