[Footnote 2: _Kin_, the sun, the day; _ich_, the face, but generally the eye or eyes; _kak_, fire; _mo_, the brilliant plumaged, sacred bird, the ara or guacamaya, the red macaw. This was adopted as the title of the ruler of Itzamal, as we learn from the Chronicle of Chichen Itza--"Ho ahau paxci u cah yahau ah Itzmal Kinich Kakmo"--"In the fifth Age the town (of Chichen Itza) was destroyed by King Kinich Kakmo, of Itzamal." _El Libro de Chilan Balam de Chumayel_, MS.] [Footnote 3: Cogolludo, _Historia de Yucatan_, Lib. iv, cap. viii.] Another temple at Itzamal was consecrated to him, under one of his names, _Kabil_, He of the Lucky Hand,[1] and the sick were brought there, as it was said that he had cured many by merely touching them. This fane was extremely popular, and to it pilgrimages were made from even such remote regions as Tabasco, Guatemala and Chiapas. To accommodate the pilgrims four paved roads had been constructed, to the North, South, East and West, straight toward the quarters of the four winds. [Footnote 1: Lizana says: "Se llama y nombra _Kab-ul_ que quiere decir mano obradora," and all writers have followed him, although no such meaning can be made out of the name thus written. The proper word is _kabil_, which is defined in the _Diccionario del Convento de Motul_, MS., "el que tiene buena mano para sembrar, ó para poner colmenas, etc." Landa also gives this orthography, _Relacion_, p. 216.] §2. _The Culture Hero, Kukulcan._ The second important hero-myth of the Mayas was that about Kukulcan. This is in no way connected with that of Itzamna, and is probably later in date, and less national in character. The first reference to it we also owe to Father Francisco Hernandez, whom I have already quoted, and who reported it to Bishop Las Casas in 1545. His words clearly indicate that we have here to do with a myth relating to the formation of the calendar, an opinion which can likewise be supported from other sources. The natives affirmed, says Las Casas, that in ancient times there came to that land twenty men, the chief of whom was called "Cocolcan," and him they spoke of as the god of fevers or agues, two of the others as gods of fishing, another two as the gods of farms and fields, another was the thunder god, etc. They wore flowing robes and sandals on their feet, they had long beards, and their heads were bare. They ordered that the people should confess and fast, and some of the natives fasted on Fridays, because on that day the god Bacab died; and the name of that day in their language is _himix_, which they especially honor and hold in reverence as the day of the death of Bacab.[1] [Footnote 1: Las Casas, _Historia Apologetica de las Indias Occidentales_, cap. cxxii.]