Long ago, before the Winnebagoes left their homes by the Great Water in Wisconsin, a young man went into the hills to fast. He fasted for twelve days, and then a spirit came to him in a vision and talked with him. The Earth-Maker, called Ma-o-na by the Winnebagoes, had sent a spirit to teach the young man. The spirit gave him knowledge and also taught him wonderful words that brought him health, well-being, and long life.

Wise was the young man when he left the hills, for he brought with him the teachings of the spirit and the power of the holy words. When he came back to his people, he sang a special song, and this song was the beginning of one kind of medicine ceremony.

The words he had learned from the spirit were so holy that the man lived a long time without any sickness. Nor did he die of any sickness. At the end of his long life, all the joints of his body fell apart from mere old age, and of old age alone the man died.

The song that he created, with the wonderful words learned from the spirit, has always been cherished by the Winnebagoes because of its great power.

The song was created long ago when our language was different from what it is now. Today, our people do not use such words in common speech. Indeed, no one knows the exact meaning of the wonderful words. The song is still sung in some of the medicine ceremonies, but only the Medicine Men, the Holy Men, understand its meaning.

The Medicine Ceremony of the Winnebagoes lasts four days and four nights. Holy songs are sung, and there is a spoken ritual. In the ritual, the Holy Man gives commandments and teaches our people the ways of goodness. Now and then, in order that we may not become tired and drowsy, the ceremony is given life by dancing. So the slow part of the Holy Song is followed by the quick part, which is the music of the dance.

In the olden times, the Medicine Ceremony was very solemn and sacred. And its mysteries were known only to the Medicine Men, the Holy Men. White people called it the “medicine religion of the Winnebagoes.” Here is one of the Holy songs:

Saith the spirit,
“Dream, oh, dream again,
And tell of me,
Dream thou!
Into solitude went I
And wisdom was revealed to me.
Saith the spirit,
“Dream, oh, dream again,
And tell of me,
Dream thou!”
Let the whole world hear me,
Wise am I!
Now saith the spirit,
“Tell of me
Dream thou!”
All was revealed to me;
From the beginning
Know I all, hear me!
All was revealed to me
Now saith the spirit
“Tell of me
Dream thou!”

Taken from Natalie Curtis Burlin. The Indians’ Book, New York: Harper & Bros., 1907 pages 254-255.

There two brothers were living together by a lake. One day the elder said, “Younger brother, as long as I am here you will have nothing to fear, for I am the only holy one in existence, and I am the great power on this earth.” Unbeknownst to him, the Waterspirits had overheard what he had said, and soon it became known to the spirits generally. All the spirits of the heavens, the earth, and the waters held a council to discuss the matter. It was decided that since he had boasted that he was the only holy one on earth, that he must be punished. It was decided that the Waterspirits would carry out the sentence.

One day the brother of Holy One did not return at his usual time. He waited a long time for his younger brother to show up, but he never came, so Holy One went out searching for him. He searched all over, but could not find him. When he stopped, he wept so many tears that a lake formed around his feet, and when he gave a sigh, the hills collapsed into valleys. As he was searching he came across Wolf and asked him, “Younger brother, I am out looking for my brother, but I fear that he is dead — have you seen him?” Wolf replied, “I have been all over the earth, but I have heard nothing of him. Is it now my task to keep track of your brother?” This remark infuriated Holy One, and he chased after Wolf. They ran a long way, but Holy One finally caught up with him and hit him so hard with his bow that it broke apart his jaw and killed him. “I suppose you were part of the conspiracy against me,” he muttered. After he hung the wolf’s body on a tree, he went on. Soon he encountered Fox and said, “Little brother, you get about a lot, perhaps you have seen something of my brother. I fear he may be dead.” Fox replied, “I have traveled all over, but I have heard nothing of him. Am I suppose to keep track of your brother for you?” After this remark, Fox took off running, but Holy One caught up to him and broke his jaw open, killing him. “It seems that you too were part of the conspiracy against me,” he said. He hung Fox up on a tree, then moved on. Then he encountered Kaghi, the raven, and said, “Kaghi, you are one who knows much, tell me, have you knowledge of what befell my brother? I fear that he may be dead.” Then Kaghi said, “I have flown all over the earth and heavens, but I have heard nothing about him. Am I suppose to keep track of your brother for you?” When Holy One heard this, he swatted Kaghi down with his bow just as the bird was taking off. Then he ripped his jaws apart, killing him. “I suppose even a little guy like you could be in on the conspiracy against me,” he said. After hanging him on a tree like the others, Holy One moved on.

