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List of fictional tricksters. The trickster figure Reynard the Fox as depicted in an 1869 children's book by Michel Rodange. The trickster is a common stock character in folklore and popular culture. A clever, mischievous person or creature, the trickster achieves goals through the use of trickery. A trickster may trick others simply for ...
- What Is A Trickster?
- Characteristics
- Famous Tricksters
A Trickster is a character who uses wits, rather than strength or authority, to accomplish his goals. Like heroes, Tricksters usually come out of their adventures unscathed, having won the prize they desired and upset the regular social order in a way that will cause lasting effects for the people around them. Unlike heroes, Tricksters are usually ...
Physical Description
Tricksters come in all forms, shapes, and sizes. They can be men, gods, magical creatures, or animals, as the qualities that unite them come from their personality, not their physical appearance. Still, there are some norms about the appearance of these social deviants. They are usually male characters, a little bit on the small side but attractive nevertheless. What they lack in brawn, they make up for with their agility and their expressive faces. When animals appear as Tricksters, they are...
Special Abilities
Tricksters are, of course, well known for their scheming brains. Outsmarting one of these characters is next to impossible, but brains aren’t the only weapon in their arsenal. They are masters of disguise. If they have magical abilities, they will probably be fond of shapeshifting from one sneaky form to the next. If they don’t have magic to lean on, they will probably be skilled at creative costume design. Their wordplay is marvelous. They can find a loophole in the wording of any rule, and...
Literary Role
If you asked a Trickster what his role was, he would undoubtedly say “to have fun” or “to get what I want.” While it is true that these characters are generally self-serving, their actions often ripple through their community, causing unintended changes. One of the Trickster’s most important roles is to undermine authority. These clever characters love to break rules and make leaders or social norms look silly. In doing so, they may give more serious social reformers the courage to step forwa...
Eastern Culture
In Chinese culture, legends of the Monkey King date back to the ninth century. The crafty King was born with incredible intelligence, which allowed him to master a deck of magical tricks, including shape-shifting into 72 images and somersaulting across the clouds. Eventually, he grew so powerful that he began getting into scuffles with the Jade Emperor, the lord of heaven itself. None of heaven’s warriors could lay a finger on the Monkey King. In Indonesian and Malaysian culture, a tiny mouse...
Greek Culture
On the outside, Hermes may seem like one of the most harmless Greek gods. He is small, youthful, and has no realm to rule over. Still, there is no end to the mischief which this boyish god brings about. He has notoriously itchy fingers, stealing Apollo’s cattle, Poseidon’s trident, Artemis’ arrow, and Aphrodite’s girdle at various times. His way with words has earned him the position of diplomat and messenger between the gods. When he can’t find a large scheme to involve himself in, he amuses...
Norse Culture
Loki, the god of chaos, is perhaps one of the most famous examples of a Trickster character. This shape-shifting, trouble-making god is constantly on the lookout for a way to undermine authority figures. His allegiance shifts between the gods enthroned on Asgardand their mortal enemies, the ice giants, so frequently that no one ever truly knows which side he belongs to; apparently, he is a side unto himself. Loki is famous for his dangerous charisma (especially with women) and his wicked sens...
A Trickster is a mischievous or roguish figure in myth or folklore who typically makes up for physical weakness with cunning and subversive humor. The Trickster alternates between cleverness and stupidity, kindness and cruelty, deceiver and deceived, breaker of taboos and creator of culture.
In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and defy conventional behavior.
Nov 10, 2023 · The trickster, a figure who relies heavily on guile and trickery to get what they want, is a frequent trope used in the mythology of a wide variety of different cultures.
Found in the myths and legends of cultures across the globe, these mischievous figures appear with diverse names and forms but share common traits of wit and playfulness. They serve as cultural mirrors, reflecting the human proclivity for rule-breaking, humor, and the exploration of boundaries.
Trickster tale, in oral traditions, a story featuring a magical protagonist (often an anthropomorphized animal) who is a sort of folkloric scapegoat.
