Tricksters Leaving the path (Was Re: How Vinga Was Left Out in the Cold)

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 10:13:58 -0700

> We were talking last night about trickster quests. Given that
> tricksters often are sent (beaten?) on quests to take the blame etc.
> where bad things happen (to the trickster), the question came up of
> why would a trickster stick to the path. My suggestion was that a
> trickster did try to leave the bad path for a 'better' path - but
> only once. Even more horrible things happened to them on
> that 'better' path so they never tried it again.

Well, *real* tricksters can't help it. They aren't just jokesters that can turn it on & off at will, they really can't stop, even if their best interests would be served by not "being trickster". But remember, the trickster only gets the bad end of the stick half the time! And every once in a while they manage to pull the clan's bacon out of the fire when no-one else could. So we put up with their japes and sophomoric tricks for the lessons they can teach us, the entertainment they can give us, the scapegoat when we really need one, and the occasional good deed.

RR