Honestly, with how many people found the jackass series hilarious, I'm pretty sure that goat trick Loki pulled would still be considered top tier comedy.
The Aztecs had Huehuecoyotl, Old Coyote, who was also the god of music, dance, good luck and storytelling. He usually was a good guy but if he was extremely bored he would provoque wars
@@taylorfusher2997 it’s the Greeks whole spiel of crossing humans and animals. Just realized this person is most likely a bot or just someone spamming this question through out the comments.
I remember the "Coyote" character appearing in several Indigeneous American myths and stories. As I recall, the "Coyote" character is an integral part of the creation myths of many of these cultures.
For a whole week during November (Native American Heritage Month) we read Iktomi stories at the daycare I worked at a few years ago. They just loved how clever he was and how the stories taught important lessons.
The hobgoblin and progenitor of Bugs Bunny, Robin Goodfellow, a fae spirit who roamed the land, through no fault of his own repeatedly coming into chance encounters with those who were cruel, selfish, or excessively arrogant, Goodfellow would use his magics to gleefully teach the bad person lessons in humility and decent behavior through his own brand of amusing/tormenting tricks turning the targets own greed and hubris against them. But he was not evil himself. Be good and see it returned, be bad and see it return tenfold. Goodfellow would reward and even grant random mostly unhelpful boons to good, decent, and selfless people he would encounter. Though asking for a favour required very specific wording, lest you ask to be able to turn into an animal to get out of a sticky situation and get stuck that way for the rest of your life unable to communicate with anyone because you said nothing about being able to turn back afterward. In that one case he did come back and lift the spell a year and a day later but that was in service of a different trick.
Great video. My favorite trickster is Kikahah,the fox from the north-eastern parts of North America. He was the one who helped humans when the giants ruled the world and the other gods were afraid to help. He was also the one who taught humans about medicine and magic, against the wishes of the others. He was a lot like Prometheus in that he seemed to care about humans. The science fiction author Phillip Jose Farmer used him as a major character in his "world of tiers "novels. Those are some ripping yarns, so if you're into fantasy literature, you should check them out.
I would love to hear more about the Cree trickster Wesakechak, stories about him were always so riveting and I remember hearing them as a child on a show called Gather 'Round, many years ago.
The cool thing about him is he's not necessarily a pure trickster. He's a transformer for sure, and plays tricks / is mischievous, but he's benevolent, like one of his (probable) brothers Nanabozho (if not just another name for him).
@@Gavither Very true, his stories usually revolve around explaining why things are the way they are, like why the porcupine has quills or why the loon laughs.
Disney studios originally proposed a version of the Reynard stories, but decided he was not sympathetic enough. So they changed him over to Robin Hood, with the same cast of characters. BTW, there's a great old stop-motion version of Reynard, by Ladislaw Starevich: check it out...
Not all slaves brought stories of clever spiders to the U.S. Many African folk tales told of a clever rabbit. Like an American version of the Brothers Grimm, Joel Chandler Harris collected many of these stories, & published them in the original slave's dialect, just as they were told to him. It could be argued that "Br'er Rabbit" might even be the inspiration for "Bugs Bunny".
@@efaristi9737: If you look at more of the comments, you'll see that this person has been spamming copies of this opinion on several other people's comments - regardless of whether or not it is relevant to that comment's topic. I don't know why they can't just say it, instead of attaching it to the comments of others.
I've heard some of those stories. They're very reminiscent of the stories I grew up with. But we had the clever, mischievous Jackal and the dumb but strong Wolf, who was often at the receiving end of Jackal's schemes, as main characters. With many others like the Farmer from whom they'd steal lambs and fat, the Farmer's two dogs (Thunder and Lightning), the brave but often arrogant Lion and the confusing and slightly scary Vulture (who sometimes forms a very unstable alliance with Jackal; and is sometimes called a Mariboe, depending on who you ask).
Op, Good point! I bet that's where the 'brayer rabbit' (sp?) story came from that Disney made popular decades ago. He tricked the antagonist of the story into a briar patch. Tricksters are easily interpreted as wicked or ill willed but that's pejorative, imo, as humans prefer stability & predictability since giving up the hunter gatherer life style. Tricksters dont just shake things up to counter stagnation, they teach humility using their target's hubris & hot temper against them to teach a lesson.
Currently, I am working on a comic series that involves multiple tricksters from folklore and myths. I greatly appreciate segments like these that explore the importance of the trickster archetype.
My favorite trickster varies, but currently it's Odin, because nobody ever expects him to be a trickster. He's seen as this wise and/or powerful figure like a straightforward interpretation of Zeus, but he is a god who wanders and disguises himself to play games of riddles and trivia with people to secretly test them. There's a reason the Romans syncretized him with Mercury, and it's not because he was someone else's messenger boy.
@@HoangMinh-pb7gd so much was inspired by Odin. Wizards with beards, crows as supernatural knowing things (that might just be corvids, though. Smart buggers), Harley Quinn, Santa Claus, possibly Mrs Claus, so much is just "Odin in a different hat" Edit: note, I am not sure all of the above are clearly inspire by Odin, but I wouldn't be surprised.
@@Gavither so, Harley Quinn is inspired by the Harlequin, a French comedic figure of sorts potentially derived from the old germanic King Herla (Herla Cyning), a mythical figure often identified as Odin. The actual stylistic design for the Harlequin is probably not from Odin, but their existences as leaders of the Wild Hunt leads people to think they're possibly connected pretty far back.
