Hōcąk Text — Great Walker and the Ojibwe Witches

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

English Translation


Original Texts

Winnebago II, #1: 131-132 — | 131 | 132 |
Winnebago II, #5: 138-140 — | 138 | 139 | 140 |
Winnebago III, #1: 106-108 — | 106 | 107 | 108 |


Stylistic Features

  hapaxlegomena: ḗsgĕ žigĕ́, "finally"; hirapŏ́, "to wait for someone."
  rare words: hiraícga, in the sense of "practice" (found only in Marino).



As is the case with a number of other Radin interlinear MSS, this text is full of abbreviations for common words and affixes.

α β γ २ ε ɜ ζ ϑ λ
égi éja -giži -že ésge šąną -xjį -ižą žesge


ρ υ 𝜑 ω ·נ ⪽ - ⨪ ⨪̊
ánąga -regi hąke žigé nųnįge waxopíni -ra -nąk -nǫk (?)



Line 1 Winnebago III, #1: 106-108
Line 2 Winnebago II, #1: 131-132
Line 3 Winnebago II, #5: 138-140
Line 4 Text in the Current Orthography
Line 5 English Translation


Winn. 3.1.106 = Winn. 2.1.131 = Winn. 2.5.138 = RL&D 138
Regatcí[ϑ] wajaⁿ´djagi wapakô´nôk[२] [γ] Regátcidjega haⁿhióradjé[-] hañkcî´[ζ]
Regatcíją wają́djagi wap‘ak‘ŏ́nąkcĕ giji Regátcidjega hąhé horádjĕra hañkcíxdjį
regatcíjaⁿ wajaⁿ´djagi wap‘ak‘ɔ´nαⁿkcε giji regátcidjega haⁿhé horadjera hañkcixdjιⁿ
Regacížą wažą́jagi wapakŏ́nąkšĕ giži. Regácijega hąhé horajĕra hąkšixjį
An Ojibwe he saw something* he was clever [.] This Ojibwe at night visiting around very high†

* translated elswhere as "seer". These words are connected to a further elaboration below: "one who's blessed".
† attached to this by a line to the bottom of the page is: "(i.e. in the air)".

  Winn. 3.1.107      
hogiê´s’a[२] [ε] nañkê´wê[ζ] ṇes’á[२] régatcí[-] djopíwi haⁿhê´oradjé[-]*
hogi es’ájĕ, ä´sgĕ naŋkĕ́wexdjį ṇes’ájĕ. Regatcíra djop‘íwi hąhé horadjéra
hogi és’ajε ä´sgε nañk‘έwexdjιⁿ ṇes’ájε regatcíra djop‘íwi haⁿhé horadjéra
hogiés’ážĕ, ḗsgĕ nąkĕ́wexjįnes’ážĕ. Regacíra jopíwi hąhéorajéra†
he would travel, so they were afraid of him. The Ojibwes four witches, poisoners‡

* the initial /h/ of oradjé[-] has been lost due to sandhi.
† < hąhé horadjéra.
‡ this is written above haⁿhê´oradjé[-] and connected to it with a short line.

 

      Winn. 2.5.139    
hicônôⁿ´ hiraítcerai[υ] jê´ê hitcakâ´ro k‘îⁿṇ[ρ´] haⁿhé[ϑ] [β´]
hícăną hiraitceraírĕgi jĕĕ hitcak‘â´ro k‘įṇánąga hąhéją. ë´dja
hicanáⁿ hiraítceraírεgi jεέ hitcak‘â´ro k‘ιⁿṇánαⁿga haⁿhéjaⁿ ë´dja
hišăną́ hiraiceraírĕgi, žĕ́ĕ hicakáro kįnánąga hąhéžą ḗja
they only they were the greatest, these friends they were of one another, and one night [there]

 

 

maⁿṇádjir[ρ´] dê´ xêdé[ϑ] mí[⨪̊]k[γ´]* ag[β´] t’aⁿrutcé naⁿjíⁿṇe[२] haⁿhióradjê´
mą́ṇadjirànąga dĕ xĕdĕją miną́kcĕ agĕ́dja t’árutcĕ nąjį́ṇejĕ. hąhé horádjĕ
maⁿṇadjiranαⁿga de xεdέjaⁿ minαⁿkcε agέdja t’arutcε naⁿjíⁿṇejε haⁿhέ horádje
mąnajiranąga tĕ xĕtĕ́žą miną́kšĕ. Agĕ́ja t’arucĕ́ nąžį́nežĕ. Hąhiórajḗ
they appointed, and [this] [a great one] [he was]. Across it fly [they were]. [Night Traveler]

* the γ should have had the value of giži.

