While their stories may differ with each tribe, the two most prominent tricksters are the coyote and the raven.
In Native American mythology there are figures known as tricksters—individuals whose actions have been attributed to natural phenomenon such as the creation the earth, the sun, the advent of fire, and the weather. Early native philosophers gave these beings human qualities as a means of likening their actions to the same passions that govern human thought. Having their origins in the oral tradition of early Indian tribes, these tricksters have evolved into powerful symbols. The transformative powers of the trickster make such an entity transcend the physical and metaphysical world. Again, as with all other aspects of native religious thought, the cultural disparities that exist in Indian tribes allows for numerous trickster stories. While there is not one universal trickster myth, the animal symbols representing these figures are generally the same—two examples are the raven and the coyote.
The most common manifestation of the trickster is the raven. There are many stories attributed to this trickster and he is seen throughout northwestern native mythology as a figure of great import. Nearly all of the tribes of the American northwest have an oral tradition about the raven and how his actions have affected human development. The Inuit of Alaska have a creation story that tells of a great struggle between Raven and a sea creature of indeterminable size and scope. Using his harpoon, Raven captured the creature and it thus became the land. In another story, Raven brings sunlight to a dark world. The Tsimshian of British Columbia and Alaska were given light by the raven, who tricked a tribal chief along the Nass River. The chief kept the light in a box in his lodging and the raven conceived an intricate scheme to obtain it. Raven transformed himself into a spruce needle and then fell from the sky into a cup of water that the chief’s daughter was drinking and impregnated her. Born into human form, Raven stole the chief’s box and then transformed into his original shape. As he flew away with his prize, he encountered a group of fishermen. Hungry, Raven asked the group if he could have some of their catch. When they refused, he flew off and released the daylight. In this story, early native oral tradition blends both the trickster with the transformer figure, another important aspect of native religious development; one often seen with trickster stories.
Another manifestation of the trickster is the coyote, an animal viewed with both fascination and disdain depending on the tribe. The Hopi tribe viewed the coyote as a thief who stole their sheep under the cover of darkness. They resolved to rid their land of his presence and eventually succeeded in chasing him out of Hopi territory. The legend says that Coyote fled to Navajo territory, where he was captured and burned by a resourceful shepherd. The Navajo, however, see the coyote figure as responsible for the emergence of mankind. The Miwok of California also saw the coyote as an essential force in the creation of the earth. In their mythos, Coyote dried the ancient seas by shaking his blanket over them and this resulted in the creation of land. In this mythos he is viewed as a creator, but the Chinook tribe sees Coyote as responsible for bringing death to the human world. When the world was young and death was a factor only in the lives of animals, Coyote and Eagle travelled to the world of the dead to retrieve their wives. Coyote gathered the dead in a box and started to return to his world. Along the way, wishing to see his wife, Coyote opened the box and released the spirits of the dead, as well as the concept of death itself.
Sources:
David M Jones and Brian L Molyneaux, Mythology of the American Nations. (London: Hermes House, 2006).
Gilbert Legay, Atlas of Indians. (Hauppage: Barron’s Educational Services, Inc., 1995)
Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006)
Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. New York: 2000).
