Black Otter’s Sacrifice to a Thunder

by Stella Stacy, a.k.a. Mountain Wolf Woman
Reading by Shiela Shigley
Translated by Richard Dieterle

Hocąk-English Interlinear Text

(00:14.1) Those, again, were getting ready for war so the men then, and, the men, ēgų, they ran to and fro to be ready for war [and] he arrived jumping in to get ready, [and] when they were getting ready, (00:26.9) then a man, this one whom they called "Black Otter," was afraid. (00:35.8) "What I once thought I knew when you did fasting, then today after thinking it over there, up to now I didn't know a thing. (00:43.9) However, anyhow, ēgų, it might be good [to fast]."

(00:46.8) One of these whom they call "Thunderbirds," when he shoots the first one, that one will bring them back three. (00:55) A little tobacco and leggings and legging strings and some tobacco, (00:59.4) there he made into a bundle, putting them within. "That, that one Thunderbird, in order to bring him forth, ho, to he himself, that one I shall offer tobacco." (01:09.3) He did along with [other things]. He offered tobacco. (01:12.5) However, then again he said, "When I get back, when I get back there, killing this one, a dog of mine, (01:20) it would be good if I did it, and if I do, this one (the Thunderbird) will assent," (01:23.8) he said, so Thunderbird it was, "I am making a gift to him of my own, a dog," he said there. (|| 01:28)¹

Commentary. "Black Otter" — an historical figure. However, much of his life has been made legendary. It is clear that his family was originally of the Waterspirit Clan. This fact is expressed in their names: "Black Otter" denotes an aquatic animal having no associations with the Thunders; and his brother's name, "Big Sandbar," references the habit of Waterspirits to sun themselves by lying on sandbars. When the adoption of Anglo names became a practical necessity, Black Otter's male descendants chose the name "Green." Today, Monte Green is the master of the Warbundle created by Black Otter. His father, Abel Green, who affiliated with the Bear Clan, says, "Tōšą́nąksépka (Black Otter), my ancestor, paternal great-grandfather, originally was from the Thunderbirds, and he came to live among the people, and he told this story himself." It was by virtue of this fact that he was able to create a Thunderbird Warbundle.

"Thunderbirds" — their name, Wakąja, means, "Divine Ones." On the model of other spirit tribes, they are conventionally called "Thunder(bird)s," since they manifest themselves as raptors and they alone possess the power to unleash the lightning bolt. Lightning strikes are homologized to the strike of a warclub. The first Thunderbird warclub was made by the Thunders themselves, and took the form of a Nąmą́ce Pešará, a "Baldheaded Warclub." A copy of this weapon is the exclusive warclub of the Bird Clan. The original was usually kept on a small mound in front of the lodge of Great Black Hawk, Chief of the Thunders. As the supreme lightning weapon, it was lethal against whomever it was swung. All Great Black Hawk had to do was shake it lightly and the noise of its discharge could terrorize even the spirits of heaven.² When the Thunders chose to manifest themselves in human form, they were, like their famous club, baldheaded, and wore about their temple a wreath of red cedar. As commanders of a unique force, they could bless people with great war powers. So in our present account, we find Black Otter appealing to his supernatural kinsmen to give him enough power to protect himself from harm, and thereby allay his fears as he prepares to enter the fight.

	3-Forked Lightning

"leggings and legging strings" — the sentence reads, Tánı̨́(n)įkgi wagúcą́negi, hinąt’ų́-kerégirégi, tánı̨́(n)įk, éja harušı̨́, haką́ną́k-gájᵋra. It contains an anomaly embedded in what is otherwise a list of items collected together into a bundle by Black Otter: "A little tobacco and leggings, and hinąt’ų́-kerégirégi, some tobacco, there putting them in a bundle he had made." This bundle was presumably tied to the neck of the sacrificial dog. The problem arises with respect to the phrase hinąt’ų́-kerégirégi. What is expected is an item that fits in the list with tobacco and leggings. Instead, we get the expression hinąt’ų́-kerégirégi, where hinąt’ų́ means "you left me," but the meaning of kereg- seems to be, "to leave going back." This is oddly intrusive in this context and obscure in meaning. However, when we reflect on the methodology of Stella's recordings, we can understand this as a mistake in transmission. These recordings were made by having Stella listen to a wax cylinder recording, usually in imperfect shape, and then retelling the contents into the microphone of a more technologically advanced tape recorder. It is inevitable that some mistakes of transmission will occur. The nature of the problem becomes clear when we reëxamine the word hinąt’ų́. It is found in the expression hinąt’ųgeraišge (Ai n too Ke Ly deKe), which means exactly what we might find in this list: "legging strings." Stella either misheard, misunderstood, or misremembered hinąt’ųgeraišge as hinąt’ų́-kerégirégi.

"a dog" — dogs were objects of great affection, and were allowed to eat off plates with the family. A dog could be substituted for a human sacrifice. Dogs were often sacrificed as a cure for disease, and before they were dispatched (by hanging) they were given a message to relay to Disease Giver. This dog is intended to become a pet to the Thunder who strikes three with a single shot. Yet as in the case of Disease Giver, the dog is also a messenger, carrying with him the bundle of offerings collected together by Black Otter.

"assent" — that is, he will assent to give him a blessing for his warpath.

Comparative Material. ...