Now evening was setting in and Holy One started back to his lodge. On the way a little bird flew right by his face, almost hitting him. This happened twice more, much to the annoyance of Holy One. When the bird nearly hit him in the face a fourth time, he said, “Ho!” and looked up to see what it was. It was the kind of bird that they call a “woodpecker.” Then Holy One spoke to it and said, “What an evil little bird you are that pecks my face and will not let me weep in peace!” Then the woodpecker said, “My grandson, I have news for you.” “Forgive me,” he said, “had I know it was you, grandmother, I would not have spoken as I did. Tell me everything that you know, and I will give you my paint so that ;you can paint your face, and I will give you my awl so that you can use it for a bill.” “All right,” she said, “I will tell you what I know. The spirits called a great council to conspire against you, but they did not invite me and my husband, so that is why I am telling you this. The Chief of the Waterspirits caused your brother to be killed, and the Waterspirits ate his flesh; but they kept his hide to use as a door flap on the chief’s lodge. I will also tell you this: on nice days the Waterspirit’s two sons like to bask in the sun on a sandbar just south of the shoreline.” “It is good, grandmother,” said Holy One. Then he took out his paints and painted her face, and she was beautiful to look upon. Then he attached his awl to her beak. When he was done, she flew off to a hardwood tree and pecked it with her new beak. The awl went right through the wood, which made her very proud. Holy One set out for the sandbar. On the way he caught many mice alive and took them with him. When he got to the shore, he turned himself into a willow stump and set the mice about as though they nested there. Soon the waters began to roar and two spirits arose form the depths. One of them looked around, then said, “Brother, there is Holy One standing on the shore,” and they both retreated back to the depths. After awhile they came up again, but they still felt that Holy One was there, and they sank back down into the depths again. They did this yet again, but the fourth time they came up, one said,”That’s not Holy One, that’s just an old stump that’s always been there.” “Well,” said the other,”you had better check it out just to make sure.” So he went over to the stump, but when he got there a hoard of mice scurried out of it, running away in every direction. Then the Waterspirit said to his brother, “Look at all the mice that live in this stump. It cannot possibly be Holy One, as he would not have mice living all over him; besides, like I say, this stump has always been here.” Then they came out and went to the sandbar. Then they spread out their entrails (omentums?) as Waterspirits always do. They laid out their fat and then lay down to bask in the sun. As they lay there asleep, Holy One crept up to them. He took out his bow and shot each one of them in his heart. They jumped up, scooped up their entrails, and crashed back into the water where they disappeared. After this, Holy One went home.

The next morning Holy One retuned to the same spot to find out what he could overhear. Soon he heard someone singing, so he followed the sound and soon came upon someone who was chopping wood. He stopped by an old burnt stump and there he blacked his face. He then went to where the person was, and found an old woman who was singing,

You chiefs;

You chiefs!

