Hocąk Text — A Wife for Knowledge

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

Winnebago III, #1: 180   Winnebago II, #1: 200

English Translation

As is the case with a number of other Radin interlinear MSS, this text is full of abbreviations for common word terminations. The highly legible handwritten revised text, Winnebago II, #1: 200-202, can be used as a kind of Rosetta Stone for interpreting their values:

α γ ɜ λ ρ ÷ υ ϕ
égi -giži šaną žesge ánąga -nąk -regi hąké

ω X ·נ 2 ɕ 9 > - / ⨪ ὐ
žigé wąk nunige -že, -še -xjį -žą -gáją -ra -ną -ną nįk(a), nįg(a)

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, [ ].

Key —

First Row "raw" interlinear text from Paul Radin, Notebook, Winnebago III, #1: 180-181.
Second Row revised text from Paul Radin, Notebook, Winnebago II, #1: 200-202.
Third Row English translation based on that of The Road of Life and Death.

 

 

p. 180 (= Winnebago II, #1, p. 200, s. 51) —
jeé ’uañgí[9] mankáni xedéją here[2´]
Žee wągížą Mąkáni xetéžą hereže.
[This one] a man Medicine Rite [a great one] there was.

 

 

[X][-]rą́tcį gic’ágires’á[2] hi[9´] hiniñkí[2] éniñg[-]
Wąkšigerą́cį* giš’ágires’áže. Hižą́ hinįkíže. Enį́gera
[All the people] they would respect him. One he had a son. His son
*< wąkšigera-hanącį.

 

 

here[·נ´] [α´] [ω] é[ɜ]
here, núnige égi žigé ešaną
it was, but [and] [also] [he alone]

 

 

Winnebago II, #1, p. 201, s. 52
hiníñǧi[·נ´] [ϕ] djagúiperezenóki
hínįg hinúnige hąké jegá hipérezeną́k’i
son he was, but not [what] he knew of

 

 

[ϕ] iógirágeni[2] hiniñg[-´] wage[2´] hiniñká[ɕ]
hąké haginágeníže. Hinį́gera wagežé, "Hinįkáxjį,
not he did not tell. [To his son] [he said,] ["My dear son,]

 

 

hakikóǧere hige[γ´] dj[ρ´] wająp’í[ὐ]
hakikóǧere," hige[giží,]* jánąga† wažą p’ínįk
[that helps,"] [having said to him,] [immediately] [something] [rather good]
*the revised text has higejé.
†just before this word, two other words have been crossed out.

 

 

haniną́k[γ] git’ųné[2] [α] wohą́gikeré[2] [>´]
haniną́kiži, git’ų́neže. Égi wohą́gikereže. Gáją,
that he had, he gave to him. [Then] he put on a kettle. [Then]

 

 

mañkáni xedé[÷]a we[2´] nigák wacocére
Mąkáni xeténąka wéže, "Nįgák, wašošére,"
[the Medicine Rite] [that great one] [he said,] "[Son,] be brave,"

 

 

hige[2´] djagúi[9] waganą́kuni hire[γ´] [ω]
higežé. "Jagúižą waganą́kuni," híregíži. "Žigé
[he said.] ["What is it] he must mean?," he thought. "[Again]

 

 

wają́ni[9] wagegúni hiregá git’únegácge niñgák
wažą́nižą wagegúni* hiregá, git’ų́negašgé 'Nįgák
[something] [he must mean,] [when he does it,] [when he gives, and] ['Son]
*inserted here in Winnebago II, #1, p. 201, s. 54, is the following which is not in the original interlinear text: hiregíji cuñkxédera wotcéxihira niherégi, "he thought, and when he had precious horses, ..." This is actually found below in the original text.

 

 

wacocére higes’á[2] djagúi[9] wagegúni hire[γ´]
wašošére,' higes’áže. Jagúižą wagegúni,"* híregíži.
[be brave,'] [he would say.] [What is it] [he must mean?,"] [he thought.]
*after this word the original text has the sentence above which was misplaced in the revised text of Winnebago II, #1, p. 201, s. 54.

