The trickster is an alchemist, a magician, creating realities in the duality of time and illusion.

The trickster deity breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually
with ultimately positive effects. Often, the rulebreaking takes the form of tricks (eg. !ris) or thievery. Tricksters
can be cunning or foolish or both" they are often very funny even when considered sacred or performing important
cultural tasks. #n many cultures, (as may be seen in $reek, %orse or &lavic folktales, along with %ative
'merican()irst %ations lore), the trickster and the culture hero are often combined. To illustrate* +rometheus, in
$reek mythology, stole fire from the gods to give it to humans.
,e is more of a culture hero than a trickster. #n many %ative 'merican and )irst %ations mythologies, the coyote
(&outhwestern -nited &tates) or raven (+acific %orthwest and coastal .ritish /olumbia) 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* +rometheus was a Titan, whereas coyote and raven are usually seen as 0okesters and pranksters.
)re1uently the Trickster figure exhibits gender variability, changing gender roles and engaging in samesex
practices. &uch figures appear in %ative 'merican and )irst %ations mythologies, where they are said to have a
twospirit nature. Loki, the %orse 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 %orse deity
also possesses many characteristics of the Trickster.
The Trickster is an example of a 2ungian 'rchetype. The )ool survives in modern playing cards as the 2oker. #n
modern literature the trickster survivors as a character archetype, not necessarily supernatural or divine, therefore
better described as a stock character.
#n later folklore, the trickster is incarnated as a clever, mischievous man or creature, who tries to survive the
dangers and challenges of the world using trickery and deceit as a defense. )or example many typical fairy tales
have the 3ing who wants to find the best groom for his daughter by ordering several trials. %o brave and valiant
prince or knight manages to win them, until a poor and simple peasant comes. 4ith the help of his wits and
cleverness, instead of fighting, he evades or fools monsters and villains and dangers with unorthodox manners.
Therefore the most unlikely candidate passes the trials receives the reward. 5ore modern and obvious examples of
that type are .ugs .unny and The Tramp (/harlie /haplin).
The trickster is an important archetype in the history of man. ,e is a god, yet he is not. ,e is the wisefool. #t is he,
through his creations that destroy, points out the flaws in carefully constructed societies of man. ,e rebels against
authority, pokes fun at the overly serious, creates convoluted schemes, that may or may not work, plays with the
Laws of the -niverse and is sometimes his own worst enemy. ,e exists to 1uestion, to cause us to 1uestion not
accept things blindly. ,e appears when a way of thinking becomes outmoded needs to be torn down built anew. ,e
is the 6estroyer of 4orlds at the same time the savior of us all.
The Trickster lives inside and outside of Time. ,e is of our world, yet not of our world, so our laws will not always
apply. Other symbols, associated with him include keys, clock, masks, infinity among other mythological images
Trickster is a creator, a 0oker, a truth teller, a story teller, a transformer linked to the spiritual fre1uency changes
humanity is experiencing at this time.
4e seem most accessible to the synchronistic gifts of the Trickster when we ourselves are at or near boundaries or
are experiencing transition states, periods of ma0or life transitions seem to be occasioned by an abundance of
meaningful coincidence. +ersonal growth sees not only to facilitate synchronicity, but in turn to be facilitated by it.
's an archetype, the Trickster, the boundary dweller, finds expression through human imagination and experience.
Planet Saturn and the Trickster
&aturn, the grim reaper, rules responsibilities, restrictions, limitations, and the lessons you must learn in life. ,e
does not deny or diminish imagination, inspiration, spirituality, or good fortune, but he does demand that these
things be given structure and meaning. The karmic lessons we have come to experience and overcome in this
lifetime are expressed by &aturn. &aturn is a great teacher if you allow it to be so. #f you resist, then you feel like
you have been dealing with the Trickster. #t takes spiritual maturity to move beyond the challenges of the Trickster
and to embrace &aturn the Teacher.
