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1 In the study of mythology, the character known as the trickster is a god, spirit, human, or animal who breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously but usually with results that are positive. The rule breaking often takes the form of {{B}}mischief{{/B}} or {{B}}thievery{{/B}}. The trickster is usually male but occasionally disguises himself in female form. He can be cunning or foolish, or both, and often very humorous. His curiosity leads him into trouble, but he rescues himself with his sly wit. {{U}}When he plays tricks, he performs important cultural tasks that benefit humans, and for this reason the trickster is a significant figure in world mythology. {{/U}} 2 In different cultures, the trickster and the hero are combined in various ways. In Greek mythology, Prometheus steals fire from the gods and gives it to humans, a feat making him more of a hero than a trickster, and he is usually portrayed as an intellectual. In many Native American stories, Coyote also steals fire from the gods, but Coyote is usually more of a jokester or a prankster than an intellectual. 3 The trickster is both creator and destroyer, giver and taker, one who tricks others and is tricked in return. The {{U}}pranks{{/U}} of the trickster are compulsive and uncontrollable. He does not act consciously; he acts out of passion and impulse. He knows neither good nor evil, yet he is responsible for {{U}}both{{/U}}. He possesses no morals, yet through his behavior morality comes into being. According to psychologist Carl Jung, the trickster is "a primitive cosmic being of divine-animal nature, on the one hand superior to man because of his superhuman qualities, and on the other hand inferior to him because of his unreason and unconsciousness." 4 In Native American mythology, the majority of trickster myths concern the creation or transformation of the earth. Such stories have a trickster who is always wandering, who is always hungry, who is not guided by normal ideas of good and evil, and who possesses some magical powers. In some stories he is a deity, and in others he is an animal or human subject to death. Several of these myths feature Raven or Coyote as the trickster-hero. 5 In many creation myths of the Pacific Northwest, Raven illustrates the transformational nature of tricksters. Raven is the greatest shapeshifter of all and can change into anything to get what he wants. In one story, there is darkness at the beginning of the world, so Raven decides he will find light. He flies far from the earth, searching in the darkness, until he spots a glimmer of light coming from a window in the house of the gods. Raven knows the gods are protective of their possessions, so he devises a trick. He perches on a pine branch next to the house and watches each day as the chief god's daughter draws water from a nearby lake. He magically transforms himself into a {{B}}pinyon seed{{/B}} and falls into the girl's drinking cup. The girl swallows the seed, which grows within her body, and she eventually gives birth to a boy. The child delights his grandparents, and his laughter tricks the elder gods into revealing where they hide a shining ball of light. The gods give the child the ball to play with, and then Raven transforms back to a bird and flies off carrying the ball of light in his beak. He hangs the ball-the sun-in the sky, bringing light to the world. 6 Coyote's character is similar to that of Raven's, and both appear in stories carrying out similar roles. In several stories from the American Southwest, Coyote steals fire from a group of "fire beings" and gives it to humans. In some tales Coyote wants to make human life more interesting, so he introduces sickness, sorrow, and death. He often teaches through negative example by employing the human vices of lying, cheating, and stealing. His tricks often bring about destructive natural phenomena, such as a great flood that destroys the earth. However, by causing the flood, Coyote leads the human race to a new and better world. Coyote shows us that at the heart of the trickster is a {{U}}savior{{/U}} whose great gift to humans is showing them new ways of knowing and doing. Glossary: mischief: tendency to play tricks or cause minor trouble mischief: the act of theft; stealing pinyon seed: the seed of a pine tree; pine nut |