Tsmuk is darkness, and his daughter, whose name is given in another version of the story, is Iúnika, Twilight.
In this myth there is a fine description of Wus. He could make people old; he could change them to animals or to anything he chose. He was the greatest trickster in the world; he delighted in deceiving people. He made Tsmuk look toward the east; immediately Tsmuk’s body became a black cloud. A west wind came and carried the cloud away; it was daylight. Wus said to Tsmuk, “You’ll no longer be a person. You’ll be darkness, and people will sleep when you are here. But I shall not sleep. I will sleep in the daytime and travel at night.” The last part of Wus’ declaration must be an interpolation, for Wus is connected with light. In the mythology of one of the Pacific coast tribes a personage with many of the characteristics of Wus is known to be that warm light which in fine weather we see waving and dancing above the earth. He leads persons astray, and is full of mischief and deceit.
FROST AND THUNDER (YAHYÁHAÄS).
This is the only myth in the collection in which Frost is a known character. Wus steals Gowwá’s wife, Gowwá gets her back, then the Lok people (clouds) steal her, Gowwá kills the Loks and rescues his wife only to have her stolen by Yahyáhaäs, who carries her to his home under the rocks. All the strong people in the world assemble to aid Gowwá, but they cannot break the rocks. Then Tckumhûs, or Tsasgips, as he is familiarly called,—a little man who looks puny and powerless,—says that he can break the rocks. He blows on them and they fall apart.
YAHYÁHAÄS
Yahyáhaäs makes the sun hasten its course. In this myth the misfortune which results from looking back is clearly stated: “If you look back you will [[387]]die.”—Usually the person who looks back is turned to stone, as in the Bible Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt.