The Trickster: A Study In American Indian Mythology

Paul Radin

• Publisher: Normanby Press
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781786257222
• Topic: Ciencias sociales
• Subtopic: Biografías de ciencias sociales

The myth of the Trickster—ambiguous creator and destroyer, cheater and cheated, subhuman and superhuman—is one of the earliest and most universal expressions of mankind. Nowhere does it survive in more starkly archaic form than in the voraciously uninhibited episodes of the Winnebago Trickster Cycle, recorded here in full. Anthropological and psychological analyses by Radin, Kerényi, and Jung reveal the Trickster as filling a twofold role: on the one hand he is "an archetypal psychic structure" that harks back to "an absolutely undifferentiated human consciousness, corresponding to a psyche that has hardly left the animal level" (Jung); on the other hand, his myth is a present-day outlet for the most unashamed and liberating satire of the onerous obligations of social order, religion, and ritual.

PART ONE—THE TRICKSTER MYTH OF THE WINNEBAGO INDIANS

I—THE WINNEBAGO TRICKSTER CYCLE

1. Trickster cohabits with woman before war party.

2. Trickster wishes to go on warpath alone.

3. Trickster discourages his followers from accompanying him on warpath.

4. Trickster kills buffalo.

5. Trickster makes his right arm fight his left.

6. Trickster borrows two children from his younger brother.

7. Children die because Trickster breaks rules.

8. Father of children pursues Trickster.

9. Trickster swims in ocean inquiring where shore is.

10. Trickster chases fish.

11. Trickster mimics man pointing.

12. Dancing ducks and talking anus.

13. Foxes eat roasted ducks.

14. Trickster burns anus and eats his own intestines.

15. Penis placed in box.

16. Penis sent across water.

17. Trickster carried by giant bird.

18. Women rescue Trickster.

19. Trickster and companions decide where to live.

20. Changed into woman, Trickster marries chief’s son.

21. Last child of union cries and is pacified.

22. Trickster visits wife and son.

23. Trickster and the laxative bulb.

24. Trickster falls in his own excrement.

25. Trees mislead Trickster in finding water.

26. Trickster mistakes plums reflected in water for plums on tree.

27. Mothers seek plums while Trickster eats children.

28. Skunk persuaded by Trickster to dig hole through hill.

29. Mothers lured in hole by Trickster and eaten.

30. Tree teases Trickster, who gets held fast in fork.

31. Wolves come and eat Trickster’s food under tree.

32. Flies in elk’s skull lure Trickster, who gets caught in elk’s skull.

33. People split elk’s skull off.

34. Trickster changes self into deer to take revenge on hawk.

35. Bear lured to his death by Trickster.

36. Mink outwits Trickster and gets bear meat.

37. Trickster pursues mink in vain.

38. Chipmunk causes Trickster to lose part of his penis.

39. Discarded pieces of penis thrown into lake and turn into plants.

40. Coyote leads Trickster to village.

41. Trickster imitates muskrat who turns ice into lily-of-the-valley roots.

42. Trickster imitates snipe’s method of fishing.

43. Trickster imitates woodpecker’s way of getting bear.

44. Trickster imitates pole-cat in getting deer.

45. Mink soils chief’s daughter as Trickster planned.

46. Coyote is duped into being tied to horse’s tail.

47. Trickster removes obstacles on the Mississippi.

48. Waterfall is forced to fall on land by Trickster.

49. Trickster eats final meal on earth and retires to heaven.

1

Once upon a time there was a village in which lived a chief who was just preparing to go on the warpath.{1} The men who were to obtain the material with which to build the fire, that is, to prepare for the feast, were summoned. To them the chief said, ‘You who are to obtain the wherewithal for the fire, bring me four large deer.’ These were soon secured and brought to him and then those who had brought them, his nephews,{2} immediately put them on the fire.

The people who had been invited to the feast now began to arrive. Was not the chief, himself, going on the warpath? And so, as many as were capable of fighting decided to join him.

