Tricksters in Mythology
The Icelandic god Loki is somewhat of an inconsistent character in Prose Edda. While he is often portrayed in an opposing manner when seen next to the other Icelandic gods, his deceiving tricks sometimes turn out to be helpful others, even to the gods. It is interesting to note that even through all of Loki’s tricks the other gods have yet to find an effective way to keep him in check. Mircea Eliade has chosen to believe that Loki and all of his destructive forces he possesses points toward an acceptance of human frailty in the Icelandic culture. Within the Hynes heuristic guide of categorizing tricksters, Loki falls easily into the category of shape shifter. A shape-shifter trickster can be categorized by its unique ability and tendency to alter his body to aid in his goal of deception (Hynes 1997 pg. 36-37).
Loki is well known for several tricks in the Prose Edda where he transforms himself into other animals and people. Loki is famous for his trick against a giant who has been contracted to build a stronghold for the gods. In this trick, Loki transforms himself into a mare in order to “romance” the giants horse to prevent the giant from being able to finish the stronghold on time. By playing this trick Loki saves the Aesir from having to many regrets by voiding their end of the bargain (Thury and Devinney 2009 pg. 220).
This trick has elected to portray Loki in a positive light, proving to us that while Loki’s methods are less than conventional he does have a heart so to speak. It is important to remember thought that while there are redeemable qualities to Loki he is still a trickster. The mistletoe trick is one where Loki can really only be taken as negative. In this occurrence, Loki disguises himself as a woman in order to trick Frigg into telling him why Baldr was immune to all the sticks and stones the other gods were throwing at him. Frigg tells him that she has gathered oath from weapons and the trees that protect Baldr from harm by their doing. Frigg then goes on to mention that just one thing as has not sworn an oath a little bush called mistletoe. Loki then disappears to gather a branch from the bush and travels back to the assembly where he sees Hod a blind god. Loki tricks Hod into thinking it is disrespectful that he is not participating in the throwing of objects at Baldr and gives Hod the mistletoe offering to help him aim so he is not made a fool. The aftermath of the thrown mistletoe is not pretty the mistletoe pierces right through Balder and he rests dead on the ground. As for Loki, he is taken and thrown in a dark and dank cave where he is bound by the intestines of his sons turned to stone. A poisonous snake is fastened to hang over his face and slowly drop its venom (Thury and Devinney 2009 pg. 229-230)
Loki Short Essay Kristofer Marion
Complete and submit this assignment by the due date to receive full credit. (50 points) 1. Choose one of the character sketches you completed previously and conduct further research on that person. Or choose a historic figure from previous lessons for which you have not created a character sketch and do research on that person. Use your research to write a testimonial about the individual’s ...
The similarities between the coyote and Prometheus are endless. Both the coyote and Prometheus can be seen as tricksters who benefit and build culture, with a specific emphasis on the use of fire by mortals. They can be portrayed as saviors, creators and benefactors for their gift of fire to their people. In the two stories, the coyote and Prometheus had to outwit their adversaries who were viewed by many as “fearful” and “heartless” beings in order to grant the gift of fire to mortals. The vengeance taken by each adversary is where the characters start to differ. The ever trickster that the coyote is hatches a trick that is smart enough to outwit Thunder and escape with his life. Coyote detaches himself from his fur, tails and ears and plants it close to Thunder while his essence travels to a safe distance. Thunder pelts the rock containing fire at the decoy thinking it will kill the coyote but all it ends up doing is splintering the rock and fire into pieces for the animals to pick up and carry to every tribe scattered around the world, thus bringing the gift of fire to the world (CLT33708 Reader: 180).
The Essay on American Indian Myths Coyote Clown
A lecher an outlaw the creator and teacher of men, often called a clown and a trickster, the coyote clown plays an important pragmatic and ceremonial role in the lives of the Native American people. Among the South Western Indian tribes the coyote stories stands as a mirror for their own lives, pointing out the petty foible and the most magnificent strengths. To the North American Indians the ...
Prometheus on the other hand did not plan a grand scheme to weasel his way out of punishment by Zeus. Zeus bounds Prometheus to a rock where an eagle comes and pecks his regenerating liver out each day. Unlike the Native American myth of the coyote, Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound goes into heavy detail about how the fire helped humanity. Prometheus’s gift of fire allows for the advancement in weaponry and metal tools as well as building, navigation and science. With fire now, accessible humanity was no longer fumbling around in a “dream like stupor” but flourishing in clarity ().
