The Nightspirits Bless Jobenągiwįxka
narrated by Sam Blowsnake
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Sam Blowsnake |
Sam Blowsnake told the following story about his forefather Jobenągiwįxka as part of the ritual of the Thunderbird Warbundle Feast.
The text occurs only on even numbered pages. Uncertain translations are placed in brackets "[ ]".
Čok’agá | Jobenągiwįxga | hąbogúregi | Hok’áwas | Manína |
Grandfather | Jobenągiwįxka | who are in the east | Darkness | the Ones who Walk |
waxop’íni | wana’į | jok’arak’éreže. | Čok’agá | Jobenągiwįxga |
spirit | that which has mind | they add. | Grandfather | Jobenągiwįxka |
p’érez | na’iñgíži | tok’éwehi | iwús | t’ék’įže |
to know | when he tried | to be hungry | to thirst | to death |
uanąjojaį́sge | wa’ųže. | Ček’jína | hati-áginą̀čgi | jobą́hǫna |
pitiable | he made. | The first time | he fasted | the four |
gája | Hok’áwas | Manína | hagúiregi. | Rok’óno |
and then | Darkness | the Ones who Walk | they came to him. | Much |
gúireže | nihá | gu-ireže | higí | kirijéreže. |
with noise | windpipe | with noise | to us | they came. |
"Uañkšigé | iwust’é | rak’į́ge | nąjoniją́winą. | Hąhé |
"Human | thirsted to death | you made yourself | we bless you. | Night |
wigaírera | žésge | wahajáwiną." | Wonáǧirera | uañkšigo’į́na |
they call | the kind | we who speak." | The war | with life |
nąjirorájaną | higaírežé. | Woruxújgają, | "Jaguanášge |
they blessed him, | they said to him. | Then he looked, | "How |
te’e | Hąhé | wanágeną | híregi?" | Woruxúčgają | te |
these | Nights | the ones who speak | could they be?" | So he looked at | these |
wániñk | xonúniñk | hešépge | wánañkše. | Gišjahéregi. |
birds | little | "hešépge (dark swans?)" | they are called. | They had fooled him. |
Žige | hiraíčera | nąnčgéra | tékše. | "Čak’ó! |
Again | a little more | his heart | sore. | "Well! |
Žegu | čékje!" | hireže. | Žégu | hatiáginąjera |
Then | I will increase!" | he thought. | And so | he fasted |
žigé | p’ihí | hiwažáže | žégu | hañk’é |
again | carefully | he rubbed it on | and so | not |
wárujenìže. | Hak’éwehą | nañgája. | Égi | hąbogúregi |
he did not eat. | Six times | he slept. | And | from the east |
Hąhéra | hagú-iregi. | Rok’óno | hagú-ireže | nihá |
the Nights | they came. | Much | they came | windpipe |
gu-ireže, | égi | hijá | k’irijéreže, | "Uañkšigé |
with noise | and | there | they came, | "Human |
p. 430 —
nąjoniją́winą. | Íwus | t’érak’įñge | nąčgéra | nitégera. |
we bless you. | Thirst | to death you have | the heart | yours is sore. |
Nąčgéra | niñgitegwíną. | Wonáǧirera | uañkšigo’į́na | nąjirorájągi," |
The heart | you have made ours sore. | War | with life | we bless you," |
hiñgaíreną. | Giží | woruxúčše, | "Jaguáhąhé | wanáñgeną |
they said. | When | he looked at them, | "How Nights | the ones who speak |
hiregája?" | hireže. | Te | hąñk’é | Hąhé |
they could be?" | he thought. | These | not | Nights |
wanínąñkše. | K’awíšge, | čoxji,* | šį́k’ok’ok’,† | žežésge |
not those who were speaking. | (Unknown species of bird), | ("very? blue," an unknown species of bird), | robin, | these kinds |
wánañkše | gišják’e | wánañkše | kíži. | Éčą |
those who were speaking | they were the ones who fooled him | those who were speaking | [these ?]. | Instead |
nąčgéra | tek’jíže, | "Čak’o! | Giži | ček’je," |
the heart | to feel sore, | "Well! | So | I will increase," |
hirežé. | Giži | hatáginąjera. | Žigé | p’ihį́ |
he thought. | So | he began fasting. | Again | carefully |
hiwa žáže. | Hataginą́jenañk’a | haruwógahą | nañgája. | Égi |
he rubbed it in. | He began that fast | eight times | he slept. | And |
žigé | hąbogúregi | Hąhéra | nąwągú-ireže. | Nihàgú-ireže |
again | from the east | the Nights | they came singing. | With great wind from their throats they came |
higí | k’irijé | regi | wagaíreže, | "Hičųšgé, |
to us | they came | there | they said, | "Grandson, |
nąjoniją́winą. | Higų | k’íni | s’i | hiráǧagwìną. |
we bless you. | Indeed | to continue | long | you cried to us. |
Uañkšigé, | hiñk’agá | hižą́ | nąjwajáwininą. | Wonáǧirera |
Human, | never | one | we did not bless you. | The war |
uañkšigo’į́na | jagú | gip’į́ | š’uñk’jéną," | higaíreže. |
with life | what | you liked | you can eat it," | they said. |
Giži | woruǧičše | te, | "Jaguánašge | Hąhé |
So | he looked | at these, | "How | Nights |
wanágeną | hiregi gają?" | Te | hañk’é | Hąhé |
the ones who spoke | they could be?" | These | not | Nights |
waniną́kše. | P’ačo, | gį́sge, | wį́ǧera, | janąga |
not those who were speaking. | Bluebird, | ("squeaking ones," birds of unknown species) | duck, | as many as there were |