When they had finished their feast, the chief suddenly arose and left them and proceeded towards his own lodge. The guests remained there waiting for him to return. When, after a while, he did not reappear, some of them went over to his lodge to see what had happened. There, to their chagrin and horror, they found him cohabiting with a woman.{3} So they returned to the feasting-place and informed the others, whereupon everyone dispersed.

Shortly afterward it was again rumoured that the chief was going on the warpath. Again, someone was dispatched to find the fire-builders. When they were brought to the chief, he told them to bring him two large deer and two large bears. Soon his nephews came back bringing these animals with them. They killed the precise animals he had asked for, two large deer and two large bears. Then the nephews immediately put them on the fire. However, as the animals were being eaten, the chief, the one for whom the feast was being prepared, left them. Even as the guests were eating, indeed before those honoured with invitations to the feast had finished, the chief left them.{4} They waited for some time but he did not return. Since, however, he had not said anything about dispersing, one of the guests went to look for him while the others waited. As before, so again, he found him at home cohabiting with a woman. ‘All the people are waiting for you,’ the messenger said, addressing him. ‘Is that so? Why, what else is there to be done? When the food has been consumed, one is done,’ he replied.{5} Thereupon the messenger returned and reported to those waiting what he had witnessed, and all the guests went to their separate homes for, truly, there was nothing further to be accomplished.

After a while it was again rumoured that the chief wished a feast to be prepared for him because he was going on the warpath. When he was asked what kind of animals he wanted, he said, ‘Four of the largest kind of male bears.’ Only such, he commanded, were to be obtained. As on the former occasions, the nephews went out to hunt them. Soon, they brought the animals that had been asked for and then put them on the fire to cook. Those invited to take part in the feast now began to arrive. Then the feast started. Shortly after it had been designated what people were to be given heads to eat,{6} the leader arose and went out. He did not return. So, after a while, those he had invited to the feast sent one of their number to look for him. There, in his home, they found him again cohabiting with a woman. When this was reported, all the guests departed. They had expected to go on the warpath!

Shortly after, for the fourth time, it was rumoured that the chief was going on the warpath. By this time, because of what had happened before, all those invited realized that this was all mere talk. There would be a feast to which they would all go. But they also knew that the chief had no intention of going on the warpath. As on the three former occasions, so now, the chief commanded his nephews to bring four animals, this time four large female bears.{7} Soon they returned with them and, immediately, the kettles were put on to cook. They all sat down for the feast. There, among them, sat the chief with those who had been invited and, surprisingly enough, he was still there when the feast was over.{8}

2

Now just as the feast was over, the chief arose and, taking his warbundle and his arrowbundle,{9} exclaimed, ‘It is I, I, who am going on the warpath!’{10} Then he descended until he came to where there was a boat. Into this boat he stepped immediately. All those who had been at the feast accompanied him and all those capable of fighting{11} got into their boats also. As a matter of fact all the able-bodied men went along because it was the chief who was going on the warpath.{12} Then they pushed out from the shore. It was a large body of water they were descending. As they paddled along the leader unexpectedly turned the boat back toward the shore again. As he landed, he exclaimed loudly, ‘It is I who am going on the warpath to fight, I!’ Turning to his boat, he shouted, ‘You cannot fight! Why should you come along?’ Thereupon he pulled it up on land and smashed it to pieces.{13}

Then those who had before thought he was a wicked person were convinced and returned home. Some, however, remained and accompanied him on foot.

3

After a while they crossed a swamp where they saw masses of grass protruding above the ground. There he stopped and exclaimed again, ‘It is I who am going on the warpath, I! I am capable of fighting, that is why I am going. I can move about easily. But you, warbundle, cannot do this, you can do nothing of value. It is only when I carry you on my back that you can move. You, cannot, of yourself, move about, nor can you move anything. How, therefore, can you go on the warpath? You are simply a nuisance; that’s all.’ Thus he shouted. Thereupon he stamped his warbundle into the ground.{14} A part of those still accompanying him turned back at this point.