 

 

cuñkxédera wotcéxi hirá* niherégi cuñkxédeniñg[-] hijañkíra[ɕ]
Šųkxétera wocéxihirá niherégi, šųxétenįgera hižąkíraxjį
[Horses] precious when they were, [pony] one only
*the syllable /hira/ is attached to the succeeding word in the original text.

 

p. 181 (= Winnebago II, #1, p. 201, s. 55) —
hanídjegi ewagegúni hi[υ´] git’ųné[2]
haníjegi, e wagegúni híregi git’ųneže
that he had, [it itself] [he must mean] [as he thought] [to give it]

 

 

[>´] [ω] we[2´] niñgák wacocére
gáją. Žigé weže, "Nįgák, wašošére.
[.] [Again] [he said,] ["Son,] be brave.

 

 

wają́ni-i[9] hipéres nąį́nega wacocé hiregá
wažą́nižą hipéres ną’į́nega, wašošé hiregá,
[Something] [to know] when one tries, [brave] when they are,

 

 

unáñk’ų hiperézires’á[2] aíre[/] niñgiák wacocére
’únąk’ų, hipérezires’áže, airéną. Nįgiák, wašošére,"
finally, [they would learn,] [they say.] Son, be brave,"

 

 

hiñgegí djagúi[9] de wagá[⨪]k[>´] hire[γ´]
hįgegí. Jagúižą te wagánąkáją, hiregíži,
he said to him. [What it is] [this one] he meant, he thought,

 

 

wewį[2´] [>´] hipérezsé hitcáwina wagá[⨪][2]
wewį́že, gáją. Hipérese hicáwi wagánąkše.
he knew [.] [To know] [his wife] he meant.

 

 

Winnebago II, #1, p. 202, s. 58 —
tcinógidjąwi[9] hit’énuñke wigaí[υ] [λ] hinuñgi[9]
Ciną́gižąwižą, hit’enųke, wigaíregi žésge hinųgížą
A different tribe, the Hit’enųke, [those who are called,] [this kind] [a woman]

 

 

konókdjegi hinúñk p’íją here[2´] nądjúra
kaną́kjegi. Hinųk p’įžą herežé. Nąjúra
that he married. Woman handsome she was. Her hair

 

 

cutcį́[2] hinuñge[÷´]a jeé git’unaíre nañkík’į
šucį́že hinųgenąka. Žée git’únaire nąkik’į
very red [that woman.] [This one] as a gift for him he was wishing

 

 

wanáñki hipérezse hitcáwina hią́dj[-] git’ųné[2]
waną́k’i hipérese Hicáwina hi-ą́jera git’ų́neže.
that he was saying for he knew. His wife his father he grants him.

 

 

wa-iną́b[-] rokóno[ɕ][2] niñgák hogídinaiginą hige[2´]
Wa-iną́bera roką́naxjįže. "Nįgák, hogitinaíginą," higežé.
[He thanked him] [very much.] ["Son,] you made a climb up," [he said to him.]

 

 

djagúipérezenóki haną́tcį[ɕ] hu-ikikú-idjikdjį† hok’ų[2´] [α]
jagúipérezeną́ki* haną́cįxjį hu-ikikú-ijikjį hok’ųže. Égi
What he knew all of it he scooped over to him he gave to him. [Then]
*< jagú-hipéres-nąk-hi.
†just before this word, hukiku is written above the line.

 

 

hinuñk tcéktcab[-] wa[9] cícik hok’u[ρ´]
hinųk´ cekcábera wažą́ šišik hok’uánąga
[woman] [their new one] [something] [bad] he gave her, and

 

 

t’ehí[2] [α] nąsúra nañkókonok ’ų[2´]
t’éhiže. Égi nąsúra nąkókonąk ’ų́že.
[he killed her.] [And] [her head] hollow, receptacle* he made it.
*the translation "hollow" comes from the original MS, and the translation "receptacle" comes from Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death, 180.

 

 

jée nąwaį́[9] herehíre[2].
Žee nąwaį́žą herehíreže.*
[This one] a song [he put in place of.]†
*the revised text (s. 62) omits this word.
†the original text has, "that he made."

 

Source:

The original interlinear is found in Jasper Blowsnake, Jasper Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #1: 180-181. A highly legible hand written MS is found in Jasper Blowsnake, Jasper Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago II, #1: 200-202. For a loose English translation, see Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 179-180.