 | Trickster: Encyclopedia - Trickster
Trickster
In the study of mythology, folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, human hero or anthropomorphic animal who breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually with ultimately positive effects. Often, the rule-breaking takes the form of tricks (eg. Eris) or thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both; they are often very funny even when considered sacred or performing important cultural tasks.
In many cultures, (as may be seen in Greek, Norse or Slavic folktales, along with Native American/First Nations lore), the trickster and the culture hero are often combined. To illustrate: Prometheus, in Greek mythology, stole fire from the gods to give it to humans. He is more of a culture hero than a trickster. In many Native American and First Nations mythologies, the coyote (Southwestern United States) or raven (Pacific Northwest and coastal British Columbia) stole fire from the gods (stars or sun) and are more tricksters than culture heroes. This is primarily because of other stories involving these spirits: Prometheus was a Titan, whereas coyote and raven are usually seen as jokesters and pranksters.
Frequently the Trickster figure exhibits gender variability, changing gender roles and engaging in same-sex practices. Such figures appear in Native American and First Nations mythologies, where they are said to have a two-spirit nature. Loki, the Norse trickster, also exhibits gender variability, in one case even becoming pregnant; interestingly, he shares the ability to change genders with Odin, who despite being nominally the chief Norse deity also possesses many characteristics of the Trickster.
The Trickster is an example of a Jungian Archetype. The Fool survives in modern playing cards as the Joker.
For a modern humanist study of the trickster archetypes and their effects on society and its evolution, see Trickster Makes The World: Mischief, Myth, and Art by Lewis Hyde.
Trickster - Tricksters
- Abenaki mythology ... Azeban
- Akan mythology ... Kwaku Ananse
- American folklore ... Brer Rabbit and Aunt Nancy, a corruption of Anansi (Ananse)
- Ashanti mythology ... Ananse
- Australian Aboriginal mythology ... Bamapana
- Aztec mythology ... Tezcatlipoca
- Basque mythology ... San Martin Txiki
- Brazilian folklore ... Saci-Pererê
- Celtic mythology ... Fairy, Puck
- Chinese mythology ... Nezha, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King)
- Chippewa mythology ... Nanabozho
- Judeo-Christian ... Jacob
- Crow mythology ... Awakkule, Mannegishi
- French folklore ... Reynard the Fox
- Fijian mythology ... Ndauthina
- German folklore ... Till Eulenspiegel
- Greek mythology ... Eris, Prometheus, Hephaestos, Hermes Trismegistus
- Haida mythology ... Nankil'slas (Raven spirit), (Coyote)
- Hawaiian mythology ... Kappa, Maui
- Hopi and Zuni mythology ... Kokopelli
- Indonesian folklore ... Kantjil
- Inuit mythology ... Amaguq
- Japanese mythology ... Kitsune, Susanoo
- !Xũ mythology ... Mantis
- Lakota mythology ... Iktomi
- Navajo mythology ... Tonenili
- Nootka mythology ... Chulyen, Guguyni
- Norse mythology ... Loki
- Northwest Caucasian mythology ... Sosruko
- Ojibwe mythology ... Nanabush
- Polynesian mythology ... Iwa, Kaulu, Maui, Ono, Pekoi
- Tibetan folklore ... Agu Tonpa
- Ute mythology ... Cin-an-ev
- Vodun ... Ti Malice, Baron Samedi
- Yoruba mythology ... Eshu
Trickster - Modern day tricksters
- Bugs Bunny
- Bart Simpson from The Simpsons
- Kyprioth, also known as the Trickster is the patron god of the Copper (or Kyprin) In Tamora Pierce's fatasy novels about Tortall
- Dash Parr from The Incredibles
- Plastic Man
- Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius (a Harlequin-like character)
- Hoki the Jokester and Agi Hammerthief in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels
- Q from Star Trek
- Mr. Mxyzptlk, an implike tormentor of Superman
- Jerry Mouse from Tom & Jerry
- Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- Toya Kinomoto (Tori Avalon) from Cardcaptor Sakura (Cardcaptors)
- Tzeentch
- J. R. "Bob" Dobbs from Church of the SubGenius
- The Woodsie Lord, also called simply "The Trickster," is god of the pagans in the Thief computer game series.
- The Trickster, a supervillain in the DC Universe who has been both an ally and an enemy of The Flash.
- Matrim Cauthon from the Wheel of Time fantasy book series.
- Nyarlathotep in the Cthulhu Mythos is a malevolent Trickster figure in many of the tales that feature him.
- The Tramp, Charlie Chaplin's famous silent film character.
- The Riddler DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman
- The Joker DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman
Categories: Trickster gods | Trickster goddesses | Mythology | Stock characters | Mythological archetypes
Other related archives!Xũ mythology, Abenaki mythology, Akan mythology, Amaguq, American folklore, Ananse, Anansi, Archetype, Ashanti mythology, Australian Aboriginal mythology, Azeban, Aztec mythology, Bamapana, Baron Samedi, Bart Simpson, Basque mythology, Batman, Brazilian folklore, Brer Rabbit, British Columbia, Bugs Bunny, Captain Jack Sparrow, Cardcaptor Sakura, Celtic mythology, Charlie Chaplin, Chinese mythology, Chippewa mythology, Church of the SubGenius, Coyote, Crow mythology, Cthulhu Mythos, DC Comics, DC Universe, Discworld, Eris, Eshu, Fairy, Fijian mythology, First Nations, French, German folklore, Greek, Greek mythology, Haida mythology, Harlequin, Hawaiian mythology, Hephaestos, Hermes Trismegistus, Hopi, Iktomi, Inuit mythology, J. R. "Bob" Dobbs, Jacob, Japanese mythology, Jerry Cornelius, Joker, Judeo-Christian, Jungian, Kaulu, Kitsune, Kokopelli, Kwaku Ananse, Lakota mythology, Loki, Mannegishi, Mantis, Matrim Cauthon, Maui, Michael Moorcock, Michelangelo, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Mythological archetypes, Mythology, Nanabozho, Nanabush, Native American, Navajo mythology, Ndauthina, Nezha, Nootka mythology, Norse, Norse mythology, Northwest Caucasian mythology, Nyarlathotep, Ojibwe mythology, Ono, Pacific Northwest, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Plastic Man, Polynesian mythology, Prometheus, Puck, Q, Raven spirit, Reynard, Saci-Pererê, San Martin Txiki, Slavic, Sosruko, Southwestern United States, Star Trek, Stock characters, Sun Wukong, Superman, Susanoo, Tamora Pierce, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Terry Pratchett, Tezcatlipoca, The Flash, The Incredibles, The Joker, The Riddler, The Simpsons, The Tramp, The Trickster, Thief, Ti Malice, Till Eulenspiegel, Titan, Tom & Jerry, Tortall, Toya Kinomoto, Trickster goddesses, Trickster gods, Tzeentch, Ute mythology, Vodun, Wheel of Time, Yoruba mythology, Zuni mythology, anthropomorphic, coyote, culture hero, fire, folklore, god, goddess, hero, implike, mythology, pagans, religion, same-sex practices., spirit, stars, sun, supervillain, two-spirit
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Trickster", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
