2023 Challenge: Tricksters

[Margaret]

Here is the place to discuss retellings, traditional tales, or books inspired by the mythology, folklore, or fairy tales with the theme Tricksters!

[Andy]

I think I could only recommend The Witch's Heart into this category from last year, but I am looking forward to maybe reading The Goddess of Nothing At All for it next year.

[Cheryl]

So, Coyote, Anansi, Loki - who else can we look for?

[Asaria]

Cheryl wrote: "So, Coyote, Anansi, Loki - who else can we look for?"
I'm sure of foxes, as well as kitsunes and tanukis from Japan. Possibly monkeys for China like the one from Journey to the West

Not sure: rabbits (Myanmar and some countries in Africa?)

[Margaret]

Wikipedia has two really long lists of Tricksters:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickst....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Wolves are often tricksters, too.

[Ozsaur]

Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson. Native American trickster spirit.

[Jalilah]

Ozsaur wrote: "Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson. Native American trickster spirit."

I second this! It’s a great contemporary fantasy with lots of First Nation mythology. The lead character IS a trickster. I love this series!

[Jalilah]

Another great book that has a trickster character is Someplace to Be Flying. It also has shapeshifters so I’ll recommend it in that these as well

[Jalilah]

Here are some lists
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Cheryl]

Another character to look for, I just remembered, is Br'er Rabbit, of course.

(Lists of titles don't help me so much and covers are not as helpful these days imo. But of course I appreciate all the suggestions.)

[[deleted user]]

Will ALWAYS recommend Neil Gaiman's book Anansi Boys for this category.

[Cheryl]

:) Anansi Boys for the link.

[Margaret]

Some trickster books I've read and enjoyed:

-A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese: Contemporary MG
-Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro: YA novel version of the movie
-The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson: Kitsune

I second Son of a Trickster!

[Katy]

What about Peter Pan?

[Margaret]

Katy wrote: "What about Peter Pan?"

I confess, I haven't actually read PP! But I think there's a case for Peter Pan as a trickster! Look, there's even a research paper about it: https://www.muni.cz/en/research/publi...

I'm now also wondering if pirates are fokloric tricksters. I am currently reading a pirate book...

[Jalilah]

Katy wrote: "What about Peter Pan?"

I remember reading Peter Pan is a Trickster archetype

[Margaret]

I read The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty. It's such a fun historical fantasy! It could also work for Celestial Lore, and actually at the end there's a descent to the underworld scene. So it could be used for a few of the challenges!

[Asaria]

I followed the trail of Slavic folklore and mythology for this challenge :) - god of Navia, Slavic Underworld, possibly patron of magic and poetry, Veles is portrayed as a trickster in Mitologia. Przygody słowiańskich bogów [Mythology. Adventures of Slavic gods]. It's so frustrating that a lot of quite enjoyable retellings like this one are simply untranslated.

Edit: List of Veles' "achievements" in the book:

- he had to dive three times into the ocean to get sand for world creation, only because he wasn't willing to say the magic spell "In the name of Perun and mine". And because he tried to trick Perun, he kept some sand in his mouth during his successful run. Which resulted in the creation of mountains.

- by trying to get rid of Perun, he created even more lands for his enemy and set the directions of the world. Oooops! He also lost a chance to give his own blessing by the way. Bravo Veles :P

- stole Perun's herd of cattle and he had to run away from Perun's understandable anger

Poor, poor guy :)

[Margaret]

Asaria wrote: "It's so frustrating that a lot of quite enjoyable retellings like this one are simply untranslated...."

I agree! I wish a greater variety of books were translated into English.

It sounds like a fun read!

[Asaria]

Margaret wrote: "Asaria wrote: "It's so frustrating that a lot of quite enjoyable retellings like this one are simply untranslated...."

I agree! I wish a greater variety of books were translated into English.

It..."

It was a nice read :)

[Jalilah]

I too would love to read more books with Slavic mythology and Folklore by Slavic writers!

[Asaria]

Jalilah wrote: "I too would love to read more books with Slavic mythology and Folklore by Slavic writers!"

The cool thing about Slavic mythology retellings is you rarely know what you'll get as throughout the ages Slavic pantheons haven't been well documented,

[Ozsaur]

Harvey - a play, that was made into a movie with James Stewart. The trickster is an invisible rabbit, a pooka.

[Cheryl]

Ozsaur wrote: "Harvey - a play, that was made into a movie with James Stewart. The trickster is an invisible rabbit, a pooka."

Ooh, good one!

[Andy]

I was thinking of potentially counting The Valkyrie for this one - there is no Loki (for now), but Odin is quite deceitful (he is in fact called "the deceiver")... What do you think? A bit of a stretch maybe...

