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The Trickster of Folklore
Folklore includes a traditional trickster figure, the subject of many stories in a cycle. Trickster tales are in the animal tales genre, with the trickster himself -- he seems always to be male -- identified with a particular animal. These include the fox in Japan, mouse deer in Southeast Asia, the coyote and the spider among the Native Americans, the tortoise and spider in West Africa, and the mantis in Southern Africa. These tales feature a trickster-hero who may be regarded as both creator god and innocent fool, evil destroyer and childlike prankster. Tricksters are usually small in size next to the large, strong animals that appear in the same folktales. Tricksters survive by their wits, but they do more than just survive. They constantly play tricks on the animals around them, outwitting and mistreating their powerful neighbours even when these larger animals haven't done anything to deserve it. Occasionally he overreaches himself and finds that he's been too clever for his own good. It's the Trickster who points out the flaws in our carefully managed societies. He rebels against authority, pokes fun at the overly serious, creates complex schemes and generally plays with the Laws of the Universe. He constantly questions the rules, and causes us to question these same rules. The Trickster appears when a way of thinking becomes outmoded, when old ways need to be changed. The Trickster is a creator, a joker, a truth teller, a story teller, a transformer. We are most accessible to the gifts of the Trickster when we ourselves are at, or near, boundaries - when we are experiencing transition states. As an archetype, the Trickster, the boundary dweller, finds expression through human imagination and experience. Trickster tales are great favourites in many cultures. They represent the underdog who uses skill and cunning to outwit a superior. West African trickster animals have a significant presence in the New World, when they travelled as part of the folklore of enslaved Africans. The rabbit is best known as Br'er Rabbit in the folktales documented by Joel Chandler Harris in the USA. We also find him in his modern avatar, Bugs Bunny ! The spider is best known as Anansi, and you find him throughout the former English and French colonies of the West Indies. The role of the slave trickster tales was an important one giving a sense of pride and hope for the future. They showed that the weak could conquer the strong. The tales were devices that taught helplessness can triumph over virtue and mischievousness is better than malice. For the slaves, trickster folklore was also a weapon by which they were able to take subtle revenge on their masters. Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, grief counsellor and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions, and specialises in celebrations for women. http://celebrant.yarralink.com
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MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for humanities Arts and Humanities Prizewinners Announced by Heinz Foundation (New York Times) The visual artist Ann Hamilton is the recipient of the 14th annual Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities. Maryland Humanities Council meeting in mountains (Cumberland Times-News) For the past two years, Catherine Gira, who retired in June 2006 as president of Frostburg State University, has served as chairwoman of the Maryland Humanities Council. 5:15 p.m. - First Y Tinaotao 5K run to benefit Guam Humanities Council (Pacific Daily News) 5:15 p.m., Sept. 10 ? The Guam Humanities Council presents the First Annual Y Tinaotao 5 K Run, Saturday, Sept. 27. The historically themed run will kick off at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Agana Cathedral-Basilica, circle past Ninth Street in Anigua, and end at the Skinner Plaza in Hagatna. Council obtains a grant to study Chamorro language (Saipan Tribune) The NMI Council for the Humanities has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for a three-year collaborative project to study and help preserve the Chamorro language. Educators in row over English post (The Australian) THE Australian Academy of Humanities yesterday accused the National Curriculum Board of selecting the wrong man in its appointment of a literacy researcher to oversee a uniform school curriculum in English. 14th Heinz Award recipients are announced (Moldova.org) The Heinz Family Foundation says five Americans have been selected to receive a $250,000 award in the memory of the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz, R-Pa.The 14th annual Heinz Award recipients and their categories are:--Technology, Economy and Employment: Associate Professor Joseph DeRisi of the University of California-San Francisco, a noted researcher in molecular genomics.-- Arts and Humanities: ... Scholar to speak on ?Mockingbird' (The Brewton Standard) Alabama Humanities Foundation Road Scholar Nancy Anderson will present ?To Kill a Mockingbird: Successes and Myths? on Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. in the Atmore Public Library meeting room. The East Bay Today: September 10, 2008 (East Bay Express) Brainiac: Learn something new every day. Today's lecture: The Wire: The Audacity of Despair . The Townsend Center for the Humanities presents a lecture by David Simon, a Baltimore-based author, journalist, and writer-producer of television who is the creator, executive producer, and head writer of the critically acclaimed original HBO series The Wire . At the Maude Fife Room in Wheeler Hall. ETC.: Crayton named to BSU dean?s list (Marion Chronicle-Tribune) Christopher G. Crayton, Marion, has been named to the dean?s list of the College of Sciences and Humanities at Ball State University for the summer 2008 session. Awards presented to CDTV staff member and UM-Dearborn intern 09/10/08 (Dearborn Press & Guide) DEARBORN - Nick Wisniske, a member of the staff of city of Dearborn Television (CDTV), was recently named 2008 Spring/ Summer Mentor of the Year by the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Department of Humanities in the College of Arts, Sciences & Letters for his supervision of the educational experience of a student interning at CDTV. Site: humanities - Google News Habitat for Humanity's ReStore site of food drive - West Fargo Pioneer
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