Disease Giver Blesses Jōbᵉnągiwį́xka

Paul Radin's Text

(475) “One in control of death who dwells in the south and who of himself possesses greater war power than all the other spirits that exist, blessed grandfather Djōbenągịwi´ŋxga [Jōbᵉnągiwį́xka]. He is in control of life and in control of death. He met grandfather in the middle of the day and blessed him with war powers and life. He said (to our grandfather when he blessed him), “If I should ever go on the warpath, your descendants, as many as they are and wherever they live, I will not tread upon, should they get sick. However, your posterity never will get sick. Should they ever have a bad illness, (478/479) they have the means of obtaining life by praying for it,” by offering tobacco and a flute.’

“Disease-giver himself made these things holy (wak’ą́cąk). Thus they would obtain life, if they had any illness, by offering you reed flutes, food, tobacco, feathers, a white dog, and by making you at the same time an offering of buckskin hides. (Thus Disease-giver spoke to our grandfather when he blessed him:) ‘A holy flute I made for you, and I forbade you to blow upon it, yet you did it. Now, hereafter, if you offer me a sufficient number of buckskins, you may blow upon it. A different life from that of others will you lead, if you do that. You will be able to cut off (stop) a bad disease caused by someone else. Nor will this one (who was ill) ever have another disease.’

“Thus Disease-giver spoke. This is what the one who causes disease said. That is how they blessed our grandfather Djōbenągịwi´ŋxga. A song I am now about to start. War-bundle owners who are seated here, I greet you.” (Disease-giver song.) 

Source

Sam Blowsnake, The Warbundle Feast of the Thunderbird Clan, in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 399-481 [474-477].