Tricksters In Greek Mythology

Mythology is defined as the study of a collection of myths. It is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as 'myths' or the collection of such stories which usually deal with the human condition, good and evil, human origins, life and death, the afterlife, and the gods. Myths express the beliefs and values about these subjects held by a certain culture (Mark). Myths are always true psychologically, sociologically, and anthropologically. In mythology and in the study of religion and folklore, a trickster is an example of a Jungian Archetype. The trickster is characterized in a story as one who disguises themselves as something or someone else, one who plays tricks, and one who goes against normal rules, regulations, and behaviors. He has a great deal of intellect and knowledge and uses it to his advantage. The trickster comes in many forms, including: animals (coyotes or ravens), men, women, spirits, proto gods, and titans in Greek or Roman culture. The logic behind having tricksters is that they are funny, they explain the origins of things, they help us to define our group and behavior, and they provide relief. …show more content…
Reading stories and analyzing characters, one who could be considered a trickster would be Prometheus. Prometheus, also known as the God of Fire, appeared as one of the twelve primary Titans in Greek Mythology. Prometheus was extremely wise, intellectual, and had a great ability to “trick” the king, Zeus. Prometheus used his clever intellect and tricked Zeus into switching sacrifices…eating the bones and fat which were really leftovers, instead of the good meat at Mt. Olympus. This made Zeus mad which caused him to take away the fire from humans so they would not have heat to cook their meat…they would have no choice but to eat it