The Chief Hooghan Songs

The following are parts of the chief hooghan songs, as related by Slim Curly to Father Berard Haile and published in Blessingway. The songs are very repetitive and therefore only the changing parts will be given in later stanzas.

1.

Of origins I have full knowledge . . .holaghai.
Of Earth's origin I have full knowledge.
Of plant origins I have full knowledge.
Of various fabrics' origins I have full knowledge.
Now of long life's, now of happiness's origin I have full knowledge. holaghai.
Of Mountain Woman's origin I have full knowledge.
Of Rain Mountain's origin I have full knowledge.
Of various jewel's origin I have full knowledge.
Now of long life's, now of happiness's origin I have full knowledge, of their origin I have full knowledge. holaghai.
Of Water Woman's origin I have full knowledge.
Of collected water's Woman's origin I have full knowledge.
Now of long life's, now of happiness's origin I have full knowledge, holaghai.

Of Corn Woman's origin I have full knowledge.
Of pollen's origin I have full knowledge.
Now of long life's, now of happiness's origin I have full knowledge, golaghane.

2.

I had full knowledge from the very beginning [repeated two or three times in the initial and transitional burdens from stanza to stanza, and at the close of the song; otherwise as in song 1].

3.

Long ago he was thinking of it . . . of origins he was thinking.

4.

Long ago he spoke of it . . . he speaks of origins.

5.

Of it he is thinking, of it he is thinking . . . holaghai.
Of Earth's supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.
Now of long life, now of happiness supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.

Of Mountain Woman's supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.
Now of long life, now of happiness supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.

Of Water Woman's supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.
Now of long life, now of happiness supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.

Of Corn Woman's supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking.
Now of long life, now of happiness supports, of pole supports to be he is thinking, he thinks of it, he is thinking, golaghane.

6.

Of it he speaks.

7.

Now he has brought it.

8.

It was placed, it was placed . . . it was said . . . golgaghai.
Earth's support when now he brought it in, was placed they say.
Now long life, now happiness support, when now he brought it in, was placed they say.

[Mountain Woman, Water Woman, and Corn Woman are mentioned in the other stanzas with the wording of the first stanza.]

9.

I plan for it, when I plan for it, it drops nicely into position just as I wish, ni yo o.
Earth's support I first lean into position.
As I plan for long life-happiness it yields to my wish as it nicely drops into position, ni yo o.

Mountain Woman's pole I next lean into position.
As I plan for long life-happiness it yields to my wish as it nicely drops into position, ni yo o.

Water Woman's pole I next lean into position.
As I plan for long life-happiness it yields to my wish as it nicely drops into position, ni yo o.

Corn Woman's pole I next lean into position.
As I plan for long life-happiness it yields to my wish as it nicely drops into position, ni yo o.

Those present were gladdened, they say, they laughed out loud [rejoicing over the accomplished fact].

10.

ye hi ye . . .ye hi ye . . .ye hi ye [Imitating laughter]
Along below the east, Earth's pole I first lean into position.
As I plan for it it drops, as I speak to it it drops, now it listens to me as it drops, it yields to my wish as it drops.
Long life drops, happiness drops into position, ni yo o.

Along below the south, Mountain Woman's pole I next lean into position.
As I plan for it it drops, as I speak to it it drops, now it listens to me as it drops, it yields to my wish as it drops.
Long life drops, happiness drops into position, ni yo o.

Along below the west, Water Woman's pole I lean between in position [etc.].

Along below the north, Corn Woman's pole I lean my last in position [etc.].

This completes the prayer songs for building the hooghan. The rest of these songs concern the organization of the hooghan.

11.

They stopped . . . they stopped . . . ni yo o.
They stopped at the rim of Emergence Place, they stopped [made camp] at the foot of mountain number one, ni yo o.

Now with the aid of Earth they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of vegetation they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of various fabrics they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of long life, now happiness they stopped, ni yo o.

Now with the aid of mountain Woman they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of Rain Mountain they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of various jewels they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of long life, now happiness they stopped, ni yo o.

Now with the aid of Water Woman they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of collected waters they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of long life, now happiness they stopped, ni yo o.

Now with the aid of Corn Woman they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of pollen they stopped, ni yo o.
Now with the aid of long life, now happiness they stopped, ni yo o.

That completes the preparations for the place home. "Now then, it is in shape, As for me, in times past I had full knowledge of conditions that should be as they now are. You realize now that the place home is in shape in every respect," said the leader, one called He-hid-himself-from-the-warrior was speaking. "Your baggage may now be placed inside, and your cooking utensils will find a place here along the side of the fire. Let it continue to be so done in days to come," he said

12.