I highly recommend "Trickster Makes The World" as a book for fellow trickster lovers! I love all tricksters tbh, but Brer Rabbit and the various fox tricksters hold a special place in my heart from my childhood.
Many of Anansi's stories bled over to other West African cultures, where he became the Hare. When these poeple were sent over to America on slave ships, he became B'rer Rabbit, who then became Bugs Bunny.
I hated what they did to Anansi in that show. In the book he was the cynical, snarky, but friendly and fun loving trickster that you were glad to have as a vicarious companion. The show forgets almost everything that made him likeable or even much of a trickster and him turned him into a bitter, almost constantly angry, "embodiment of the rage of Africa" sort of character, though apparently that had a lot to do with the actor's input. Glad they fired him.
@@CidTheGargoyle You may not have been the target audience for that particular character. I know for a fact Anansi resonated with MANY ppl w/i my community on American Gods .. It was powerfully done and loved
I think Odin is always very interesting as a trickster god, and fairly unique in his placement in the hirachy as his pantheon. Tricksters are rarely at the top
I think the trickster gods were very relevant in mythologies where the concept of Good & Evil didn't exist. Many gods had both positive and negative sides, creative and destructive, and so on. And a god with an affinity for mischief and chaos makes a perfect troublemaker, so these are often the antagonists... but not always. And I LOVE that fluidity.
I inherited a couple lamps with kokopeli on them. I always felt bad because it seemed like cultural apropriation and I had no idea who or what was depicted, but I needed lamps really badly for my new apartment. Thanks for including kokopeli in this video so that I can do more research and learn about the mischievous trickster God in my living room. Also, I have worms on a string hanging off one of the lamps, and I'm glad kokopeli also has a similar chaotic energy.
Yes I have always been fascinated by trickster tales from my childhood with bugs bunny and brer rabbit to learning about Anansi and Eshu my favorite characters have always been the ones who use their wit amd cleverness to make sure things go their way
As a Dane, I must admit that the TRUE Loke (Yes that is how Loki is spelled correctly in Danish), is my favorite trickster God. I have a great facination of the Old Viking Sagas about the Gods of Valhalla, and that entire world. It has some really great stories.! Not all of them minded for children, I must ad.! Really nice video, and THANK YOU for mentioning that the Loki from the Marvel Universe is NOT the same as the True Loke, from the Norse myths. 🙂
Since I was little, I've enjoyed the Brer Rabbit stories. I've also enjoyed Irish folk tales, especially those about the leprechauns, who are tricksters. I think if the tricksters of myth from all over the world had a favorite holiday, it would be April Fool's day!
Appreciate the Anansi shoutout but I was really hoping to see Eshu/Elegba trickster god of the Yoruba of Nigeria, Orishas aren't well talked about and it definitely would've been nice to see these gods/Orishas get some representation. this was a good video regardless 😊
I've only heard a little bit about the Mesoamerican deity Xochipilli, but I love the story about his habit of switching the goods and valuables of strangers that pass each other at a crossroad. Could we have more about Trickster myths from around the world? That was fun.
@Luke Bunyip Xochipilli also a Butterfly God and protector of homosexuals. He always sides with Quetzalcoatl every time Quetzalcoatl duel against Tezcatlipoca.
Hi :) I love your series ! Trickster energy is indeed very powerful. As as I practitioner of witchcraft I and other practitioners I know work with trickster energy. I personally work with Loki and Odin. Tricksters are the survivors that adapt to their situations while never losing their identity. As soon as you mentioned Anansi I knew Spiderman was the marvel superhero you were going to mention. :)
In Cherokee mythology we have Jistu the Rabbit. In every story about him, he manages to find his way into trouble, but manages to escape with a clever trick.
Tricksters are my favorite characters of all time. I think a fun concept I want to explore one day is a trickster figure as a character in a cosmic horror setting. Alternatively, maybe a written thought experiment where the author/narrator is a trickster to both the audience and the story they reign over.
If I am in anyway honest, Bugs Bunny was always my favorite trickster figure. Ba're Rabbit, from the time my mother read us the Uncle Remus stories, has been high on the list too. Molly Whuppie (a female equivalent to Hop-o-my-thumb), Kate Crackernuts, Saharazade, and Robin Hood, are all near and dear to my heart.
Love all the trickster deities, spirits, fairies, and just plain ol' tricky heroes, from Kokopeli, Loki, and Hermes, to Leprechauns, to Robin Hood, to Freakazoid. Love seeing a clever character put one over on the powerful.
My all-time favorite is Loki (whose symbol I have tattooed on my arm), but a very close second would be the Cheshire Cat. I like him in any and all iterations, but my favorite version of him has to be from the original book. Yes, he comes along to help Alice, but he's going to cause some trouble along the way 😉
My favourite trickster would have to be Odinn. A lot of people forget that Loki wasn't the only one in the norse pantheon. Although most of Odinn's trickery was to gain knowledge and satisfy his curiosity, he was called by many names to represent the different aspects of him. A lot involve classic trickster archetypes. And I do believe that he embodies the phrase, "for the thrill of it" when asked why he did something, perfectly.
