Disney has released a new animated movie, and one of the characters in it is Maui, who is a trickster (demi) god.
When I read that, it got me thinking how common the idea of the trickster is. Almost every mythology around the world seems to have a character who could be called a trickster, whether its Maui, or Loki, or Annasi (trickster spider from Africa, who was so clever he often tricked himself).
I wonder what that says of us as a species, that we love the idea of a trickster so much?
Comments
not so nice
I vaugely recall seeing a video about him; apparently he was ugly, so he stole the face of his wife. He wasn't the nicest guy.
An old Anasazi legend
One day Hare was down at the watering hole when he ran into two baby mountain goats, who were talking about their friend Coyote and all the pranks he taught them to play on the local Indian chief. That sounds like fun, said Hare. Do you think I could come along next time? The young goats just said, "Silly Rabbit, Tricksters are for kids!"
~(o.k. that one needs a lot of work to be anything like funny but i'm feeling lazy), Veronica
What borders on pure insanity?
Canada and Mexico.
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Probably Started...
...as a reflection of the world's uncertainties, and the inevitable assumption that capricious gods are causing whatever's frustrating you. (Still some of that around as recently as the gremlins of WWII.)
Later generations less in need of evil tricksters softened them and sometimes used them more humorously. (Not sure I recall the details correctly, but a Kage Baker SF novel has a pre-Columbian California tribe, transplanted by a time-travel organization, being entertained by Road Runner cartoons, figuring that the depiction of the Coyote there fits right in.) Another function was for the tales to set the trickster up, usually successfully, against the rich, powerful or pretentious. (A step down from malevolently trying to undermine their own pantheons in classical days, I think they generally weren't out to depose human adversaries -- who were clearly still around and powerful -- but just to teach them a lesson and expose them to ridicule.)
My take, anyway.
Eric