Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster Concludes His Mission

Told by an elder of the tribe in 1912

Transcribed by Sam Blowsnake

Translation based on the interlinear of Oliver Lamère

Notebook 22:1

For a description of this manuscript, its source, style, transcription, and interlinear translation, see the syllabic text to Trickster's Warpath.

English Translation

 

p. 566 —
e Ki. A Kor se d. we de. A A. de tt ny xitti.
Égi hagoréžą weže, "Hąhą́, žejanaíxjį
Then finally he said, "Now then, this long

 

 

e Ki. Ai lAo dA n. Ao tt rii Ai Ki
égi hipošaną. Hoją́ s’i higi
here I stayed. As a long time here

 

 

p. 567 —
A o K tt. m n Kse de tt ny xitti Ao we Ao s tte Ktt.
ha’ųgają. Mąną́gere žejanaíxjį howe horajegagają,
I have remained. On the earth [about now] around I will go visiting,

 

 

ne n. e de. Ao tt d di ni Ktt Ks A ntt
neną," éže. Hoją́ži nįkjągera haną́č
[I myself,"] he said. [In any case, already] my children all

 

 

Ai Ki xeAe te Ai se K tt. e de. Ai Ke
higi xete hiregają," éže. "Hįké
here grown up they are," he said. "Not

 

 

de rKe Ai Koro ni no ni Ke w o nK dA n e de.
žesge hįgųsní nunige wa’ųnąkšaną," éže.
for this I was not created, but I did this," he said.

 

 

p. 568 —
e Ki. di Ke m n Kese Ao we Ao o de.
Égi žigé mąną́gere howe ho’ųže.
Then [again] on the earth about he went.

 

niy o xeAe te Ai rA wy tt w o Ao de ay se n. niyo xAe te s
Nioxete hisawaíja wa’ųhúže. aíreną. Nioxetera
Mississippi at the end he started, it is said. The Mississippi

 

 

A se Ko tti se de ay se n. niyo xeAe tey K. de e. w xoAo liAi ni
hareku-jireže, aíreną. Nioxeteąka žee waxopį́nį
he went down, it is said. The Mississippi this spirit

 

 

p. 569 —
w s tti se ttAi n Ki d Ae se de. e rKe. niy K.
warájire činąkižą hereže. Ésge, niąka
[various] a village it is. Therefore, the river

 

 

n Ko Ao xeAe te xitti d Ae se de. e Ki. ni
nągú hoxetexjįžą hereže. Égi ni
road a main one it is. Then water

 

 

de e. w Kidi Ks. e w Kidi Ko i se Ktt n Ae s. Ai lAe sere deAe.
žee Wąkšigera e wąkšigo’įrekjanahera, hipéresše.
this Indians [they] it would be inhabited, he knew.

 

 

p. 570 —
e rKe Ai so A. Ao o Ka w o de. w d s
Ésge hiruha ho’ųga wa’ųže. Wažąra
That is why down it he traveled [he did it.] [The things]

 

 

Ai d ni Ke. w Kdi Ks. n tteKe wo tti w Ai Ktt ne de
hižą nįgé Wąkšigera nąčgé-woči wahikjaneže,
[one of them] [some place] Indians to trouble he would do it,

 

 

Ai se Ki di. liAi o Kette Ke w o de. K tt K.
hiregiži. Pį ’ųkjege, wa’ųže. Gająga,
[he decided.] [Good] [since he would do,] [he did it.] Now,

 

 

tt Ko o Kette m o s. Ao Ki Ki s. Ai leAe sere deAe.
jagú ’ųkje, Mą’ųra hogigira, hipéresše.
[what] he was to do, Earthmaker he sent him, he knew.

 

 

p. 571 —
e rKe w o de. Ao s. tt n K. wK diAiKi
Ésge wa’ųže. Hura jánąga wąkšik
That is why [he did it.] He went about and those people

 

 

tee Ai n Ki dKe. tee w Ai de. w sotto ra de. di Ke.
t’ehinąkisge t’e wahiže. Waručis’aže. žigé,
those killing, also to kill he did it. He would eat them. Again

 

 

ni Ke dA n. w Kette xiAi s. m doAo s. A s deeKe w K s Ke se
nįgešaną. Wakjexira mąšųra haraš’ek* wakarakere
here and there, the Waterspirits their routes in a short depth to be put

*this is a hapaxlegomenon. Cf. haraš’ók, "to pop up, to swell" (Helmbrecht-Lehmann).

 

 

p. 572 —
Ai se Ki dKe. s Kidi* w Ke se de. m doAo n K. Ao loAo xs.
hiregišge, rókši wakereže. Mąšųnąka hopoǧera
they did, and also deeper he put them. These routes holes

*the syllable so is written over an erasure and is hard to make out. However, rókši is well attested.

 

 

niye tt Ai s Ke se w Ke se n Ki di de e w w Ky se de.
nieja hirakére wakerenąkiži, žee wawagaireže.
into the rivers to reach [that were put, and] these they meant.