'e ye na . . . I fully know . . . holaghai
My hogan, now its stones are set [below the doorway posts], it has come to be [into existence], I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask, [but] I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now my doorway, now my woven curtain, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
My fire, my food, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
The stirring sticks, the big pot,it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
The big horn ladle, the big earthen bowl, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
The whisk broom, the mill stone, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
My bed, my woven matting, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
In my hogan, at the back corners, all kinds of precious fabrics, all kinds of jewels were brought in. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know!
Now long life, now happiness, it has come to be, I fully know. "Is it that?" they ask. I fully know! ni yo o.

Then, "Let a fire be built with that rock flint they had at the Emergence Place. let that be mentioned at the very end," was said.

13.

Here it extends into the fire, here it extends into the fire, holaghai
Into Earth fire it extends,
Into long life fire it extends, into happiness fire it extends,
Here increased blessing extends, here increased blessing extends, here it extends into the fire.
Along below the south it extends into the fire,
Into Mountain Woman fire it extends,
Into long life fire [etc.].
Along below sunset it extends into the fire,

Into Water Woman fire it extends, into long life fire [etc.].
Along below the north it extends into the fire,
Into river boulder fire it extends, into long life fire [etc.].

The final song concerns the care of the hogan, both inside and out.

14.

'e ne ya . . . away from a woman . . .away from a woman.
It is my hogan where, from the back corners beauty radiates, it radiates from a woman.
It is my hogan where, from the rear center beauty radiates, it radiates from a woman.
It is my hogan where, from the fireside beauty radiates, it radiates from a woman.
It is my hogan where, from its side corners beauty radiates, it radiates from a woman.
It is my hogan where, from the doorway on and on beauty radiates, it radiates from a woman, it increases its radius of beauty, golghane.

The earth surface people are now visited by Talking God who is very pleased with what the earth surface people have done. "You have done very well, my grandchildren. That is as it should be," he said to them. "In times to come let it continue in this very same manner, then I shall continue to visit you without fail, because I value this. You have undoubtedly made this hogan a holy place," he said.

1.

ho-wo-o-ho, ho-wo-o-ho [the traditional call of Talking God], at a holy home place I indeed arrived, holaghai.
At his home of Earth I indeed arrived,
At his home of vegetation I indeed arrived,
At his home of all kinds of fabrics I indeed arrived,
Now at his home of long life, now happiness I indeed arrived, holaghai.
At his home of Mountain Woman I indeed arrived,
At his home of Rain Mountain I indeed arrived,
At his home of jewels I indeed arrived,
Now long life [etc.].

At his home of Water Woman I indeed arrived,
At his home of collected waters I indeed arrived,
Now long life [etc.].

At his home of Corn Woman I indeed arrived,
At his home of pollen I indeed arrived,
Now at his home of long life, now happiness I indeed arrived, at a holy place I indeed have arrived.

Talking God was extremely happy about this. "You have really made it in the proper way, I shall not fail to visit you from time to time in days to come, my grandchildren," he said.

2.

'e ne ya . . . conditions remain unchanged.
At his hiome of Earth conditions indeed remain unchanged.
At his vegetation home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
At his home of all kinds of fabrics conditions remain unchanged.
Now at his long life, now happiness home conditions indeed remain unchanged, indeed they remain unchanged.

At his Mountain Woman home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
At his Rain Mountain home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
At his Jewel Mountain home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
Now long life [etc.].

At his Water Woman home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
At his home of collected waters conditions indeed remain unchanged.
Now long life [etc.].

At his Corn Woman home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
At his pollen home conditions indeed remain unchanged.
Now at his long life, now happiness home conditions indeed remain unchanged, indeed they remain unchanged.

4.

Here it remains so, [with words of the preceeding song].

5.

Here it continues to be blessed [with words of the preceeding song].

"In days to come these will be called chief hogan songs, they will continue as old age generations pass on," he said.

6.

'e ne ya . . . the same [hogan] will continue, the same will continue, on its surface it passes by.
Exactly on Earth's surface it passes by.
On its surface vegetation it passes by, on its surface fabrics of all kinds pass by,
Chief long life, chief happiness, old age one says continues to pass by on its surface, the same will continue, ni yo o.

Exactly on Mountain Woman's surface it passes by,
On Rain Mountains surface it passes by, on its surface jewels of all kinds pass by,
Chief long life, chief happiness, old age one says continues to pass by on its surface, the same will continue, ni yo o.

Exactly on Water Woman's surface it passes by,
On its surface collected waters pass by, chief long life [etc.].

Exactly on Corn Woman's surface it passes by,
On its surface pollen passes by,
Chief long life, chief happiness, old age one says continues to pass by on its surface, the same will continue, ni yo o.

There is also a set of planning songs, also included in the chief hogan songs. These are suitable for the induction of leaders and are included in this set of songs as the hogan is the logical place for planning to occur. I do not include these here.

This is a copy of Version I of the Chief Hogan songs as told by Slim Curley to Father Berhard Haile, who recorded and translated them. They have been edited by Leland Wyman and included in The Blessingway by Leland Wyman © 1970 University of Arizona Press

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