The Trickster as an Alchemist
&hamanic aspect that transforms or evolves
4e live in a dual reality, opposite polarities, yin (yang, male(female, good( evil, $od(6evil or Trickster. Our reality
is created by electromagnetic energy fields, the poles (%orth and &outh), positive and negative energy. This is much
like a game. #n order to win the game you must create balance. 7ou can beat the trickster if you ignore that which
he brings as challenges.
Our soul spirals its consciousness into a physical body to experience different roles and emotions. The trickster
8stirs the pot8 and creates the drama, to that end.
4hen you abuse someone, that is the trickster in you, showing itself. 4hen you allow yourself to be abused,
playing the victim, and remain stagnant in your life, the trickster aspect of you is in control.
The trickster seems to have supernatural powers which help him perform his tricks. ,e lives, dies, comes back,
shape shifts, all sorts of magic as our reality is nothing more than an illusion. #t is the mythology of our reality,
birth, death, and rebirth from the ashes, the flame of creation.
There are times the Trickster brings lessons that we came into this experience. Trickster is almost always portrayed
as male. #n the duality he represents the lower emotions, lower chakras, that which gets us into mischief. This
represents the aggressive side that deals with the lower fre1uency emotions, fate, 0ealousy, anger, self destruction,
rage, depression and goes to mental illness.
Trickster is the emotional body, our #nner /hild or wounded soul, who evolves in our lifetimes as it spirals back to
higher light.
The concept of the Trickster is as much a part of humanity8s history as the concept of $od. 'll creational myths deal
with polarity, good god vs. bad god, the duality of our nature and with each of us. To be emotionally challenged, is
to listen to the voice of the trickster and live in a space of drama and negative emotions. To create balance is to live
in the socalled 8god aspect8 of who we are.
+hysical reality is a game in which the Trickster challenges us at every turn. That is his role in the duality of this
biogenetic experiment in liner tome and emotion.
Trickster is the teacher, when you attract lessons into one8s life. 4ith his lessons, he awakens us to who we are and
allows us to explore the true purpose of our soul8s 0ourney in the holographic experience through which we
experience consciously at this level of awareness.
,is energy allows us to break out of old stereotypes, whether they8ve been imposed by ourselves, our families, our
culture, or circumstance. This is the energy that opens the world of limitless possibilities and it behooves us all to
work with it before it destroys us, to touch the Trickster as he touches us.
Trickster is a teacher, survivor, hero, always traveling, outrageous and cunning, foolish and wise, mischievous and
often doing good despite himself. ,e is a metaphor for the evolution of consciousness in the alchemy of time.
Trickster Roles
!shu
'frican people have tales about tricksters (hare, spider, tortoise, etc.), which slaves brought to the %ew
4orld.
#n 7oruba mythology, !shu is an Orisha, and one of the most respected deities of the tradition. ,e has a
wide range of responsibilities* the protector of travelers, god of roads, particularly crossroads, the deity with
the power over fortune and misfortune, and the personification of death, a psycho pomp.
!very magical ceremony or ritual began with an offering to !shu" failure to do so guarantees failure in the
intent of the ceremony. 4ithin the Orisa8#fa, &anteria(Lukumi religion developed by the descendents of
enslaved 4est 'frican, !shu was identified with &aint 'nthony or &aint 5ichael, depending on the
situation.
,e is identified by the /olours red and black, or black and white and his caminos, or paths (compare*
avatar) are often represented carrying a cane, shepherd8s crook, as well as a pipe.
!shu is a trickstergod, and plays fre1uently tempting choices for the purpose of causing maturation. ,e is a
difficult teacher, but a good one. 's an example, !shu was walking down the road one day, wearing a hat
that was red on one side and blue on the other. &ometime after he departed, the villagers who had seen him
began arguing about whether the stranger8s hat was blue or red. The villagers on one side of the road had
only been capable of seeing the blue side, and the villagers on the other side had only been capable of seeing
the red half. They nearly fought over the argument, until !shu came back and cleared the mystery, teaching
the villagers about how one8s perspective can alter one8s perception of reality, and can be easily fooled.
