Hocąk Text — Burial Customs of the Warrior Clan

narrated by Tom Big Bear

The following are symbols used as morpheme abbreviations in the text.

α /
égi -kjonéną

Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].

English Translation

  Stylistic Features
  hapaxlegomena: hagírace, "to cross someone's path"; hokíhihį́p, "alternating," cf. hokihihįp haną, "I mix" (Marino); nokíkewe, "paint," a variant of nukikewe.
  rare words: humani (for humąnį), "walk, path," a variant of homąnį, is otherwise only found embedded in several personal names.
  he uses hįké, "not," throughout rather than hąké.

The page number links connect to the original page of text.

Burial Customs (wonaɣíre ’uañkcîk)
Burial Customs (Wonaǧíre Wąkšik)
Burial Customs (Warrior Clansmen)

Winnebago III, #19b: page 14          
wonấgirē ’uañkcî́kdjāṇê hijáⁿ tcawî́gi wa’uñkdjánihénaⁿ náñgiwáñkdjônénaⁿ [α]
Wonágire Wąšíkjane hižą́ cawígi, wa’ųkjánihéną. Ną́giwą́kjonéną, égi
[War] [the men] one if he dies, they would do. I would sing for him, and

 

 

nokíkêwê hakîñkdjanihénaⁿ hijáⁿ tcáwîgi was‘ế cútc was‘ê sếp hīcdjára
nokíkewe hakíkjanihéną. Hižą́ cáwigi, wasé šuc, wase sep, hišjára
paint I would make him. [One] [if he died,] [paint] [red,] [paint] [black,] [his face]

 

 

harutcế sḗp p’āgaíxdjarénaⁿ cūtc hokíhihîⁿp* hákdjônénaⁿ [α] ī́ra
harucé sep pagaíxjaréną. Šuc hokíhihį́p hákjonéną. Égi íra
across [black] I would mark it. [Red] alternating I would make it. [Then] his mouth

* /h/ is written above an original initial /w/.

 

cudjákdjônénaⁿ [α] naⁿmáⁿtcera hijáⁿ gi’û́ñkdjonénaⁿ naⁿmáⁿtciáka
šujákjonéną. Égi nąmą́cera hižą́   gi’ų́kjonéną. Nąmą́ciáka,
I would make it red. [Then] club a he would make him. The warclub,

* the letters /uc/ are written above an original /o/ (?) /s/.

 

ha’uⁿducdjốñgi* wanốɣiáka haniáñgigíkdjônénaⁿ daniónîñgế naⁿbójū
ha’ųtušjǫ́gi, wanóǧiáka hanią́gigikjonéną. Taniónįgé nąbóžu
when I finish it, the corpse I would have him hold it. Piece of tobacco in his hand

* the letters /uc/ are written above two illegible letters.

 

page 15            
hagigíkdjônénaⁿ jegû́ñgiji [α] humanína haⁿhé djobốhaⁿ yagiét‘et‘ekdjonénaⁿ
hagígikjonéną, žegų́giži. Égi humanína hąhé jobóhą yagiét’et’ekjonéną.
I would make him* thus. [Then] walk nights four I will talk for him.

* the translation adds, "take it".

 

s‘ā́nîñk wioirếrêgi wakandjá tcinôgiā́nôki ētcawékdjônénaⁿ nañγíragᴇra
S’ánįk wioiréregi Wakąjá cinogiánoki ecawékjonéną, nąǧíragᵋra.
[Direction] [west] Thunders* village he is going to go to, his spirit.

* the translation has, "at the Thunders". 

 

naⁿmaⁿtciágᴇrê* hiñkế wajaⁿ cícîk hagíratcê p‘ínîñkdjônénaⁿ
Nąmąciágᵋre, hįké wažą šíšik hagírace pínįkjonéną.
[This warclub that was placed,] [not] anything [bad] to cross his path it will be impossible.†

* this appears to be from nąmące-hiágere. The latter could be, hi-ak-re (> -igᵋre), where hi means, "to make," -ak, "lying," and -re, "this."
† more literally, "it will not be good (for it)".

 

jéjegûñgíji herêcgúnina* pḗdjanîgi hiñkế êōwániñkdjonénaⁿ rotcấñkdjîⁿ wakaⁿdjá
Žéžegųgíži, Herešgúnina pejąnigi hįké eowánįkjonéną. Rocą́kjį Wakąjá
When thus it is, devil's the fire [not] he will [not] go into. Straight Thunder

* the original superscript /ⁿ/ was crossed out by a verticle line.

 

tcinôgếdja naⁿγíragera* hī́kdjônénaⁿ jếjegû́ñgiji nañγírakdjega wë́kdjonénaⁿ
cinogéja nąǧíragᵋra híkjonéną. Žéžegų́giži, nąǧírakjega wékjonéną.
to the village [the soul] it will go. When thus it is, the soul it will say it.

* gera is written above an original lined out kra.

 

        page 16  
djaguîagíra jêsgế horagíkdjonénaⁿ hîñkế hijáⁿ hirodjíⁿ
Jaguiagíra žesgé horagikjonéną. Hįké hižą́ hirojį́
What I said to him [this] he will tell. [Not] [one] not for sometime

 

 

êowáhunî́ñkdjônénaⁿ jêsgê karadaírenaⁿ ’uañkcî́go hoíⁿṇa
eowáhunį́kjonéną. Žesge karataíreną, wąkšígo hoį́na.
there will not be any coming here again. That it is what they ask for, [the life.]

 

 

piⁿniṇénaⁿ aire[/] nañγírakdjéga jēsgê ḗkdjonénaⁿ jegûⁿ.
Pįninéną, airekjonéną. Nąǧírakjéga žesge ékjonéną. Žegų.
They are doing well, [they would say.] [The soul] [this way] [they will say.] [Thus it is.]

 

 

Black   –     upper forehead
red   –     down bridge of nose to face
black   –     middle nose –
red   –     corner of mouth down to chin

Supposed to be marks of recognition in the spirit land.

Source:

Tom Big Bear, "Burial Customs," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3899 [1254] (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #19b: 14-16.