Then he asked her, “Grandmother, why are you singing that?” She said, “Are you Holy One?” “No,” he replied, “I am not Holy One; indeed, I should think that by now he has cried himself to death.” “Well, grandson,” she said, “I am chopping wood for the two sons of the chief who were shot with arrows yesterday.” “What do you suppose they plan to do about that?” he asked. She said, “You are Holy One, aren’t you?” “No, grandmother,” he said, “I am not. Don’t talk foolishly. I have been fasting on the other side of the hill for days. I only came over here because I heard you chopping wood. I have not heard news from the village for some time, that is why I am asking you these questions. Beside, I’m sure that Holy One is dead by now.” “I guess you are right, grandson,” she said. “In the morning they are going to go to Hawk so that he can cure them, unless he is too late.” “What time does he have to be there?” asked Holy One. Then the old woman began to wonder and said, “Aren’t you the Holy One?” “No, grandmother,” he replied, “I am not. He has been long dead by now.” “Very well,” she said, “the hawk will arrive when the sun stands straight in the sky.” “What direction will he come from,” he asked. “He will come from the ridge in the east,” she replied. “Tell me, grandmother,” he asked, “what will they do to the Holy One?” “They will kill him,” she said. Then he asked, “How will they do that?” She told him, “They will send snakes to entwine themselves around his body and kill him that way.” “If they were to do that,” he said, “Holy One would put on turtle shell moccasins and trample the snakes to death.” The old woman asked, “Are you sure you’re not the Holy One?” “Of course not,” he said. “What will they do if the snakes fail?” “Then, grandson,” she said, “they will cause a blizzard that will snow him in so that he cannot hunt, and when he has eaten even his bowstring, they will send against him a four-cornered herd of buffalo to trample him to death.” “All that will happen,” he said, “is that he will have plenty of meat to eat. If the buffalo fail, then what will they do?” She asked again, “Are you not Holy One?” “How could I be him?” he replied. “Well grandson,” she said, “they will next create a flood so great that the whole earth will be covered.” Then he asked, “What will they do if he gets into his metal boat?” She replied, “Then they will send Waterspirits who will capsize him with their tails.” He declared, “All that will happen then, is that he will have a good time cutting off their tails.” “Are you sure that you’re not Holy One?” she asked. “Grandmother,” he replied, “how could I be Holy One? But tell me, if the Waterspirits fail, what will they do then?” “Well, grandson,” she said, “they will send the Muskrat Spirits to chew a hole in his boat.” “All that will happen then,” he declared, “is that he will take out his metal oars and cut the muskrats in two.” “Are you sure you’re not Holy One?” she asked. “How could I be?” he replied. “Now tell me, is that all that they will do?” She told him, “Yes, that is all; but I should add that I will be one of them who eats a hole in his boat.” “How can you do that, grandmother, as age has surely left your teeth in bad condition?” he said. She said, “Take a look at them,” and closed her eyes while she opened her mouth very wide. He took his bow and knocked out her teeth. There the old muskrat fell to the ground dead.

The next morning Holy One went to where the hawk was to come. Just at noon he saw Hawk flying on his way singing a song:

Hawk, they came to you as a doctor;

Hawk, what will you do?

Hawk, you may carry the gourd;

Hawk, you may carry the gourd;

Hawk, you may carry the gourd!

Thus he sang. He carried a black bag with a gourd attached to the top of it, and as he tilted from side to side, the gourd rattled in time with his song. As Hawk came to where Holy One was waiting, the latter said, “Grandfather, you look magnificent!” Then Hawk circled around to talk. Holy One asked, “Grandfather, what brings you here?” He replied,”Grandson, I am going to doctor the sons of the chief who have been shot with arrows.” He asked, “Grandfather, what will you do when you get there?” Then Hawk told him,”Grandson, I will go on singing as I have been, and when I get near, they will open the flap of the lodge and I will fly in.” “Grandfather,” said Holy One, “you look so magnificent. I wonder if you could fly back down as you did before, only this time turn from side to side more and fly lower. It is such an impressive sight!” So Hawk was happy to oblige, and swooped down singing as he had been before. “Now, grandfather,” said Holy One, “swoop even lower!” And as Hawk dipped down very low where Holy One was standing, he struck the hawk a fatal blow. Then he skinned him and put on his hide. Now he flew off singing just as the hawk had done.

Then Holy One flew to the Waterspirit village in the outer form of the hawk. They all yelled when they saw him, “There he is! The hawk is coming just in time to save the chief’s sons. Now they will live for sure.” As Holy One descended they flung open the flap of the lodge for him, then he said to himself, “Oh my brother.” “What did he say?” some of them asked. “He said, ‘Oh my brother’,” they answered. “No,” said Holy One, “what I really said was, ‘The chief’s son and his brother’.” “Ah yes,” some said, “that is what he said.” Then they showed him his patients. Each one had an arrow buried in him all the way to the feathered shafts. “Put two kettles on to boil,” he ordered, “they must be given a bath. Also bring me two iron rods.” They put the kettles on to boil, then he told them, “Put the two iron rods in the fire to heat.” Then he added, “I want the whole village to go beyond the hill out of range of hearing, as I will work very hard to effect the cure.” They did as he bid them, and when they were gone, he got up and went over to one of the brothers. As he walked he made a sing-song kind of noise. Then he grasped the arrow and shaking it, he pulled it out. This made the patient groan. Then he took the red hot iron and thrust it into the wound. This made his patient groan even loader. Then he thrust the iron rod all the way to the heart. “There,” he said, “now you will not feeling like groaning anymore.” Then the other one said, “I think you have killed my brother!” but Holy One replied,”Nothing of the kind, I have merely relieved him of his pain.” Then he pulled the arrow out of the remaining patient, then jammed the hot rod down into his heart and killed him as well. Both the brothers he chopped into small pieces and threw them into the pot to boil. While they were cooking he took down the skin flap made from his brother’s hide and rolled it up. Then he had a hearty meal of Waterspirit.