Again he started out. Suddenly he threw his arrowbundle{15} away exclaiming, ‘You are unable to go on the warpath! It is only I who can do that. It is I who can fight, not you, and that is why I am going on the warpath!’ Now, the last few people who still remained with him turned back because they saw that he was indeed a wicked person.

From there on he continued alone. He ambled along calling all the objects in the world younger brothers when speaking to them. He and all objects in the world understood one another, understood, indeed, one another’s language.{16}

4

As he, Trickster, walked along, suddenly, he came in sight of a knoll. As he approached it, he saw, to his surprise, an old buffalo near it. ‘My, my, what a pity! If I only hadn’t thrown away that arrowbundle, I would now be able to kill and eat this animal,’ he exclaimed. Thereupon he took a knife, cut down the hay and fashioned it into figures of men. These he placed in a circle, leaving an opening at one end. The place was very muddy.{17} Having constructed this enclosure, he went back to where he had seen the buffalo and shouted, ‘Oho! My younger brother, here he is! Here he is indeed eating without having anything to worry about. Indeed let nothing prey on his mind! I will keep watch for him against intruders.’ Thus he spoke to the buffalo who was feeding to his heart’s content. Then he continued, ‘Listen, younger brother, this place is completely surrounded by people! Over there, however, is an opening through which you might escape.’ Just then the buffalo raised his head unsuspiciously and, to his surprise, he seemed really to be completely surrounded by people. Only at the place Trickster had designated did an opening appear. In that direction, therefore, the buffalo ran. Soon he sank in the mire and Trickster was immediately upon him with his knife and killed him. Then he dragged him over to a cluster of wood and skinned him. Throughout all these operations he used his right arm only.

5

In the midst of these operations suddenly his left arm grabbed the buffalo. ‘Give that back to me, it is mine! Stop that or I will use my knife on you!’ So spoke the right arm. ‘I will cut you to pieces, that is what I will do to you,’ continued the right arm. Thereupon the left arm released its hold. But, shortly after, the left arm again grabbed hold of the right arm. This time it grabbed hold of his wrist just at the moment that the right arm had commenced to skin the buffalo. Again and again this was repeated. In this manner did Trickster make both his arms quarrel. That quarrel soon turned into a vicious fight and the left arm was badly cut up. ‘Oh, oh! Why did I do this? Why have I done this? I have made myself suffer!’ The left arm was indeed bleeding profusely.

Then he dressed the buffalo. When he was finished he started off again. As he walked along the birds would exclaim, ‘Look, look! There is Trickster!’ Thus they would cry and fly away. ‘Ah, you naughty little birds! I wonder what they are saying?’{18} This continued right along. Every bird he met would call out, ‘Look, look! There is Trickster! There he is walking about!’

6

As he walked along, he came unexpectedly to a place where he saw a man with a club. ‘Hoho!’ said Trickster, ‘my younger brother, he, too, is walking about! Younger brother, what are you doing? But he received no answer. Suddenly this man spoke, ‘O, my poor children! They must be very hungry.’ Trickster plied him with many questions. Indeed he made quite a nuisance of himself with his questions. Yet not once did he receive an answer. Trickster now saw the man do as follows. It so happened that he was near a knoll. He took his club, struck the knoll and, to Trickster’s surprise, killed a large, old bear. After this he built a fire and singed the hair off the bear’s body. Then he took a pail which he was carrying along with him and boiled the bear in it. As soon as it was cooked he served the meat and spoke again, ‘Hurry, children, hurry for you must indeed be very hungry!’ Thereupon he took a wooden bowl, put some soup in it and cooled it. Finally he untied a bladder which he had attached to his belt. In it there were ...

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• PREFATORY NOTE
• PART ONE-THE TRICKSTER MYTH OF THE WINNEBAGO INDIANS
• PART TWO-SUPPLEMENTARY TRICKSTER MYTH
• PART THREE-THE NATURE AND THE MEANING OF THE MYTH
• PART FOUR-THE TRICKSTER IN RELATION TO GREEK MYTHOLOGY
• PART FIVE-ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE TRICKSTER FIGURE