Hotcâk Text -- the Were-Grizzly

narrated by Charlie Houghton

translated by Oliver LaMère

English Translation

The text is written throughout in the hand of Paul Radin, but very neatly in ink. All the words have been translated except for a few small words in a number of their occurences (ásge, égi, édja, jédjunga, jegû´, jigé). Because of fading, there are a few letters that are difficult to read. Numbers in brackets reflect earlier parallel paginations.

p. 108 [= 1 = 39] --

Édja tcinóginoñkcgùni tcínañk xedéjâ hagaréjâ
[There] was a town town big once upon a time

uáñgera híjâ xawaníje. Ásge jédjuñga
man one was lost. [And so] and now

uáñgera hanâtc wonína'ùñxdjî. Jégû hañké
the men all hunt they did very much. [Thus] not

wajâ´nijâ hipereziranìje. Jigé hagaréjâ jigigoñxhawàni.
anything knew about. [Again] [at one time] again [was] lost.

Jigé woní-na-uñxdjî hañké wajâ´nijâ
[So] hunt they did [not] [anything]

p. 109 [= 3 = 40] --

hiperéziranìje. "Djagú'û wañga-ówigùni?" aíreje. Kará!
they did not know about it. "Why are we thus?" they said. Listen!

jigé werakírakuni jigijâ´ xawánije. Hijâ´
[so] werakírakuni again one was lost. One

xawáni ásge jigé wonína-uñxdjìnije. Jégû
[was] lost and so [thus] they hunted very much. [Again]

hañké wajâ´ijâ hiperéziranìje. "Hañké djagú'û
[not] anything they did not know. "[Not] why

dee wañga-ówiguni," aíreje. Jigé hidjóbera
this are we thus," they said. [And so] the 4th one

xawaníje. Jigé jédjuñga uáñgera hanañtcíñxdjî
was lost. [And so] and now men all of them

p. 110 [= 5 = 41] --

wonína 'uñxdjînéje. Jégû ke wajâ´ijâ
hunt they did very much. [Again] not anything

peréziranìje. Hoxdjanánikàdjâ hidokénika hotcíra hodjiwaíreje.
they did not know. In the evening the old woman house they came by.

Kará, de werakírakùni uañkcik pá
Say, this werakírakùni man head

tcinuxgédjanañkce. Hojígû niñgi-óginañkìre, égi húñgotci-édja
was in back of her house. So now they ran from there, and the chief's house

hagiréji. Édja horakíreje. "Hehé! hidokénika
they got to. There they told it. "Say! the old woman

éwa-'unàñkcanâ, t'éwagi-anañkcanâ." Égi húñgenoñka wéje,
is doing it, she is killing us." And the chief said,

p. 111 [= 7 = 42] --

"Hisgéxdjî wacéje?" Hâhâ´o, nâsúra watcáwinâ."
"The truth are you telling?" "Yes [indeed], the heads we saw."

Égi sdokíwine, "Hâhâ´, t'ehiráwire. Waxopini
And gathered together, "[Indeed], go and kill her. A spirit

cícik wo-uáñko wa'unáñkcanâ," éje, aírenâ,
evil a worthless one is why she does [it]," he said, they said,

húñgenoñka. Ásge uañgawácocera djopíwi híjâ
the chief. And so the brave men [the warriors] 4 of them one

mâhíjâ hijâ´ mâs xunúniñk égi
a knife one an axe small and

hijâ´ wocá haníje, égi hijâ´
one a spear had, and one

p. 112 [= 9 = 43] --

nâmâ´tce, jédjuñga haraíreje. Hahíregi hokawaíreje,
a warclub, and now they went. When they arrived they went inside

égi hijâ´ wecgúni, "Kúnika hâp
and one said, "Grandmother day

dée cdjekdjanénâ," éje. "Djagú'û tcekdjonéje?"
this you will die," he said. "Why will I die?"

"Égi uáñgera djopíwi t'eránâ, ásge
"Here men four you killed and so

cdjekdjanénâ." "Hâháo!" egádjâ. Jégû hanidjínañgerèje,
you will die." "O no!" she said. [And so] they grabbed her,

wapóx hodjíneje. Werakirakúni! jégû mâtcó
and stabbed struck her. Werakirakúni! [then] a [grizzly] bear

p. 113 [= 11 = 44] --

ho'uáñkce. Hidokénika étcû t'ewahíje, hidjóbik,
she became. The old woman instead she killed them, all four of them,

jédjuñga hidokénika réje tcináñgera hanâtc´
and now the old woman went to town [all]

t'ehíje, égi hitcûjáñgeniràcanâ hiñké t'éji.
she killed [but] her granddaughter only [not] she killed.

Hoxdjanáñgiji hanâtcíñxdjî tcijâ édja sdowójuje.
In the evening all a house [there] together she put them.

Jégû hi-ánañga nûpíwi c'iñxdjína hohâ´je.
[Thus] she did, and two fat ones she boiled.

Dutchinegi warúdjera 'uñxdjíñxdjî maniséretcî uáñkcik
When well done eat she did much all winter people

p. 114 [= 13 = 47] --

rudjináñkadjâ. Hagaréjâ tcébige égi wénañxdjiñgàdjâ
she ate. [In time] she ate up [and] [when] the real spring time

wecgúni, "Hitcûjóñgeniñkàxdjî, hoxdjánañgi níkurutconèna," eje.
she said, "Granddaughter mine, this evening eat you I will," she said.

