Another explanation for the formation of the cavity, its flooding by water, and its inhabitation by demons involves internecine warfare among members of the Klamath tribe:
Long before the white man s coming, there was rebellion among the Klamath Indians. For days the battle raged fiercely until finally the weaker side took refuge on the highest mountain for miles around. Firmly entrenched among the rocks, they were able to withstand the assaults of the entire tribe. One attack after another was made, each ending in a repulse. Finally a council of war was held by the besieging party, and the medicine men were told to invoke the aid of the Great Spirit. For two days and two nights they kept up their chant; on the third morning their prayers were answered. A fearful rumbling shook the earth and with an awful roar the entire top of the mountain sank from sight, pulling with it every one of the rebellious braves. Scarcely had this disturbance ceased than water began rushing into the recess from a hundred crevices, and when finally the victorious party ventured near the rim they saw a vast lake lying before them. Then, as if to make amends for the fearful punishment, the Great Spirit converted the ghosts of the victims into huge, long-armed dragons which could reach up to the crater’s rim and drag down any venturesome warrior. [20]
More graphic details of volcanic activity have been added to another version of the Crater Lake legend, where, in addition to the good against evil thesis and the romantic ingredient, there are allusions to volcanic eruptions and lava flows. This story also credits another spirit, Snaith, and mortal men with a hand in the formation of Crater Lake:
In the beginning–long-ago-time–according to Modoc myth and story, there was a high mountain, where now in a deep gulf reposes Crater Lake. It was La-o-Yaina, mountain of Llao, the mythical God, who with his Below-world subjects and terrible creatures rules these regions. About and upon this mountain was the land of Gay-was, where Llao resided and looked down upon the land of the Klamaths. But in fact Llao was discovered by three old religious men–medicine men–and revealed by Skell, the Upper-world god, to be no other than Kee-Kwil-ly Tyee Tah-o-witt, the Down Below-world Chief of fire and smoke and darkness in the middle of the earth never lighted by the sun. The destruction of La-o Yaina was the result of a terrible conflict between Llao and Skell, when Skell came to the defence of the daughter of a great Klamath chief, with whom both had fallen in love. The fire-curse of the smoking mountain was only abated by the sacrifice of the three religious men, who knew the secrets of the gods, and afterward Skell caused Snaith, the storm, rain and cold chief, to fill up the caverns of the earth made by the bursting of Llao’s throne, extinguishing the fires forever and thus was made the Lake. With the sacrifice of the three ancient men, the knowledge of the gods disappeared from among the Klamath tribes. [21]
This next version incorporates the sacrifice of the medicine men and also depicts violent activity by both Mount Mazama in Oregon and Mount Shasta in California. This suggests that there might have been a violent eruption of Mount Shasta at approximately the same time as Mazama’s activity that caused the two volcanoes to become associated in one legend. [22] The entire process of the mountain falling in upon itself is clearly explained in this paraphrase of the story: before Crater Lake was formed, the volcanic mountain called Mazama served as the passageway between the domain below the earth and the world above. When La-o, chief of the world below, visited the surface, he could be seen as a dark form towering above the white snow. When Sahale Tyee, chief of the world above, appeared on earth, he rested atop Mount Shasta, south of Mazama. The day came when these two deities quarreled, and the anger of La-o shook the ground, sending thunder and burning ashes into the sky and spilling lava down the mountainside. The medicine men interpreted La-o’s violence as a curse directed at least in part toward the tribe for their wickedness and errors. To make atonement they climbed to the top of Mount Mazama and threw themselves off as a sacrifice. The chief of the world above was so impressed by this that he renewed his war with La-o and finally drove him underground. As the chief of the world below retreated and disappeared, the mountain top fell in upon him and his door to the surface was sealed. Never again did La-o frighten the Indians. The crater of his mountain then filled with pure waters and became a scene of peace and tranquility. [23]
