Hocąk Text — Hawk Clan Origin Myth

Hocąk Text — Hawk (Wonaǧire Wąkšik) Clan Origin Myth

Original Texts: | 36a | 37a | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 |

Style

	Hapaxlegomena: akišaną, "on either side"; hágakikínʼak, "opposite one another".
	heavy use of the emphatic pronoun e (third person) as a prefix

This is probably one of the earlier works in which Radin has employed Greek letters as abbreviations for Hocąk words or syllables.

α	β	ε	ρ	ω	x	9	\|
égi	éja	asge	anąga	žigé	aíreną	na, ną	že

The values of /ε/, /ω/, and /x/ are given at the top of page 38.

Brackets ’[ ]’ are used for words supplied by the redactor (Richard Dieterle) in places where the English part of the interlinear translation was left blank.

p. 36a —

egi	máⁿ’uṇa	’uañgera	djop	’unaⁿ	maⁿṇêgi
Égi	Mą́’una	wągera	jop	’uną.	Mąnegi
[And]	[Earthmaker]	[people]	[four]	[he made].	[To earth]

húwagigínaⁿ	haⁿberá	higízawahúirenaⁿ
húwagigíną.	Hąberá	higízawahúireną.
[they descended?].	[Like the] day	they made a streak as they came down.

derogédja	ēdja	kiridjére[\|]	náⁿijaⁿ	hadjidjére[\|]	ak‘áratcgéra
Terogéja	éja	kirijéreže.	Ną́ižą	hajijéreže.	Ak’áracgéra
At Within Lake (Green Bay)	[there]	they land.	A tree	they alight on.	Branch

djopiwínaⁿ	jewadjídjire[\|]	[α]	maíⁿdja	hidjérenaⁿ
jopiwíną	žewajíjireže.	Égi	maį́ja	hijéreną.
four of them	on these they alight.	[And]	[on the ground]	they alight.

wiaγếphura	hopā́hi	máⁿni	hadjiakaraíre[\|]	[β]
Wiaǧéphura	hopáhi	mą́ni	hajiakaraíreže.	Éja
Towards the east	they started	to walk	[they began to go].	[There]

igiγára	t’úⁿbire[\|]	pḗtc	daéhire[\|]	hū́ñk pēdjira
igiǧára	t’ų́bireže.	Péc	taéhireže.	Hų́kpejira
camping place	they put it.	[Fire]	they started.	Principal-fire*

*The word "principal" is written below "~~chief~~".

[α]	nañkíkaraire[\|]*	warútc	honiṇénaⁿ	’uañk
égi	nąkíkaraireže.	Warúc	honinéną.	Wąk
[here]	they hunted for.	[Food]	they hunted for.	[Man]

*/raī/ is inserted after /ā/ above the line with a caret.

				p. 37a —
tcónidjéga	ruc’ákcánaⁿ	ásge	’uáñk	hinûbErá
cónijéga	ruš’ákšáną.	Ásge	wą́k	hinubᵉrá
first	he failed.	[And so]	[man]	[the second]

ḗ	regigínaⁿ	kế	wanioî́tcgê	wajáⁿ
e	regigíną.	Ké	wanioícge	wažą́
he	he sent him.	No	animal	[thing]

hanikirini[\|]	’uañkcî́gijaⁿ	hānikîrínaⁿ*
hanikiriniže.	Wąkšígižą	hanikiríną.
did he bring.	A [man]	he brought.

*this word is followed by a large caret with the numeral "1" inscribed inside it. This represents interstitial material imported from pages 39-41. After the conclusion of the interstitial material, page 37 resumes.

p. 39* —

’uañkcî́gijaⁿ	hāniñk kiriga	hawá’ûⁿ	nîñkdjî́ñk	tconína
Wąkšígižą	hanįkiriga,	hawá’ų	nįkją́k	conína
[A man]	because he brought,	for that reason	[child]	first

* found at the bottom of the page below a horizontal rule.

		p. 40 ℓ1 —
’uañgEnî́gEra	hijérêgi	’uañkcî́krutcgá	hîñgékdjenáwinaⁿ
wągᵉnįgᵉra	hižéregi,	Wąkšíkrucká	hįgékjenáwiną.
male	if it is,	"The Human Eater"	we shall call him.

p. 37a ℓ3 (continued) —

ä́sgê	’uáñgehinû́ⁿpdjega	wonáγire
Ásge	wą́gehinų́pjega	"Wonáǧire
[And so]	the second man	"War