Jédjuñga hoxdjánâje. "Ninaiäsge kikûdágere," éje
Now it was evening. "Some water carry for yourself," [said]

hidokénika, asge hinuñgeniñkdjega niñkû´dakce. "Égi
the old woman, and so the little girl carried water. "And

pédjera mâcdjâ´ hot'úne," higéje, ásge
the fire much build it up," she said, and so

p. 115 [= 15 = 46] --

pédjera hot'uñkdjége. Hihinábregadjâ de uáñgera
fire she build up. Just as she was going out there men

nûpíwi égi hahuhaíreje. Hinuñgeníñkdjega wéje,
two there they were coming. The little girl said,

"Kúnika, uáñgera nûpíwi hohénâ." "Hâ,
"Grandmother, men two are coming." "Yes,

jegû mináñgere, étcû wahadjíkdje." Égi
[and so] sit down, them instead I will eat." [And]

hádji[-]o?kawaìnije. "Dja, kúnika, djagú tcináñgera
they came in. Why, grandmother, what town

gixánâ nît'unaírawis'àre?" éje. "Hâhâ´o, djagú'ûcge
moved left you they have?" she said. "Yes, why

p. 116 [= 17 = 47] --

wa'ú-ineje?" "Hañké yapérezeni kúnika wajâ´nijâ wa'û´
did they do it?" ["Not] I do not know grandmother something about

wániñgi-oinecgùni." "Hañké yaperezeni djagú dee
they did thus to you." "[Not] I know what this

airegádjâ wánañk. Hitcûjáñgeniñk'àra hakúrutc yakuruhóra
saying are they do they say. Granddaughter mine I was about to eat

netcâ´ nihaítcinihàwinâ," éje hidokénika. "Ho!
instead you I am going to eat," she said the old woman. "Ho!

hañké jéskeraniñkdjanènâ. Hitcakáro saniñgédja hanîtcisáñgere."
not that you will not do. My friend the other side get a hold of her."

Hidokénika jédjuñga mâtcóxotc kîcgúni. Hos'ás'agànañga
The old woman now gray [grizzly] bear she made herself. She cried out

p. 117 [= 19 = 48] --

'uñxdjî núnige kísak horukcapíreje. T'ehíreje,
she did very much (like a bear) [but] in two they split her. They killed her,

égi uáñgenoñka waíreje, "Hâhâ´, waítcgenikèxdjî,
[and] the men they said, "Yes, my sister,

warúdjere hinúñgeniñka, warutcé," aírenâ. Égi
eat the little girl, eat," they said. And

wagairicgúni, "Nâdjonidjâ` wiñge ásge hadjíwinâ,"
they said to her, "We bless you is the reason and so we came,"

aíreje. Égi, "Saníñk dégi horawácerekdjènâ. Édja
they said. And, "Over this side you will go. There

p.118 [= 21 = 49] --

wajâwáraga édja 'únañkcanâ," éje. Wairakírakuni,
your relatives [there] they are at," he said. Wairakírakuni,

hâhégadjâ hidokénika jigé ni-â´p hiraréxdjî
at night the old woman [again] lived a little while

wa'únañka, "T'éniñkdjonihe," éje. "Hâ tcidówira,
the one that did it, "I will kill you," she said. "Yes my brothers,

tcéxi hawénâ." "Ho-ho-ho!" aíreje. Uáñgenoñka
hardship I've gone through." "Hohoho!" they said. These men

édja haghebíreje. Hidokéniñka jigé t'éhi.
[there] they appeared. The old woman [again] they killed.

Jédjuñga haininégi kéreje. Édja 'úñkarahá'û
[And now] in the morning they went home. [There] while going

p. 119 [= 23 = 50] --

édja tcínañkce wájâwahìra.* "Werakírakuni, hakirínâ."
there they were living her relatives. "Werakírakuni, I came back."

*Radin has the following note at the top of the page, which is not attached to the text by any line: "The people are supposed to come out of the ground."

"Djasgéje, hidokéniñka?" Égi, "T'éhire ásge
"How is she, the old woman?" [And,] "They killed her [and so]

hakirínâ." "Higùîsgéxdjî wacéje?" "Hâhâ´â!" Ásge
I came back." "Really and truly you say?" "Yes indeed!" And so

jédjuñga jégû uañkcígera wa-inâ´pdjinihìreje. Hinuñgázeracge
now [again] people very thankful they became. Her uncle

howaják'û. Hiregíji rucdjiñkáragiji. Égi hinuñgeníñkdjega
was sick. At that time well she made him. [And] the little girl

wéje, "Uáñgera nûpíwi nâdjodjâ´nâ," éje.
said, "Men two they blessed me," she said.

p. 120 [= 25 = 51] --

Ásge [hok'û´]* uáñgera wot'éhira
[And so] [give me] men their way of killing, hunting

*With respect to the word in brackets, Radin says, "Oliver [Lamère] didn't think this belongs here." Brackets for this words and its English counterpart were supplied by Radin.

wikisges'áje. Píñxdjî uañkcik'íneje. Jegúnâ.
she was the same as they. Very good they lived. [Thus it was.]

English Translation

Source:

Charlie Houghton, A Story about a Female Were-Grizzly, trs. by Oliver LaMère, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman Number 3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) Story 28, pp. 108-120 [= 1-25 = 39-51].