
In doing so, they often challenge traditional ideas about what is right or proper. They typically operate outside the law, using their cunning and wit to get the better of their opponents. Tricksters can be found in many different cultures, appearing in mythologies, folklore, and even modern fiction. In literature, they have been variously described as “rogues,” “scoundrels,” and “villains,” but they are also often portrayed as lovable scamps who bring humor and chaos to otherwise staid stories. Trickster CharactersĪ trickster is a character who breaks the rules, confounds expectations, and overturns convention. In modern science some psychologists have claimed to find evidence of the trickster archetype in the symptoms of schizophrenia. More recently, fairy tales and fables such as Little Red Riding Hood, with it’s wolf disguised as a human, have demonstrated the trickster archetype. Some cultures have Gods specifically associated with the trickster, such as the Polynesian God Kaulu, the African God Esu and the Pacific-Northwest Indian God Blue-Jay. The snake succeeds in tricking humanity out of immortality and the joyful, easy life of the Garden and, in some traditions, assumes immortality for itself in doing so. In Jewish and Christian traditions, the snake which tricks Eve into eating the apple in the Garden of Eden is a trickster. The trickster archetype is a powerful motif in culture through the ages, both in human and animal form.

In some cultures, the trickster is also seen as a sacred figure, a sort of intermediary between the natural and spiritual worlds. The term can be used to describe a person who is particularly cunning or sly, or it can simply refer to someone who likes to play pranks. However, what does trickster mean exactly?Ī trickster is someone who plays tricks or deceives others. Their dubious jokes and deceitful manner can lead to them being assumed to be a purely negative influence, though in reality they can in fact be loyal allies and challenge individual’s to break out of the conventions and rules which society has placed upon them. One of the key archetypes of the psyche identified by renowned psychoanalyst Carl Jung, the trickster is a mischievous and often malicious practical joker. Trickster Archetype (Trickster Definition) Trickster Archetype Examples & Tricksters in Movies.Trickster Archetype Characteristics & Traits.

Trickster Archetype (Trickster Definition).
