A trickster is the compendium of opposites. He’s an omniscient creator, an innocent fool, a malicious destroyer, and a childlike prankster. He’s an immigrant into a language.

Trickster stories may be told for amusement as well as on serious or sacred occasions. Depending on the context, either a single tale or a series of interrelated stories might be told. The typical tale recounts a picaresque adventure: the trickster is “going along,” with the protagonist. He’s also an immigrant into a story.

Often the trickster serves as a transformer of the protagonist’s emotions. Usually, through conflict, he creates order out of chaos.

An ambiguous, anomalous creature. A deceiver and a trick-player. He’s a shape-shifter in his own world. He’s the master of disguise. He’s the situation-inverter. A messenger and imitator of the gods. A sacred and lewd bricoleur.

First, he immigrates into a language. He immigrates into the stories. He immigrates into his characters minds.

A trickster is an old guy that tells the story of his side.

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The trickster and the culture hero are often combined.

He may teach humans the skills of survival, such as how to make fire, procreate, or catch or raise food, usually through negative examples that end with his utter failure to accomplish these tasks. Frequently, he is accompanied by a companion who either serves as a stooge or ultimately tricks the trickster.

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So, he tries. He just tries…