(#n many versions of this tale, the two tribes were not stopped short of violence" they actually annihilated
each other, and !shu laughed at the result, saying 9.ringing strife is my greatest 0oy9. !shu is thus a
prototype of the atheistic view of $od8s nature.)
'magu1
#n #nuit mythology 'magu1 is a trickster and wolf god.
2apanese /ulture
3itsune
#n 2apanese folklore, the kitsune are often presented as tricksters, sometimes very malevolent ones.
The trickster kitsune employ their magical powers to play tricks on people" those portrayed in a
favorable light tend to choose as targets overlyproud samurai, greedy merchants, and boastful
commoners, while the more cruel kitsune tend to abuse poor tradesmen and farmers or .uddhist
monks.
&usanoo
%e:ha
%e:ha is a deity, the enfant terrible Trickster of /hinese mythology. %e:ha is often depicted flying in the
sky with a wheel of fire under each foot, a golden hoop, The /osmic ;ing around his shoulder, and a spear
in his hands. %e:ha is usually depicted as youth and rarely as an adult. 's the third son of a military
commander called Li 2ing, a military leader in /hentangguan )ortress, his birth was peculiar. 4hen his
mother got pregnant, she waited for three years to deliver the boy, but unfortunately a meat ball was born.
,is father got so angry that he split it with sword, thus finally %e:ha 0umped out with full figure and grew
rapidly, even though his mind and temperament were that of a child. ,e flayed and disemboweled himself
after committing several crimes in the eyes of the ,eavenly /ourt but was brought back to life by a Taoist
priest who used lotus blossoms to reconstruct a body for his soul to inhabit. &ome traced his origins to the
<edic god %alakuvara, and the legend goes that he was born in the &hang dynasty, and he is also identified
with the 2apanese god %ataku.
3rishna
The 4orld 5agician, tricking all men and gods by his playful ruses as an incarnation of <ishnu, Lord of the
4orld.
Loki %orse 5ythology
$reek 5ythology
!ris, +rometheus, ,ephaestos, ,ermes ,ermes Trismegistus Odysseus (example of a human trickster,
who manages to evade dangers thanks to his wits. The /yclops +olyphemus is an example of this)
;eynard The )ox
;eynard the )ox, also known as ;enard, ;enart, ;einard, ;einecke, ;einhardus, and by many other spelling
variations, is a trickster figure whose tale is told in a number of anthropomorphic fables from medieval
!urope.
,e seems to have originated in )rench folklore. 'n extensive treatment of the character is the Old )rench Le
;oman de ;enart from around ==>?, which sets the typical setting. ;eynard has been summoned to the
court of king %oble, or Leo, the Lion, to answer charges brought against him by #sengrim the 4olf. Other
anthropomorphic animals, including .ruin the .ear, .aldwin the 'ss, Tibert (Tybalt) the /at, and ,irsent
the &hewolf, appear to give testimony against him, which ;eynard always proves false by one stratagem or
another. The stories typically involve satire whose usual butts are the aristocracy and the clergy, making
;eynard a peasanthero character. ;eynart8s principal castle, 5aleperduys, is available to him whenever he
needs to hide away from his enemies. &ome of the tales feature ;eynard8s funeral, where his enemies gather
to deliver maudlin elegies full of insincere piety, and which features ;eynard8s posthumous revenge.
Till !ulenspiegel
/haracter who originated in 5iddle Low $erman oral tradition. #n the folk story, he is presented as a
trickster who played practical 0okes on his contemporaries. 'lthough craftsmen are featured as the main
victims of his pranks, neither the nobility nor the pope are exempt from being fooled by him.
.rer ;abbit, Tar .aby
The tar baby was a trap made of tar used to capture .r8er ;abbit in a story which is part of 'merican
plantation folklore. .r8er )ox played on .r8er ;abbit8s vanity and gullibility to goad .r8er ;abbit into
attacking the fake and becoming stuck. ' similar tale from 'frican folklore has the trickster god 'nansi in
the role of .r8er ;abbit. The story was originally published in ,arper8s 4eekly by ;obert ;oosevelt of
&ayville, %ew 7ork. 7ears later 2oel /handler ,arris wrote of the tar baby in his -ncle ;emus stories.