According to the heuristic guide of categorizing tricksters, the Raven as told by Sitka would most likely fall into the sixth category titled sacred and lewd bricoleur. The obvious violation of scatological taboos along with the apparent use of defecation in this myth is the primary reason for classifying the raven as a lewd bricoleur (Hynes 1997 pg. 202-217).
In this rendition of the raven myth the Raven surrounds the keeper of fresh water, Petrel, with dog defecation and when the sun begins to rise he fools Petrel into thinking that the feces is his own. With Petrel gone to clean himself up the Raven now has time to tinker with the covering of the water and almost drain the spring dry. The Raven lets the water fall from his mouth spreading vital rivers throughout the area. The use of feces in a myth is quite shocking and immediately allows for easy placement of the Raven as a lewd bricoleur. Upon first reading it this myth, the use of feces is somewhat of a scandal; our previous myths have failed to touch upon the subject and in some ways this has transformed the occurrence of feces into a taboo. As well as being a lewd bricoleur the raven can also be seen as that of a sacred one for his involvement in bringing the people clean water as well as daylight, the moon and the stars. The gifts that the Raven brings are vital to the expansion and wealth of the Native American culture. The Raven as told by both Sitka and Wrangell can also fall into the shape-shifter category. In both renditions, the raven transforms himself into the grandson of the keeper of the sun and the moon. Even though the process for becoming the grandson differ from each other the element of shape shifting is present. In the story told by Sitka the Raven transforms himself into a speck of dirt that the daughter swallows and becomes pregnant while in Wrangell’s the Raven transforms himself into a needle for the daughter to swallow (Thury and Devinney. 2009a pg. 300-304).
The Essay on Kelley Goff Creation Myth March 1st 2006
It was long-long ago, at the beginning of civilization, when people still had to read newspapers for to get the news, listen the music through the cassette recorders, and their computers were big, clumsy, and unattractive. For thousands of years already the world had been facing the danger of being buried under the piles of paper that were generated by the two opposing powers – the greatest ...
The African trickster Anansi falls into the deceiver or trick player category. A common trait in this category is that the trick played by the trickster often seems to gather momentum of its own and the clever trickster finds himself suddenly holding the short end of the stick one second and the next he comes out on top (Hynes 1997 pg. 202-217).. In the myth titled The Ants Burden the trick originally created by Anansi puts into motion an ever-changing fool. The story starts with the act of Anansi beating a dwarf to death in order to make it rain for his wilting crops. Anansi knows that the dwarf is a favorite to the king so he tries to trick the son into thinking he was the culprit. The trick takes a sharp turn when the son tricks Anansi into believing there is a reward for the death of the dwarf, needless to say when Anansi arrives with the dead body of dwarf the king is less than pleased and Anansi is sentenced to carry the dead body over his head for eternity. Anansi the clever trickster carries out many failed tricks before he finally comes upon an ant foolish enough to be tricked into carrying around the body (Thury and Devinney 2009b, 345-347.) This is where the elements of the deceiver/trick player category can be noticed. Anansi quickly loses control of the original trick, it soon gathers momentum of its own, and is beyond his power to direct it. This allows for the effect of more than one person being labeled as the trickster and the victim. Anansi is both the trickster and the tricked in this African myth, along with the other characters.
Tricksters are vessels filled to the brim with laughter and joy used to confirm social standards. Their crafty tricks are used to remind us that imagination is not something to lose as the years pass and wrinkles suddenly appear. Never one to shoot down a good laugh or a rather taboo scandal, the explanation on how tricksters bring entertainment to the work whether it be a ages old myth or a modern play was the one I found appealing. Hynes really opened my eyes to the fact that tricksters not only seen in dusty myth but can be found in almost every modern work of today. Often I find flipping the pages to our myth in anticipation waiting for a trickster to appear to liven things and bring a little drama or a laugh into the myth. Along with all of the entertainment tricksters bring to a myth this does not overshadow the overall lesson or moral that the myth is trying to teach, in fact it only serves to enhance it. (Hynes 1997 pg. 202-217).
The Essay on Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures 2
Creation Myths also referred to as cosmogony is the study of the origin and development of the universe or of a particular system in the universe, such as the solar system or a theory of such an origin or evolution. (The Free Dictionary, 2013) A word deriving from Greek that means, literally, “the birth of order.” (Leonard & McClure, 2004) The Norse (Völuspá) cosmogony of Prophecy of the Völva ...
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