 

hikaraítcga wa’ú[⨪][२] [γ] manixê´dega higaí[υ] hotcû´ñgi[ϑ] wipérezsê hicgê´ 
hik‘araítcga wa’únąkcĕ giji. manixĕ́dega higaírĕgi hotcăŋgíją wip‘énessĕ` hicgĕ́
hik‘araítcga wa’únαⁿkcε giji manixέdega higaírεgi hotcυñgíjaⁿ wip‘érεssε hicgέ
hikaraícga, wa’únąkšĕ giži. Manixĕ́tega higaíregi, Hocągížą, wipéressĕ. Hišgĕ́
practice [he did it] . [Great Walker] whom they call, a Hōcąk, he knew of them. [Also]

 

 

wajaⁿdjaí[ϑ] here[२´] mánixê´dêdjega hidjówaré[२] haⁿhióradjé[-] wawik’ŭ[ρ´]
wają́djaiją herejĕ́ manixĕ́dedjega hidjowanéjĕ. hąhé horadjéna wawik‘ŭá‧nąga
wajáⁿdjaijaⁿ herejέ manixεdedjega hidjowaréjε haⁿhé horadjéra wawik‘ŭánαⁿga
wažą́jaižą herežĕ́. Manixĕ́tejega hijowanéžĕ. Hąhiórajéra wawik’ŭā́nąga
a seer he was. Great Walker he went over there. Power of night walking he used, and

 

 

hatcî´ndja[ζ] wa’ŭaṇanáñki wawipérêzki [β´ζ] wirápejê [α] hinîñkê´hi
hatcĭndjáxdjį wa’ŭaṇák‘a* wawip‘érĕsk‘i ë´djaxdjį wiráp‘ejĕ. ắgi hinĭŋkĕ́hi
hatcίndjaxdjιⁿ wa’ŭaṇánαⁿk‘a* wawip‘érεsk‘i ë´djaxdjιⁿ wirápejε ä´gi hinιñk‘έhi
hacį̆jáxjį wa’ŭananą́ki wawipérĕski, éjaxjį wirápežĕ, égi hinį̆kĕ́hi
where at they were starting from he knew it, [about then] he waited for them, [and] one after another

* a miscopy of wa’ŭaṇanáñki.

               Winn. 2.1.132
hagú naⁿjíⁿṇe[२] [β] manixê´dega hirap‘ô´ kurudjî´s wahími[⨪´][२]
hagú nąjį́ṇejĕ ë´dja manixĕ́dega hirap‘ŏ́|kurujís wahíminąkcĕ.
hagú naⁿjíⁿṇejε ë´dja manixέdega hirap‘urudjís wahíminαⁿkcε
hagú nąžį́ne[žĕ]. Éja Manixĕ́tega hirapŏ́ kurujís wahíminąkšĕ.
[to fetch] [he was standing]. There [Great Walker] he waited for them, they failed to come back he made them.

 

 

regátci haⁿhióradjá[⨪]a dâ´ni kurudjís hi[ρ] hidjob[-´] hañkcî´[ζ] gi[ρ´]
Regátci hąhé horadjánąk‘a daní k‘urudjís hi-ánąga hidjóbĕra haŋcíxdjį́* gi-á‧nąga
regátci haⁿhe horadjánαⁿk‘a daní k‘urudjís hi-ánαⁿga hidjóbεra hañcíxdjιⁿ* gi-ánαⁿga
Regáci hąhiorajánąka taní kurujís hiánąga hijóbᵉra hąkšíxjį giánąga
[Ojibwe] Night Travelers three to fail to return [he caused, and] the fourth one [very high] he went, and

* the /k/ preceding the /c/ has been inadvertently omitted in both of these copies.

 

aⁿdjê[ύ] kíridji[ρ´] tca|hé* hi|´naⁿjiⁿ[२] jê wárukozga k‘aragigoíre[२] ā´nañk’ûⁿ
ądjérĕgi k‘iridji-á‧nąga tcahé hinąjį́jĕ jĕ wárukŏzga k‘aragigoírejĕ á‧naŋk’ų
aⁿdjérεgi k‘iridji ánαⁿga tcahé hinaⁿjíⁿjε jε wárukɔzga k’aragigoírejε ánαⁿk’υⁿ†
ąjérĕgi kíridjiánąga cahé hinąžį́žĕ. Žĕ wárukŏzga, karagigoíreže, ā́nąk’ų
towards shore or land he landed, and deer horn he stood with. [These] when he held them, they called him, as they said to him

* above this is written, "deer – snorted". The translation line has "deer horn".
† there is a page break after /á/ which led to /á‧/ being misinterpreted as /á-/.