After some time had passed, the Waterspirits said, “Let’s send son-in-law to find out what has happened.” So the son-in-law went under ground and came up to where the two brothers had been. He stuck out his tongue and Holy One saw it. He said, “Well, little brother, there is plenty enough here for you,” and filled his mouth with pieces of fat. Then he told him, “When ;you return, just say, ‘Holy One, Holy One’.” So he returned, and said, “It is Holy One, it is Holy One.” They told one another, “He says that it is Holy One, so let’s go get him.” Then they all set out after Holy One, who took off running. As they closed on him they would come with waves of water, but as he shot at the waves, they would recede. Thus they kept coming at him, and they kept falling back. Finally, they said, “Let us stop now — he has gotten away from us.” By then he had killed many Waterspirits.

Now Holy One was at his home by the lake. Then, one day, the snakes began to come, but Holy One merely put on his turtle shell shoes and stepped on their heads. Soon they were saying, “Let’s get out of here, he has killed many of us.” Thus they retreated and stopped their attacks against him.

Then it began to snow, but Holy One was prepared for what was to come: he had stockpiled both wood and food. The blizzard was indeed terrible, and soon the snow piled up so high that he could see out only trough the smoke hole in the roof of his lodge. After a time, the spirits said, “Let us send our son-in-law to see how things are going with Holy One.” So they sent their son-in-law to investigate. He was a little bird. Four times he flew over, and only the last time did he land on the smoke hole and peep in. Holy One saw him and said, “I wish that I could eat that little bird — he would keep me alive for another four days. But what am I saying? I have my bowstring, I can eat that.” So he took off his bow and laid it on some coals. The little bird flew back and told the spirits that he was reduced to cooking his bowstring and that he wanted to eat him as well. “Ah,” said the spirits,”it is about time.” So they gathered together a four-cornered herd of buffalo and sent them to trample Holy One to death. However, Holy One slipped out and waited in ambush. When the herd came they trampled everywhere that Holy One had stayed, but as they were running around, he shot at them until he had killed many of them. Then the buffalo said, “Let’s get out of here before he rubs us out.” When he came out of his blind, he saw that only his lodge had been snowed upon and all the rest of the ground was completely bare. So he dressed and packed away the buffalo and had plenty of meat to eat.

One day it began to rain. The rain kept coming and there was no let up. Soon it began to flood in many places, but the rain did not stop. In time the whole earth was flooded. However, Holy One was prepared and had set sail in his metal boat. As he was floating along, he heard something scrape the side of his boat. He took out his metal oar and swept it across the side of his boat. This sliced the tail right off a Waterspirit. Then he heard another scraping sound on the other side of the boat, and did the same. Once again he cut off a Waterspirit’s tail. Soon he was chopping off the tails of Waterspirits right and left. He found this to be a very enjoyable sport. Then he heard the sound of something scraping under his boat. So he took his oar and swept it below his boat and cut a Muskrat Spirit in two. This happened several more times until, finally, the Muskrat Spirits said, “Let us quit before he kills us all.” Thus they stopped attacking his boat. At that time the whole world had been flooded, and to this day the water marks can be seen on the striations of the hills.

After the water had receded, Holy One built himself a new lodge. Then he built a platform and unrolled his brother’s hide and placed it there. He wept for days on end, until one day he heard his brother’s voice say, “Older brother, you have wept for me long enough. Now you may cease, as I have come back.” But Holy One said, “Indeed I have wept long for you, but now a feel that it would be better if you returned to the form you had before you came back.,” There was a great cry of anguish, and his brother said, “Oh! oh! brother, why have you have treated me so badly? Because you have said this, from now on whenever anyone dies, I will take care of his soul.” Then he walked away in the direction of the setting sun, but Holy One, regretting what he had said, now followed after him. When evening fell, Holy One built a fire and said, “Come, brother, and share the fire with me,” but his brother refused, saying, “Now I cannot do that anymore, for it is one thing to be in the flesh and another to be a ghost.” After they had camped that night they set out again for the west, but Holy One could not see his brother. He saw a fire up ahead, but when he got there, all he could see of his brother was that part of his body that was below his neck. Again they went west, and his brother got well ahead of him. That evening he saw his campfire in the distance, but when he got there, all he could see of his brother was his legs. The next day the brother went even farther ahead, and when Holy One reached his campfire at night, all he could see of his brother was his feet. That night they reached the end of the earth. He could no longer see his brother at the campfire, but he heard his voice say, “Older brother, I can no longer abide with you. This is your own doing. As long as your nephews and nieces live on this earth, death will be with them because of what you did. Whoever dies will end up here.” Holy One wept bitterly and returned home. When Holy One arrived home he said, “Now I shall roam the earth. Thus he did ever after, and wherever he went, he called all living beings his brothers.

