Week 13 Discussions: Tricksters and Sacred Space

This discussions is in three parts. First respond to either of these two topics:

• Trickster myths are some of the most common and most popular stories about humans and the gods. Trickster stories are also common "tall tales." What trickster stories does your family tell?

• Leonard & McClure identify these ten trickster types: creator, culture-bringer, opportunist, mischief-maker, amorous adventurer, hunger-driven manipulator, credulous victim of others' tricks, lazy work avoider, transgressor, and clown of the body" (Leonard and McClure 252). Identify three tricksters in our American culture, indicate what type of tricksters they are, and illustrate your choices with examples.

THEN respond to any THREE of the following:

• Why We Tell Stories about Spider: How is Spider able to trick his victims? What does this story have to say about human nature?

• Ajapa, Aja the Dog, and the Yams: What is the difference between Ajapa and Aja? What trickster types does each exemplify? What does this story teach about human nature?

• The Trouble with Rose Hips/How Coyote Placed the Stars: What do these stories tell us about the character and nature of Coyote? What type of trickster role does Coyote play in these stories?

• Coyote Man and Saucy Duckfeather: What does this story tell us about relationships between men and women, young and old, poor and rich? Why is this story funny? How similiar are the characters in is this story to people we know? What might be the moral of this story?

• Old Coyote Man Meets Coyote Women: What does this story suggest about the relationship between the sexes in Blackfoot culture? How does this story compare to Genesis chapter 2 and its discussion of the relationship between the sexes?

• The Treasures of the Gods: What kind of trickster is Loki? What motivates him? Why do the Aesir tolerate Loki? Discuss Loki as "an outsider" who wants to belong.

• The Seven Great Deeds of Ma-ui: Ma-ui is both a hero and a trickster? How do these traits manifest themselves in these stories? What do these stories suggest about the relationship between heroes and tricksters?

• Prometheus: How does Prometheus compare to other tricksters we have read about?

• Pa Pandir, or Daddy Moron: How is Pa Pandir different from the other tricksters we have read about? What characters in our culture are similiar to Pa Pandir? What makes Pa Pandir attractive to us? What do his stories teach us about human nature?

• The Raven Steals the Light: What types of trickster does Raven illustrate in this story?

AND THEN, respond to any two of the following:

• Sacred Places in Leonard & McClure: Select any of the sacred places from Leonard and McClure. Discuss how this sacred space illustrates any of the following terms: the division between sacred and profane, hierophany, theophany, imago mundi, axis mundi, threshold.

• Sacred cities: What cities today could we identify as sacred cities, and in what way are they sacred? Discuss how these sacred cities illustrate any of the following terms: the division between sacred and profane, hierophany, theophany, imago mundi, axis mundi, threshold.

• Sacred objects: What sacred objects still exist in our culture? What about flags, medals, charms, or objects used in worship? Discuss how these sacred objects illustrate any of the following terms: the division between sacred and profane, hierophany, theophany, imago mundi, axis mundi, threshold.

• Sacred places: Have you ever visited a place that could be considered a sacred space? Where was this, and what was the nature of its sacredness? Discuss how this sacred place illustrates any of the following terms: the division between sacred and profane, hierophany, theophany, imago mundi, axis mundi, threshold.