chapter exerpt: My God Is A Jealous Trickster
Tricksters are among the most entertaining characters in mythology. They delight in breaking rules, boasting and playing tricks on animals, humans and gods. Most Tricksters are shape-changers who can take any form, although they often appear as animals. Tricksters have well-defined roles, operating outside the framework of right and wrong; they refuse to recognize the rules of society. Their characters are often childish, greedy, lustful and even nasty, although Tricksters can also be friendly, helpful, clever and wise. Sometimes they appear to be clownish or clumsy, but they always possess amazing powers of survival. A Trickster may act as a messenger between the human and divine world. Hermes, the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, was the god of travelers and trade, but also of thieves and deceit.
Some scholars have suggested that the Trickster is one of the most ancient figures in mythology. Chaotic and disorderly, this character acts out many human urges and desires that people living in communities must learn to control to maintain social order. Trickster myths, especially those in which the Trickster’s deeds backfire against him in some way, may have developed to teach a moral lesson about the penalties of misbehavior. Tales in which the Trickster is a small but clever animal, like Coyote, that emerges victorious, teach a different lesson: showing how a seemingly powerless creature can triumph over a mighty one.
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Well said. I don’t know enough about Hinduism, but Vishnu can take many forms, too — avatars. As to whether he is also a trickster, I plead ignorance.