There are several characteristics that are common to most, but not all, tricksters in mythology and folklore. Let’s examine them:
Ambiguous and anomalous – in some versions, tricksters are clever and humorous but generally harmless, while in other versions, tricksters are villains that can be dangerous (1)
Amoral – most tricksters lack moral sensibilities; instead of teaching morals, tricksters spark debate between people about what constitutes morality and immortality; an example would be Eshu from Yoruba mythology and his hat with one red side and one black side (2)
Almost always male
Deceitful – brings about change through trickery
Self-serving – since tricksters often feel wronged, they feel justified in doing whatever is necessary to defeat their enemies
Culture hero – toppling oppressive leadership or reversing the circumstances of those more powerful makes tricksters agents of transformation; examples of this are Prometheus, Raven, and Māui stealing fire from the gods to give to humans
Shapeshifter – tricksters may change genders or forms (human to animal or vice versa) in order to surprise their targets; this may be a physical, psychological, or merely visual change
Solitary – tricksters tend to work and travel alone, as do their animal counterparts in nature (i.e., coyote, rabbit, raven, spider), to bring about change
Physically weak – tricksters are often portrayed as weaker than their targets and must surpass obstacles through cunning and trickery rather than brute strength
Special tools – tricksters may possess items or abilities that help them to perform their tricks, such as supernatural powers or magic; an example of this is Chinese Monkey and his needle
Teacher – tricksters spread life lessons through their stories that urge readers to examine themselves and society and challenge old stereotypes (3)
Boundary-crosser – tricksters cross physical boundaries, often by changing shapes or crossing between worlds (Hermes, for example), as well as societal boundaries, blurring the lines between “right and wrong, sacred and profane, clean and dirty, male and female, young and old, living and dead;” tricksters can also create boundaries and are often credited with being the creators of the world in mythologies
Entertaining yet sacred – as John Lame Deer said, tricksters “are sacred [because] we Indians also need their laughter to survive"
Wise fool – tricksters can sometimes be too clever for their own good and become the butt of their own jokes; examples are the Raven and Coyote spirits in Native American cultures (4)
*This list was compiled from a WiseGEEK article about the trickster archetype, a Yahoo! Voices article about tricksters, a Houston Teachers Institute mythology and folklore course overview, and a Grand Valley State University course document about tricksters. Please visit these websites for further reading and a more in-depth analysis of trickster characteristics.*
**Note: This is not a complete list, by any means, but it is as complete as I can make it.
