Hocąk Syllabic Text — Tobacco Origins Myth, Version 1

interlinear text by Richard L. Dieterle


Winnebago V, #17: 6


English Translation


 

p. 6—
e Ki. t ni s. A ni w KidiKi i ne Ki di. e dA n.
Égi tanira hani wąkšiki'įnegiži, éšaną
[And] [tobacco] [to have] [they lived, and] [it alone]

 


 

w d s. Ai d liAi Ki di Ae se de ay se de.
wažąra hižą pįgiži, hereže, aíreže.
[things] [one of them] [as it was good,] [they thought,] [it is said.]

 


 

m o s. w d s. A n ttAi o Ki di. e Ki.
Mą'ųra wažąra hanącį 'ųgiži, égi
Earthmaker things all of them he created, and then

 


 

Ai sow Kini xitti. w KidiKi tt ne o de. ttAo ni w o K.
hiroaginįxjį wąkšikjane 'ųže. coni wa'ųga,
very last man he created. Before [as he made them,]

 


 

p. 7 —
w xoAo liAi ni w s tti se n Kese w o Ki di. A ntt w di
waxopį́nį warajirenąkre wa'ųgiži, haną́c wažį
spirits [the various ones] that he had created, [all] [things]

 


 

so K n w Ki Ki de. wi Ki si xoAo no xitti niKi nK se se deKe.
rokana wagigiže. Wikiri xųnųnįknąkre rešge
[the many] [he made them.] Insect the very smallest even

 


 

ttAo we tt. Al ls. tto l A deKe Ai lAe sere
coweja hąpra jopahą ške hiperez
ahead days four [also] [to know]

 


 

w o nK deAe. e rKe. e dA n. wo so ttiri deAe w Kidi Ke.
wa'ųnąkše. Ésge éšaną worujisše. Wąkšige,
it is able to do it. So it alone it is the least. Humans,

 


 

Ao nolo li m ni s. A Ke. Al li d dKe. Ai so K n
honųpimanira, hąké hapižą ške hirokana
[the ones who walk on twos,] not one day even to foresee

 


 

p. 8 —
w Ki Ki ni de e dA n Ai sow Kini w o Ki di. w n tto tty rKe
wagiginįže. Éšaną hiroaginį wa'ųgiži, wanąjojaisge
they cannot do it. It alone last he created them, and poor

 


 

w Ai de. e Ki. w di d o de. xA wi d
wahiže. Égi wažižą 'ųže. Xawižą
[he made them.] [And] [a thing] [he made.] A weed

 


 

Ae se Ki di. m dtt lA n s. liAi de. tt n K.
heregiži, mąšją panara pįže. Janąga
[there was, and] [mighty] the odor it was pleasant. [Every]

 


 

w xoAo liAi ni w s tti se s. Ae se Ki di. A ntt Ao Ko xitti
waxopį́nį, warajirera, heregiži, haną́c hokųxjį
spirit, [the various ones,] [there were, and] all of them [to clamor]

 


 

Ai se de. ni Ke dA n Ki K s Ai Ai n nK deAe.
hireže. Nįgé šana gikarahi hinąnąkše.
[they did.] [Piece] [only] [to appeal] [to take away.]

 


ne e tt xitti Ai so K n Ai Ki Ki Ktt n Ae K tt. xAe te
"Ne ejaxjį hirukana higigikjanahegają, xete
"I [about then] to be in charge of [if I would do it,] great

 


 

p. 9 —
w o s. ne Ai d wi ne K tt Ai s Ai n nK deAe.
wa'ųra. Ne hižą winegają, hirahinąnąkše."
[I would be it.] [I] [one] [if I am it,] [I will take it."]

 


 

e Ki. we de. m o s. tt n K. w d
Égi wéže, Mą'ųra, "Janąga wažą
And he said, Earthmaker, "All something

 


 

Ai so K n ni Ki Ki wi s. ni se wi n. w Kidi Ko i Ai so K n
hirukana nįgigiwira nirewiną. Wąkšigo'į hirukana
to be in charge [I made for you,] [you are.] [Humans] [to rule]

 


 

ni Ki Ki wi n. e Ki. te e. xA wi d A o se.
nįgigiwiną. Égi tee xawižą ha'ųre,
[I did for you.] [And] this a weed [which I created,]

 


 

A ntt sy liAi wi n. Ai deKe deyi rKe n. Ay liAi n.
haną́c raipiwiną. Hišgé žeisgeną. Haipįną.
all you like. [Indeed] [it is that way.] I like it.

 


 

Ai o s. te de Ko n. e de. e e Ki.* a ls.
Hi'ųra, težegųną," éže. Égi 'apra
To use it, it is the way," [he said.] Then leaves
*the previous page ended with /e/ and the next began with e Ki.

 


 

p. 10 —
Ai d so r n K. w xotto K n K. t ni Aoyi d. ow n K.
hižą rusanąga waxjukanąga tanihuižą 'ųanąga
one of them he took, and he mashed it, and a pipe he made, and

 


 

s loo loo de. Kow. lA n s. m dtt liAi de.
rap'op'ože. Guwa, panara mąšją pįže.
he smoked it. [Wow,] the odor [mighty] it was pleasant.

