Hočąk Text — The Four Steps of the Cougar
narrated by Jasper Blowsnake
The following are Greek letters used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text. Their values correspond, with the exception of γ, to those given in Radin's notebook Winnebago II, #6, on the interstitial page between 107/108:
γ | ε | ρ | τ | ϕ | 9 |
hą́bera | -gáją | -ánąga | -gíži | hąké | -xjį |
In the interlinear text where the translation is missing, it has been supplied whenever possible from the English text of The Road of Life and Death (see Source below). Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].
p. 265 —
rek’úhuhíra | tciróbotcagíwera | tciróbera | tcagíwekdjané[τ´] |
Rek’úhuhíra | čiróbočagíwera | čiróbera | čagíwekjanégíži, |
South | the door we go towards* | [the entrance] | whe[n] he's to go toward, |
p. 266* —
sániⁿgoicoroídja | rusé | witcáⁿsiⁿtcserédjera† | saⁿdjaⁿxdjíⁿjaⁿ |
sánįgoišoroíja | rusé | wičą́sįčseréjera | sąjąxjį́žą, |
on the right side | he took from | the long tailed wildcat [cougar]‡ | a very awe inspiring one, |
sgaxdjíⁿjaⁿ | tcowéra | hodjídjehíje | tcabónihára | haⁿberá |
sgaxjį́žą, | čowéra | hojíjehíže. | Čabónihára | hąberá |
an extremely white one, | in front | he placed. | On top of his head | [the light] |
higiu[ρ´] | sirokúra | [γ] | higiu[ρ´] | tcowéra |
higiuánąga | sirokúra | hą́bera | higiuánąga | čowéra |
he put and | bottom of his feet | light | [he put and] | in front |
hokéreje | witcawaⁿtciⁿcserétcdjega* | tcowérodjidjéhigi | wajaⁿgúⁿzera |
hokéreže, | wičawąčįšseréčjega. | Čowérojijéhigi | Wažągų́zera |
he placed him, | the cougar. | [As he placed it in front of him,] | the Creator |
djágu | hirukóno | gigi[τ´] | hanáⁿtciⁿ | róhiku[ρ´]† |
jágu | hirukóno | gigigíži, | haną́čį | róhikuánąga |
what | in charge of | he put and* | all of it | he clothed himself with (and)‡ |
waúⁿdjeje | rohíra | x’óx’e | hákikáraníje | [ε´] |
waų́ježe. | Rohíra | x’óx’e | hákikáraníže. | Gáją |
[he did thus.]* | His body | [frail from holiness]† | he held himself.‡ | Now |
siⁿdjerá | wariríchi[ε´] | waxop’íni | tcitcabiréra | hocicigera† |
sįjerá | wariríšhigáją, | waxop’íni | čičabiréra | hošišigera |
his tail | he wriggled it bent* | spirits | [their lodge] | the evil ones‡ |
hanáⁿtciⁿ[9] | howucgúninégi | hoisiⁿtc´ | rehíje | wogúⁿzotcíra |
haną́čįxjį | howušgúninégi | hoisįč´ | rehíže. | Wogų́zočíra |
everyone of them | [to the bad place]* | to sweep | he pushed away. | The Creation Lodge |
sisíⁿtciⁿ* | rukirikíri | kíridjéhije | tciókisag honaⁿjíⁿna |
sisį́čį | rukirikíri | kírijéhiže. | Čiókisag Honąžį́na |
neat and clean | shimmering and glittering | [it became.] | He Who Stands in the Middle of the Lodge |
hodázóbera | rotcáⁿ | djidjehíje | herécgera | maⁿxí |
hotázóbera | ročą́ | jijehíže, | heréšgera. | Mąxí |
blaze of fire* | straight | [it was made to become,] | he the very one even. | Clouds |
cicígera | djasgákijí | hanaⁿtciⁿ[9] | yowucgúnina* | hoisiⁿtc´ |
šišígera | jasgákiží | hanąčįxjį | yowušgúnina* | hoisįč´ |
the evil ones | [how] | all of them | in the bad place | to sweep |
rehíje | [τ´] | haⁿberácana | karapiésge[9] | kiridjéhíje |
rehíže | gíži. | Hąberášana | karapiésgexjį | kirijéhíže. |
[pushed away] | [.] | Day only | perfect | [he made it.] |
wakírihokéreúⁿna | djágu | rokaraíresge | naⁿjíⁿje* | tcekdjíⁿna |
Wakírihokéreų́na | jágu | rokaraíresge | nąžį́že. | Čekjį́na |
The web maker | [what] | they seemed to be suspended† | as it stood. | The very first |