In my personal opinion, one of my favorite tricksters from Japanese pop culture is Impmon from Digimon Tamers. Even though his pranks and mischievous nature were actually a cover-up for deeper negative feelings, I could easily tell from the instant he showed up on screen that this purple devil-like Digimon was a trickster god for the digital age. Another good example of a modern-day trickster? Cut Man and Clown Man from the "Mega Man" video games. Although both Robot Masters aren't very tall in terms of height, they outsmart their opponents through trickery and their wit. In fact, both of these robots weren't even bad guys to begin with. Cut Man was created by Dr. Light to fell timber while Clown Man worked at an amusement park providing entertainment to visitors. Even the title character could be considered something of a trickster-hero considering Rock (Mega Man's real name BTW) is about the size of a ten-year old boy yet he overcomes 'bots that are either taller or more powerful than him. Heck, even Mario, yes, MARIO, could be considered a modern-day trickster. Using his short height, his wits, and a couple of Power-Ups, Mario easily outsmarts and defeats Bowser, his main foe, in order to save Princess Peach.
One of my favorite trickster stories is of the native Americans Wakjakaga, who's foolish antics were used to explain why our buttholes look the way they do. Tricksters can fill so many roles in every medium and it's honestly my favorite character archetype.
I'm pretty sure the largest cult of the trickster gods in this day and age is kindergarteners. Like all of them. You turn your back on them for ten seconds and they ruin your life.
Hi :) I love your series ! Trickster energy is indeed very powerful. Tricksters are the survivors. As soon as you mentioned Anansi I knew Spiderman was the marvel superhero you were going to mention.
My favorite trickster is probably Gwydion of the Mabigonion. He's more troublesome in the earlier part of the story, but usually finds some loophole to get his way.
Really wish Marvel comics writers had understood that about him, and not just made him into Norse Zeus. Odin is far more interesting - and dangerous - than that.
In mexica mythology there was a trickster god named "Huehuecoyolt" wich means old coyote, he was th egod of music and parties, he loved to prank both ods and humans, for example he once genderswaped a complete village by dancing, he would usually star wars amongst humans out of boredom
I read this super-cool post on Tumblr that claims Bugs Bunny and El-Ahrairah (the rabbit trickster culture hero from Watership Down) could have been inspired, at least indirectly, by Br'er Rabbit, and I can't stop thinking about it. And this is pretty niche, but in the world of Star Wars fanfiction on Archive Of Our Own, author Fialleril created their Tatooine Slave Culture, and central to it is the trickster Ekkreth, who uses their shapeshifting to help free slaves, and was explicitly inspired by Br'er Rabbit and Anansi.
One could classify the Devil as a trickster too. Although some tales portray him as being particularly malevolent, others place him firmly in the trickster role. If you want to see the Devil in full-on trickster mode, check out The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, or the TV series Lucifer which focuses on Gaiman's Devil character as the protagonist.
Other trickster figures like Loki suffer in later Christianization of their myths because they are changed from trickster figures to more devil-figures due to this association.
My favorite is Loki. But not the marvel one. The one, that turned thor into freya to trick a ice giant so thor can get his Hammer back, after Loki stole it and gave it away xD I really like that story... Loki is kinda a figure like: "LOKI! WHAT THE HECK?? Now you have to help us, cause YOU are the reason for this!! " And my boyfriend LOVES the story with Skadi. But I must admit, I don't really know that many mythologies and I'm still watching out to learn more. Anansi seems like a really cool god~ First time I came across that Name was actually american gods xD
I've always loved tricksters so thanks for this vid! One of my lesser known favorites is the medieval European Reynard the Fox because the Reynard stories are both entertainment & 12th century (often political) satire.
One of the things I like is that in many myths, as much as prankster gods are often punished for their mischief, they are often called on to punish the wicked...grain merchant driving up prices during a famine? Visit from the Rat God! Slimeball using horse races to swindle people out of their property? A horse with a surprising talent for undoing latches will mysteriously release his herd the night before a big race. The beautiful part was always how the punishment was always related to the crime...the victim knew they were being punished by the Gods, and why.
Nice segment! I enjoy the stories of the Lakota trickster Inokti. His clever plans often backfire, so maybe he is more of an aspiring trickster? I enjoyed reading about him in the children's books written by Paul Goble.
Hey, you guys should do a video on the Sun, Moon, and Stars in myths and folklore. Like specifically the imagery and use of the three together. They pop up a lot, like in Grimm Fairytales and whatnot. I always found it interesting when those three iconic symbols show up together. I mean obviously, they go together being what they are, but yeah just find it neat but I wonder if there's more to why specifically they're often used together as a trinity. Anyways I enjoy your guys' videos, keep up the good work!
My favorite mythical trickster figure in literature who also loves putting human beings through a wringer would have to be H. P. Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep.
Kokopeli is best known for crafting the first Native American flute to woo his crush because he was humpbacked and considered ugly. People of the tribe still use these flutes and compose a song just for their beloved for courting ritual. Kokopeli is associated with music, art, as well as mischief. As for dancing, there is another deity who shares this (since Kokopeli is, in some myths, lame as well as hunchbacked). He is a symbol for the disability folk because of this, even though Kokopeli is often just grouped with the other guy.
Sun Wukong wasn't just imprisoned for his trickery, the guy literally waged war agains the heavens. And beat like 10,000 celestial warriors on his own. He was only beaten when Buddha pulled some cosmic trickery on him.
I think in the Taino myth, one of mother earth's sons, Deminam Caracaracol, was the trickster one. Once, he stole from a Fire god, and from his mother if I recall. He was punished but managed to get out of it. I think he's even link to humanity's creation. My memory is fuzzy so I should read up more on it.