 

 

ni s. Ao so liAi ni xeAe te n di se Ki di. de e
Nira horupį́nį xete nąžįregiži, žee
The rivers eddies big they would have, and them

 

 

p. 573* —
Ai K[e ?].† niy K e tt. w tto we Ao we
higa, niąka éja wajowe howe
[as he did,] the river there boat to go

*te e. w Ktt K K. Ae se n. ("This is Wakjakaga") is written at the top of the page.
†is this suppose to be for hįké? There is no following -ni to complete the negation, yet the translation has, "... it would be impossible to go on it in a boat ...".

 

 

liAi n Ktt n Ae Ke e rKe. de de rK n K. wo n reAe we de. Ao we.
pįnakjanahege, ésge žežesganąga wonąseweže. Howe
[as it would {not} be good,] that is why those things he trampled under. He went

 

 

p. 574 —
e Ki. de e e tt. A Ko sey d. ni s. Ao xa
égi žeeja hagoreižą, nira hox’á
and there one day the waters falls

 

 

n di de. A Kidi ni s diAi ls n di de.
nąžįže. Hakši nira šibera nąžįže.
[it stood.] Very high the water falling [it stood.]

 

 

de e. w Ke de. Ai tt Ai. s mi Ki di. te e.
žee wageže, "Hijąhį́ ramį́giži, tee
That he said to it, "Some other place [you can lie, as]* this

*the translation has "remove yourself".

 

 

p. 575 —
w Kidi Ks. eyo xA. Ai se Ktt n Ae s. n tteKe wo ttiAi w s Ktt n Ae n.
wąkšígera e-oxá hirekjanahera, nąčgé-woči warakjanaheną,"
the people the falls they are going to be, to be troubled you will make them,"

 

 

e de. K tt we de. A Ke de rKe
éže. Gają weže, "Hąké žesge
he said. But it answered, "Not it

 

 

A ni Ktt n Ae n. Ao rKe Ai deKe e Ki A mi Ke
hanikjanaheną. Hosgé hišké égi hamįke,
I will not do it. [For no reason] myself here as I am lying here,

 

 

p. 576 —
w o mK dA n. e de. Ai tt Ai s mi Ki y se Ke w Ae n.
wa’ųmą́kšaną," éže. "Hijąhį́ ramįgiarege, wahéną,"
it is why I am doing it," it said. "Somewhere else you should lie, [I mean,"]

 

 

e K tt. Ai rKe xitti A Ke o ni de. e Ki.
egają, hisgexjį hąké ’ųnįže. Égi
he said, but [sure enough] not he would not do it. Then

 

 

w Ktt K K. we de. m e.* m nK Kese. w Kidi Ke.
Wakjąkaga weže, "Mae* manągre wąkšige
Trickster he said, "This the earth the people

*m e (mae) is unattested. The normal form would be mee or me’e.

 

 

p. 577 —
e Ki w KidiKi e Ktt n Ae s. tt n K. w s. s Ae s
égi wąkšígekjanahera, jánąga wara rahera,
[here] it is for them to live on, as many as [to go to it] [the ones going,]

 

 

sK w Ai Ktt n Ae Ki di. de e. liAi Ai w do Kette w o A A tte n.
rakawahikjanahegiži,* žee pįhi-wažukje,† wa’ųhahajeną,"
[you will arise, and] [this one] he is to be replaced, it is what I came for,"

*the passage, janąga wara rahera rakawahikjanahegiži, is given the incomprehensible translation, "as many as will worry them.". Marino represents kawa as meaning, "to arise (?)", a meaning that better fits the context.
†wažu comes from wa-, "something," and žu, "to place, put, plant; touch, bag" (Marino). The stem žu in this context functions as a pun, as it also means, "to precipitate" (Miner). The word pį́hi means, "carefully, gently, quietly, restfully, easy, good, well; over"; and it has also the sense "to renew." So the compound means, "to be eased over."

 

 

p. 578 —
e de. A Ke doo ni Ktt n Ae Ki di. A Ke liAi Ai ni
éže. "Hąké š’ųnikjanahegiži, hąké pįhini
he said. "Not if you do not do it, not not very gentle

 

 

Ki o ni Ktt n Ae n e de. e Ki. w Kette xiAi s. we de.
ki’ųnikjanaheną," éže. Égi Wakjexira weže,
I will use you," he said. Then the Waterspirit he said,

 

 

ttAe Ki A se tt. A Ke A o ni Ke Ao mi Ki tK dA n e de.
"Čekihareja, hąké ha’ųnigé, homį́kitakšaną éže.
"When I first spoke, not I would not do it, [to move from here,"] he said.

 

 

p. 579 —
e Ki. w Ktt K K. w o de. ny d. Ki ttiKi r n Ki.
Égi Wakjąkaga wa’ųže. Naįžą kičgisanąki,
Then Trickster [he did it.] A stick he cut for himself,

 

 

e Ki. Ki rAK lo Ko noKo deAe. e Ki. a tts
égi kisak bokų́nųkše.* Égi ajera,
then [into the middle] he shot it into it. Then [away from the shore,]

*this word means, "to shoot in two something long, leaving a clean break" (Miner), but it may have been a misunderstanding of boką́nąk, "to push or knock over with a quick blow."