Links: Thunderbirds, Wolf and Dog Spirits.

Stories: mentioning Black Otter: Black Otter's Warpath; about famous Hocąk warriors and warleaders: How Little Priest went out as a Soldier, Little Priest's Game, The Masaxe War (Hogimasąga), Wazųka, Great Walker's Warpath (Great Walker), Great Walker's Medicine (Great Walker, Smoke Walker, Dog Head, Small Snake), Šųgepaga (Dog Head), The Warbundle Maker (Dog Head), Black Otter's Warpath (Dog Head, Black Otter), The Shawnee Prophet — What He Told the Hocągara (Smoke Walker, Dog Head, Small Snake), Big Thunder Teaches Cap’ósgaga the Warpath (Big Thunder, Cap’ósgaga), The Osage Massacre (Big Thunder, Cap’ósgaga), The Fox-Hocąk War (Cap’ósgaga), The Origin of Big Canoe's Name, White Thunder's Warpath, Four Legs, The Man who Fought against Forty (Mącosepka), Yellow Thunder and the Lore of Lost Canyon, The Hills of La Crosse (Yellow Thunder), The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, Fighting Retreat, Mitchell Red Cloud, jr. Wins the Medal of Honor (Mitchell Red Cloud, jr.), How Jarrot Got His Name, Jerrot's Temperance Pledge — A Poem, Jarrot's Aborted Raid, Jarrot and His Friends Saved from Starvation, They Owe a Bullet (Pawnee Shooter); mentioning Thunderbirds: The Thunderbird, Waruǧábᵉra, How the Thunders Met the Nights, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, Traveler and the Thunderbird War, The Boulders of Devil's Lake, Thunderbird and White Horse, Bluehorn's Nephews, How the Hills and Valleys were Formed (vv. 1, 2), The Man who was a Reincarnated Thunderbird, The Thunder Charm, The Lost Blanket, The Twins Disobey Their Father, The Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Story of the Thunder Names, The Hawk Clan Origin Myth, Eagle Clan Origin Myth, Pigeon Clan Origins, Bird Clan Origin Myth, Adventures of Redhorn's Sons, Brave Man, Ocean Duck, Turtle's Warparty, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, The Quail Hunter, Heną́ga and Star Girl, The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty, Redhorn's Sons, The Dipper, The Stone that Became a Frog, The Race for the Chief's Daughter, Redhorn Contests the Giants, The Sons of Redhorn Find Their Father, The Warbundle of the Eight Generations, Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Origin of the Hocąk Chief, The Spirit of Gambling, Wolf Clan Origin Myth, Black Otter's Warpath, Aracgéga's Blessings, Kunu's Warpath, The Orphan who was Blessed with a Horse, The Glory of the Morning, The Nightspirits Bless Ciwoit’éhiga, The Green Waterspirit of the Wisconsin Dells, A Waterspirit Blesses Mąnį́xete’ų́ga, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, The Big Stone, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts, Song to Earthmaker, The Origins of the Milky Way; relating to dogs or wolves: The Gray Wolf Origin Myth, A Man and His Three Dogs, White Wolf, Wolves and Humans, The Wolf Clan Origin Myth, The Old Man and His Four Dogs, Worúxega, The Dogs of the Chief's Son, The Dog that became a Panther, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, The Wild Rose, The Man Whose Wife was Captured, The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, The Canine Warrior, The Dog Who Saved His Master, The Raccoon Coat, Wojijé, The Big Eater, Why Dogs Sniff One Another, The Healing Blessing, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Trickster Loses His Meal, Sun and the Big Eater, Redhorn's Sons, Trickster, the Wolf, the Turtle, and the Meadow Lark, Hog's Adventures, Holy One and His Brother, The Messengers of Hare, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts, Grandmother's Gifts, The Hocąk Migration Myth, Bladder and His Brothers, The Stench-Earth Medicine Origin Myth, The Old Man and the Giants, Rich Man, Boy, and Horse, Kunu's Warpath, Morning Star and His Friend, Black Otter's Warpath, Black Otter’s Sacrifice to a Thunder, Chief Wave and the Big Drunk; Peace of Mind Regained (?); mentioning dog sacrifice: Wolf Clan Origin Myth (v. 5), Redhorn's Sons, Black Otter's Warpath, Brass and Red Bear Boy, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts, Disease Giver Blesses Jobenągiwįxka, A Waterspirit Blesses Mąnį́xete’ų́ga, see also Wolf & Dog Spirits.

Themes: ...

Notes

¹ Stella Stacy, "Black Otter's sacrifice to Thunder when he was scared of war," reading by Sheila Shigley, from audio tapes in the American Philosophical Society. 10-04. Fraenkel, Gerd. Mss.Rec. 29, recorded 13 July 1959, 1 .mp3; 00:00:14.1 - 00:01:28. Copy made by Gerd Fraenkel of an original tape held at the Archives of Languages of the World, Indiana University. This program comes from original tape 528.4. APS accession number 7233; APSdigrec_2179; Recording Number: 02; Program Number: 31.
² Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 302-311.
³ Kim D. Coder, "Formation of Lightning Ground Strikes," Warner School of Forestry & Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Publication WSFNR-22-05C, 19, fig. 15.
⁴ Coder, "Formation of Lightning Ground Strikes," 20, fig. 16.