čap’oxgéra | šépgi. | Žesge | wánąñkše | janąga |
breasts | dark. | That kind | who were speaking | as many as there were |
waniñk | šišígeniñgera | k’iži. | "Híkšakšà-ire," | hirežé |
birds | little bad ones | [these ?] | "They have abused me," | he thought |
Jobenągiwįxga. | "Čak’o! | Hataginą́jeregi | žégų | čék’jé," |
Jobenągiwįxka. | "Well! | I will begin a fast | and so | I will increase," |
hereže. | Hataginą́jera | žigé | p’ihí | wažaže |
he thought. | He fasted | again | carefully | he rubbed |
žéjuñga | mąšją́ | akše. | Tanína | nąbák’i |
and then | strength, to be loud | he cried. | Tobacco | in both hands |
hožú | Hąhiówak’irirèją | hop’áhi | nąži-ánąga | tanína |
he placed | in the direction from which the Nights came | [he pointed himself ?] | he stood and | the tobacco |
nąbóžu | ejop’áhi | tanína | wagiwáhą | nąbák’i |
the held in hand | there [pointed] | the tobacco | [open ?] | in both hands |
nąži-ánąga | nąjok’ijáxjį | akše. | Žéjuñga | mąšją́ |
he stood and | most piteously | he cried. | And then | strong |
nąčgéra | tekše. | Giži | k’éreponą̀ižą | nągája. |
his heart | sore. | So | ten times | he fasted. |
Égi | haguajíreže. | "Uañkšigé, | haniñk’oájiną." | Hironą́gireže |
And | they came to him. | "Human, | I have come to you." | He followed them |
hąbogúregi | hap’áhi | howániak’araìreže; | Hąhé | činǫ́gera |
the east | towards | they took him; | Nights | the village |
hačínjanañk’i | éja | hani-ą́girèže. | Hąhé | huñgera |
where, whither | there | he took back with him. | Nights | the chief |
e | hagúhi | wagigíže. | Činoñk’iságeja | čiserejížą |
he | to come after him | he sent. | Village there | a long lodge |
hąbogúra | hap’áhi-àkše. | Éja | hani-ó-ik’awraìreže. | Hąhé |
the east | towards-[it faced?]. | There | they took him. | Nights |
jánąga | xete-ák’i | wažįruk’ónonoñk’ìži | žénuñga | čiroixji-ą̀kše. |
as many as there were | great blessings | these many there were | that's all | the lodge was full. |
Hok’awáregi | wahisǫ́sgara | si | koš’ógeja | hip’á |
When he entered | white feathers | feet | knee | up to |
hiną́p’ogerèže. | Či-ák’a | wohǫ́na | p’ejerá | janagák’i |
he walked. | Across the lodge | kettles | the fire | as many as there were |
wohǫ́na | gojowaíreže | hajaže. | Égi | čehára* |
kettles | reaching a great distance | he saw. | And | buffalo hide |
čisániñk | čowéra | ’uniną́že. | Égi | wagaíreže, |
entire lodge | across | it stretched. | And | they said to him, |
"Uañkšigé, | higųk’íni | s’iarawéną; | higųk’íni | nąčgéra |
"Human, | indeed you have persevered | long have you gone around; | indeed you have persevered | the heart |
p. 432 —
nitékše. | Ha’éninèna | janisgék’jera | či-óžu-àgere | mežénųga |
you hurt. | They talked about | what is to happen | this lodge full of | [the end of them?] |
haną́čį | Hąhé | wa’uáñkšana. | Égi | ne | Hąhé |
all of them | Nights | they did. | And | I | Nights |
wiruk’ónaną | ’uinéną. | Wogųzočíra | hašjašónañgre, |
the one who is in control | the ones who do it. | The Creation Lodge | just as you see it |
te’e | honik’ú-ineną. | Wohǫ́na | jasgágere | hañk’agá |
this | I give to you. | Kettles | [what is left in ?] | never |
šuruš’ágeniñk’jonèną. | Čahá | nąbiruxájera | janągášjare | težénųga |
you will fail to have. | Buckskin | the offerings | as many as you see | [this end ?] |
tani-ówaxu | rak’eréranišek’joneną. | Hoišíp | jasgágere | žesgánihek’janèną. |
tobacco offerings | [for all time ?] | Always | [what is left in ?] | [thus it will be ?]. |
Hąhé | činǫ́geregi | Wogųzočíra | honik’ú-ineną. | Wonáǧirera |
Nights | the village of | the Creation Lodge | I give you. | Warpaths |
jagú | š’unanaš’į | š’uñk’jonéną; | égi | uañkšigo’į́na |
however many | you want to go on | you can swallow; | and | with life |
jajaį́xjį | p’a. | Tani-ówaxų̀na | ’unánihègi | žejaį́xjį |
as far as | it has been. | The tobacco offerings | [that saying done ?] | thus far |
p’a | hoišíp’jį, | tanína, | wohǫ́na, | čahá |
it has been | as many as there are, | the tobacco, | the kettles, | buckskins |
nąbiruxájera, | mašų́ | šujerá, | hoišíp’jį, | Wogų́zočira |
the offerings, | feathers | the red ones, | as many as there are, | the Creation Lodge |
hašjare. | Égi | ji-ą́gik’jonèną | hoišíp | hiniñgi |
they will be present. | And | we will accept them | always | if sons |
p’erez | hiranihék’jonèną." | Čok’agá | Jobenągiwįxka, |
to be conscious | they would be." | Grandfather | Jobenągiwįxka, |
téžesge | hįgaíregi. | E | éže. |
thus | they did speak. | He | he said. |
Sam Blowsnake, The Warbundle Feast of the Thunderbird Clan, in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 399-481 [428-433].