4:40 maybe the joke was less of a joke and more of a jackass stunt, someone tying their dingdong to a goat and letting it go free is very much in the spirit of those guys. Maybe Scotty the giant and Loki are the type to get a kick out of that stuff lol, idk if it would make up for her father's murder but hey, it was probably the first time she'd see anyone do that and it made her laugh
I got to the point where they mentioned another Marvel hero inspired by a trickster god and I’m so excited because there are so many it could be. Is it just Odin? Is it Hercules, who is also a trickster and became a god? Is it the Hulk who’s influenced by Cu Chulainn? Is it Captain America, who is visually inspired by Hermes? Or how Miles Morales can be read as Paralleling Anansi? Ms. Marvel’s new origin (too new not spoiling it)? I could do this all day? Edit: oh, that’s an obscure comics reference! But also Daredevil because Lucifer, Various Xmen, Hawkeye bc Apollo is kinda a trickster sometimes, Deadpool because I’m counting Ryan Reynolds as a god, Shang Chi because of The Monkey King’s influence on The movies it’s inspired by, Namor’s more direct parallels to Hermes, Quick Silver bc also Hermes, the idea of superheroes having roots in Greek hero’s who where all trickster, the Golem & Anansi kinda also influencing superheroes because a lot of the best comic writers where Jewish or descended African.
Honestly, with how many people found the jackass series hilarious, I'm pretty sure that goat trick Loki pulled would still be considered top tier comedy.
Especially with teenaged boys.
In the future the most popular television show will be "Ow, my balls!".
@@RictusHolloweye hahaha, the simpsons predicted this
@@LuisSierra42 - As did the movie, Idiocracy.
The Godzilla bit in the 3rd movie, yeah.
As someone part of the Akan trine of Ghana, i LOVE how Anansi was incorporated into this fabled series. Thank you for highlighting us! 🇬🇭💖
I love Anansi ♥️ I have a close friend who is from Ghana and your culture is so beautiful I love it ♥️
The Aztecs had Huehuecoyotl, Old Coyote, who was also the god of music, dance, good luck and storytelling. He usually was a good guy but if he was extremely bored he would provoque wars
@@taylorfusher2997 ... What?
@@taylorfusher2997 What does anything you said have to do with Huehuecoyotl?
Huehuehuehue coyotl
@@taylorfusher2997 it’s the Greeks whole spiel of crossing humans and animals.
Just realized this person is most likely a bot or just someone spamming this question through out the comments.
Native Americans also had old man coyote too I think he traveled from Mexico to North America.
I remember the "Coyote" character appearing in several Indigeneous American myths and stories. As I recall, the "Coyote" character is an integral part of the creation myths of many of these cultures.
For a whole week during November (Native American Heritage Month) we read Iktomi stories at the daycare I worked at a few years ago. They just loved how clever he was and how the stories taught important lessons.
The hobgoblin and progenitor of Bugs Bunny, Robin Goodfellow, a fae spirit who roamed the land, through no fault of his own repeatedly coming into chance encounters with those who were cruel, selfish, or excessively arrogant, Goodfellow would use his magics to gleefully teach the bad person lessons in humility and decent behavior through his own brand of amusing/tormenting tricks turning the targets own greed and hubris against them. But he was not evil himself. Be good and see it returned, be bad and see it return tenfold. Goodfellow would reward and even grant random mostly unhelpful boons to good, decent, and selfless people he would encounter. Though asking for a favour required very specific wording, lest you ask to be able to turn into an animal to get out of a sticky situation and get stuck that way for the rest of your life unable to communicate with anyone because you said nothing about being able to turn back afterward. In that one case he did come back and lift the spell a year and a day later but that was in service of a different trick.
Great video. My favorite trickster is Kikahah,the fox from the north-eastern parts of North America. He was the one who helped humans when the giants ruled the world and the other gods were afraid to help. He was also the one who taught humans about medicine and magic, against the wishes of the others. He was a lot like Prometheus in that he seemed to care about humans. The science fiction author Phillip Jose Farmer used him as a major character in his "world of tiers "novels. Those are some ripping yarns, so if you're into fantasy literature, you should check them out.
Sun Wukong is indeed influenced by Hanuman. And both are trickster gods.
I would love to hear more about the Cree trickster Wesakechak, stories about him were always so riveting and I remember hearing them as a child on a show called Gather 'Round, many years ago.
@@taylorfusher2997 What does your comment have to do with this post? Spammers are not trickster gods: they're just annoying a**holes.
The cool thing about him is he's not necessarily a pure trickster. He's a transformer for sure, and plays tricks / is mischievous, but he's benevolent, like one of his (probable) brothers Nanabozho (if not just another name for him).
Maui’s also a trickster deity, so is Anansi.
@@Gavither Very true, his stories usually revolve around explaining why things are the way they are, like why the porcupine has quills or why the loon laughs.
Whisky Jack!
that's why in Walt Disney's 1973 Robin Hood they used the fox as a "living" symbol of Trickster.
Disney studios originally proposed a version of the Reynard stories, but decided he was not sympathetic enough. So they changed him over to Robin Hood, with the same cast of characters.
BTW, there's a great old stop-motion version of Reynard, by Ladislaw Starevich: check it out...
Not all slaves brought stories of clever spiders to the U.S.
Many African folk tales told of a clever rabbit. Like an American version of the Brothers Grimm, Joel Chandler Harris collected many of these stories, & published them in the original slave's dialect, just as they were told to him. It could be argued that "Br'er Rabbit" might even be the inspiration for "Bugs Bunny".