p. 267 —
ruhaídje[ε´] | hikorókehiwira | híⁿtcaberá | ok’cuⁿkcuédja | hip’á |
ruhaíjegáją, | hikorókehiwira | hį́čaberá | ok’šųkšuéja | hip’á |
(after) he took a step, | Our Grandmother* | our | up to the elbow† | up to |
gipógidjehije | asáⁿniⁿgédja | ruhaídjehí[ε] | hitcuⁿcge | gikarádjiréra |
gipógijehiže. | Asą́nįgéja | ruhaíjehígają | "Hičųšge" | gikarájiréra |
he penetrated. | The other arm | he placed it | "Nephew" | the one they call* |
sáⁿwaⁿxdjiⁿ. | Nuⁿ?sáⁿwaⁿxdjiⁿ | hidjehíje | ok’cuⁿc’uédjap’a | gidjehíje |
są́wąxjį. | Nų?są́wąxjį | hijehíže. | Ok’šųš’uéjap’a | gijehíže. |
[he sank.] | To penetrate* | [he extended.] | Up to his elbow | he took his step. |
waizidanína | ruhaídje[ε´] | hikórokehiwíra | híⁿtcaberá |
Waizitanína | ruhaíjegáją, | Hikórokehiwíra | hį́čaberá |
The third limb | [when he placed it,] | Our Grandmother | our |
hax’ixdjiⁿ | ok’cuⁿk’cuédjip’a | gipókgidjehíje | waízairuágera |
hax’ixjį | ok’šųk’šuéjip’a | gipókgijehíže. | Waízairuágera |
quite ripened* | up to his elbow | he penetrated. | His raised limb |
ruhaídjehígadjaⁿ | hitcúⁿcge | gikáradjiréra | hohótciⁿ |
ruhaíjehígają, | "Hičų́šge" | gikárajiréra | hohóčį |
when he put it down, | "Nephew" | the one they call | fine and powdered* |
ok’cuⁿk’cuédja | híp’á | gipokgidjehíje | tciróbikérera | hinug |
ok’šųk’šuéja | híp’á | gipokgijehíže. | Čiróbikérera | hinug |
to the elbow | up to | he penetrated. | [Coming to the entrance,]* | female† |
hirakírus | wak’aⁿ | tcorá | wáⁿgera | hoicórorá |
hirakírus | wak’ą | čorá | wą́gera | hoišórorá |
[with them himself]* | snake | green | male† | the right |
hokéreje | wak’áⁿna | waⁿk’djegá | hoicororokéreje | hinukdjega |
hokéreže. | Wak’ą́na | wąk’jegá | hoišororokéreže. | Hinukjega |
he placed it. | The snake | the male | [he placed it to the right.] | The female |
hoirátcgera | hokéreje* | wak’áⁿnaⁿka | akíwaké | wánidjinóg[ρ´] |
hoiráčgera | hokéreže. | Wak’ą́nąka | akíwaké | wánijinógánąga |
the left | he placed. | The snakes | both | he grabbed and |
wáruksuⁿksuⁿtcce | [τ´] | hikórokehiwíra | djadjaiⁿxdjiaⁿki | jedjaíⁿxdjiⁿ |
wáruksųksųčše, | gíži. | Hikórokehiwíra | jajaįxjiąki, | žejaį́xjį |
he shook them | [.] | Our Grandmother | how far it is* | that far |
p. 268 —
wowadjas | hidjehíje | [ϕ] | kiuⁿnépini | hidjewahíje |
wowajas | hijehíže. | Hąké | kiųnépini | hijewahíže. |
he pushed them in* | [to go there.] | Not | they couldn't be loose | he placed them. |
tciróbera | hakdjá | hoidú | kíriníⁿki | [γ] |
Čiróbera | hakjá | hoitú | kírinį́ki. | Hą́bera |
The door | back | he threw it* | he did. | The light* |
hokiwásik | tciókiságedja | rugigís | kírinaⁿk híje | [γ] |
hokiwásik | čiókiságeja | rugigís | kírinąk híže. | Hą́bera |
half of it | within the center of the lodge | [full]* | he made it appear. | Light |
hokíwasik | haníhinóp | gikérejé | níⁿgecána | háⁿbamanína |
hokíwasik | haníhinóp | gikérežé. | Nį́gešána | Hą́bamanína |
half of it | he took out | he did. | Here and there | the Light Walkers |
warawá | t’aⁿhihíⁿpce | niⁿgecána | warawá |
warawá | t’ąhihį́pše. | Nįgešána | warawá |
with something in their mouths | they were flying. | Here and there | with something in their mouths |
hihíⁿpce | maⁿnégeréra. |
hihį́pše, | mąnégeréra. |
[they were moving on,] | the earthly ones. |
Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #7: 265-268; an English translation exists in Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 333-334.