The god Prometheus tricked Zeus and the other gods into granting humans the best part of an animal killed for a sacrifice. Greek mythology also includes a trickster associated with the gift of fire. Later, Maui stole fire from the underworld and gave it to humans. He let out a long fishing line and reeled in island after island from the bottom of the ocean. Other Tricksters Maui, the trickster hero of the Polynesian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, created the world while he was fishing. After she melted the cold of Winter, Gluskap let her return to her home. Gluskap lived in the cold north, but during a journey to the warm south, he tricked Summer, a beautiful female chieftain, into returning north with him. Myths of the Algonquian-speaking people tell of a trickster named Gluskap. In the end he had to return the heart to the sun, which restored light to the world. Coyote wanted to take the heart home with him, but he kept stumbling in the dark.
Then, because the sun had killed some of Coyote's children, the trickster cut out the sun's heart, plunging the world into darkness. But when they learned that he spied on them from the sky and told their secrets, they replaced him with a chieftain who turned the tables by keeping watch on Coyote. The first people selected Coyote as their moon. The most common trickster figure is Coyote, but Raven, Crow, Bluejay, Rabbit, Spider, Raccoon, Bear, and others appear in the trickster myths of different Native American groups.Ī myth of the Coeur d'Alene people illustrates the sly and bumbling side of Coyote. They usually take the form of animals, although they also have some human qualities and may appear human if it suits their purposes. Native American Tricksters Tricksters figure prominendy in the mythologies of Native Americans. According to the myth, this explains why spiders hide in the corners of houses. Anansi received only a few withered vines for his part of the bargain and fled from the mocking laughter of the people. Chameleon ended up with most of the spider's wealth. Anansi's children poured grain into the hole for weeks, and still it was not full. However, Chameleon had secretly dug the deepest hole that anyone had ever seen. The spider agreed and sent two of his children with grain. The price, he told Anansi, was merely a little food, just enough to fill the tiny hole that was his storehouse. Everyone wanted the cloak, but Chameleon would sell it only to the spider. For revenge, Chameleon created a fine cloak of vines decorated with buzzing flies. One myth about Anansi tells how he cheated the chameleon out of his field. Occasionally the trickster himself falls victim to a trick. Anansi is a cunning fellow who acts as God's assistant, although some stories reveal him trying to trick God. A trickster hare appears in some myths, and tales about a trickster spider called Anansi are widespread in West Africa. According to another myth, the High God became so disgusted with Eshu's trickery that he left the world, ordering Eshu to remain as his link with it.Įshu is just one of the many tricksters in African mythology. The competition continued, making the husband and both wives miserable. Eshu then sold a more splendid hat to the second wife. Disguised as a merchant, Eshu sold one of the wives a fine hat, which pleased the husband but made the other wife jealous. In one myth, he caused conflict between a man and his two wives. He often creates quarrels among people or between people and gods. Major MythsĪfrican Tricksters Eshu, a West African trickster also known as Legba, is associated with travel, commerce, and communication-or miscom-munication. Many gods, demigods, and heroes from around the world are described as having trickster qualities. They can also be found in the myths of Europeans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and the Aborigines of Australia. Tricksters play a prominent role in African and Native American mythologies. Most tricksters are shape-changers who can take any form, though they often appear as animals. Usually male, they delight in breaking rules, boasting, and playing tricks on both humans and gods.
Tricksters are among the most entertaining characters in world mythology.
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