Recently I had the honor of teaching a class on trickster deities for Ardantane School of Paganism. Of course, as a Kreauwomun (Crow Woman), I have a natural draw to tricksters. And, of course, as a Crowwomin, I had to include trickster songs in the workshop. This was not as easy a task as I imagined it to be.

The trickster archetype shows up in cultures across the globe. He (and it is almost always "he," though tricksters also frequently shapeshift and show traits of gender fluidity) is almost as ubiquitous as the mother goddess figure. He is both the hero and the villain of most of his own tales. Though each trickster has his own flavor and unique characteristics, there are some commonalities that make him the trickster.

A crow with a tag on its leg holds.a steak knife in its beak.
Trickster Crow is a thief, among other things. But how else to cut the steak?

Aspects of the Trickster

Above all, Trickster is a teacher, though his lesson may be what NOT to do. Through myriad adventures and misadventures, Trickster mirrors humanity's (and sometimes the gods') foibles, showing us the error of our ways. Sometimes Trickster is tricking fellow animals and humans, other times he is tricking the gods, and often—at least in the end—the trick is on him.

Many Tricksters are animals who appear either as fully animal or as humanoid with animalistic characteristics. Anansi the spider god is an excellent example of a trickster who sometimes is the size and shape of a spider and sometimes a man with eight arms.

Tricksters are liminal beings, lords of the in-between. They tend to be wanderers, not completely tethered to any space or location. Their shapeshifting is an aspect of their liminality, as they can shift between forms and cross the boundaries between genders. They may take on the attributes and skills of other creatures in service of the plot of the day. 

In many traditions, Tricksters also cross the boundaries between life and death. In Greek mythology, Trickster Hermes is the only god who can safely travel in and out of Hades. Other tricksters have been known to guide souls from one realm to the next, or they themselves have died and come back to the land of the living.

Another very popular aspect of Tricksters (though perhaps not to their victims!) is their tendency to thievery. When Raven steals daylight for humanity, this is clearly in service of a greater good. But that isn't always the case. Anansi steals food from his neighbors due to his own greed and laziness. Hermes steals Apollo's cattle as a childish prank and to prove his precocious cunning. Loki steals Sif's hair because… well, he can be kind of a jerk.

A black and white pen drawing of Brer Rabbit inspecting a tar baby resting against a rock.
Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

Common Trickster traits include:

  • Creative and inventive
  • Witty and humorous
  • Master of disguise/shapeshifters
  • Love of wordplay
  • Mischievous and deceitful
  • Openly questioning and mocking of authority
  • Teaches us through the sacrifice of his dignity and sometimes even his life

So, why would anyone want to work with a trickster deity? Tricksters have a lot to offer humans, including what they've invented and what they've stolen from the gods. Thanks to Trickster, we have fire, water, daylight, yams, the lyre, the fish trap, fishing nets, and even the lie. Yes, Coyote is credited in some tales with the world's first lie.

On a more metaphorical level, Tricksters bring us the chaos from which order is made. In his role as a teacher, Trickster pushes you to grow and get you out of set ways and helps you learn from your mistakes. Otherwise, the darkness, the storm, the proverbial Towers of our lives have no meaning. 

And of course, Tricksters add much-needed color to the world.

An ancient bowl is decorated by Coyote talking to a large man.
Trickster comes in many forms.

Famous Trickster Deities

  • Loki (Norse) 
  • Hermes (Greek) 
  • Reynard the Fox (French folklore) 
  • Odin (Norse) 
  • Kokopelli (Native American) 
  • Coyote (Native American) 
  • Anansi (West Africa) 
  • Raven (Native American) 
  • Brer Rabbit (American folklore) 
  • Eshu (Yoruba) 
  • Monkey King (China) 

Working with Trickster

There are myriad ways to work with deity and cultivate a sacred relationship. And in many ways, working with Trickster is the same as working with any deity. However, some additional caveats are worth mentioning. One is to be very cautious about working with any deity from a culture that is not your own, unless that deity specifically approaches you. Even then, a healthy respect for the culture from which he comes is essential. Secondly, know that Trickster's lessons can be intense. Don't be a victim to a Trickster—he expects you to hold your own. Also, learn as much as you can about the Trickster who shows up. Loki has a very different energy than Coyote or Anansi.

Otherwise, approach Tricksters like you would any deity—study their tales, talk to them, visit one of their sacred sites, take on aspects of them (careful, though!), create something in their honor.

And, of course, sing about them!

Trickster Songs

Ah! But easier said than done. Knowing their universality and popularity, I was surprised by how hard it was to find songs specific to these important beings. The few songs I found by pagan and pagan-adjacent artists were:

Yet perhaps I was limiting my exploration by seeking literal references to tricksters. Tricksters have some notorious traits that may be reflected in song without specifically naming the trickster.

Like the trickster, song can teach us in ways that aren't obvious. They come through the back door of our right brain. We know that morality tales that force the lesson or make the moral too obvious are dismissed by our conscious minds. But things like music, satire, 

Songs with twists or a dark sense of humor and satire are essentially Trickster songs. From the Crow Woman canon, this could include such songs as Carole's parody "We Won't Sleep Tonight", Alane's "Bless Our Mead (Yeast Herder's Anthem)", and Carole's "We are the Witches". A number of SJ Tucker's songs would certainly fall into this category as well.

What other songs would you consider Trickster songs? Add to our list in the comments below. In the meantime, I guess the Crow Women will have to start writing our own.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about Tricksters and their specific aspects and contributions, I highly recommend Lewis Hyde's Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. I borrowed heavily from Hyde's work in developing my presentation. I am also very much indebted to Amber K and Azrael Arynn K's article on Ways to Serve the Gods and Goddesses as well as Amber K's deep wisdom from decades of a relationship with Coyote.