/oyote
The trickster is teacher, survivor and fool, coyote has inhabited this land we call 'merica much longer than
the later arriving humans from 'sia, who have only been here about =@,@@@ years or so. The !uropean
refugees who started showing up around ?@@ years ago and who now act as if they own the place, do not pay
as much attention to /oyote as do their indigenous predecessors. The small prairie wolf known as coyote
mostly attracts their interest in a long standing, unsuccessful effort at extermination" but this creature with a
perpetual bounty on its hide resembling a mediumsi:e dog with a narrow face, tawny fur and a bushy tail,
is only one aspect of what native 'merican peoples have called /oyote, /oyote 5an and Old 5an /oyote.
#n some %ative 'merican traditions, /oyote impersonates the /reator, making humans out of mud and
bringing into being the buffalo, elk, deer, antelope and bear. #n these myths, /oyote/reator is never
mentioned as an animal, though he can and does meet his animal counterpart, coyote" and they walk and talk
together, addressing the other as 9elder brother9 and 9younger brother.9 #n these traditions the spiritual and
corporeal are brothers who always walk and talk together.
4hile coyotes (the animal) are certainly responsible for destroying some domestic livestock, they are
important to the larger environment as scavengers and destroyers of rodents. They are omnivorous feeders"
they prey on small animals, eat plant matter, carrion and garbage, and they sometimes though not regularly
team up to hunt larger animals. They are an invaluable part of a healthy ecology and environment, which
sustains all life, including that of domestic livestock.
That the livestock industry has waged a brutal, unrelenting and environmentally irresponsible slaughter
(most of it at taxpayer, not industry, expense) of coyote for more than =@@ years is as shameful and
scandalous as it is unsuccessful, unnecessary and expensive. That coyote has persisted, prospered and
expanded, both in numbers and range, since the livestock industry put a price on his head is an indication of
why Old 5an /oyote continues to live in the mythology and dreams of native 'merica and in the literature
and imagination of its more recent arrivals. /oyote 5an is the primordial trickster(teacher of 'merican lore.
/arl 2ung, The Trickster Archetype, Coyote
' primitive cosmic being of divineanimal nature, on the one hand superior to man because of his
superhuman 1ualities, and on the other hand inferior to him because of his unreason and unconsciousness.
The more civili:ed we become, the more we will blame a 9shadow9 for our misfortunes. Like the trickster of
old, the shadow represents a 1uality that isn8t accepted into the awareness. #t can 8pester8 us unmercifully but
always has a gift for us, a missing 1uality, an attitude needed to cope, or selfreali:ation.
3okopelli
3okopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with a huge phallus and
antennalike protrusions on his head), who is worshipped by many %ative 'merican tribes in the
&outhwestern -nited &tates. Like most fertility deities, 3okopelli presides over both childbirth and
agriculture. ,e is also a trickster god. .ecause of his influence over human sexuality, 3okopelli is often
depicted with an inhumanly large phallus. 'mong the ,o/hunk, this penis is detachable, and he sometimes
leaves it in a river in order to have sex with girls who bathe there. 'mong the ,opi, 3okopelli carries
unborn children on his back and distributes them to women (for this reason, young girls are often deathly
afraid of him). ,e often takes part in rituals relating to marriage, and 3okopelli himself is sometimes
depicted with a consort, a woman called 3okopellimana by the ,ohokam and ,opi.
5anabo:ho or ,are of the 'lgonkian peoples
,is father was !arthmaker, who sent ,are to be born of a virgin as a human being in order to destroy evils
threatening mankind.
