Hocąk Text — Tobacco Origin Myth, Version 3

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation

 

Winnebago II, #1.152 = Winnebago II, #5: 164 = Winnebago III, #1: 128 —
Hąbera* sgaxjį† hiwap’úru‡ jirehíže.
[The day] [very white] [steam clouds] [they came forth.]
*the original MS text (Winnebago III, #1: 128) has hąb-´ (the dash standing for /era/); Winnebago II, #1.152 has hą́bera.
†the original MS text indicates sgaxjį́; the corrected MS text (Winnebago II, #1.152) has sgáxjį.
‡the original MS text has hiwapúru.

 

 

Winnebago III, #1: 129 —
Égi "Wíjera" jasgé* higánągere,† haną́cįxją
[And] "the Island" [what] [which is called,] [all]
*this word is omitted in Winnebago II, #1.152, line 10.
†for jasgé higánągere, the original MS text has jasgíganą́gere.

 

 

šojožú miną́kše.* Waxop’íni warájirera jánąga
murky it was. Spirits [the various ones] [as many as there were]
*the original MS text has šojožu minąkše.

 

 

Wažągų́zera ’ųgí, žénųga haracáp* rogų́†
[the Maker of Things] [having created,] [all of them] to taste of it to long for
*Winnebago II, #1.152 has hanacáp.
†for haracáp rogų́, the original MS text has haracábrogų́.

 

 

minągireže. Ponapįna* círa howáregi,† hanącįxjį
they sat. The good odor [the lodge] if it goes in, [everyone]
*the corrected texts have p’onap’įna.
†for círa howáregi, the original MS text has cirowáregi.

 

 

janąga hožuák’a* rogų́ minągiréže. "P’ežéxjį
[as many as there are] that are within to long for they sat. "Who
*for janąga hožuák’a, the original MS has janagožuáka.

 

 

eruk’ánągigik’jegi,"* hiraminągireže. Hacį́jahį hirak’araírek’ježe?†
he will put it in charge of," they sat thinking. Who else they would take care of it?
*the original MS text has érukonogigíkjegí.
†the original MS text has hirakarairekjéže.

 

 

Hąboguminą́gera éšaną heregáją éjaxjį éja
[The one sitting in the east] [only] he it is, [perhaps] [there]

 

 

hirakáragigikjanegáją,"* hiraminągireže. Égi "hicųšge" gik’arajirera
he will let him take care of it," they sat thinking. [And] ["nephew"] [he whom we call]
*the corrected texts have hirak’aragik’janegają (Winnebago II, #5: 164) and hirak’áragìkjanegàją (Winnebago II, #1.152).

 

 

wéže, "Hitegenįkwahára hi’uninįkwahara teé haní*
[he said,] "My uncles, my aunts, this to have
*for teé hani, the original MS text has teeaní.

 

 

Winnebago II, #5: 165 —
wąkšíko’į́rekjanáre.* Cira hoixjįšáwągera,† hąk’é hižą́
as they will live. [The lodge] [the ones going in to fill it,] [not] [one]
*the corrected texts have incorrectly omitted the letter /o/, sic — wąkšík’į́rekjanáre.
†the original MS text has ciroixjį́šawañgré.

 

 

honįgé waragíšurúzenįkjanáwiną.* Wągregi† Wažągų́zera é
[even] you will not take it from me. Above the Creator [he]
*the corrected texts have waragiršúruzeniñkjanàwiną (Winnebago II, #1.152) and waragiruzenįk’janáwiną (Winnebago II, #5: 164).
†the original MS has the form ’uañgiregí.

 

 

žésge gųsáną. [Wągiregi]* Wažągų́zera exjįnéšge
this he ordained. [Above] [the Maker of Things] even
*the original MS has ’uañgi, and the corrected texts have wañk and wąk’ ("man").

 

 

tanina hožúižą hirowahaíregi, hąk’é hoinįge
the tobacco [a full one] if it was extended towards him, [not] [even]

 

 

wagíruzenįkjanéže.* Jagú rogų́ wa’ųnegi, žésge
[he would not take it.] [Whatever] [to long for] [if they do it,] [this]
*the corrected texts have wagirúzenañkjanèže (Winnebago II, #1.152) and wagiruznįk’janéže (Winnebago II, #5: 164).

 

 

wagiwéwįk’janeže. Égi jánąga waxopínina
he'll think of it for them. And [as many as there are] the spirits

 

 

Winnebago II, #1.153 —
ci-óžuminąkšáwągere* hižą́ tanina hožúižą
[the ones going in to fill the lodge,] one the tobacco [a full one]
*the original MS text has cióžumináñkšawañgre.

 

 

Winnebago III, #1: 130 —
nįgiwaxúįnawigiži, jagú rogų́ wa’úinegi, žésge
after he pours it out for you, [whatever] [to long for] [if he does it,] that

 

 

wiráragášeni,* rajišánągiánąga† rahįk’jáwi, hąk’é hoínįge
you'll take hold, as you seize it, and you'll smoke it, [not] [otherwise?]
*the corrected texts have wiragášeni.
†the original MS text has rajišónogiánąga.

 

 

waragíhinįk’jawi. Wągeregi* Wažągų́zera e žésge híną."†
you will not smoke it. Above [the Maker of Things] [he] [this kind] [he made."]
*the original MS text has ’uañgiregi.
†at this point, the two corrected texts omit a passage in the original.

 

 

[X]é hunubímani ep’į[|] gųs[>´]
Wąkšigé, hunubímani, ep’įną, gųsgáją,
[Humans,] [two-legged walkers,] [it was good,] [after he created,]

 

 

hiraíre[2] [(•] warájire-j[ρ´]ki*
hiraíreže, waxopini warájire janągáki.
they thought, [spirits] [the various ones] [as many as there were.]
*this is the last word in the passage omitted by the corrected texts.

 

 

"Wąkšigé, hunubímani, wąkšígo’į žipjinįgížą wogára.
["Humans,] two-legged walkers, life a short span he had given them.

 

 

Teé hąbikaratá* hi’uinanihékje,"† wigežé.‡
This life to ask with we'll use it forever," [he said to them.]
*this is the form in the original handwritten text. The other texts have hąp hak’aratá.
†the original MS text has hi’uinanihékje, with an /r/ written above the second /n/ to indicate the alternant hi’uiranihékje. The corrected MS text (Winnebago II, #1.153) has hi’unanihékje, and the typescript text (Winnebago II, #5: 165) has hi’unanihek’je.
‡the original MS text has wígegíži, followed by a "#" sign, indicating the end of the story.

 

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago II, #1.152-153, Winnebago II, #5: 164, Winnebago III, #1: 129-130. A published loose English translation is found in Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 151.