’uañkcî́ka	higaírenaⁿ	jéjegūánoⁿga	[α]
Wąkšíka"	higaíreną.	Žéžeguánąga	égi
Man"	they called him.	Thus it was, and	[then]

hûñk	hotcíra	tcāwénaⁿ	haraírenaⁿ	hû́ñg
hųk	hocíra	cawéną	haraíreną.	Hų́g
chief	the lodge	towards	they went.	As chiefs

maníṇenaⁿ	hanáⁿtc	djobadjáwîñga	hidjá	hirénaⁿ
maníneną.	Haną́c	jobajáwįga	hijá	hiréną.
they walked.	[All]	four of them	there	they were.

hû́ñgotciédja	tcañgếdja	tcipấrok‘ḗnîñkê	ḗdja	hokawaírenaⁿ*
Hų́gociéja	cągéja	cipárok’énįke,	éja	hokawaíreną.
At the chief’s lodge	outside	an oval lodge,	[there]	they went in.

*after this word, a very large caret with the numeral "2" is inserted. At this point, interstial material from pp. 40-41 is inserted, after which page 37 resumes.

p. 40 ℓ2 —

[α]	wak‘aíñkikáratcdjegá	êarádjirénaⁿ	worúdjEra	haguhínaⁿ
Égi	Wakaį́kikáracjegá	earájiréną.	Warújᵉra	haguhíną.
[And]	the Snake Clan	they were the ones appointed.	The food	he went after.

tcaxcếp	hûñgEnû́gErê	wagigó	horá	núⁿp
Caxšép	hųgᵉnągᵉre	wagigó	horá	nų́p
Eagle	chief	feast	fish	two

wak‘aíⁿkiradjdjegā́	êánîñk kirináⁿ	je	wigígo	tcaîkikáratcdjega
Wakaįkirajegá	eánįkiriną́.	Že	wigígo	Caįkikáracjega
the Snake Clan	he brought them.	[This]	[feast]	Deer Clan

ếwarutcáⁿ	ä́sgê	higuấⁿna	hṓnôñka	warudjirénaⁿ
éwarucą́	Ásge,	higuą́na	hónąka	warujiréną
it was the attendant.	[And so]	[immediately]	[the fish]	they ate.

hṓnañka	warúdjiréra	ākicanaⁿ	hodáwahíre[\|]
Hónąka	warújiréra,	akišaną	hotá	wahíreže.
[The fish]	[which they ate,]	on either side	some	they left it.

parếre[ρ]	howáka	sīndjErá	hodahíre[\|]	worúdjEra
Paréreanąga	howáka	sįjᵉrá	hotahíreže.	Worújera
The head and	the fish	its tail	they left.	Their meal

jéjegûⁿ	híre[\|]	[ε]	cûñgErá	hijáⁿ
žéžegų	híreže.	Asge	šųgᵉrá	hižą́
thus	they did.	[And so]	[the dogs]	[one of them]

nihírêgi	hoā́ki	hodahíra	hîñgếkdjanihé[\|]
nihíregi,	Hoáki	Hotahíra	hįgékjanihéže.
if they have,	"Fish on Both Ends	[He Leaves"]	we will call him.

p. 41 —

jéjesge	ḗnaⁿ	’uáñk	tcowé	djanañka
Žéžesge	éną,	Wąk	cowé	janąka
[This sort]	[he said.]	[Man]	[in front]	[every]

[α]	hûñgotcirá	hokawaírenaⁿ	tcaxcếp	kikáradjega
égi	hųgocirá	hokawaíreną.	Caxšép	Kikárajega
[here]	[the chief’s lodge]	[they came in.]	[Eagle]	[Clan]

wonốɣirê	’uañkcî́gEra	jêế	hágakikínôk	minốgiré[\|]
Woną́ǧire	Wąkšígᵉra	jee	hágakikínʼak	miną́giréže.
[War]	[the Men]	[these]	opposite one another	they sat.

[ε]	wakôdjádjega	x’orádjega	ā́gakīkínôk	minốgirénaⁿ
Asge	Wakąjájega	Xorájega	ágakikínąk	miną́giréną.
[And so]	the Thunders	[the Bald Eagles]*	opposite	[they sat.]

*Radin has "(Pigeons ?)".