/inanev
The -te are a tribe of %ative 'mericans from the western -nited &tates. &iats is a cannibalistic clown
monster. /inanev is a wolf trickster and culture hero. The -te especially venerated a bear spirit, who
occasionally went on killing sprees. &unuwavi, a -te hero, once rescued his people from this by finding the
1umu, the bear8s fire medicine (spiritual power), and covering it with water, thus ending the spirit8s power.
5annegishi
The 5annegishi (singular the same) are a race of trickster people in /ree folklore. They are described as
semihumanoid, being sexdactylous humans with very thin and lanky arms and legs and big heads minus a
nose. 'ccording to one /ree schema of the mythology, there are two humanoid races, one being the familiar
human species and the other being the 9little people9, i.e. 5annegishi. These people are said to live between
rocks in the rapids. One of their biggest delights a completely nonheroic form of trickster behavior is
to crawl out of the rocks and capsi:e the canoes of people canoeing through the rapids, spinning them to
their death. The 5annegishi is also known as the gahonga. The 5annegishi has gained interest in recent
years due to its possible crypto:oological connections. #t is believed by some that the 6over 6emon is what
the /ree saw when they told stories of the 5annegishi.
;aven
;aven is famous among the %ative 'mericans of the +acific %orthwest. ;aven assumed the divine trickster
role, similar to /oyote in other parts of the country. The divine trickster could play the fool and the 0oker,
but the intent of doing so was to teach. ;aven is also credited with sheltering the first humans, and with
placing the sun, moon, and stars in the proper places in the sky. ,e was an expert in magic, and brought
revelations from the spirit world to those who needed them.
Tonenili
%ava0o trickster rain god whose name means 8water sprinkler8.
.amapana
#n 'ustralian 'boriginal mythology (specifically* 5urngin), .amapana is a trickster hero who causes
discord. ,e is obscene and profane and once committed incest, thus breaking a strict taboo.
Te:catlipoca
#n %ahuatl mythology, Te:catlipoca (9smoking mirror9) was the god of the night, the north and temptation.
,e owned a mirror (#tlachiaya1ue, 9+lace )rom 4hich ,e 4atches9) that gave off smoke, killing his
enemies. ,e was the antithesis and rival, and eventually, the twin of Auet:alcoatl. ,e was a god of beauty
and war.
'ttributes of Te:catlipoca and Auet:alcoatl originally came from older traditions than the ':tecs* the
Olmecs and the Toltecs. The ':tecs assimilated them in their religion, and the two deities were e1uated and
considered twin gods. They were both e1ual and opposed.
Thus Te:catlipoca was called 9.lack Te:catlipoca9, and Auet:alcoatl 94hite Te:catlipoca9.
#n one of the ':tec accounts of the creation of the world, Auet:alcoatl and Te:catlipoca 0oined forces to
create the world. There was only the sea, and the monster of earth /ipactli. To attract her, Te:catlipoca used
his foot as bait, and /ipactli ate it. The two gods then captured her, and distorted her to make the land from
her body. 'fter that, they created the people, and people had to offer sacrifices to comfort /ipactli of her
sufferings. .ecause of this, Te:catlipoca is depicted with a missing foot, and the bone of his leg exposed.
There are several nahuas accounts of how gods made self sacrifices to help humanity.
Te:catlipoca kidnapped Bochi1uet:al, the goddess of flowers, because he felt that he deserved her more
than her husband, Tlaloc. ,e was also said to be married to Bilonen.'s 5ixcoatl, Te:catlipoca invented fire
by rotating the heavens on its axis as a drill. Omacatl and Titlacahuan, Te:catlanextia, were also aspects of
Te:catlipoca.
&aci
The &aci (pr. sah&!!) is the most popular and bi:arre character of .ra:ilian folklore. ,e is a onelegged
dwarf, with holes through the palms of his hands, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap which
enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes. /onsidered an irritating prankster in some parts
of the country, and a dangerous and malicious creature in others, he will nevertheless grant wishes to anyone
who manages to steal his magic cap. There are actually three types of &aci* the bestknown &aci +erere is
black as coal, the &aci Tri1ue is mulatto and more benign, and the &aci &acura has red eyes.
