Crash Course Mythology: Trickster Stories

Introduction

• Host: Mike Rugnetta
• Topic: Trickster stories
• Content warning: stories may contain elements of deception and betrayal

Tricksters in Mythology

• Tricksters are popular for their cleverness and rebellious nature.
• They often represent the underdog using intellect over strength or immortality.
• Tricksters are transgressive and often have ambiguous morals.
• Example figures: Ares (Greek God of War), James Dean (symbol of rebellion)

Characteristics of Trickster Stories

• Described by mythologist David Leeming as amoral and scatological yet appealing.
• Frequently end with ambiguous or morally dubious resolutions.

Anansi the Spider

• Classic African trickster character
• Story: Anansi and his son encounter a helpful hunchback dwarf during a drought.
  • Anansi's son learns a rain-making ritual from the dwarf.
  • Anansi, greedy for more, kills the dwarf trying to outperform his son.
  • Anansi frames his son, but his son outsmarts him.
  • Anansi’s attempt to claim a reward leads to punishment by the king.
  • Anansi tricks an Ant into carrying the burden.

Themes in Anansi's Story

• Tricksters undone by their own greed.
• Anansi’s cleverness can't save him entirely.
• Ending provides a natural explanation (ants carrying burdens).
• Demonstrates that justice and punishment in trickster stories are often fleeting.

Comparison to Hercules

• Similar to Hercules’ eleventh labor: gathering Zeus’s Golden Apples.
  • Hercules learns from Prometheus to ask Atlas for help.
  • Atlas attempts to trick Hercules, but Hercules outsmarts him.

Tricksters in Context

• Often involve tricking someone who may not deserve it (the dupe).
• Trickster stories show that play can be dangerous.
• Tricksters as moral counterexamples—lying and cheating aren't ideal.

The Dual Nature of Tricksters

• While they can be celebrated for their cunning, their actions can be morally ambiguous or troubling.
• Tricksters provide models for resistance and autonomy, e.g., Br'er Rabbit in the context of slavery in North America.

Conclusion

• Trickster stories reflect human nature and the thrill of breaking rules.
• They offer a lens to understand cleverness and rebellion but also highlight the importance of ethical behavior.

Final Note

• The episode ends with a light-hearted acknowledgment of the playful nature of trickster myths.