Hocąk Syllabic Text — It is Good to Die in War

Hocąk Syllabic Text — It is Good to Die in War

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

It is good to die in war. If you die in war, your soul will not become unconscious. Your soul will do much as it pleases. Your soul will be happy. Again, if you choose, you can come back to life as a human being, and so it will be. You may live successive lives. Or else again, if you try to live as one of Those Who Walk upon the Light, it will be. Or else, if you try to live as an animal upon the earth, you can do it. Thus it is if you die in war.

p. 17 —

wo n xi Le tt.	tee L	liAi n.	wo n xi Le tt.	dtte Ki.
Wonąǧireja	t’era	piną.	Wonaǧireja	šjégi,
In war	to die	it is good.	In war	if you die,

p. 18 —

n xi L KL.	A Ke	wo ni w Kini Ktt ne n.	n xi L KL
naǧiragera	haké	woniwąknikjaneną.	Naǧiragera
your soul	not	it will not be unconscious.*	Your soul

*there is only one other occurance of this word (in Marino) where it is defined as, "to be wicked."

Ai L Ki Ki Lo K n Ktt ne n.	n xi L KL	Ki liye rKe	doo Ktt ne n.	di Ke
hiragigorokanakjaneną.	Naǧiragera	gipiésge	š’ųkjaneną.	Žigé
it will do [much] as it pleases.	Your soul	happy	it will be.	Again

p. 19 —

Layi liAi Ki dKe.	A Ktt.	w KidiAi Kye Ki.	w KdiAiKi	dii Kette Ki.
raipįgiške,	hakja	wąkšigegi	wąkšigi	š’ikjegi,
if you choose, [also]	back	[as a human]*	life	you can become, and

*the translation has "to flesh."

doo Ktt ne n.	w KdiAi K Ki A.	w KdAi Kidii Ktt ne n.	di Ke.	ni Ke dKe.
š’ųkjaneną.	Wąkšigakihą*	wąkšigiš’ikjaneną.	Žigé	nįgéšge,
it will be.	A second life	you may live.	[Again]	or else,

*< wąkšik-hakihą. The latter means, "in succession."

A l m ni n KLe	de rKe	ttyi dKe	w KdAi Kdii Kette Ki	doo n n
hąpamąnįnągere	žésge	jaišge	wąkšigiš’ikjegi,	š’ųnaną.
ones that walk on day	like	[to try also]	you can live, and	you do.

p. 20 —

ni Ke dKe.	m ne Ki	w noyi tteKeyi.	tt dKe.	w KdiAi Kdii Kette Ki
Nįgéšge	mąnegi	wanoicge-į́	jaške	wąkšigiš’ikjegi,
Or else	on earth	to live as an animal	[to try also]	if you can live, and

doo n n	wo n xi Le	Ai tee L	me de rKe n.
š’ųnaną.	Wonąǧire	hit’era	mežesgeną.
you do.	War	you die	thus it is.

Source:

Jasper Blowsnake in Paul Radin, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #12: 17-20. An English translation was published in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: Bison Books, 1990 [1923]) 118-125.