Hotcâk Text -- The Necessity for Death, Version 3

translated by Richard L. Dieterle


The syllabic text, which has neither transliteration nor translation, is written with a dark, thick pencil, with good clarity. The text is of unknown provenance. The handwriting is very similar to that of Sam Blowsnake, so the text may have been transcribed by him from oral dictation. It was never published, nor was it even so much as transliterated and translated.


English Translation


p. 151 --

Ai to Ke ni Kn K
we de.
Ai ttAo deKe niKi A xitti.
Hidokenîkanâk
wéje,
"Hitcûcgenîkhaxdjî,
The old woman
said,
"My dear grandson,


w n tto tty rKe.
w deAe n.
tt rKe s n K.
Ai teKe niKi w s K.
wanâdjodjaîsge
wacenâ.
Djasgeránâga
hideknîkwaraga
poor, pitiable
it is said.
How can you
your little uncles


Ai o ni niKi w s K.
w Kidi Ko i s.
wi Ki reKe
hiuninîkwaraka
wâkcigo'îra
wikisge
your little aunts
life
equal, same


doo Kette.
m o s.
wo Koro A ni s.
c'ûkdje?
Mâ'ûra
wogûshanîra
you will do something about it?
Earthmaker
his creation


Ao rKe de rKe
Ko rA n.
w d n Kese.
A ntt
hosge jesge
gûsánâ.
Wajânâgere
hanâtc´
purposely
he created.
The things
all


Ao K ne.
ttAo w Ai Ai n.
Ao we
doo s tt ne.
hokâné*
tcûwahihinâ
Howe
c'ûradjâne.
the fall (death)
he made possible.
Going around
you will will do it.

*more usually, hok'âné.


n s.
Ai d
ni Ke
my ttK
Nâra
hijâ
nîgé
maîdjâga
The tree
one
someplace
standing on the earth


p. 152 --

A dtt Ki.
K ne Ke
w o n.
Ao K se s.
hácdjagi.
Kanege*
wa'ûnâ.
Hogaréra
you see.
To fall down
he made it.
[In the past]

*attested elsewhere (rw-W) as k'anégi.


Ai Ki se Ke.
de Ke
xA wi s.
ni Ke
A rK lese
Higirege,
jege
xawira
nîgé
hasgapere.
because he thought of it.
thus
the grasses
someplace
[].


A dtt Kidi
K ne
w o n Kd n.
Ao K ne s
Hacdjagiji
kane
wa'ûnâkcanâ.
Hokânéra
When you saw it
it fell
it did.
The fall (death)


Ai Ki se se Ke.
di Ke
Al l
m ni s.
higirerege
jigé
hapapá.
Manira
because the one who thought of it
again
it touched repeatedly.
The winter


Ai d
ni Ke n Ki.
di Ke
Ao K se s
hijâ
nîgenâki
jigé
Hogaréra
one
if it was someplace
again
the past time


Ai Ki se Ke
w o n Kd n.
Ao K ne
ttAo w Ai s.
higirege
wa'ûnâkcanâ.
Hokâné
tcûwahira.
because he thought of it
it came to pass.
The fall (death)
he made possible.


w d s
A ntt.
ni se deKe
te de rKe.
wajâ´
hanâtc´
nîrecke
dejesge
things
all
they are alive, also
in this way


Ai Ko rA n
a n Ke.
Ao so xotto K tt.
n Ke
higûsánâ,"
anâge.
Horoxutcgadjâ
nâké
[...] created, started,"
she said.
When he looked around
the back


Ao s.
Ao so xA n nK deAe
ni Ke
m s.
hûra
horuxânânâkce.
Nîgé
mâra
the body
it caved in.
At a place
the earth


p. 153 --

Ao xA n ne
A tt wi doAo no s.
de rKe
A tt de.
hoxânâne.
Hadjawicûnûra
jesge
hadjáje.
caved in.
When they had usually seen it
that kind
he saw.


te we s Ke.
e tt deKe.
w KidiKi
Ai s rA.
Dewéraki,
édjacge
wâkcik
hirasá
Unexpectedly,
there also
life
together with, in addition


Ao so xA n.
A tt de.
Ai ttAo deKe
te de rKe n.
horuxânâ
hadjáje.
"Hitcûcgé,
dejesgenâ."
it caved in
he saw.
"Grandson,
it is this way."


so s.
xoAo no
Ai Ai o n.
e rKe.
Rora
xonû
hîhi'ûnâ.
Ésge
The flesh
to cave in
you and I cause.
Therefore,


w Kidi Ko i s.
wi s Ki rKe
doo Ki.
m n Kse.
wâkcigo'ira
wirák'iske
c'ûgi,
manâgre
the life
like your own
if you make,
the earth


Aoy xitti Ktt ne n
e ttA
Ai sy tty s.
w n
hoixdjîkdjanenâ.
Étcâ
hiraidjaira
wanâ´
it will be filled up.
Instead
you should even more
to outdo


tt tty rKe
Ai se Ktt ne n.
w rotto
Ai Ki so ttiri Ki se Ki.
djadjaisge
hirekdjanenâ.
Warudj
hîgirudjisgiregi,
perhaps as far as
it shall be.
Food
were they to have enough,


AoKi ttAo s.
liAi
Ai se Ki
m n Kse.
hokitcûra
hiregi.
Manâgre
descendants
good
it would be.
The earth


p. 154 --

Aoy xitti Ktt ne n.
Ao K
ne ttA
Ai s no n Ki.
hoixdjîkdjanenâ."
Húga.
Netcâ´
hiránunge.
it will be filled up."
He came.
Instead
they did it in vain.


e tt
Ae se de.
w ditti Ke K.
Ko ni K K.
Édja
hereje
Wacdjîgéga.
"Kunikága
There
he was
Hare.
"My grandmother


Ai teKe niKi w A s.
Ai o ni niKi w A s.
w Kidi Ko i
hideknîkwahara,
hi'û´ninîkwahára,
wâkcigo'i
my little uncles,
my little aunts,
life


liAi d
w Ki
to xoAo so Ks.
A Ke
pîjâ
wagi
duxúrukra."
Hâké
a good thing
[to gain for them]
I can do it."
Not


liAi ni Ki Ki
Ai se Ki de
n tteKe s
teKe deAe.
pinîgigi
hiregije.
Nâtcgera
dekce.
it was not good
he thought.
His heart
it ached.


e tte se de.
w i d
i
Ki di.
Ko so r n K.
Edjereje.
Waî´jâ
i
giji
kurúzánâga
There he was.
Something
mouth
[?]
he took and


so Ke tt
mi K n K.
xK deAe.
w Kidi Ks
rogédja
mîkánâga
ghakce.
Wâkcikra
inside
he lay down and
he cried.
The people


w Ki
xK
we de.
e tte se n.
wagi
ghak
wéje.
Edjerenâ.
[to gain for them]
he cried
he said.
There he was.


p. 155 --

m K o
wo dK s.
e lA
di Ke
Mâka'û
wocgara
e'pá
jigé
The Medicine Dance
the actions
from that point on
again


o se n.
te e.
wo s Ks.
Ae se n.
'ûrenâ.
dee
worákra
herenâ.
[he did].
This
the story
it is.


English Translation


Source:

The Hare Cycle, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #23: 151-155.