 

 

wo too ne de. e Ki e tt. i ni se xi d
wot’ųneže. Égi éja ini reǧižą
he threw him out. Then there stone a kettle

 

 

p. 580 —
Ki Koo de. Ai A. Ai sow Ks. m Ai A Kese Ki. w A tti Ktte n
kik’ųže. "Hįhá, hiroágera mąhihakregi wahajikjeną,"
he made for himself. Now then, for the last time on earth I will eat,"

 

 

e de. e tt Ao A de. e Ki to tti Ki di.
éže. Éja hohą́že. Égi tujigiži,
he said. There he boiled it. Then when he cooked it,

 

 

w rKe xeAe tey d. e tt Aoyi ri de. i ni.
wasgé xeteižą éja hoisiže.* Ini
dish a big one there he dished it out. Stone

*a hapaxlegomenon.

 

 

p. 581 —
w rKe Ki Koo de. e Ki e tt mi nK K n K.*
wasgé kik’ųže. Égi éja mįnąkanąga
dish he made for himself. Then there he sat, and

*this spelling suggests mįnąkakanąga.

 

 

w sotto deAe. i ni. Ai A Ke tt w o de. Ao mi nK s.
waručše. Ini hihagéja wa’ųže. homįnągera
he ate. Stone on top he did this. His seat

 

 

Ai Ko de Ko se Ki dKe ttA tii tte n. se xs
higų žegųregi ške čąt’į́jeną. Reǧera
even to this day also it is visible. The kettle

 

 

p. 582 —
deKe. w reKe s deKe. e Ki. Ao mi n Ki de.
ške wasgéra ške égi homįnąkiže,
also the dish also and where he sat,

 

 

o di. Aoyi Kd ls dKe ttA tii de. dAo tteKe s
’uží hoikšabera ške čąt’į́že. Šųčgéra
his buttocks* his crack† also it is seen. His testicles

*everywhere else ’uží means, "anus, rectum," but here it clearly means "buttocks."
† in Marino, hoikšap is said to mean, "to split," and in Miner, "to split by hitting."

 

 

deKe. ttA tii xitti tte de ay se dAo no n de Ko ne Ki deKe. niyo xeAe te s.
ške čąt’į́xjiježe, airešųnųną, žegųniške. Nioxetera
also it is visible, it is said, even now. The Mississippi

 

 

p. 583 —
ni doAo tts. A Ki detteKe n Ke di. niyo xeAe te.
Nišójera hakišjék nąkéži, Nioxete
the Missouri River where it enters [it's back, in any case,] Mississippi

 

 

Ae Ke we tt. a dKe niKi w o de ay se n.
hokeweja, ašge nįk wa’ųže, aíreną.
at the entrance, near a short distance, he did it, it is said.

 

 

p. 584 —
e Ki. e tt so dtt Ki di. te tt s. Ao tal deAe.
Égi éja rušjągiži, tejąra hot’ą́pše.
Then there he quit, and the ocean he went into.

 

 

e Ki. e tt. m xiAi w Ke tt. Ao w Ke se de.
Égi éja mąxi wągéja howakereže.
Then there heavens [above] he went back.

 

 

m o s. m ni Ke. Ao mi nK n Ki di. Ko Ay tt.
Mą’ųra mą nįgé homįnąknąkiži, kųhaį́ja
The Creator land where he sits, and under there

 

 

di Ke m de rKe ni Ke n Ki di. e
žigé mą žesge nįgenagiži, e
again land like [the place, and] [he]

 

 

 

de e A Ki Ai so K n s Ae se nK deAe ay se n.
žee hagí hirukąnąra herenąkše, aíreną.
that one there he is in charge he is, it is said.

 

 

Ai t ni n Ki di. de e. Ke ttA Ke K. e de e Ai so K n nK dAe
Hitaninagiži, žee Kečąkega, e žee hirukąnąnąkše,
The third one, this one, Turtle, he that one he is in charge,

 

 

p. 586 —
ay se n. e Ki m te e. Ao o
aíreną. Égi mą tee, ho’ų
it is said. And land this, the place

 

 

A tt ne. w ditti Ke K. e Ai so K n n.* e rKe.
hająne, Wašjįgega e hirukąnąną. Ésge,
we are in, Hare he he is in charge. Therefore,

*Radin's published version ends here.

 

 

w ditti Ke K. wo dK A ni s. Ai d liAi Ai Ki di. m o s   ...*
Wašjįgega wošgahanira hižą pįhigiži, Mą’ųra ...
Hare his affair one if he does it right, [Earthmaker] ...

*underneath the last word on the page, m o s, is written "Where the," demonstrating that the text continued on, although page 587 is missing. The missing portion may have been something like, Mą’ųra mą nįgé homįnąknąkše, rekjéną — "he may go to the land where Earthmaker dwells."

 

Source:

The original text, which is incomplete, is found in John Baptiste (trs.), "Wakdjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 566-586. An English translation is found in Paul Radin, The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology (New York: Schocken Books, 1956) 52-53.