Re: Tricksters Leaving the path

From: Peter Larsen <plarsen_at_...>
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 22:49:12 -0700


Philipp Grawe says:

>See, I always thought that while the trickster is annoying, a scapegoat and
>gets blamed, he still does have the protection of the Chief.
>
>It's a two-way thing.

        I think you've got it here. Now, tricksters will get a certain amount of abuse from the regular population. When Old Mischief turned the sheep blue or stole the tails of all the cows on the Tula to make a kite, the carls were understandably upset. When the charm to sour the milk at Thorkelsstead (because Thordis, Thorkel's wife caught Old MIschief stealing a tart and beat him with a broom) got out of hand and ruined all the milk on the tula (and the cheese tastes funny now, too!), the carls were really pissed, and Hall Einarson and his brothers caught the old sot and gave him a beating that involved some bootwork. So far so good -- Old Mischeif is only getting what's his. But when the Einarsons decide to hang the reprobate to still his breath and pranks, someone better rung get the Chief, because that's dangerous stuff. Old Mischief is a pain in the ass, but his songs are funny, and his japes are mostly harmless, and the Sacred Time rituals have never failed since he came to live with the clan, so why risk Eurmal's (and Orlanth's!) wrath? Get him down from that rope before murder's done, and taboos broken, and four promising young men outlawed.

        At least, that's how I see it.

Peter Larsen

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