Agent of chaos.
First and foremost, the Trickster is an agent of chaos, exploiting institutional (or personal) weaknesses to disrupt the status quo.
First and foremost, the Trickster is an agent of chaos, exploiting institutional (or personal) weaknesses to disrupt the status quo.
 | This trait is exemplified in “White Lines on a Green Field” by Catherine M. Valente from the anthology Mythic Journeys. In her story, Coyote Trickster appears as a football star and Homecoming king who casts a collective enchantment over the entire high school. It’s only after Coyote moves on that the full extent of his chaos manifests, leaving a wake of devastation. |
| It’s nearly impossible for well-meaning vanguards of social norms to react effectively to the Trickster's attacks because they think along traditional lines. The Constitution of the US, for example, assumes baseline patriotism of public servants. The founders could not have foreseen an elected official consumed by personal ambition and greed appointing a motley crew of Batman-villain wannabes to high public office. |  |
Con artist.
Anyone who’s dealt with an inebriated friend, a family member with dementia, or a narcissistic lover, knows how confounding it is when someone denies reality.
This is also the superpower of con artists. They’re adept at exploiting our doubts and fears, and they fabricate with such confidence and impunity, we find ourselves believing things we know are not true.
Anyone who’s dealt with an inebriated friend, a family member with dementia, or a narcissistic lover, knows how confounding it is when someone denies reality.
This is also the superpower of con artists. They’re adept at exploiting our doubts and fears, and they fabricate with such confidence and impunity, we find ourselves believing things we know are not true.
 | Cassie Chadwick of Annie Reed’s Imposter Heiress turned the arrogance, misogyny, and greed of Gilded Age bankers and lawyers into a $64 million fortune by posing as the feather-brained illegitimate daughter of tycoon Andrew Carnegie. Cassie capitalized on the innate prejudice against women and used it in her favor to swindle powerful men. Although it was this same prejudice that eventually brought about her downfall. |
Donald Trump capitalized on systemic racism and fears of economic insecurity when he erroneously claimed legal Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
Con artist's lies, repeated loudly and often, start to sound like the truth. This illusory truth effect explains how irrational and baseless falsehoods have the power to persuade.
Con artist's lies, repeated loudly and often, start to sound like the truth. This illusory truth effect explains how irrational and baseless falsehoods have the power to persuade.
Trickster gods and goddesses testing the boundaries of order abound in world mythology.
 | The Norse god Loki, whose name means “entangler,” often disrupts, tricks, and insults the other gods. He’s associated with Ragnarok, the foretold chaotic and violent end of the gods and rebirth of the world. Loki is completely unpredictable, a provocateur who might cause chaos or resolve crises—or both simultaneously. This makes him a compelling character modern retellings. |
Mohini is a femme fatale enchantress from Hindu mythology who captivates and deludes demons to destroy them. She also seduces and mates with other gods. Hers is the power of illusion and desire.
 | The Monkey King of China causes trouble for the heavenly gods when he eats the Peaches of Immortality. When heaven sends an army to punish him, the Monkey King laughs and defeats them with his quick-witted guile and martial art skill. He is eventually captured, and they imprison him in a fiery crucible to distill his essence. However, when they open the crucible, Monkey King jumps out, even stronger than before. |
The Welsh hero-god Gwydion fab Don constructs an elaborate plan to trick his powerful uncle by starting a war. Once his uncle is distracted by the war, Gwydion’s brother unites with his true love Goewin (the uncle’s footholder). To keep this tryst secret, Gwydion seduces all of Goewin’s ladies-in-waiting. When his uncle discovers Gwydion’s trickery, he turns him and his brother into animals.
Helpful Tricksters.
For every story of a trickster causing chaos and harm, there are others in which they are beneficial.
For every story of a trickster causing chaos and harm, there are others in which they are beneficial.
 | Ame-no-Uzume is a Japanese trickster. When the sun goddess, Ameratsu, withdrew into a cave after quarreling with her brother, the world was plunged into darkness. The shaman Uzume performed a lewd dance, causing the other gods to laugh. When Ameratsu peeked out to see what was happening, light returned to the world. |
The Polynesian rascal hero-god, Maui, stole fire for humans, fished up islands with his magical hook, and captured the sun to lengthen the days.
 | Scheherazade is a trickster storyteller from Arabic culture who uses her wits and creativity to survive. The grieving king, betrayed by his wife, takes a new bride every night and kills her in the morning. Scheherazade volunteers to be his bride then staves off death by telling fantastic tales that don’t end until the morning. She does this for 1,001 nights until the king, having fallen in love with her, can’t bring himself to kill her. |
Anansi the Spider is a cunning trickster from the Akan culture of West Africa. His ability to outsmart powerful opponents using his creativity and wit inspired American slaves to survive the horrors of plantation life.
A powerful disruptive force, the Trickster can bring needed transformation of outdated norms and institutions. It's up to all of us to see through the Trickster's lies and not be blinded by our own prejudices, doubts, or fears. Alternatively, we can look to the Trickster for inspiration to overcome oppression with cunning and humor.
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