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Mischief/Trickster Gods

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    #1

    Mischief/Trickster Gods

    I was wondering if anyone could give me a list of a few, maybe lesser known gods of mischief?
    I know about Coyote, Loki and Eris but I'm sure there has to be more

    Of those three I am drawn toward Coyote more, possibly because I seem to have an affinity for animals. But I think that probably should be part of another thread.

    Anyways, any suggestions?
    Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many. -The Doctor
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    #2
    Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

    I think you have two extreme's at a minimum here. On one extreme you have the a typical tricksters such as Coyote, Loki, etc. On the other hand you have those who are seen via certain actions or purposes to be employing trickster type actions or ends to achieve a result.

    Artemis for instance is hardly a trickster yet it is very much trickery practices when she transforms people into animals or other created individuals for a purpose. Consider Igphenyia (sp) being transformed into a deer in some stories and sacrificed, fully sacrificed in others and yet other's transformed into a Hecate and used to remove her sacred image from the Black Sea area and bring it to a number of locales.

    If one considers Zeus' many transformations into various showers of gold, animals or avian's to lay with a woman it's very much a trickster action. One might say some of the tasks of Hercules place him in a trickster capacity in how he manipulates others to tech them a lesson or achieve / complete his tasks.

    My knowledge of Loki is not great but I recall stories where he is straight forward in his actions. As such they would not be seen as a trickster in manipulating or misdirecting as many trickster spirits / divinities do. I think it is Monkey who is also a trickster in many Asian stories and tales. I recall a story about a demi-godlike figure called Monkey who had to travel with a young monk and his many trickster activities as he fought various demons and such. I think it was called The Monkey Goes West in its film version but that may also be the name of the books.
    I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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      #3
      Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

      I was thinking those that are primarily seen as tricksters.
      Of course all the gods have done things that might be considered as trickster traits, but on the whole I think that Zeus and Artemis (using your examples) fulfill a different role in their pantheon.

      Have heard of Monkey (mainly because of the Chinese zodiac) will look into him a bit. Thanks
      Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many. -The Doctor

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        #4
        Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

        As a matter of UPG, I frequently credit the Lord of Hosts with a disturbed sense of humor that is quite happy to manifest in various acts of mischief but that's personal dealings (and Christian bookstores appearing in the funniest places) not something I care to track through Abrahamic texts to find support for right now.

        - - - Updated - - -

        also wiki has a category with some names to check

        http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Trickster_gods
        life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

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          #5
          Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

          Originally posted by Agel View Post
          I was thinking those that are primarily seen as tricksters.
          Of course all the gods have done things that might be considered as trickster traits, but on the whole I think that Zeus and Artemis (using your examples) fulfill a different role in their pantheon.

          Have heard of Monkey (mainly because of the Chinese zodiac) will look into him a bit. Thanks
          For me it's hard to identify a trickster god / goddess as many of them are not full time tricksters other than Coyote that I know of. Other's the trickster face seems to dominate them but it is not their only face so I tend to look at the god / goddess as a whole vice just one aspect.

          I can't think of his name but he is one of the 13 happy gods / goddesses of Chinese lore who is also a trickster spirit. Might be another place to look. When I was living in Japan used to see him all the time with his really fat belly, sort of reminded me of the fat bellied bear like spirit you see a lot of. Sorry name is eluding me at the moment. Another Japanese spirit(s) you might consider are the Kappa and / or Tengu as I seem to recall them also being trickster / deceiver spirits similar to Coyote.
          I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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            #6
            Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

            Thanks for that link, MaskedOne That will help a lot.

            Haven't looked at them that way, monsno. Give me something to think about.
            Also thanks for the Japanese names
            Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many. -The Doctor

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              #7
              Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

              I know of more trickster spirits than I do dieties. In Japanese lore the raccoon-dog is often seen as a trickster animal. In western european traditions it could be argued that most faeries are tricksters to some extent, especially if you annoy them. every culture also has a spirit they traditionally blame for any mischief that happens around the house. It could be worth looking into various cultures' lore for those kinds of stories.
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                #8
                Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                Hermes is generally accepted as the "trickster" of the Hellenic pantheon.

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                  #9
                  Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                  Originally posted by Claude View Post
                  Hermes is generally accepted as the "trickster" of the Hellenic pantheon.
                  For some reason I always see him as a trickster against those who travel or are on journeys not as a trickster in general. Especially given his role as a guide and leader into the underworld which usually takes him out of the trickster identification.
                  I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                    #10
                    Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                    African lore you have the monkey spirit being a frequent trickster. Also Anansi, the spider. You should be able to find a lot of information on Anansi online. There are a ton of fun stories surrounding Anansi.
                    We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

                    I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
                    It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
                    Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
                    -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

                    Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

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                      #11
                      Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                      It was probably His associations with commerce and the myth concerning His birth that have given Him the trickster title.

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                        #12
                        Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                        I've heard of Daucina being described as a trickster, but mostly I think people see him as an incubus and a bit of a jerk. He's a Fijian god or spirit, depending on whom you ask.
                        A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe,' limited in time and space. He experiences himself...as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a prison for us... Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the of whole nature in its beauty...
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                          #13
                          Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                          Originally posted by Shahaku View Post
                          African lore you have the monkey spirit being a frequent trickster. Also Anansi, the spider. You should be able to find a lot of information on Anansi online. There are a ton of fun stories surrounding Anansi.
                          I've heard of Anansi, but not as a trickster. Since I have a thing for spiders I'll definitely look into him Thanks.
                          Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many. -The Doctor

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                            #14
                            Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                            Originally posted by Agel View Post
                            I've heard of Anansi, but not as a trickster. Since I have a thing for spiders I'll definitely look into him Thanks.
                            Um... as an actual example... At one point Anansi tried to steal all the knowledge in the world. He gathered it up in a bag (sometimes a gourd) and went to hide it, but when he did, he spilled it out and that's how wisdom spread around the world. (Simplified, obviously.)

                            He has the dichotomy of cunning vs foolish which seems to be pretty reoccurring in the tricksters I've looked at. And also he has the ability to shape-shift, mentioned in some stories.

                            Also, something that might interest you, if only I could remember just what it is I'm thinking of. There's a book that's full of African-American folktales with animals as characters... it was written way back when...ugh... I should know this, I really don't know why I've forgot the title and author. If it comes to me I'll mention it.
                            We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

                            I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
                            It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
                            Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
                            -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

                            Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Mischief/Trickster Gods

                              Loki being a trickster deity has been in debate for quite some time, He is as much a trickster as Odin, both are cunning, both shape shift, both carry out acts that are deemed "perverse" by other deities.
                              I dont think of him as a trickster deity...complicated yes, one of the most powerful deities in the pantheon yes...Trickster not so much.

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