@@taylorfusher2997 well, thay are rather known for going after nymphs, women and men for sex.
@@efaristi9737:
If you look at more of the comments, you'll see that this person has been spamming copies of this opinion on several other people's comments - regardless of whether or not it is relevant to that comment's topic.
I don't know why they can't just say it, instead of attaching it to the comments of others.
@@CaineDM1955 yeah, i have noticed XD
I've heard some of those stories. They're very reminiscent of the stories I grew up with. But we had the clever, mischievous Jackal and the dumb but strong Wolf, who was often at the receiving end of Jackal's schemes, as main characters. With many others like the Farmer from whom they'd steal lambs and fat, the Farmer's two dogs (Thunder and Lightning), the brave but often arrogant Lion and the confusing and slightly scary Vulture (who sometimes forms a very unstable alliance with Jackal; and is sometimes called a Mariboe, depending on who you ask).
Op,
Good point!
I bet that's where the 'brayer rabbit' (sp?) story came from that Disney made popular decades ago. He tricked the antagonist of the story into a briar patch.
Tricksters are easily interpreted as wicked or ill willed but that's pejorative, imo, as humans prefer stability & predictability since giving up the hunter gatherer life style.
Tricksters dont just shake things up to counter stagnation, they teach humility using their target's hubris & hot temper against them to teach a lesson.
Currently, I am working on a comic series that involves multiple tricksters from folklore and myths. I greatly appreciate segments like these that explore the importance of the trickster archetype.
Will you include Jack from European folklore? Or perhaps coyote from certain native American tales?
Where can we read it?
are they going to be African or African derived? Can I be part of it?
I love that concept keep at it. I want to read that one day
@@taylorfusher2997 Spamming is cringe
My favorite trickster varies, but currently it's Odin, because nobody ever expects him to be a trickster. He's seen as this wise and/or powerful figure like a straightforward interpretation of Zeus, but he is a god who wanders and disguises himself to play games of riddles and trivia with people to secretly test them. There's a reason the Romans syncretized him with Mercury, and it's not because he was someone else's messenger boy.
small fact: "the unexpected magician/wizard' theme in pop culture was inspired by Odin!
@@HoangMinh-pb7gd so much was inspired by Odin. Wizards with beards, crows as supernatural knowing things (that might just be corvids, though. Smart buggers), Harley Quinn, Santa Claus, possibly Mrs Claus, so much is just "Odin in a different hat"
Edit: note, I am not sure all of the above are clearly inspire by Odin, but I wouldn't be surprised.
@@nickmalachai2227 What's your logic behind Harley Quinn inspired by Odin? Doubtful if just her professor's name.
@@Gavither so, Harley Quinn is inspired by the Harlequin, a French comedic figure of sorts potentially derived from the old germanic King Herla (Herla Cyning), a mythical figure often identified as Odin.
The actual stylistic design for the Harlequin is probably not from Odin, but their existences as leaders of the Wild Hunt leads people to think they're possibly connected pretty far back.
Ignore the above comment, it is spam
So the fact that in most versions of spider-man he will joke or quip one liners while fighting is intentional because he’s inspired by Anansi.
I highly recommend "Trickster Makes The World" as a book for fellow trickster lovers! I love all tricksters tbh, but Brer Rabbit and the various fox tricksters hold a special place in my heart from my childhood.
For Yupiit here in Alaska, the Tulukaruk (Raven) is known as the trickster spirit, and is also the most powerful spirit in our spirituality
Many of Anansi's stories bled over to other West African cultures, where he became the Hare. When these poeple were sent over to America on slave ships, he became B'rer Rabbit, who then became Bugs Bunny.
One of the most powerful scenes I've seen in cinema was on American Gods. Anansi, angry gets💩 done. Let It Burn🔥🔥🔥
yeah, first season was amazing, too bad they fired Brian Fuller.
You'll love the sequel novel to American Gods, Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.
@@SedatedGhostwriter he's also working in the TV adaptation!
I hated what they did to Anansi in that show. In the book he was the cynical, snarky, but friendly and fun loving trickster that you were glad to have as a vicarious companion. The show forgets almost everything that made him likeable or even much of a trickster and him turned him into a bitter, almost constantly angry, "embodiment of the rage of Africa" sort of character, though apparently that had a lot to do with the actor's input. Glad they fired him.
@@CidTheGargoyle You may not have been the target audience for that particular character. I know for a fact Anansi resonated with MANY ppl w/i my community on American Gods .. It was powerfully done and loved
Charles de Lint wrote of the Crow Girls. I have loved how they embodied the trickster spirit ever since I first read about them.
I think Odin is always very interesting as a trickster god, and fairly unique in his placement in the hirachy as his pantheon. Tricksters are rarely at the top
I think the trickster gods were very relevant in mythologies where the concept of Good & Evil didn't exist. Many gods had both positive and negative sides, creative and destructive, and so on. And a god with an affinity for mischief and chaos makes a perfect troublemaker, so these are often the antagonists... but not always. And I LOVE that fluidity.
I love all the trickster gods, but Sun Wukong is the OG. Honestly, he's just the best. As he would tell you himself.
Son Goku
@@taylorfusher2997 What on earth are you on about? Have you been drinking?
@@MariaVosa Either a bot or troll. Just report him.
It's neat how Trickster Gods can be bringers of change in the world. Kind of like a variable in science.
