Read the entry note first. Not a fable — an Anishinaabe ontology carried as story. Come in to wonder.
⚠️ Draft — under many eyes. Converted and readable; not yet finally vetted, and it will wear the word draft for a good while, on purpose. Living, not final.
UNẠMẠN.
ONAMAN.
MAGIC PAINT.
Narrated by Penesi — Series 2 (Nos. 4–43), Fort William (per Jones Part II Introduction p. ix; not credited on the story page itself).
from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1919).
(1) Kīcpîn awiya uckinawä mîsawänimāt uckinīgi‘kwän kīcpîn cīngänimigut, wunāzi‘kawān a‘kiwänziyạn unandutạmawān ini´ᵘ unạmạnạn.
Giishpin awiya oshkinawe misawenimaad oshkiniigikwen giishpin zhiingenimigod, wonaazikawaan akiwenziiyan onandotamawaan iniw onamanan.
In case some youth should desire a maiden, and if he should be disliked by her, he goes to an old man (and) asks of him some magic paint.
Giishpin awiya oshkinawe (if some youth) misawenimaad oshkiniigikwen (desires a young woman), giishpin zhiingenimigod (if he is disliked by her), wonaazikawaan akiwenziiyan (he approaches an old man) onandotamawaan iniw onamanan (and asks of him the onaman — magic paint).
(2) Mī∙i∙dạc ägut:
Mii dash egod:
Thereupon he is told:
Mii dash egod (and this is what he is told):
(3) “Nīⁿj mạzininīⁿsạg uji, tạ∙a∙gāncī∙i∙wạg —pä∙jik kīn, pä∙jikidạc ‘aᵉa´ᵘ uckinīgi‘kwä.
“Niizh mazininiinsag ozhi, da-agaashii’iwag — bezhig giin, bezhig idash a’aw oshkiniigikwe.
“Two little images do you make, let them be small, —one (to represent) yourself, and one the maiden.
“Niizh mazininiinsag ozhi (“make two little images), da-agaashii’iwag (let them be small) — bezhig giin (one, yourself), bezhig idash a’aw oshkiniigikwe (and one, that young woman).
(4) Kigawīnā ‘aᵉa´ᵘ äjini‘kāzut.
Giga-wiinaa a’aw ezhinikaazod.
You shall mention her by name.
Giga-wiinaa a’aw ezhinikaazod (you shall name her by the name she is called).
(5) Awidạc unạmạn pạngī kīgạdasā kwaya‘k udä∙i∙nk kayädec imāⁿ tạbạcīc mayā äjimîsawänimạt.
Aw idash onaman bangii gigad-asaa gwayak ode’ing gaye dash imaa dabashiish mayaa ezhi-misawenimad.
And of this magic paint a little shall you place directly over her heart, and also down there at the place where you desire her.
Aw idash onaman bangii gigad-asaa (and of this onaman a little you shall place) gwayak ode’ing (directly on her heart), gaye dash imaa dabashiish (and also down low) mayaa ezhi-misawenimad (right where you desire her).
(6) Kīgạdinā ‘aᵉa´ᵘ mạzininīⁿs:
Gigad-inaa a’aw mazininiins:
You shall say to the little image:
Gigad-inaa a’aw mazininiins (you shall say to the little image):
(7) ‘Mī∙i∙ᵘ nōngum äjipạnādci‘tōyān kīyaᵘ kidinändamōwin ka‘kina.’”
“Mii iw noongom ezhi-banaajitooyaan giiyaw gidinendamowin gakina.”
“Therefore now do I render you helpless in body and mind.”
“Mii iw noongom ezhi-banaajitooyaan (“this is how I now render helpless) giiyaw gidinendamowin gakina (your body and your mind, all of it).”
(8) Mī∙i∙ᵘ pāpigä ā‘pidci inändạnk wī‘kạnōnāt īni´ᵘ ckinawän.
Mii iw baabige aapiji inendang wii-ganoonaad iniw shkinawen.
Whereupon at once is she very eager to speak with the youth.
Mii iw baabige aapiji inendang (then at once she greatly desires) wii-ganoonaad iniw shkinawen (to speak with the youth).
(9) Nānīngutînū kayä a‘kiwäⁿsīyạg udābạtci‘tōnāwa wīpäcwänimāwād uckinīgi‘kwän.
Naaningodinoo gaye akiwenziiyag odaabajitoonaawa wii-beshwenimaawaad oshkiniigikwen.
Sometimes old men too make use of (the magic paint) when they desire intimate knowledge with a maiden.
Naaningodinoo gaye akiwenziiyag odaabajitoonaawa (sometimes old men too use it) wii-beshwenimaawaad oshkiniigikwen (wishing to be intimate with a young woman).
(10) Kīcpin gayä anicinābä ābatci∙ā∙d unamạnạn wīnisāt awäsīyạn mōzōn, ạdi‘kwạn kayä, kīcpîn māda∙ạ∙nāt ā‘pidci uckinạminit,— jäbai a‘pītinạnk ‘aᵉa´ᵘ awäsī,— mī∙i∙´ᵘ äji∙ā∙ba∙ạ∙nk ī∙i∙´ᵘ unạmạn.
