by Terry McCombs
Terry McCombs maintained the "God/dess of the Month Club" on soc.religion.paganism for several years, producing monthly cross-cultural deity profiles. His October 2003 entry tackled one of the most pervasive figures in world mythology: the Trickster.
Unlike other deities with their specific domains, the Trickster is defined less by what he rules than by how he behaves. McCombs surveys hundreds of manifestations — from Coyote Old Man of the Plains tribes to Khwaja Nasruddin of the Sufi tradition, from the Norse Loki to the Hindu Hanuman — and extracts ten consistent characteristics that mark the figure wherever it appears. The list amounts to a genuine taxonomy: the Trickster is almost always male, almost always marginal, almost always connected to magic, and almost always accompanied by chaos and transgression.
The essay closes with the observation that the Trickster walks among us still — and that readers who have enjoyed this account may themselves be among his avatars.
Name: The Trickster. Known across cultures as: A-Chey (Cambodia), Amaguq "wolf" (Inuit), Bamapana (Northern Australia), Birbal (North India), Coyote Old Man (numerous Native American peoples), Saint Frances (Christian), Hermes (Greek), Hanuman (India and other regions), Kaulu (Polynesian), Khwaja Nasruddin (Muslim), Loki (Norse), Queen Mab (16th century English literature), Manabozho "Great Hare" (Algonquin), Merlin (Arthurian), Oli (Yap Islands), Qat (Banks Islands), Ti Malice (Haiti), Wemicus (Ojibwa), Wisagatcak "Whiskey Jack" (Cree of Canada), as well as Spider, Bluejay, Crow, and Mouse in different Native American traditions — and many, many others.
Symbols: For a god he is remarkably free of symbolism. Some have symbols (Hermes being the notable case with his caduceus), and for most of the animal tricksters — such as Coyote — they themselves are their main symbol. Birds show up often.
Major Taboos: Taboos? Leaving well enough alone, perhaps.
Areas of Control or Influence: Boundaries, magic, fire, synchronicities, those on the margins of society, sacred clowns, holy fools, shamans, lies, tricks, change.
Relatives: Depends on the myth, but the Trickster is usually remarkably free of family entanglements.
Synodeities: See Names above.
The Trickster is perhaps the most pervasive deity on the planet. Found in almost every culture, he appears in myth, folklore, literature, and walking down a street near you.
Even societies that have reduced their pantheons to a small approved litany of higher beings find they cannot get rid of him.
But can a being with such broad representation really be said to represent a God? Isn't he just a type — a general category, like Goddess of Love or God of War, found in most places, somewhat alike, while differing greatly in the particulars?
On one level, perhaps. However, if you look closely at all the different avatars of the Trickster — in mythology, folklore, fiction, and "real" life — some very striking similarities emerge. Consider:
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Tricksters are almost all male. While there are female tricksters, they comprise only around five to eight percent of the overall number.
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Tricksters are loners. Even those who are part of larger communities are usually viewed with suspicion.
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The Trickster is of low status. Even in myths where he is responsible for bringing fire to humans or creating the world, he is still viewed in a denigrating light.
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They are boundary-crossers. In a world of black and white they are gray; in a world of good and evil they are both and neither; in a world of sharply defined sex roles they hop easily between the two or mix them.
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The Trickster is promiscuous, or at least highly sexed, or unusually sexed.
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The Trickster easily slips into other roles — if not an outright shapeshifter, he is at least skilled in disguise and acting.
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The Trickster is closely related to magic. If he is not its patron, magic happens often in his presence.
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The Trickster does not work well with structure, hierarchies, or bureaucracies. He tends to bring chaos to such orders, and is hated by them in return — which explains much of the low status noted in point three.
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Stories and myths about the Trickster are often surreal.
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The Trickster is deceitful. After all, the working word is trick. He might practice deception for the most noble, ignoble, or completely pointless of reasons, but lies and trickery are his stock in trade. And often the biggest joke is on himself.
Looking at the above, we can see manifestations of the figure ranging from Hermes to Bugs Bunny, from Hanuman of India to Aleister Crowley, from Ulysses to — if you've gone to the trouble to read this page — perhaps a few of you.
Doubt or believe: the Trickster appears to be a very powerful entity indeed. While putting these pages together, the synchronicities tend to pile up. While writing about the Trickster, I started to sympathize with the Nordic gods and that rock and the acid-dripping serpent above them.
There are more than a few avatars of the Trickster to be found in the past. The same can be said for many people and groups today.
The question is: where on the Trickster spectrum do they fall — from Hermes (somewhat respectable, works with others at least sometimes), to Coyote (mostly means well but makes trouble often mainly for himself), to Loki (mischievous to the point of mass distraction)?
Colophon
Written and posted by Terry McCombs to soc.religion.paganism in October 2003 as part of his monthly "God/dess of the Month Club" series. Original Message-ID: [email protected].
Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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