🚀 go-pugleaf

--- Forwarded from mailing list.  Reply to uus-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu ---

I do some storytelling to various groups, so have looked at materials about
the Trickster figure.  Did anyone mention Anansi, the spider, from West
Africa?  In my experience with stories, the Tricksters are all male and are
also either the creators of the world for the cultures where they reside or
the bringers of what people need.  For example, Raven brought water and
light and made the lakes and rivers;  Coyote brought fire to the people,
etc.   The Trickster can be made a complete fool of, but often wins out
anyway.  He can also be bested by women on occasion, usually because of very
human foibles and foolishness.  Sometimes with Coyote, the woman is the wise
one and Coyote the fool! Every one of my Middle Eastern students (I'm a
teacher next to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA; we have kids
from a lot of other countries) knows about Nasr-ed-Din Hodja, a FUNNY little
man who is a major Trickster in their culture.

Carol Collin