āgakikínogEra	aíre[\|]	hitcakâró	é	wairé[\|]	jegûⁿ
Agakikínągᵉra	aíreže,	hicakaró	e	waíreže,	žegų.
"My opposite"	they say,	friends	they	[they say it]	[thus.]

p. 37a ℓ7 (continued) —

[β]	minốgirénaⁿ	jejegû́ñgadjaⁿ	hijaⁿ	djiois’ī́́ⁿna
Éja	minógiréną.	Žežegų́gają.	Hižą	jiois’į́na
[There]	[they sat down].	And thus it was.	One	he came and peeped in.

tcirốbedja	cûñgijaⁿ	wa’uⁿdjénaⁿ	p‘arácanaⁿ	hois’ihínaⁿ
Ciróbeja	šųgižą	wa’ųjéną.	P’arášaną	hois’ihíną.
At the door	a dog	it was.	With his nose only	he stuck in.*

*At this point in the notebook, another myth is inserted. It was recently discovered that the end of the present story had been placed at the end of this intervening text.

p. 38 —

ấsge	wagaíre[\|]	pējê	parisgera	airenaⁿ
Ásge	wagaíreže,	"Peže	parisgera?"	aíreną.
[So]	they said,	"Whose	nose it looks like?"	[it is said.]

hûñgenûḱa	howé[\|]	cûñgErá	hijaⁿ	nihiwígi
Hųgeną́ka	howéže,	"Šųgᵉrá	hižą	nihiwígi,
The chief	he said,	"[The dogs]	[one of them]	if we own,

cûñg	’uáñgEra	hisg[β´]	nihikdjáwiki	pḗjê
šųg	wą́gᵉra	hisgéja	nhiikjáwiki,	"Peže
dog	male	permanently	if we want to own it,	"Whose

pā́risgéra	hiḗkdjanihe[\|]	[α]	[ω]	’uañgEnáñka
párisgéra?"	hiékjaniheže."	Égi	žigé	wągᵉną́ka
nose it looks like?"	we shall say."	[And]	[again]	the men

xapgḗnîñk	noridjáⁿ	haraíre[\|]	maⁿcú[9]
xapgénįk	noriją	haraíreže.	Mąšúna
soon	their bodies	they became different.	Their feathers

sodjEraíre[9]	[α]	waktcêxí	hûñgenû́ka	hotcirá
sojᵉraíreną.	Égi	Wakcexí	hųgeną́ka	hocirá
they became worn out.*	[And]	[Waterspirit]	[the chief]	[the lodge]

*"worn out" is placed in parentheses.

hokêwế	kuruhoíre[\|]	pēdjErá	wigiwenínaⁿ	jḗguⁿhíra
hokewé	kuruhoíreže.	Pejᵉrá	wigiweníną.	Žégųhíra,
to enter	they were going.	The fire	he passed it away.	When he was through,

tcirá	wodáponahíre[\|]	[α]	gádjûñga	hokawaíre[9]
cirá	wotáponahíreže.	Égi	gájųga,	hokawaíreną.
the lodge	they smoked with cedar leaves.	[And]	[then,]	they came in.

				p. 39 —
tcisếrêtcakấ	mogacúdjedjá	hêrénaⁿ	[α]	maíⁿdjêrera
cisérecaká	Mogašújejá	heréną.	Égi	maį́jerera
[The long lodge]	at Red Banks	[there was.]	[And]	the ones below

wajáⁿ	wagigúⁿsire[\|]	nañkíkara	wagigúⁿzire[\|]	jejeguⁿ
wažą́	wagigų́sireže.	Nąkíkara	wagigų́zireže.	Žežegųhíregi,
things	they taught them.	[Hunting]	they taught them.	[When they were through,]

’uankcîgo’íⁿṇa	p‘iⁿṇekdjếgê	[ε]	maⁿ’úṇa	jesgêhínaⁿ
wąkšigo’įna	p’įnekjége,	ásge	Mą’ųna	jesgehíną.
[life]	that they might be good,	[thus]	Earthmaker	he did it.

hanáⁿtcîⁿ	’uañkcî́k	djasganû́ñgErê	jêsgaíre[\|]	hanáⁿtc
Haną́cį	wąkcík	jasganų́gᵉre,	jesgaíreže.	Haną́c
[All]	[men]	as they are,	that way they were.	[All]

wak‘aⁿtcáⁿkire[\|]	[α]	hanáⁿtc	rorá	hûñk
wakącą́kireže.	Égi	haną́c	rorá	hųk
they were holy.	[And]	[all]	[the flesh]	chiefs

’uañkcik’íⁿṇenaⁿ	[α]	[β]	wajáⁿ	jéjesge	yapérezsônáⁿ
wąkšik’į́neną.	Égi	éja	wažą́	žéžesge	yapérezsoną́.
they lived.	[And]	[there]	[things]	[this sort]	I learned.

English Translation

Source:

Untitled Clan Myth (Hocąk-English Interlinear) in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3881 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1908) Winnebago V, #8, 36-41. A loose translation is published in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 170-172.