Tricksters of World Mythology
The Trickster is one of the more interesting aspects of world mythology, as almost every culture boasts a trickster god or hero of some sort. Common traits of a trickster god/hero include stubborness, duplicity, greed, gluttony, laziness, cunning, unpredictability, and deceit. Usually, they have some sort of "magic power" altough they are not always gods or goddesses. They range in intelligence from foolish to cunning and may be more "evil" (loki) or more "good" (coyote). They are as often a teacher as they are a liar, gambler or thief. Strangely enough, most Tricksters are male, with the exception of Uzume, the Japanese Trickster goddess.
The Trickster is especially prevalent in Native American mythology -- each region of the Americas has its own animal Trickster-hero. These include:
Spider --> North and Eastern Woodlands
Hare --> Plains and Great Lakes
Coyote --> Western Southwestern U.S.
Raven/Crow --> Pacific Northwest
Wolf --> Inuit
More Famous Tricksters:
Loki
Uzume
Anansi
Maui
Kokopelli
Coyote
Tricksters to Look Into:
Kaulu
Saynday
Chulyen
Nanabozho (or Wenabozho)
Qat
Iktomi (or Unktomi)
Amaguq
Cin-an-ev
Cunawabi
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