Because of what Holy One did, death is always with us. His brother rules over the spirit village of the dead, but he is the only spirit who is still in the flesh. These are the ones who go to the spirit village of Holy One’s brother when they die: all those who have not won a victory on the warpath; all who know nothing about the origin of their clan; all those who have no clan home. (All those who belong to a clan have their own clan home.)

This is the waikâ of Holy One and his brother and what they caused to happen in the world.

Paul Radin, “The Story of Holy One,” [unpublished] Notebooks, Winnebago IV, #4, Freeman #3859 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) 59-77 [= 969-987].

There a farmer who owned a hog was living. He would give him food three times a day. By now he had become very fat. Once there again at the house a certain cow tried to take one cob of that corn. The hog said, “Don’t do it.” “Hoho my friend, I wish to tell you something is why I came.” “My friend, what are you going to tell me? My friend, they do this for me because they love me.” “That’s what you think. They are doing this for you to kill you. They are trying to fatten you up. They will eat you. In the morning around noon, here they will kill you.” And [he said], “My friend, help me, I will run away.”

And so the cow broke the fence down. With great effort the hog got out. And now he walked off. “Éx éx! Kará! there a creek he got to. He drank a lot of water. He swam until he got to the other side. “Kodé! I am fleeing — don’t tell on me.” There he got to, and a turkey was there.  “My younger brother, may I live here?” “Ho!” And so there they built a house. A log cabin is the kind of house that they made for themselves. Now in the morning he looked for food for himself. Kará! the turkey always looked around on the alert. “My younger brother, I am not afraid of anything. Earthmaker made my way of killing alone great,” he said. He coughed. Turkey said, “U-î, u-î. My older brother, run! Wolf is coming!” And so Hog ran. Wolf said, “Hog, Earthmaker made great what I kill with also. We will do it.” When Hog did not stand in the barn, he bit off a piece of him. “It is done.” “Ho!” He ran inside. He closed the door, and they quarrelled with one another. Now Wolf slept. Hog now opened the door. He bit him in the throat. “Ho! we will do it.” They did very much. Wolf got loose. And then Hog said, “My younger brother, I’m done for.” And so Turkey kicked his ribs inside out. They killed Wolf.

Turkey said, “My older brother, I’ll allow you the hide for a rug, the body I’ll boil for you.” Hog said, “Ho!” Now he boiled the body. The hide he made into a rug to lie on, and [he said], “Yes, my younger brother, make an oval drum, and go send a feast messenger, just anyone who happen to see, that one you will ask.” Now a man was coming to go there. One was coming, and so he sat down. When he arrived — werakírakuni! — he began to greet him. Hog invited him to the Medicine Dance. Then he also asked him to be the messenger. Now at night he sang. He sang four times that night, and they had a Medicine Dance.

When they got there, he together with his younger brother, women were gambling there. Both Turkey and he himself won. He won all the beaded necklaces and all the ear-bobs. When he returned, Hog wore all the ear-bobs. Turkey also put all the necklaces around his neck and — werakírakuni! –  the women got jealous of Hog. So they pulled on hog’s ears until they split. There was much blood. “Yes my younger brother, that’s all, let’s go home. This house, this one that I go towards, they do not want me to live, that is why they are doing it to me. Earthmaker created for me just one body,” he said, they say. And so that was it, they went home, they say.

There, it is ended.

Narrated by Charles Houghton, Untitled, translated by Oliver LaMère, in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman Number 3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) 121-131.