RL&D 139 Winn. 3.1.108        
karaxúrûgiré[२] hidjá dji[γ´] [α] djágu hiwaxóp‘ini k‘îⁿnañki [λ]
k‘araxúrŭgirejĕ hidjá djigíji. ä´gi djagú hiwaxóp‘ĭni k‘į́nąk‘i, jë´sgĕ
k‘araxúrυgirejε hidjá djigíji ä´gi djagú hiwaxóp‘ιni kiⁿnαⁿk‘i jë´sgε
karaxúrŭgirežĕ. Hijájigíži, égi jagú hiwaxópĭni kínąki, žésgĕ
they obtain his consent.* When he went there, [then] [how] holy Spirits they were making themselves with, [this way]

* this line reads, "they obtained (his consent) by [...?...])". A line from this entry connects to the top of the page where it is written, "They say that when you catch one of these night witches & hold them until daylight they will give you all they've got. They tried to bless them with ... but he wanted their medicine."

                              Winn. 2.5.140
náⁿdjirodjáⁿ naⁿiⁿṇa [·נ] [𝜑] ’uní[२][-]* waratcgáⁿ wigíwañkcê´ wik‘íwaraíre[२]
nądjiródją ną’į́ną, nunigĕ́ haŋkĕ́ ’uníjĕ waratcgą́ wigíwaŋkcĕ wik‘íwawairèjĕ.
naⁿdjirodjaⁿ naⁿιⁿnaⁿ nunιgε hañk‘έ ’uníjε waratcgaⁿ wigíwañkcε wik‘íwaraírejε
ną́jiroją ną’į́ną, nunigĕ́ hąkĕ́ ’unížĕ. Waracgą́ wigíwąkšĕ. Wikíwawaírežĕ.
to bless him they tried, but not he would not do it. Something to drink he asked of them. They excused themselves.†

* the dash, which would ordinarily stand for -ra, is appropriately ignored in subsequent transliterations.
† connected to this translation by a line from the top of the page is: "i.e. they said they hadn't any".

[ε] [ω] x‘awîⁿ´hup‘îⁿ wawigíwañkcê´ [ω] wik‘íwaraíre[२] hê wajíⁿni apérezwinínąⁿ
ä´sgĕ jigĕ́ xąwįhú p‘į wawigíwaŋkcĕ jigĕ́ wik‘iwaraírejĕ he wajį́ni áp‘erĕzwinìną
ä´sgε jigέ xawιⁿhup‘ιⁿ wawigíwanxcε jigε wik‘iwaraírejε he wajίⁿni ap‘erεzwinínaⁿ
Ḗsgĕ žigĕ́ xąwįhú pį wawigíwąkšĕ. Žigĕ́ wikíwawaírežĕ. Hē wažį́ni áperĕzwinìną,*
[So] [again] good plants he asked them for. [Again] they excused themselves. "[Horn]† not anything we don't know,"

* an initial /h/ has been lost through external sandhi.
† the word hē, here untranslated, has multiple meanings. The meaning "to continue" would also fit here.

 

aíre[२] [ε] [ω] wíruhî´ntc wagidá[२] wíruhîndj[-]* [β] hijáⁿ[ɜ] hok’úîṇe[२] éjêê
aírejĕ. ä´sgĕ jigĕ́ wíruhĭntc wagidájĕ wiruhĭ́ndjĕra, ë´dja hiją́căną hok’úiṇejĕ, éjĕĕ
aírejε ä´sgε jigέ wíruhιntc wagidájε wiruhιndjεra ë´dja hijáⁿcanaⁿ hok’úiṇejε ejεε
aírežĕ. Ḗsgĕ žigĕ́, wíruhį̆c wagitážĕ. Wiruhį̆jᵉra éja hižą́šăną hok’úinežĕ, éžĕĕ
they maintained. Finally, greetings he asked them. Greetings [there] [only one] they gave him, this

* before this word, another illegible word as been lined out.

 

[⪽] tcitcábiréra hiṇuhîntcawira
waxop‘íni tcitcábirera hiṇuhĭntcáwira.
waxop‘ίni tcitcábirera hiṇuhιntcawira
waxopíni cicábiréra hiruhį̆cáwira.
Spirits [their lodge] we salute you.

 

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake, Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3872 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.), Winnebago II, #1: 131-132 (a handwritten phonetic text); Winnebago III, #1: 106-108 (the original handwritten interlinear text); Winnebago II, #5: 138-140 (a typed interlinear version of this text); Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 138-139.