I inherited a couple lamps with kokopeli on them. I always felt bad because it seemed like cultural apropriation and I had no idea who or what was depicted, but I needed lamps really badly for my new apartment. Thanks for including kokopeli in this video so that I can do more research and learn about the mischievous trickster God in my living room. Also, I have worms on a string hanging off one of the lamps, and I'm glad kokopeli also has a similar chaotic energy.
I really hope that thousands of years from now they dig up Looney Tunes and see them as our trickster deities.
All hail the wask-wee wabbit.
Yes I have always been fascinated by trickster tales from my childhood with bugs bunny and brer rabbit to learning about Anansi and Eshu my favorite characters have always been the ones who use their wit amd cleverness to make sure things go their way
Br'er Rabbit was always so sarcastic in his tricks too. There are some bad stereotypes around him though so he is definitely a mixed bag.
As a Dane, I must admit that the TRUE Loke (Yes that is how Loki is spelled correctly in Danish), is my favorite trickster God. I have a great facination of the Old Viking Sagas about the Gods of Valhalla, and that entire world. It has some really great stories.! Not all of them minded for children, I must ad.!
Really nice video, and THANK YOU for mentioning that the Loki from the Marvel Universe is NOT the same as the True Loke, from the Norse myths. 🙂
_Loki causes the death of Baldur_
Loki: ‘It’s just a prank, bro!’
Odin: Every time you do that I have to expand the great table in Vahalla, or the war lands for the fallen solders. Death IS no prank, Brother.
Since I was little, I've enjoyed the Brer Rabbit stories.
I've also enjoyed Irish folk tales, especially those about the leprechauns, who are tricksters.
I think if the tricksters of myth from all over the world had a favorite holiday, it would be April Fool's day!
Appreciate the Anansi shoutout but I was really hoping to see Eshu/Elegba trickster god of the Yoruba of Nigeria, Orishas aren't well talked about and it definitely would've been nice to see these gods/Orishas get some representation. this was a good video regardless 😊
I've only heard a little bit about the Mesoamerican deity Xochipilli, but I love the story about his habit of switching the goods and valuables of strangers that pass each other at a crossroad.
Could we have more about Trickster myths from around the world? That was fun.
@Luke Bunyip
Xochipilli also a Butterfly God and protector of homosexuals. He always sides with Quetzalcoatl every time Quetzalcoatl duel against Tezcatlipoca.
I grew up reading children’s books featuring Anansi, Kokopeli, and Loki, so those are my favorite.
I grew up on Anansi. The only spider I could have great respect for.
Hi :) I love your series ! Trickster energy is indeed very powerful. As as I practitioner of witchcraft I and other practitioners I know work with trickster energy. I personally work with Loki and Odin. Tricksters are the survivors that adapt to their situations while never losing their identity. As soon as you mentioned Anansi I knew Spiderman was the marvel superhero you were going to mention. :)
In Cherokee mythology we have Jistu the Rabbit. In every story about him, he manages to find his way into trouble, but manages to escape with a clever trick.
"Prank responsibly." Love it.
I am SO HAPPY to see the best modern trickster ever. Hats off to Bugs Bunny!
Tricksters are my favorite characters of all time. I think a fun concept I want to explore one day is a trickster figure as a character in a cosmic horror setting. Alternatively, maybe a written thought experiment where the author/narrator is a trickster to both the audience and the story they reign over.
If I am in anyway honest, Bugs Bunny was always my favorite trickster figure. Ba're Rabbit, from the time my mother read us the Uncle Remus stories, has been high on the list too. Molly Whuppie (a female equivalent to Hop-o-my-thumb), Kate Crackernuts, Saharazade, and Robin Hood, are all near and dear to my heart.
the art for this video was fantastic, and im happy anansi got mentioned
Gods, I've *been* waiting for this episode
Tricksters are my favourite, and Anansi is the one I love the most
Love all the trickster deities, spirits, fairies, and just plain ol' tricky heroes, from Kokopeli, Loki, and Hermes, to Leprechauns, to Robin Hood, to Freakazoid. Love seeing a clever character put one over on the powerful.
Hermes, the Greek god of Travelers, is also a known trickster. Even from the day he was born, the son of Zeus was pulling pranks.
Truly and Icon
Hermes being born and immediately stealing Apollon's cattle will never not be funny.
My all-time favorite is Loki (whose symbol I have tattooed on my arm), but a very close second would be the Cheshire Cat. I like him in any and all iterations, but my favorite version of him has to be from the original book. Yes, he comes along to help Alice, but he's going to cause some trouble along the way 😉
My favourite trickster would have to be Odinn. A lot of people forget that Loki wasn't the only one in the norse pantheon. Although most of Odinn's trickery was to gain knowledge and satisfy his curiosity, he was called by many names to represent the different aspects of him. A lot involve classic trickster archetypes. And I do believe that he embodies the phrase, "for the thrill of it" when asked why he did something, perfectly.