It was Hare, He whom we call Nephew, who secured for humanity the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite. In a grand assembly, all the spirits, those from above, those from below, those from the four quarters of the cosmos, and even the great spirits, gathered together. They concentrated their minds upon the center of this Lodge of Life. On that perfect day the Medicine Rite came from the seat of all Creation, where Earthmaker himself dwells. From on high he looked down with satisfaction upon what he had created, a creation reserved solely for mankind.

Then Earthmaker realized that the human beings would need a companion in this Rite, so from one of his ribs he created our Grandfather, the Sacred Woman. He gave him a well-shaped body and a fine voice. When he was finished, Earthmaker launched him towards the east, and there he landed where a bluff ascends from the waters. There he made a lodge, and there he obtained visions through which he gained his knowledge. Then one day he told his wife how it pass that Hare would come to create a means for giving added life to his uncles and aunts. Then he said, “Before I left, the Creator bestowed upon me a feather bundle that also contained paints. Now is the time that they are to be used.” Thus he said, and he opened his bundle. He painted the part in his hair blue, and put two eagle feathers on his head. Then he put one eagle feather on each of his limbs. From the clays that cover our Grandmother, Earth, he painted each of his limbs. His apparel was magnificent to behold. He began his journey. He took four steps, and at the fourth he uttered, Ehoho-o-o-o-o, weha, weha, as he patted his mouth. Then he drew in a rush of air. Four times he did this, and each time the earth shook and quaked. The trees lowered their branches in obeisance to him. Even the spirits feared his holiness, and made a space for him as he approached the Creation Lodge. At his fourth cry, there he was before the lodge. Then the lodge was enveloped with a great heat. “Behold,” said the spirits, “we have made a place for you.” But he did not abide there, but instead strode towards the center of the lodge where our Grandfather dwells — he whom it is dangerous to stand against. Right there he sat, yet his clothes were unconsumed as a great blue light emanated from his headdress.

Then four boys entered, and they walked first to East, then they stood in front of North, then West, and finally South. Afterwards an enormous bear walked in, a bear almost as big as the lodge. He did exactly as the boys had done. Then he sat facing the east, and he assumed a white appearance. His brilliant white teeth chattered as they shined from his red lips. He took each of the boys and bent him inwards. When the bear himself covered the lodge, all was darkness. Then four other boys entered. They did as the others had done, then positioned themselves in front of Hare. They carried sticks with stones mounted on them. Hare, Trickster, Earth, and Turtle picked up the boys and put them in place.

Then Turtle made himself invisible. Then he went to where the Chief of the Island Weights dwelt. After much pleading, this great Waterspirit gave him the sacred water which he sought. When he returned, Turtle cast the water upon the Sacred Woman’s breast, and suddenly there burst forth Light and Life. And when the light had ceased flashing, there upon Turtle’s own breast was the cruciform emblem of Light and Life. And the light streamed into the Creation Lodge in four rainbows. Now the lodge, which had been darkened by the bear, was as bright and well lit as daylight.

Then Hare addressed Grandmother: “Have you nothing in the way of knowledge to impart?” “Yes, grandson, I have this — behold.” And Earth took pieces of her own tco (blue/green) hair and entwined them together so that it was like a handle. “When your uncles and aunts make this aright, they will have made for themselves a knot of Life. Let them remember me with a handful of tobacco.” Then East took from her the knot of tco hair and with it cast Turtle upon the Sacred Woman, and touched his navel. Then Turtle put the Sacred Woman upon his breast four times, and each time he breathed heavily and made the cry, Ehoho-o-o-o, weha weha, as he patted his mouth. Thus it was.

Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 198-202.

“There was once a village at a place called Great Lake (Lake Winnebago). It was there that the people called Hotcâgara became human beings. Before this they had lived as spirits. There also all the clans originated. Before that they had been animals but lived just as human beings do. Sometimes they would turn themselves into animals again, and it is for this reason that the waikâs were composed (about animals). Then after a time some transformed themselves into human beings while others retained their animal shape. In so doing they used up all their “transforming” power, which they possessed, and after that they were not able to change themselves either into animals or human beings at will, as they had been accustomed to do. In consequence of that the human beings remained human beings since that time, and the animals remained animals. In the early days, the Hotcâgara lived holy lives because they still remembered the life they lived as spirits. They started life at Green Bay and it was there that all the clans met, it is said. Later on they came to Lake Winnebago and there they formed a very large village.

