In last month’s posting, I mentioned Coyote and Spider (also called Anansi) who are two trickster characters. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept of the trickster, he (very rarely she) is an ageless being who, depending on the story being told, is clever, sly or clumsy and dim-witted. He’s always breaking social rules, violating the laws of physics, pulling practical jokes and cheerfully ripping off stuff. He also performs acts which are beneficial such as stealing fire and giving it to humans, showing them how to plant crops, even how to have sex!
This curious immortal who can take the form either of a human or animal, can be found throughout the world under various incarnations. In North America he is seen as Coyote, Rabbit or Raven. In West Africa, he is Anansi, the spider. Norse mythology had Loki as the trickster. Pacific Ocean cultures had the divine being Maui as the trickster and native Australians had a character Bamapana notorious for his bad language, crude jokes and general upsetting of the cultural applecart.
That such a being can be found in traditional cultures all over the world suggests he arose very early in human history. The human global diaspora dates back many tens of thousands of years, with native americans coming in waves, probably as early as 30,000 years ago. Native Australians arrived on the island continent 50,000 years ago.
So the trickster certainly dates back before then, perhaps as much as 100,000 years ago or more. When did our ancestors start telling stories? Probably when they started talking and preserving oral traditions as a way to survive. Part of this oral tradition involved social rules, where to find food, how to get along with neighbors both human and non-human. Relations with the spiritual Otherworld no doubt arose at the same time. And whenever you have rules, there is inevitably a rule-breaker. If there’s a rule, Trickster is sure to break it.
Tricksters are not noted for their physical strength. No Heracles or Atlas here. Instead they rely on their wits, scheming and tricking people to get what they want, whether it’s food, money, sex, what have you. They’re chronic shapeshifters, constantly altering their forms and occasionally even their genders! His antics range from bumbling (think Wile Coyote) to outright malicious (think Loki). Reading over many of the myths about Trickster, he come across much like an amoral sociopath. Yet at the same time he makes it a point to right certain imbalances. The most common form this takes is the theft of fire. Usually fire is being hoarded by certain divinities who refuse to share this gift. So the trickster devises a scheme to get fire away from its owners and into the hands of humans.
Some stories have Trickster having a hand in creating the world. His reasons for this? Well, it’s not for the joy of creation or vaunting himself as a creator to be worshiped. It’s for the very practical reason of giving people a place to sit. It’s the same with fire theft. The goal isn’t to perform a noble deed but just to get light in a place of darkness, for warmth and to cook food (Trickster’s always hungry).
Even the chronic rule breaking serves a purpose. Trickster loves to turn things upside down and inside out if possible. The effect of this is to break people out of rigid patterns so new patterns can be developed. He mirrors the forces of nature which can do the same thing; volcanoes spewing out molten lava and hot ash which breaks down becoming fertile soil, hurricanes which redistribute moisture and heat, forest fires which burn out old dead vegetation and create ashes which nourish new plants and lightning bolts which contribute to the nitrogen cycle so critical for growth. Destructive? Yes! Creative? Also yes!
The trickster has lost none of his allure in the 21st century. A popular character in the current Marvel Comic movies is Loki, the mischievous, malicious yet charming troublemaker who plagues the heroic Thor. Another is the cartoon character Bugs Bunny always getting the upper hand on his foes and having fun doing it. Wile E Coyote is often mentioned as a trickster character but I’m more inclined to think it’s really the Road Runner who consistently outsmarts his pursuer and pulls off more than a few tricks of his own. I can’t imagine their appeal ever fading. All these tricksters embody the chaotic side of life, ever changing, sometimes destructive but definitely never boring.