'n incorrigible prankster, the &aci will not cause ma0or harm, but there is no little harm that he won8t do. ,e
will hide children8s toys, set farm animals loose, torment dogs, and prevent chicken eggs from hatching. ,e
may suck the blood of horses, like a vampire bat, and tie knots in their manes.
#n the kitchen, the &aci may spill the salt, sour the milk, burn the bean stew, or drop flies into the soup. #f a
popcorn kernel fails to pop, it is because the &aci put a spell on it. $iven half a chance, he will dull the
seamstress s needles, hide her thimbles, and tangle her sewing threads. #f he sees a nail lying on the
ground, he will turn it with the point up. #n short, anything that goes wrong, in the house, or outside it, may
be confidently blamed on the &aci.
.esides disappearing or becoming invisible (often with only his red cap and the red glow of his pipe still
showing), the &aci can transform itself into a 5atiapere, an elusive bird whose melancholic song seems to
come from nowhere. ' &aci will not cross water streams, lest it will lose all his powers, a fact that will be
undoubtedly useful to people who find themselves being pursued by one. #f that happens, the victim should
drop ropes full of knots" the &aci will then be compelled to stop and undo the knots, thus allowing his victim
to escape. One can also try to appease him by leaving behind some cacha a, or some tobacco for his pipe.
,e is fond of 0uggling live coals or other small ob0ects and letting them fall through the holes on his palms.
'n exceedingly nimble fellow, the lack of his right leg does not prevent him from barebackriding a horse,
and sitting crosslegged while he puffs on his pipe. !very dust devil, says the legend, is caused by the spin
dance of an invisible &aci. One can capture him by throwing into the dust devil a rosary made of rosary bead
plant seeds, or by pouncing on it with a sieve, reinforced by two crossed bamboo strips. 4ith proper care,
the captured &aci can be coached to enter a dark glass bottle, where he can be imprisoned by a stopper with
a cross marked on it.
3appa, 5aui $od of One Thousand Tricks
'n ugly, excitable, but 1uickwitted halfdivine, halfmortal trickster who was covered in tattoos. #f he
didn8t like the ways things were, he changed them. 'nd there were many things 5aui didn8t like. )or
example, the sun.
!very day, 5aui watched human beings scramble to work, or plant, or cook, or make bark cloth in the few
precious hours between sunrise and sunset. There was never enough time, the sun moved too fast, the people
suffered. They had no choice but to eat their food raw.
5aui grabbed his rope and his grandmother8s magic 0awbone. 4ith a 1uick flick of the rope, he lassoed the
sun and beat the sungod with the 0awbone, until the golden one agreed to move more slowly across the sky.
Then 5aui looked closely at the sky itself. #t hung way too low. 4ith a mighty heave, 5aui shoved the
firmament up higher.
The 5aui went fishing. ,is brother wouldn8t share their bait, so 5aui punched his own nose and used his
blood to fish. ,e hauled in catches so big they became the +olynesian islands.
#n mythology the pranks of the trickster seemed almost a compulsion, something they could not control. The
trickster was usually blessed with a curiosity that led them into trouble, but also had a cunning wit to get
them out of trouble. ,e played the $ameC ,umans would forgive the trickster, knowing that when the gods
were plagued by the trickster8s wit and arrogance, with the side effects sometimes beneficial to humans. 4e
recogni:ed that at the heart of the trickster was a savior. &o even if /oyote caused a great flood because of a
theft, he did lead the human race to a better world.
#n oral traditions worldwide, a story of deceit, magic, and violence perpetrated by a mythical animalhuman
trickster. The tricksterhero is both creator god and innocent fool, evil destroyer and childlike prankster.
Trickster is at the same time, creator and destroyer, giver and negator, he who dupes others and who is always
duped himself. ,e possesses no values, moral or social, is at the mercy of his passions and appetites, yet through his
actions all values come into being. 5any of the Trickster8s traits were perpetuated in the medieval 0ester, and have
survived in the +unchand2udy plays and in the clown.