One day during the autumn moving some of the Hotcâgara were killed before they could get back to their camp, and from that time on, war was waged incessantly. It was not safe for one lodge to move away from the main camp, as ten lodges full of people had been attacked by the Sioux. The Hotcâgara started to pursue them and soon found their trail. It was a long trail so they figured there must have been a large attacking party. All the Hotcâgara that were able bodied joined the pursuing party and went with utmost speed. The Sioux, however, did not flee.

After the Hotcâgara had been going for some time, they suddenly stopped and one of them said, “Now then, a large body of people had ought to have one or a few leaders.” The others said, “Very well.” There were many holy men there and many warriors who were considered invulnerable. Finally, one of them said, “Let Great Walker lead us.” He said, “Very well.” Great Walker was a holy man, and was the equal of the spirits. He had actually met Waterspirits face to face, and had even killed one and had taken material for “instruments” from it for himself. Such was Great Walker. The warparty offered him tobacco and poured two handfuls into his hands, but he did not even say, “Ho!” He smiled and took the tobacco and he poured it out right where he was standing. Then he stood with his head bowed long time and was very quiet. Then, after awhile he said, “Now then, let us go.” He started off walking ahead of them. Before this he had been running but now he walked taking his time. “Kora!” some exclaimed, while others said, “Don’t talk so. The leadership has been given to him, and he will lead us. Besides we are not equal in powers, and he must know what he is doing.”

Finally, when evening came upon them, Great Walker said, “Beyond those woods runs a stream. There we will pitch our camp.” Then he continued, “Let ten fleet young men go for food. One bear will be enough, but if you think not, they might bring two instead.” “Leader, let it be two bears, as there are many of us here,” said the warriors. The leader Great Walker replied, “Ten of you may go taking the other side.” So two parties went out. Then the leader said, “Let ten more fleet young men follow up the others. You may divide up the packs and lighten the load.” “When the second detachment came up to the first ten men, they were already busy dressing the bears they had killed. When the main party arrived, the fire had been built. There was plenty of food and fat. All night they slept there and the next morning they started out again. They went on slowly. At noon they stopped to rest and smoke. When evening came, they camped again and two bears were again killed. Then the next morning they started out again and went very slowly. They went far too slowly for a warparty chasing an enemy. Thus they kept on traveling very slowly and frequently stopping to eat on the way. They came finally to Long Lake.

It was a very beautiful day and the snow was melting very fast. At noon they stopped and the leader said, “Now then, I wish to tell you something about myself.” So they all stood about and waited for him to begin. “I have been also feeling like you, my attendants, and more so perhaps; you said when you offered me tobacco that our relations had been killed, and as they had been used so miserably, we were to get revenge. You also said that you offered tobacco to the spirits below. So I asked them to do it for us, and even as I stood with bowed head at the time, they said they would. That is why we have come here. This is the place. Here lives one of the great Waterspirits and he will take revenge on them, he told me. That is why we have come to this place. The Waterspirits said that we could have them [the Sioux]. Now then, if you are going to put on your war paint you must hurry and may paint your faces only. If you have tobacco you must have it handy to make offerings with. If you have any other offerings with you, you must have them ready also.” Thus spoke the leader, and they painted their faces in a hurry and had their offerings handy. Then he said, “Now then, let us go.”

About this time the Sioux had just gotten on the lake. “Well it was always said that the Hotanka were long-chasers and we thought that we could have a great time when they caught up with us,” some of the Sioux said. “They are aware that we have come with you; and that is why they do not catch up with us,” others said. Still others said, “Do not speak so. Sometimes they chase up to the enemies’ village.” This was the opinion of the older men. “Ah, if they would only catch up with us here,” some of them said, as they ran about on the ice. Even as they were speaking, one of them said, “Oh, look over there. There they are, and I suppose that is why they are spoken of in that manner.” Some said, “Now do not relent.” The boastful ones said, “It is good!”