Giishpin gaye anishinaabe aabaji’aad onamanan wii-nisaad awesiiyan moozoon, adikwan gaye, giishpin maada’anaad aapiji oshkinaminid, — zhebai aabidinang a’aw awesii, — mii iw ezhi-aaba’ang i’iw onaman.
And if a man also wishes to use the magic paint for the purpose of killing game-animals, a moose, or a caribou, if he is following close upon a fresh trail they have just made, — as, for instance, the trail of a game-animal made this morning, — then he unties (the covering of) the magic paint.
Giishpin gaye anishinaabe aabaji’aad onamanan (and if a person uses the onaman) wii-nisaad awesiiyan, moozoon, adikwan gaye (to kill a game-animal — a moose, or a caribou), giishpin maada’anaad aapiji oshkinaminid (if he follows a very fresh trail) — zhebai aabidinang a’aw awesii (the animal’s morning track) — mii iw ezhi-aaba’ang i’iw onaman (then he unties the onaman).
(11) Mi‘tigōns udābạdcitōn; mīdạc äjitāngisitōt ī∙i∙ᵘ mi‘tigōn ī∙i∙māⁿ unạmạning; awäsīdạc pimi‘kawäd mī∙i∙māⁿ äjitāⁿtāngisitōt kumāⁿ gayä imāⁿ kīsāga∙ạ∙nk ‘aᵉa´ᵘ awäsī.
Mitigoons odaabajitoon; mii dash ezhi-daangisidood i’iw mitigoon i’imaa onamaning; awesii dash bimikawed mii imaa ezhi-daadaangisitood gomaa gaye imaa gii-zaaga’ang a’aw awesii.
A small stick he uses; accordingly he so places the stick as to touch the magic paint; and there where the game-animal has left a track he rubs (the stick), or else there where the game-animal has left a dropping.
Mitigoons odaabajitoon (he uses a little stick); mii dash ezhi-daangisidood i’iw mitigoon i’imaa onamaning (and touches the stick to the onaman); awesii dash bimikawed (and where the animal has left a track) mii imaa ezhi-daadaangisitood (there he dabs it), gomaa gaye imaa gii-zaaga’ang a’aw awesii (or where the animal has left a dropping).
(12) A‘pī∙i∙dạc udisāt ayānit īni´ᵘ awäsīyạn ubināsi‘kāgōn; kāwīn ugi‘kāndaⁿzīn tciwajimut ‘aᵉa´ᵘ awäsī; kāwīn ā‘pidci mi‘kawizi.
Apii dash odisaad ayaanid iniw awesiiyan obi-naazikaagoon; gaawiin ogikendanziin ji-wazhimod a’aw awesii; gaawiin aapiji mikawisii.
And when he arrives at where the game-animal is, it comes to him; no sense to flee away has the game-animal; it is without any wits whatever.
Apii dash odisaad ayaanid iniw awesiiyan (and when he reaches where the animal is) obi-naazikaagoon (it comes to him); gaawiin ogikendanziin ji-wazhimod a’aw awesii (the animal knows not to flee); gaawiin aapiji mikawisii (it has no wits at all).
(13) Mīdec imāⁿ äjinisāt.
Mii dash imaa ezhinisaad.
And so there he slays it.
Mii dash imaa ezhinisaad (and so there he kills it).
(14) Īgiwidạc nayāⁿsi‘kawāwāt īni´ᵘ awäsīyạn ānind ininiwạg; kīcpînidac i‘kwä wīdci∙i∙wät cingubīnsạn udạsān imāⁿ u‘kādink.
Igiw dash nayaazikawaawaad iniw awesiiyan aanind ininiwag; giishpin idash ikwe wiiji’iwed zhingobiinsan odasaan imaa okaading.
And they that go after the game-animal are part of those men; and should a woman also go along, she places some cedar-boughs upon her legs.
Igiw dash nayaazikawaawaad iniw awesiiyan aanind ininiwag (those who go after the animal are some of the men); giishpin idash ikwe wiiji’iwed (and if a woman goes along) zhingobiinsan odasaan imaa okaading (she places cedar-boughs on her legs).
(15) Kīcpîn asāsik mạmāndciguskā; pāgisininiwan u‘kādạn.
*Giishpin asaasig mamaanjigoshkaa; baagisininiwan okaadan.**
If she fails to put them there, she will find it difficult to walk; weak will become her legs.
Giishpin asaasig mamaanjigoshkaa* (if she does not place them, she walks with difficulty); baagisininiwan okaadan (her legs become weak).
(16) Mī∙i∙ᵘ äjinạnīzāna‘k ī∙i∙´ᵘ tōwa macki‘ki, ī∙i∙’ᵘ “unạmạn” ädạming.
*Mii iw ezhi-naniizaanak i’iw doowa mashkiki i’iw “onaman” edaming.**
That is the danger of that sort of medicine, that which is called “magic paint.”
Mii iw ezhi-naniizaanak* i’iw doowa mashkiki (that is the danger of that kind of medicine) i’iw “onaman” edaming (the one called “onaman”). [resolves flag: onaman = magic paint / love-&-hunting medicine]