)ew mythological figures have such a remote origin in time and broad distribution among cultures as the one called
Trickster. This character has long pu::led its commentators, largely because Trickster defies any purely rational or
intellectual analysis. #n fact, anyone who has studied any particular trickster story can testify to its disturbing
undertones of perplexity and provocation.
Trickster contains a transcendent nature whose epic 1ualities are truly awesome. 4e can think, for example, of
when 5aui, the +olynesian Trickster, snares nothing less than the sun. 7et with all his enormous power he is
enormously stupid, the fool of the ages, the epitome or personification of human absurdity.
#n world mythologies Trickster8s guises are legion" so much so that 2oseph /ampbell, has called him The Hero With
A Thousand Faces.
This outlandish, yet remarkable being in human form, learns, grows in understanding, changes, and at a certain
point in his adventuresome blunders, is transformed. -ntil that moment, however, Trickster keeps changing shape
and experimenting with a thousand identities, including shifts in sex, in a seemingly neverending search for
himself.
6uring all this he inflicts great damage on those around him and also suffers innumerable blows, defeats,
indignities, and dangers resulting from his thoughtless, reckless forays. On entering upon existence he is first seen
as a blurred, chaotic, hardly unified being, having no selfknowledge or lifeknowledge, despite his divine
parenthood. #t is only later on in his travels that Trickster emerges as a culture hero, demigod, and savior of peoples.
.ut this occurs only after his transformation or selfintegration takes place, and brings to the fore the great and epic
1ualities initially given him by his divine progenitor.
The unity of Trickster with ,ero.enefactor is clear in a great number of the mythoi. The hero must trick the gods
of their wealth, steal it, and in some manner make it available to humankind. This heavenly treasure usually is 9fire9
or is related to it. ;aven steals the gods8 fire sticks. 5aui goes against 5ahuika, the guardian of fire, to get it and
bring it back to the people. #n $reek myth it is +rometheus who does this. The many references to the sunsnaring
feat of Tricksterturned,ero extend illustration of this development (3atharine Luomala, Oceanic, American
Indian, and African Myths of narin! the un, .ernice + .ishop 5useum .ulletin =DE, ,onolulu, =FG@" reprinted
by 3raus ;eprint /ompany, %.7, =F>=). The hero who deceives, slays, or by his 9wiles9 appeases the gods, is
honored as a savior of the world.
Trickster8s hero 1ualities were present from the very beginning. .ut they lay dormant, in seed, until he decided to
exercise them, which he did only after a long and painful process of trial and error, growth and metamorphosis. )or
in all of his manifestations Trickster remains a primordial being of the same order as the gods, despite his prolonged
so0ourn in the human condition.
%o matter how often scholars have analy:ed this myth in the attempt to reduce it to any strictly rational value, it
endures in all of its polyfaceted and multileveled grandeur. To restrict understanding of it merely to one or two of its
features would be to rob us of its unusually important meaning. )or serious reflection upon the myth in all of its
world variety brings a conviction that it can refer only to the evolution of human consciousness and the full range of
phases and multiple colorations which this implies. 7es, the evolution of our consciousness, but from a gigantic
perspective and nothing less, one which carries us back to the fabulous illo tempore" into the night of time millions
of years ago to the magic moment of first creation, that, dawn time 9when first the world was born9 and we 9walked
with the gods.9
)rom the initial dimness of a consciousness newlyborn, lacking any real integration of its components, and having
forgotten his divine mission, we follow Trickster as his awareness steadily comes forth in ever greater measure. 4e
watch as the selfknowledge of this inchoate entity develops, bringing with it strength, remembrance, and a firmer
sense of identity, all this until, at a certain point, by capturing the fire of inner illumination from the gods, he gains a
full measure of selfconsciousness or selfrecollection, and can act to benefit mankind. To use 2ungian terms, the
-nconscious within himself has been transmuted into the /onscious, bringing lucidity of spiritual vision of self and
the universe.