Ixxxiv ETHNOGRAPHIC SKETCH. 



and equinoctial seasons; wlien he places the North wind's hat upon his head 

 he puts an end to the noise of the Thunder brothers and then represents 

 the wintry sun. 



The attitude which K'mukamtch observes toward his son Ai'shish will 

 be spoken of under the next headin<:^. It is necessary to add that the former's 

 position is by no means restricted to that of a solar deity; several of his 

 attributes make him also a god of the sky, or at least of the clouds, for 

 clouds and the weather's changes are due to the sun's agency. When the 

 sun is environed by lamb-clouds, or a mottled sk}^, this is figuratively ex- 

 pressed by: "K'mukamtch has taken the beaded garments of Aishish and 

 dressed himself in them." A peculiar red smoke or haze appearing in the 

 northwestern or western sky, shnuish, announces his arrival ; he is also 

 recognizable by his bulky posteriors, or, as the Modocs say of him: "K'mu- 

 kamtch munish kutulish gitko." By this they evidently refer to the white 

 and heavy, mountain-shaped summer clouds. 



Greek mythology depicts the fecundation of the earth by rain showers 

 and thunder storms as the illicit amours of the sky-god Zeus with the wives 

 and daughters of mortal men. Exactly in the same manner K'mukamtch, 

 as sky-god, seeks to approach illicitly the numerous wives of Aishish, of 

 whom the majority refuse him, though he has by some stratagem previously 

 removed their husband from the scene. 



In the aboriginal mind the creation of organisms, vegetal and animal, 

 seems to be in connection with the fecundation of the earth, whereas the 

 creation of the earth, world, or universe implies an act entirely different. 

 All the names of Klamath localities are said to come from K'mukamtch. 

 The manner in which he created plants and animals was, as we are told in 

 one Modoc myth, by thinkimj and by ivishinf/, this probably implying that 

 after forming an idea of some creature he made that idea a reality by the 

 strong energy of his will. Many creatures, especially birds and quadru- 

 peds — even men — the myths tell us, were brought forth by him in this 

 manner. The moral qualities ascribed to this deity are in keeping with 

 what is known of his physical and intellectual powers. He provides for 

 mankind, which he has created, but does not tolerate any contravention of 

 his will ; for he piiiiislics l)Hd characters ]>y changing them into rocks or l)y 



