Tricksters: thinking aloud meets AKICIF

[redbird]

Who is the European/Christian Trickster?

If you're Native North American, s/he's Coyote. In Africa, one of Trickster's names is Anansi the spider.

Is there a European Trickster other than Loki? Prometheus tricked the gods, but that's a bit different and was a one-time deal.

And yes, I know that European doesn't equal Christian, in either direction, but I don't have a better shorthand for our dominant culture. Euro-American?

Comments

[kiya]

I am strongly, strongly tempted to suggest the role of the Trickster in Christianity is played by Judas Iscariot. That may be excessively Biblical for the general culture, though.

[kiya]

Also, there is the notion of Hermes as a consistent Greek trickster figure; I don't know if this is something He holds in common with Mercury. (It is, however, one of the major points of correspondence with His Greek Period syncretism with Djehuty (Thoth).)

I don't know enough about Celtic gods to comment about theirs.

[scottscidmore.livejournal.com]

Generally "European" does the job.

Hermes, Till Eulenspiegel, Renard the Fox, Puck - Robin Goodfellow - Robin Hood, Bill Clinton.

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

Til Eulenspiegel (Til "Owlglass") for sure. The Polish equivalent is "Sowizral" - and I knew someone of that name and that role.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Robin Hood, perhaps? "Jack" who seems to have so many fairy tale adventures? Adam suggests maybe Nuada of the Silver Hand. And then there's Bre'r Rabbit, but he's American, not European.

another term

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Shorthand for various stages:

Christendom; not a fully accurate term, since it included only a fraction of the Christian world.

Europe -- originally northern Italy and northwestern Europe.

The West still used, and useful if it doesn't bother you that "the West" now includes Japan.

The First World.

[cheshyre]

Can't speak for European or Christianity,
but xiphias has commented on Jacob (son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham) as a Jewish trickster figure.

[calanthe-b.livejournal.com]

In the folklore that built up out of medieval Catholicism, the Devil--or various lesser demons--was often presented as a trickster, and also frequently as the trickster tricked.

[avram]

Bugs Bunny.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Hermes is certainly a trickster.

In English folklore, which is part of my tradition, "Jack" is the trickster. Everyone knows the beanstalk story, but Jack had lots of other adventures. I don't know if that's the kind of story you're looking for, or if Jack is too mundane...he's an ordinary boy (sometimes even a bit dim) with a clever streak. Nothing divine about him, as far as I know.

I don't know how Jack is related to Jacob, the main trickster in my tradition sacred stories. He acquires his brother's birthright by craft and trickery, wrestles with an angel to get what he wants, tricks his father-in-law, and still comes out of it with a good reputation. But there are a lot of Jewish stories about clever people tricking other people, and those can be downright gleeful...stories that touch on divinity, or holiness, seem a lot less gleeful, even when the themes are similarly tricksy.

Something noteworthy about Coyote, or Anansi, or Loki, is that they deal in the realms of the *gods*. This seems very different from stories about Jack, or Joha, or Hershele, who are very human tricksters with mortal opponents.

[lysana.livejournal.com]

Irish trickster gods include, to a certain degree for each, Lugh, Morrigan, Manannan mac Lir, and at some moments, Brighid. Many of the other gods have associated tales where they pull the wool over someone's eyes for their own ends, proving a point, or both. Wit and cunning are signs of strength in those stories on a very standard basis.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Bugs Bunny.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

If you're accepting American, I'd go for B'rer Rabbit.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but he comes from African traditions, not European ones...

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

A major European trickster is Reynard the Fox.

[treadpath.livejournal.com]

What about Robin Goodfellow, a.k.a. Puck?

[numbat.livejournal.com]

It may also be possible to argue that within Europe the main trickster figures weren't individuals but races. That is trolls, sprites, brownies, goblins and other fairie folk.

So you don't think I'm a complete dimwit. . .

[magicwoman.livejournal.com]

I just sent you a birthday card! I was looking at the November birthdays. . .

Susan

Re: So you don't think I'm a complete dimwit. . .

[redbird]

I'll call it an unbirthday card, then: Loki certainly fits this thread.

Re: So you don't think I'm a complete dimwit. . .

[magicwoman.livejournal.com]

Exactly! And the cat is so cute. . .

Susan

Loki

[thette.livejournal.com]

KJ says: the trickster is composed of two different characteristics: the trickster and the culture god (who, for example, brings fire to mankind to spite the other gods). Loki is a true trickster, and has no culture god traits.

Norse mythology lacks a culture god, except possibly Heimdall.