Examples Of A Trickster

The trickster is the representation of the things that go awry in life. Although, they are not necessarily seen as villains, they are the figures in stories that causes a problem for the titular character. Tricksters are seen as the foil of the hero. The hero is seen as virtuous and disciplined, whereas the trickster is seen as vulgar and destructive. A story will start with the trickster scheming to create chaos in a situation, which calls upon the help of someone who can fix the problem; however, sometimes the story has the trickster solving the problem that they caused. They are forced to redeem themselves even though their intentions were to create a mess of the situation. Some examples consist of stories of Loki from Nordic mythology,

They are the divas of mythology because they make scenarios where there is a need to call for them. They flaunt their usefulness, and the Gods understand that aspect about the trickster. This characteristic is seen in Loki’s story of the kidnapping of Idunn, and in Eshu’s story of finding the solution to the God’s famine. In Loki’s story he is the reason why Idunn is was taken by the giants; however, he was the reason why she was brought back to Asgard (Hyde 96). Even in Eshu’s story it is implied that Eshu started the fight amongst the Gods, and most likely went on a journey to appease more to his own ego than for the sake of others (Hyde 112). These instances show that tricksters might be the creators of chaos, but when it favors to their agenda then they can quickly remedy the problem. This backs up the claim that the trickster is not the villain in mythology stories. This is what I feel is the most significant about the tricksters, and also the reason why I feel drawn to these three particular figures. The gods also recognize how the trickster can remedy problems, albeit the fact that the problems might not even be caused by them. This is seen in how Zeus calls Hermes for help in his personal matters, and how Loki played bridesmaid to Thor’s bride in order to obtain Mjolnir from a giant (Hyde 166). These situations were uncharacteristically not made the trickster, but

They are characters that make a situation where we can derive lessons from. This is the reason that I like folklore and mythology, it helps to create a story that will be remember and can be recounted to others. It stays with a person, and inherently becomes a part of someone’s life. This is one of the reason’s folklore and mythology has changed my way of thinking. Before, I never would have guessed that those stories I tell constantly could be considered a part of my culture. It is interesting to know that small tidbits in my life could hold so much more meaning that I knew that it had. I never knew that folklore and mythology would have such an impact on my life. It was a mistake of me to think that folklore was nothing more, then just a hobby. It is not a hobby at all, but an explanation on how people react to certain situations. I completely understand how this study is linked with anthropology, it is associated with the person’s actions and beliefs. In Lewis Hyde’s book, he mentions that the story of Baldr and Loki explained the reason for earthquakes (102). I knew that mythology was used help answer trivial happenings around the world; however, I did not know that it can be applied to the present as well. I see that after taking this class mythology, and folklore should not be constituted of only old wives tales from centuries ago. It should also be seen as a way to explain the reasoning of