Primary Sources * Related Links
Annotated Bibliography
M. Dorothy Belgrave and Hilda Hart, Norse Myths.
Smithmark
Publishers: New York, 1996.
Source
of Norse myths, written for children but contains hard to find stories.
Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant, Cunning
Intelligence in Greek
Culture and Society.
University of
Chicago
Press: Chicago, 1974.
Detienne
and Vernant look at the effect of metis, or cunning intelligence, as it
appears within various Greek myths.
While the book focuses on several different aspects of metis, as
well as many myths related to metis, there are several passages
discussing the use of metis by the trickster figures of Prometheus and
Hermes. The authors discuss the ability
of tricksters to outwit other gods due to their superior metis. Although the book does not focus exclusively
on trickster figures, it is very insightful in developing an approach toward
the trickster’s ability to outwit other figures.
Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz, ed., American
Indian
Trickster
Tales. Penguin
Books: New York, 1998.
This
book is a collection of Native American trickster tales. Erdoes and Ortiz have collected stories from
over fifty different Native American tribes.
They have arranged the tales into fourteen chapters, each with a common
theme, such as, Coyote’s Amorous Adventures and Raven Lights the
World. Erdoes and Ortiz also
provide a listing of each tribe and a brief description, giving location and
origins.
George Hart, Egyptian Myths. University of Texas Press:
Austin,
1997.
Textbook on Egyptian myths, with emphasis on creation, cycle of Horus and other Egyptian tales.
Lewis Hyde, Trickster Makes This World. North Point
Press: New York, 1998.
Hyde chooses to focus on
the relationship between trickster figures of the past, with modern world. To accomplish this, he first establishes the
characteristics of trickster figures by discussing several mythologies,
including Greek, Norse, African tribal, Native American tribal, and various
Asian legends. One of the major
characteristics that Hyde discusses is the motivation of the trickster figure
by appetite. This includes, but is not
limited to hunger. It may also include,
sexual drive, drive for higher standing and the need for a new invention. Hyde also concludes that trickster figures
are influenced by predator-prey relationships.
(Personal note for later:
Although he did not mention Bugs Bunny, one could definitely see the
relationship in the stories used and the relationship between Bugs and
Elmer.) Hyde relates mythological
stories with biographical stories of figures such as Carl Jung and Allen
Ginsberg. The trickster figure is also
a trap of culture and is often times trying to elevate his position, as in
Hermes quest to become an Olympian. The
book includes a translation by Hyde of the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. Hyde also includes in the Appendix a
commentary on the gender of the trickster figure. According to Hyde, the trickster figure is predominantly male for
three main reasons, including the dominance of patriarchal mythologies, an
inability for female tricksters to have the same effectiveness and the
possibility that there are some mythologies that hold female tricksters, yet
they have been ignored.
William J. Hynes and William G. Doty, ed., Mythical
Trickster
Figures: Contours, Contexts, and Criticisms.
University
of Alabama Press: Tuscaloosa, 1993.
Chapter 2
Hynes
and Doty discuss the difficulty of describing the trickster figure. There are too many variations of the
trickster figure to accomplish one solid definition that fits every
mythology. They give a brief
description of different trickster myths to illustrate the difficulty of
isolating the definitive trickster.
This chapter is full of other resources that may help in discussing a particular
trickster figure. The authors look at
the different sources of discussing tricksters, including anthropological
studies and literary sources.
Chapter 3
After
discussing the difficulty of defining a trickster, the authors try to isolate
key attributes shared by many tricksters.
They are quick to point out that trickster figures do not have all of
the attributes listed, but have at least one if not more of them. As standards to look for, the authors list:
ambiguous and anomalous, deceiver and trick-player, shape-shifter,
situation-inventor, messenger and imitator of the gods, and sacred and lewd
bricoleur.
Chapter 4
Doty discusses at length the nature of Hermes as a trickster figure. He describes Hermes as a liminal figure and explains the various myths in which this liminality occurs. Hermes is the god of the crossroads and twilight, two periods of “in-betweeness”. Hermes is also the divine connector, becoming the messenger between gods and men and thus becoming the bridge between the two. Doty also describes Hermes as a creator and healer because of his mastery over herbs and his creation of language.
Carl Kerenyi, Prometheus: Archetypal Image of
Human
Existence. Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1963.
Kerenyi focuses on
Prometheus as an archetype for human suffering, by looking at the reasons for
Prometheus’ punishment and the reactions of Prometheus, Hephaestus and other
central figures of the myth. Although
Kerenyi does not discuss Prometheus as a trickster directly, he discusses the
Prometheus myth in great detail.
Kerenyi address the similarities between Hermes and Prometheus and the
role prophecy plays in shaping the Prometheus myth. Kerenyi points out that what makes Prometheus the epitome of
human suffering is not merely Prometheus’ ability to defy Zeus; it is his
foreknowledge of the consequences of his actions.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, KRSNA.
vol. 1,
Bhaktivedanta
Book Trust: New York, 1974.
Volume
one of the three volume series deals primarily with Krishna as a youth. This volume is the best source for finding trickster
tales of Krishna as a youth. It is a
collection of Krishna tales, with little commentary on events.
Paul Radin, The Trickster. Schocken Books: New York,
1972.
Radin
takes an in-depth look at the Winnebago Trickster Cycle and the Winnebago Hare
Cycle. Radin retells these cycles and
then comments on the nature and meaning of the myths. There is also an additional section with articles by Carl Kerenyi
and C. G. Jung.
E.T.C. Werner, Myths and Legends of China. Dover
Publications:
New York, 1922.
Werner
collects several Chinese myths within this work. He relates the story of Monkey and his Pilgrimage to the
West.
W.J. Wilkins, Hindu Mythology. Curzon Press: New York,
1974.
Wilkins
gives an extensive look at Hindu Mythology.
He discusses all of the incarnations of Vishnu, including Krishna. Although the section on Krishna is not comprehensive,
he does give a good commentary on the characteristics of Krishna.
Primary Sources
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound. Trans. James
Scully and
C.J.
Herington. Oxford University Press: New York,
1975.
Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days, Shield.
Trans. Apostolos
Athanassakis. John Hopkins University Press:
Baltimore,
1983.
Homer, The Homeric Hymns. Trans. Apostolos Athanassakis.
John
Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 1976.
Homer, The Odyssey. Trans. Richard
Lattimore. Harper &
Row:
New York, 1965.
Homer, The Iliad. Trans. Michael Reck.
HarperCollins:
New
York, 1994.
Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda. Trans. Jean I. Young.
University
of California Press: Berkeley, 1971.