 


 

A ntt so Ko xitti Ai se de. A ntt s loo
Haną́c rokoxjį hireže. Haną́c rap'o
Everyone to long for they did. Everyone to puff

 


 

w Ki Ki de. te e. Ae se n. tt Ko s. Ai d.
wagigiže. Tee hereną. Jagura hižą
he gave them. [This] [they did.] [Whatever] [one]

 


 

t n K. Ai o Ki di. A Ke Ai so daK Ai s ni Ktt n Ae n.
tanąga hi'ųgiži, hąké hiruš'ak hiranįkjanaheną.
[he asked, and] [when he used it,] [not] [to accomplish] [they would not do it.]

 


 

ne xitti w A tt ne A Ke ne Ai to K n ni Ktt n Ae n.
"Nexjį, wahająne, hąké ne hitokananįkjanaheną.
["I myself,] [I who am speaking,] [not] [I] [I will not have control over it.]

 


 

p. 11 —
Ai deKe. Ao loyi d. Ai Ki o Ai s n K. tt Ko
Hišgé hopoižą higi'ų hiranąga jagú
[Also] [a puff] [to do with it] they offer, and what

 


 

Ai Ki ty se Ki di. de rKe. A s ni A tti n Ki Ktt n Ae n. t ni s.
higitairegiži, žesge harani hajinagikjanaheną. 'Tanira'
they ask for, that to do [it must be done.] 'Tobacco'

 


 

Ai Ky se n. w Kidi Ke. Ao no li m ni s. e dA n. w n tto tty rKe
higaíreną. Wąkšike, hunųpimanįra ešana wanjojaisge
it is called. The humans, [the two-legged walkers,] [they alone] poor

 


 

A o n. A Ke w d s. Ai d Ai so K n
ha'ųną. Hąké wažąra hižą hirukana
[I made.] Not anything [one] [to rule over]

 


 

w Ki Ki ni n. e rKe te e. e ttAo we
wagiginįną. Ésge, tee e cowe
I did not give them. Therefore, this [it itself] [henceforth]

 


 

p. 12 —
A ni Ai s ni Ae Ktt n Ae n. e tt Ao w tti Ao so ri Ktt n A wi n.
hani hiranihekjanaheną. Éja howaji horusikjanahawiną.
to possess [they will remain.] [There] [to come hence] [we will bring them.]

 


 

Ai d Ao loyi d. w K Ki oy s wiy n K. tt Ko ay se Ki di.
Hižą hopoižą wągaki'ųirawianąga jagú airegiži,
[One] [a puff ?] [we do for us, and] [how] [as it is said,]

 


 

de rKe Ai w Ki Ki A ni Ae Ktt n A wi n. e de. m o s.
žesge hiwagigi hanįhekjanahawiną," éže, Mą'ųra.
[that kind] [we made for them] [we will be that way,"] he said, Earthmaker.

 


 

e rKe. t ni s. w Kidi Ke. Ao no li m ni s. e
Ésge, tanira wąkšige, honųpimanįra, e
For that reason, tobacco humans, [the two-legged walkers,] [it]

 


 

t ni tt ne A ni w KidiKi i ne n. wo s Ks. te de rKe
tanijąne hani wąkšik'įneną. Worakra težesge
the tobacco [to have] [they lived.] Stories these

 


 

p. 13 —
a tti se n. e rKe. w Kidi Ks. t ni wo Ki do s.
ajireną. Ésge, wąkšikra tani wokižura
they were handed down. Therefore, [humans] tobacco offerings

 


 

Ki r s. e Ai o A tti se n. e rKe
kisara e hi'ų hajireną. Ésge,
wars [it] [to use] [they have come.] [Therefore,]

 


 

Ki r s dA n o Ai s ni Ae n. wy se n.
kisara šana hiraniheną, waireną.
[wars] [only] [to do] [they were,] [it is said of them.]

 


 

Ao ttAK tt ne. e dA n. wK w doAo deAe s. Ae se de a tti se n.
Hocąkjąne éšaną wąkwašošera hereže, ajireną.
Hocąk they alone brave men they are, [it has come down.]

 


 

e xitti Ae se de. m o s. t ni A ni Ki Ki Ki di.
Exjį hereže, Mą'ųra tani hanigigigiži,
They themselves [it was,] Earthmaker tobacco since he caused them to have,

 


 

Ao ttAK tt ne e dA n. m o s. Ai s Ki tty s. Ki
Hocąkjąne éšaną Mą'ųra hirakijaira, gi
Hocąk they alone Earthmaker [it was given,] [to arrive going back]

 


 

p. 14 —
Ae se de. e rKe. w lA K nK w KidiKi i de. te de rKe
hereže. Ésge, wapakanąk wąkšik'įže. Težesge
[it was.] For that reason, clever [they lived.] This

 


 

wK Kono ni Ks ay s ni Ae n.
wąknunįkra airaniheną.
the old men they have said.

 


 

Source:

Paul Radin, "Winnebago Contact with the French," Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #17, 6-14. A loose translation is found in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 18, cf. p. 389.