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N.S.Gill's Ancient History Blog

By N.S. Gill, About.com Guide to Ancient History since 1997

Loki and Trickster Gods

Wednesday February 22, 2006
I received the following question from email:
    " I am very curious about one thing - in Norse Loki is known as the trickster, yet, I find no evidence of "his" influence in other mythologies. IE - Greek, Roman, etc.

    Am I wrong in assuming that the Norse mythologies are the only ones addressing a god such as Loki? If not - who are they and why are they so hard to find?

    If you can help me with this question I would be ever grateful.

    Thank you in advance."

In response, I recommended that he look at my article on the Greek trickster god Hermes: Hermes: A Thief, Inventor, and Messenger God and listed the Wikipedia list of trickster gods listed under "trickster".

Wikipedia has the following list of trickster gods:
* Abenaki mythology ... Azeban
* Akan mythology ... Kwaku Ananse
* American folklore ... Brer Rabbit and Aunt Nancy, a corruption of Anansi (Ananse)
* Ashanti mythology ... Ananse
* Australian Aboriginal mythology ... Bamapana
* Aztec mythology ... Tezcatlipoca
* Basque mythology ... San Martin Txiki
* Brazilian folklore ... Saci-Pererê
* Celtic mythology ... Fairy, Puck
* Chinese mythology ... Nezha, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King)
* Chippewa mythology ... Nanabozho
* Judeo-Christian folklore ... Jacob, the Devil, Asmodeus, Lilith
* Crow mythology ... Awakkule, Mannegishi
* French folklore ... Reynard the Fox
* Fijian mythology ... Daucina
* German folklore ... Till Eulenspiegel
* Greek mythology ... Eris, Prometheus, Hephaestos, Hermes Trismegistus, Odysseus (example of a human trickster, who manages to evade dangers thanks to his wits. The cyclops Polyphemus is an example of this)
* Haida mythology ... Nankil'slas (Raven spirit), (Coyote)
* Hawaiian mythology ... Kappa, Maui
* Hopi and Zuni mythology ... Kokopelli
* Indonesian folklore ... Kantjil
* Inuit mythology ... Amaguq
* Japanese mythology ... Kitsune, Susanoo
* !Xũ mythology ... Mantis
* Lakota mythology ... Iktomi
* Levantine mythology ... Yaw
* Islamic mythology ... Nasreddin
* Navajo mythology ... Tonenili
* Nootka mythology ... Chulyen, Guguyni
* Norse mythology ... Loki
* Northwest Caucasian mythology ... Sosruko
* Ojibwe mythology ... Nanabush
* Polynesian mythology ... Iwa, Kaulu, Maui, Ono, Pekoi
* Slavic mythology ... Veles
* Tibetan folklore ... Agu Tonpa
* Ute mythology ... Cin-an-ev
* Vodun ... Ti Malice, Baron Samedi
* Yoruba mythology ... Eshu

Comments

May 2, 2009 at 2:17 pm
(1) Mani says:

Hindu: mythology Naradha sage is a mishchief maker and all lead to better understandings and good endings

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