In my personal opinion, one of my favorite tricksters from Japanese pop culture is Impmon from Digimon Tamers. Even though his pranks and mischievous nature were actually a cover-up for deeper negative feelings, I could easily tell from the instant he showed up on screen that this purple devil-like Digimon was a trickster god for the digital age. Another good example of a modern-day trickster? Cut Man and Clown Man from the "Mega Man" video games. Although both Robot Masters aren't very tall in terms of height, they outsmart their opponents through trickery and their wit. In fact, both of these robots weren't even bad guys to begin with. Cut Man was created by Dr. Light to fell timber while Clown Man worked at an amusement park providing entertainment to visitors. Even the title character could be considered something of a trickster-hero considering Rock (Mega Man's real name BTW) is about the size of a ten-year old boy yet he overcomes 'bots that are either taller or more powerful than him. Heck, even Mario, yes, MARIO, could be considered a modern-day trickster. Using his short height, his wits, and a couple of Power-Ups, Mario easily outsmarts and defeats Bowser, his main foe, in order to save Princess Peach.
One of my favorite trickster stories is of the native Americans Wakjakaga, who's foolish antics were used to explain why our buttholes look the way they do. Tricksters can fill so many roles in every medium and it's honestly my favorite character archetype.
My favorite trickster is Old Man Coyote from southwestern Native American folktales.
I'm pretty sure the largest cult of the trickster gods in this day and age is kindergarteners. Like all of them. You turn your back on them for ten seconds and they ruin your life.
Haha, continues until they're through college
Ownage Pranks is still the best prank call TH-cam channel
Hi :) I love your series ! Trickster energy is indeed very powerful. Tricksters are the survivors. As soon as you mentioned Anansi I knew Spiderman was the marvel superhero you were going to mention.
I'm a little sad that Coyote and another figure influenced/merged with Anansi in the American South, Brer Rabbit, didn't get a mention.
I love this! ❤️ Tricksters are my favorite 💖 Loki is my favorite Trickster.
The native Americans also had Coyote as a trickster. And Raven. I like them both very much!
Raven steals the light is one of my favorite stories.
Road Runner doesn't beep beep, he meep meeps!
"I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."
Those illustrations are gorgeous!!
Tricksters often level humanity up by stealing gifts, like fire, from the Gods.
Great book about this is: "Trickster Made This World" by Lewis Hyde
I love Kokopeli, but Coyote is probably a more common First Nation trickster god.
Raven is the typical trickster in areas where ravens are common and coyotes are rare.
My favorite trickster is probably Gwydion of the Mabigonion. He's more troublesome in the earlier part of the story, but usually finds some loophole to get his way.
oh my stars, those artworks are gorgeous 😍 it would be really neat to have sources or artist credits in the videos, even for non-copyrighted material!
I'd add that Odin himself has many characteristics of a trickster god. So technically, Marvel has at least three of them.
Really wish Marvel comics writers had understood that about him, and not just made him into Norse Zeus. Odin is far more interesting - and dangerous - than that.
@@MariaVosa Totally agreed. As entertaining as the Marvel properties can be, they don't really do things like nuance that well...
@@taylorfusher2997 Er... did you reply to the wrong comments...?
@@nemilyk He/It responded to dozens of messages with the same off-topic comment. I suspect it is a bot.
@@Markus0021 Cheers, I had me heccin' confused for sure, haha.
When I started watching this video, I wanted to suggest that the presenter checks out Ananse from my country Ghana. Then boom!!! she mentioned it👌👍👍
Odysseus when he told the cyclops his name was Nobody 🤣
In mexica mythology there was a trickster god named "Huehuecoyolt" wich means old coyote, he was th egod of music and parties, he loved to prank both ods and humans, for example he once genderswaped a complete village by dancing, he would usually star wars amongst humans out of boredom
I read this super-cool post on Tumblr that claims Bugs Bunny and El-Ahrairah (the rabbit trickster culture hero from Watership Down) could have been inspired, at least indirectly, by Br'er Rabbit, and I can't stop thinking about it. And this is pretty niche, but in the world of Star Wars fanfiction on Archive Of Our Own, author Fialleril created their Tatooine Slave Culture, and central to it is the trickster Ekkreth, who uses their shapeshifting to help free slaves, and was explicitly inspired by Br'er Rabbit and Anansi.
That was a fun series.
One could classify the Devil as a trickster too. Although some tales portray him as being particularly malevolent, others place him firmly in the trickster role. If you want to see the Devil in full-on trickster mode, check out The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, or the TV series Lucifer which focuses on Gaiman's Devil character as the protagonist.
Other trickster figures like Loki suffer in later Christianization of their myths because they are changed from trickster figures to more devil-figures due to this association.
I think they are 2 different archetypes
My favorite is Loki. But not the marvel one. The one, that turned thor into freya to trick a ice giant so thor can get his Hammer back, after Loki stole it and gave it away xD
I really like that story... Loki is kinda a figure like: "LOKI! WHAT THE HECK?? Now you have to help us, cause YOU are the reason for this!! "
And my boyfriend LOVES the story with Skadi.
But I must admit, I don't really know that many mythologies and I'm still watching out to learn more.
Anansi seems like a really cool god~
First time I came across that Name was actually american gods xD
Interesting, thank you for sharing this with us 🙋🏼♀️
I've always loved tricksters so thanks for this vid! One of my lesser known favorites is the medieval European Reynard the Fox because the Reynard stories are both entertainment & 12th century (often political) satire.
One of the things I like is that in many myths, as much as prankster gods are often punished for their mischief, they are often called on to punish the wicked...grain merchant driving up prices during a famine? Visit from the Rat God! Slimeball using horse races to swindle people out of their property? A horse with a surprising talent for undoing latches will mysteriously release his herd the night before a big race. The beautiful part was always how the punishment was always related to the crime...the victim knew they were being punished by the Gods, and why.
