Blog Schedule

I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

T is for...

Click HERE for a list of all
the participants!
For this, my 5th year doing the Challenge, it's the
A to Z of Anansi the spider.

T is for Trickster

What else? Tricksters can be found all over the world. They break the rules of the gods, of nature, and convention. Sometimes their tricks are malicious, as with the Norse god, Loki, but mostly their tricks end up with a positive result. They can be sly, foolish and humorous, thus making them very human.
Anansi is in good company. 
A few famous tricksters include:

Reynard the Fox: Germany

Br'er Rabbit: Southern United States
Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby
In this picture Brer Rabbit is confronting 
Tar Baby. There's a tar baby story 
in my book Anansi and Company.

Coyote: Native American
Coyoteinacanoe
Don Juan: Spain

Puss in Boots: Italy, France
Lechatbotte1
  
Bugs Bunny: United States
Hermes: Greece
Ivan the Fool: Russia
Maui: Polynesia
Morgan Le Fay: Wales

 Pan: Greece
Frontispiece to A Book of Myths

Puck: Celtic

Robin Hood: England
Robin Hood and Little John, by Louis Rhead 1912

Captain Jack Sparrow: Hollywood

Sinbad: Arabia
Arthur-Rackham-Sinbad
Uncle Tempa: Tibet

 Woody Woodpecker: United States
WoodyWoodpecker-PantryPanic1

Do you have a favorite trickster?

The answers to Monday's Riddles are:
1.) My father has a tree full of apples and not a man can count them. What are they?    Stars

2.) My mother put on a pot of food to boil; the top boil before the bottom. What is it?   A pipe and pipe tobacco

3.) I walk up a hill. I meet a man. I cut off he head. I poke out he eyes. I drink he blood. I eat he flesh. I throw away he bones. What am I?   A coconut


I didn't realize these riddles would be so hard. I thought at least one person would get one right. Alas... there is no winner. For those of you who actually gave it try, THANKS for playing. And I must be honest, I'm not good at riddles either.

11 comments:

  1. In some creepy way, I've always been drawn to Morgan le Fay.

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  2. Tricksters always add to stories.

    Sorry no one guessed your riddles.

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  3. Sorry, had no idea on those riddles.
    You mentioned Bugs Bunny - bonus!

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  4. Interesting - I would never have considered Robin Hood to be a trickster.

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  5. I knew it! I knew I had heard your last riddle and the answer was a foodstuff, but for the life of me I could not remember coconut. I think it was 'the bines' that threw me.

    Funny I never thought of Bugs Bunny as a trickster before, but if course, you're right he is.

    Captain Jack Sparrow -Hollywood ha, ha, ha!

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  6. Yet another common thread throughout the world. I love it! It's so amazing how similar humanity is on a base level.

    True Heroes from A to Z

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  7. You've chosen some great tricksters. Loved these pictures! My favorite among the ones you posted is Brer Rabbit!

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  8. Loki has to be my favourite trickster, but I love the rest too. Great choices :)

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  9. Oh boy, I'm sorry none of us were able to answer those! I still enjoyed finding out the answers :)

    I love a good trickster story, but I love even more seeing all of these characters side by side, here. I find comparative mythology totally fascinating!

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  10. I am not a fan of tricks. I do like a good harmless joke, but not a trick. I am a little serious I guess.

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  11. I don't like tricksters in real life, but I enjoy them in fiction.

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!