[Margaret]

Andy wrote: "I was thinking of potentially counting The Valkyrie for this one - there is no Loki (for now), but Odin is quite deceitful (he is in fact called "the deceiver")... What do you think..."

I see lots of descriptions online calling Odin a trickster. :) I think he's a mix of all things. I think you could count it!

[Andy]

Margaret wrote: "I see lots of descriptions online calling Odin a trickster. :) I think he's a mix of all things. I think you could count it!"

Thank you! :)

[Cheryl]

Ozsaur wrote: "Harvey - a play, that was made into a movie with James Stewart. The trickster is an invisible rabbit, a pooka."

Ok, now I've read it. Lots of good ideas and bits of cleverness in this play. But is the pooka a trickster? Is it real? I have my thoughts... but yours may vary!

[Ozsaur]

Well, Harvey could appear to others, but he doesn't. I wonder why?

[Jalilah]

Asaria wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I too would love to read more books with Slavic mythology and Folklore by Slavic writers!"

The cool thing about Slavic mythology retellings is you rarely know what you'll get as th..."

I wish more would be translated in English!

[Cheryl]

Ozsaur wrote: "Well, Harvey could appear to others, but he doesn't. I wonder why?"

Ooh... hmm.... Well, something to do with Elwood being particularly receptive I think....

[Erin]

Of all the categories, I'm struggling with this one, but will hit the others easily without really trying.

I'm wondering if I just don't tend to read books with tricksters in them.

I think the closest I've come is the King in Joanne M. Harris's Orfeia.

[Andy]

Erin wrote: "Of all the categories, I'm struggling with this one, but will hit the others easily without really trying.

I'm wondering if I just don't tend to read books with tricksters in them.

I think the cl..."

I'm struggling a little with this, too, unexpectedly. I have decided to use one of Margaret's suggestions for it (The Magician’s Daughter), as well as a Loki book.

[Margaret]

The Magician's Daughter is really lovely and not a typical "Tricksters" book. I also really loved The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

[Erin]

Yeah, I think...I sometimes get irritated by characters like Loki? So, we'll see! I'll take a look at the Magician's Daughter.

I'm just about to start The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - didn't realize there'd be a trickster in it! Perfect timing. :)

thank you for the ideas!

[Andy]

Margaret wrote: "The Magician's Daughter is really lovely and not a typical "Tricksters" book. I also really loved The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi."

Thank you! If you are counting "The Magician's Daughter", I am counting it! ;) I am not sure I'd love The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, I don't really love pirate stories... ;)

[Jalilah]

Erin wrote: "Of all the categories, I'm struggling with this one, but will hit the others easily without really trying.

I'm wondering if I just don't tend to read books with tricksters in them.

I think the cl..."

Have you tried Son of a Trickster? A lot of people in this group loved this book. The trickster mythology of First Nations/ Native Americans is quite different than in Nordic mythology

[Margaret]

Andy wrote: "Thank you! If you are counting "The Magician's Daughter", I am counting it! ;) I am not sure I'd love The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, I don't really love pirate stories... ;)..."

That is understandable! I don't like boat stories, lol, but I do like pirate stories when they're not on boats too much. That seems really silly, but there it is!

Erin wrote: "Yeah, I think...I sometimes get irritated by characters like Loki? So, we'll see! I'll take a look at the Magician's Daughter.

I'm just about to start The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - didn't re..."

Me too! I like some trickster tales but I not always. It really just depends.

Jalilah wrote: "Have you tried Son of a Trickster? A lot of people in this group loved this book. The trickster mythology of First Nations/ Native Americans is quite different than in Nordic mythology..."

I also loved Son of a Trickster! I need to read book 2, which Jalilah kindly sent me!

[Mir]

There's a Japanese mythology-based manga series called Phantom Tales of the Night, Vol. 1 which is sort of...interlocking vignettes connected by a trickster character. I enjoyed the first several volumes, although I'm still unsure what the larger plot will turn out to be.

[Jalilah]

For this prompt I decided to read Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by the Canadian First Nations author Drew Hayden Taylor

[Jalilah]

Jalilah wrote: "For this prompt I decided to read Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by the Canadian First Nations author Drew Hayden Taylor"

It was Perfect for this prompt and I highly recommend it!

[Kelsey]

I don't know if I should count Mortal Follies for this prompt or not. The narrator of the book, Robin (Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream), is definitely a trickster, though he's not necessarily acting as one in this story; he's mostly just observing and providing commentary.

[Margaret]

Kelsey wrote: "I don't know if I should count Mortal Follies for this prompt or not. The narrator of the book, Robin (Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream), is definitely a trickster, though he's n..."

I haven't read that one before!