@@taylorfusher2997 Was this a question for me specifically or towards the video itself, just ignoring standard format for replying to videos?
Trickster God and fellow friend to humanity Hermes is my favorite. He both an embodiment of athleticism, cleverness, and kindness.
Okay on top of appreciating the information you’ve given me.. can I just say that is an amazing colour on you 🥰
Anansi, Loki, and Monkey King. I can see them getting drunk and starting mess
Loki is definitely my favorite trickster. But anansi is very interesting too.
Nice segment! I enjoy the stories of the Lakota trickster Inokti. His clever plans often backfire, so maybe he is more of an aspiring trickster? I enjoyed reading about him in the children's books written by Paul Goble.
I love the fool archetype sooo much. To approach life in the most ridiculous and humorous ways is an outlook more should have.
Loki, Hermes, Sun Wukong, Coyote and Maui are basically my top five trickster gods.
Enslaved African-Americans also had Brer Rabbit. I think my favorite might be Raven from the Pacific Northwest tribes.
The modern illustrations are really good. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Hey, you guys should do a video on the Sun, Moon, and Stars in myths and folklore. Like specifically the imagery and use of the three together. They pop up a lot, like in Grimm Fairytales and whatnot. I always found it interesting when those three iconic symbols show up together. I mean obviously, they go together being what they are, but yeah just find it neat but I wonder if there's more to why specifically they're often used together as a trinity. Anyways I enjoy your guys' videos, keep up the good work!
Great video! Thank you guys!
Eshu-Elegba! tricker orisha and master of the cross roads!
❤🗝🖤
Here in Brazil we have Exu from Candomblé as an example of the trickster archetype
If I remember correctly Anansi was also a superhero in staticshock where he was a spiderbased trickster who acts as the protector of Africa.
Brony here, Discord is my favorite chaos bringer.
Anansi and Baron Samedi from African/Caribbean mythology are my fave tricksters.
Hermes/Mercury is another old Archetypes of the Trickster that’s influence throughout western culture.
one of the first trickster figure I remember learning about was the Saci Perêrê, a one legged figure of Brazilian folklore known for causing mischief
Me too, I love this entity!
Yeah I remember him he’s kind of a racist a picture of enslaved Africans in Brazil. A mischievous African child, something you cannot trust.
@@taylorfusher2997 ?
@@taylorfusher2997 "and I oop-" (MASTERS, 2015)
@@JoaoPessoa86 It's a spammer: report it.
Love you docs! Awesome episode! My favorite trickster is Nanaboozhoo, of the Anishinaabe. They are a hero associated with rabbits or hares.
I've been watching since the begining. And your video's get better and better.
My favourite trickster diety? Like, I have to choose just one? Um, ok... Krishna, the kid giving his ma the run around until she's dizzy.
My favorite mythical trickster figure in literature who also loves putting human beings through a wringer would have to be H. P. Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep.
Kokopeli is best known for crafting the first Native American flute to woo his crush because he was humpbacked and considered ugly. People of the tribe still use these flutes and compose a song just for their beloved for courting ritual. Kokopeli is associated with music, art, as well as mischief. As for dancing, there is another deity who shares this (since Kokopeli is, in some myths, lame as well as hunchbacked). He is a symbol for the disability folk because of this, even though Kokopeli is often just grouped with the other guy.
Sun Wukong wasn't just imprisoned for his trickery, the guy literally waged war agains the heavens. And beat like 10,000 celestial warriors on his own.
He was only beaten when Buddha pulled some cosmic trickery on him.
When the trickster got tricked
"Unorthodox display of hubris but very well!"
I think in the Taino myth, one of mother earth's sons, Deminam Caracaracol, was the trickster one. Once, he stole from a Fire god, and from his mother if I recall. He was punished but managed to get out of it. I think he's even link to humanity's creation. My memory is fuzzy so I should read up more on it.
Not only is the Roadrunner a trickster, but so is Wile E. Coyote.
4:40 maybe the joke was less of a joke and more of a jackass stunt, someone tying their dingdong to a goat and letting it go free is very much in the spirit of those guys.
Maybe Scotty the giant and Loki are the type to get a kick out of that stuff lol, idk if it would make up for her father's murder but hey, it was probably the first time she'd see anyone do that and it made her laugh
Who else would think of that? You can't say Loki wasn't creative.
I got to the point where they mentioned another Marvel hero inspired by a trickster god and I’m so excited because there are so many it could be. Is it just Odin? Is it Hercules, who is also a trickster and became a god? Is it the Hulk who’s influenced by Cu Chulainn? Is it Captain America, who is visually inspired by Hermes? Or how Miles Morales can be read as Paralleling Anansi? Ms. Marvel’s new origin (too new not spoiling it)? I could do this all day? Edit: oh, that’s an obscure comics reference! But also Daredevil because Lucifer, Various Xmen, Hawkeye bc Apollo is kinda a trickster sometimes, Deadpool because I’m counting Ryan Reynolds as a god, Shang Chi because of The Monkey King’s influence on The movies it’s inspired by, Namor’s more direct parallels to Hermes, Quick Silver bc also Hermes, the idea of superheroes having roots in Greek hero’s who where all trickster, the Golem & Anansi kinda also influencing superheroes because a lot of the best comic writers where Jewish or descended African.
Thank you for making this video!😻
I came here specifically because I knew they'd talk about my boys/non binary gods Anansi and Loki.
Well, I guess they are boys if they want to be on that particular day