TRICKSTERS are archetypal characters who appear in the myths of many different cultures.

TRICKSTERS are archetypal characters who appear in the myths of many different cultures. Lewis Hyde describes the trickster as a "boundary-crosser." The trickster crosses both physical and often breaks societal rules and "violate principles of social and natural order, playfully disrupting normal life and then re-establishing it on a new basis." Often, the bending/breaking of rules takes the form of tricks or thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both. The trickster openly questions and mocks authority. They are usually male characters, and are fond of breaking rules, boasting, and playing tricks on both humans and gods. All cultures have tales of the trickster, a crafty creature who uses cunning to get food, steal precious possessions, or simply cause mischief.

By MrPsMythopedia