Soon the Hotcâgara caught up with the Sioux on the ice. “Now then,” said the leader, “All of you stand in a row side by side.” They stood in a row. Then he began to sing a Water Song. The Sioux said, “Thus the Hotankas always are. They always go through ceremonies for anything. What is the use of their doing that?” As soon as the singer stopped singing, they gave the war whoop. Then the Hotcâgara gave the whoop and rushed at them. As they ran they dropped their offerings. They ran in a row a they had been told, and imitated the noises of all sorts of animals. The Sioux said, “It is going to be very difficult for us; we had better try and get on land where there are trees which we can get behind. That will be the only way we can save ourselves.” As this took place in the winter, the ice was frozen. As the Sioux began to flee and make for the land it so happens that there was a place that was only covered with a thin layer of ice and snow. Into this they ran, broke into the lake and disappeared under the ice. There the water was filled with floating people. Some of the Hotcâgara had spears which they extended to the Sioux in the water; and when the latter reached the shore, they killed them. Others cut long poles and with these pulled out some of the Sioux and killed them.

Thus matters went on, then one of the Sioux said in his language, “Great Walker is my brother.” Thereupon the Hotcâgara said, “Let us take him over to the warleader since he says that he is his brother. We might be doing something wrong if we killed him.” So they took him over to the chief, guarding him while on either side and holding him up as he had just come out of the cold water and was so numb that he could not walk. The warleader was standing on his buffalo robe with his back toward them. They said, “Warleader, here is a man that says that he is your brother.” The Sioux said, “Oh my brother!” as he tried to get hold of him. “Jijiji! he might harm you,” someone said. But the Sioux took hold of Great Walker by the arm. The chief said, “Well he has done it now” “You should not have brought him over,” said some of the others, “for these never mean any good to us. Now the chief will probably spare them.” Then the warleader said, “Let all those who are alive be spared.” So they did not kill any more. There were only a few of them left. Ten the warleader said, “Since you are going to spare them, build a fire for them on the shore.” So a row of fires were built on the shore and the captive Sioux were brought there.

Then Great Walker said to the man that claimed to be his brother, “Older brother, you are not brave to go around with the people who are acting wrongly and helping to kill the Hotcâgara. Why did you at this time say that you were a Hotcâk, and that Great Walker was your brother? If it were I, I would never say such a thing. If you were not afraid to fight with me, and you came along with those who wished to kill me, then why did you become frightened? I thought that all the tribes knew about me. How is it that you never heard of me? Great Walker is holy and is a spirit. He is a Waterspirit. You should not have acted so to the Hotcâgara. The spirit that is in charge of Long Lake told me that he would take care of you for me, and therefore he followed you. We came here and he did as you have seen and destroyed you, and you were not able to cope with him. Now we have spared a certain number of you.” Then the Hotcâgara that had food with them fed the Sioux. There also some of them arraigned the scalps that they had won. When they were about to part with them, Great Walker’s brother said, “Now then, I will answer what my younger brother has asked of me. What my younger brother has said to me is all true. I am thankful to him that my life was spared. I have acted wrongly when I went to fight against the Hotcâgara because I wanted to kill them, although I knew that my brother was holy. I have really done wrong, and that is why at the last moment I repented and was afraid. Therefore, as long as I live, whenever any Sioux shall speak againt the Hotcâgara, I shall tell him to stop. If he disobeys me, I shall kill him; and should I hear that anyone has killed a Hotcâk, I shall kill him. As you have spared me when otherwise I should have died here, henceforth I shall always do as I have said.” He continued, “I have no more desire to kill the Hotcâgara. I want to live among you as you have given me my life. I spent my life in trying to kill the Hotcâgara, and I am really dead as far as my people are concerned.” When he had finished speaking, another Sioux arose. He was the bravest Sioux of them all. As he had been spared, he also told them that he was ashamed of his conduct and repeated what the other had said. Then the remainder of the Sioux arose one after another, and each pledged himself in the same way. From that time on, the fighting between the Sioux and the Hotcâgara stopped. From that time on the Sioux never tried to make war on the Hotcâgara.

Great Walker was the holiest Hotcâk that ever lived, and therefore ceremonies and changes that he instituted are still in existence and alone are powerful. The medicine for the sick and the poison medicine that he made are even used today by the people, and they alone are effective. These are the only powerful things in the Medicine Dance. He added a position for a dish. He was never initiated. He just joined, for he had known the Dance when he was in the land of the spirits. He also added some of the speeches and some of the songs. Even to this day, his band is the largest in the Medicine Dance. He had the greatest vision that any Hotcâk every had. Many of the Hotcâgara are still using the powers that he obtained.”

Paul Radin, The Story of Big Walker, in Notebook Winnebago IV, #7, Freeman Number 3860 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) Story 7h, pp. 1-7.