Hocąk Text — Lifting Up the Bear Heads

Hocąk Text — Lifting Up the Bear Heads

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

p. 94 —

Égi	Hicókihiwira	Hinųkx’op’ini	horucją́neregáją†	Hicókehiwíra
[And]	Our Grandfather*	Sacred Woman	when they finished,	Our Grandfather*

*"friend", which had been inserted between "our" and "grandfather", was crossed out.
†the /re/ has been inserted above the line here by a caret.

róra	wąkšikxeté	hajaírežé.	Égi†	wągérejinigrá‡
the body	old person*	they saw.	[And]	small boys‡‡

*a word is completely scribbled out before "old". The word "old" is followed by "—- people" which has been crossed out. Below this line, the words "big human" have been crossed out.
†something has been completely blackened out over the /e/ in egi.
‡the initial /w/ has been written over a crossed out /y/.
‡‡"I spoke most to" has been crossed out. The translation is from The Road of Life and Death.

jopíwi	hakiwágoc*	hają́wiga.	Wąkšík	xetéxjį
the four	they bent forwards†	that stands.‡	People	very old‡‡

*just before this word, hahígógają́wiga has been crossed out.
†just before these words, "old aged" has been crossed out.
‡these words are written below a number of crossed out words. "There we see" has been crossed out, and just below it, "they are" has been crossed out; to their right, "they stood" has also been crossed out.
‡‡below wąkšík, "human" has been crossed out, and below xetéxjį, "old age" has been crossed out. Above the cross outs, "very old people" has been written.

huxára	gožeránąkše.	P’ára	sgáxjį	hexókonagenísge.
back	it was bent over.	The head	very white	as if he had a swan.*

*"little" has been erased and "as if" written over it. The translation adds, "(on his head)".

Égi	iniraíxágera*	nąjúra	cóxjį	rusgíjenihéra,
[And]	stone-sprinkler†	the hair	very green‡	he used to tie it,

*the first /r/ is written above an /n/.
†the interlinear translation has, "water for the purpose of sprinkling on the stone". Following the word "sprinkling", the word "water" has been crossed out. The phrase, "water for the purpose" was later written above the line. The translation used here comes from The Road of Life and Death.
‡after "green" the translation adds, "(black)".

nąjúra	sgáxjį	hajaíreže.	Wąkšík	xeté
the hair	very white	they saw.	People*	old

*"people" is written over a crossed out "age".

hocąt’į́	k’į	waųžé.	Égi	hį́šebra
to appear*	he made himself	he did.	[And]	dark hair†

*the translation has just "appear" which is written above a crossed out "he appeared".
†the word "few" is written in ink above "dark hair", but this is not contained within the meaning of hį́šebra.

są́jąxjį́žą	hirorúš’ų	hikik’ų́že.	Hihéra	yeréšgera
a mature, strong one	he put it around	he made himself.	[He was on the point of reaching there]*	even that

*hihéra normally means "I said", and that is what the translation in the interlinear has. However, this makes little sense here, so I hake hihéra to be a variant of hihéna, which Dorsey says meant, "to be reaching there, to be on the point of reaching there".

p. 95* —

hąbogúra	p’ahí,	wąkšik	xetéxjį	žesgánąkše.
the east	facing,	people	very old†	that kind it was.‡

*at the top left of this page is written, "= description of bear powerful, fear-inspiring".
†the word "age" is crossed out and "old" written next to it.
‡"they were" has been crossed out, and "it was" has been written above it.

Hąbogúra	p’áhi	hiracácaš	ixúra	šušújere
The east	facing	they chattered	the lips	the red part

hirasą́ne	nąkéwe	sgánąkše.	Égi	žé
their teeth showed	fearful	he looked fierce.	[And]	[this one]

wą́gejánąká*	hot’ąpkirikérera	higirékjanégiže.	Sánį
the One at the End†	he stepped out‡	when it was time‡‡	On the side

*an asterisk follows this word, and the note to it at the bottom of the page reads, "the rising time".
†this is written above the following, which is crossed out: "the upper ones".
‡"they stepped and walked" is crossed out, below which is also crossed out, "the way they —-e"; and below this "from where he got up" is also crossed out, leaving no translation. The present translation is from The Road of Life and Death.
‡‡this is written around, "he expected him to be there" which is crossed out.

hoíšoroija	hanįguže.	Hįšébera	wácekjį́žą*	cowerojiną́kiže†
right	he brought it forth.‡	Black hair‡‡	a young one#	he placed it in

*just before this word, hocek has been crossed out.
†just before this word, cóweragíži has been crossed out.
‡"brought it" is written over a crossed out word.
‡‡this is written to the right of "otter skin" which has been crossed out. Below both, "dark (colored)" has also been crossed out.
#"one" is written over a crossed out "person". To the right, "(? dragon ?)" has been crossed out, and to its right, "(bear)" has been added.

gíži.	Hųjeną́ka	cowéja	jinągígiži.	Rohíra
[.]	The bear	in front	he placed it.	The body

x’óx’e	hokikarániže.	Mąúna	jagú	hirukąnagigígi,†
frail from holiness*	he carried himself.	Earthmaker	what‡	he has blessed him with,‡‡

*"frail" has been crossed out and "held in holiness" written over it. The translation for this word comes from The Road of Life and Death.
†/hi/ is placed in parentheses at the beginning of the word.
‡an asterisk follows this word with a note at the bottom of the page which says, "the strength he obtained".
‡‡this is written over a crossed out, "he put in charge".

rohik’uąnuga	waúnąkiži.	Égi	waų́že.	Cekjína
he clothed himself with (and)*	that one it was.	[And]	he did it.	The first thing

*this is written above a crossed out, "he made himself the frame". Above "frame" the word "body" has also been crossed out. Above and just a little to the right of the Hocąk word is written, "he used his life".

p’ára	ruaį́gugi	cabóniha	wągéja	hą́bera
his head	he lifted up.	The top of the head	above	the light*

*written above these words is, "(day) life".

cąt’į-jikéreže.	Égi	hinųbóhǫna	p’ára	ruaį́gugi.
it appeared to come.	[And]	the second one	the head	he lifted up.

Cabóniha	wągéja	hąberá	hiraicéra	cąt’į
The top of the head	above	light	more	it appeared

jikéreže.	Égi	žigé	p’ára	ruaį́gužé.
to come.	[And]	again	the head	he lifted up.

p. 96 —

Ruaįgugáją,	hą́bera	hijaíra haruxá	cąt’iáreže,	cabóniha
[Having lifted it up,]	the light	more and more	it appeared,	the top of the head

uągéja.	Égi	wakížu	’ųnǫká	winą́žį
above.	[And]	with	these*	encouraged†

*after "these", "ones" is crossed out. Below these words, "the one he is" has been crossed out.
†below this word, "he defended" has been crossed out.

jinogwahiže.	"Wažąkjanéną,"	hirájeną́gireže.	Hą́bera
he made them.	"There's going to be something,"	they thought.	The light

cą́t’iąjaíregi.	Égi	hijobóhǫna	p’ára	ruaįgugi.
they saw it appear	and	the fourth one	his head	he lifted up.

Hą́bera	hąbrigixúkjiehíže.	Hanąc	nihara	xeájiakaraéreže.
The light	he drew the day forth.*	All	they breathed	they hollered.

Waįną́biregé,	waíreže.	"Eho-eho-ho,"	aíreže.*
They were thankful,	they said.	"Eho-eho-ho,"	they said.

*this word is followed by two heavy vertical lines indicating the end of the story.

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake, Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3876 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Library, n.d.) Winnebago II, #6: 94-96.