April, the month for tricksters, jokers and fools is just a few hours away. Here in Massachusetts, it seems the tricksters are getting an early start because snow is predicted for tomorrow! But we are a hardy bunch in New England, and we won’t let a few snowflakes spoil our fun.
As with all stories trickster tales travel from culture to culture, shape shifting as they skip across the continents. The trickster might be a fox in Japan, mouse deer in Asia, a coyote or raven among the Native Americans, or a spider in West Africa just to name a few.
“As their name suggests, tricksters love to play tricks on other gods (and sometimes on humans and animals). But perhaps the best definition of a trickster is the one given by Lewis Hyde: "trickster is a boundary-crosser.” By that, he means that the trickster crosses both physical and social boundaries-- the trickster is often a traveller, and he often breaks societal rules… The trickster often changes shape (turning into an animal, for example) to cross between worlds. In his role as boundary-crosser, the trickster sometimes becomes the messenger of the gods…John Lame Deer said, tricksters "are sacred [because] we Indians also need their laughter to survive.” http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Tricksters.htm
So here’s to the tricksters, whether fox, raven or mouse, who have added so many stories and laughter to our lives!
STORIES
Br’er Rabbit
http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/brer-rabbit/
Jamaica Anansi Stories
http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/jas/index.htm
The Monkey’s Heart
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type1741.html
The Trickster: The Hlakanyana and Huveane – Bantu Folktales
http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/mlb/mlb13.htm
The Trickster Tricked
http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/the_trickster_tricked.html
Tricksters From Around the World
https://childrensbooks.web.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Trickster-Tales.pdf
Fools, Tricksters, Festivals and Spring – My blog post from April 2009 with some additional links for trickster tales.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2009/04/fools-tricksters-festivals-and-spring.html
BOOKS
Fools and Tricksters – Bibliography by Carol Hurst
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/fools.html
Folktales of Joha, Jewish Trickster by Matilda Koén-Sarano
http://tinyurl.com/5uawds6
Trickster Tales from Around the World – A selection of children’s books focusing on trickster tales.
http://kidworldcitizen.org/2014/01/17/trickster-tales-around-world/
Trickster Tales by Josepha Sherman
http://tinyurl.com/6afxe69
Takoma Park Library – Wonderful bibliography of Trickster Tales, including Raven, Coyote, Anansi and more.
http://www.takomapark.info/library/children/archives/000340.html
CURRICULUM
Aesop and Ananse – Animal Fables and Trickster Tales
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/aesop-and-ananse-animal-fables-and-trickster-tales
Fable and Trickster Tales From Around the World
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/fables-and-trickster-tales-around-world
The Trickster Around the World
Original link no longer valid but you may still access the information via the Wayback Machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/20120209202122/http://www.duke.edu/web/pfs/lessons/newlacurriculum/fictionquestions/Anansi%20Hat%20Dance.pdf
CRAFTS
Rabbit Paper Bag Puppet
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/wild/bagrabbit.htm
Raven the Trickster
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/raven-the-trickster-puppet-tales-lesson-plan/
Spider Windsock
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/insects/spider-windsock-halloween.htm
In my work with the Massachusetts Humanities Council FAIR program one book we shared last year was Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock. I designed the word search below as a take away for the children. Feel free to copy and paste into a word document and use it in your work. If the copy and paste does not work properly email me at storybug@aol.com and I will send it along as an attachment.
 |
| The trickster figure Reynard the Fox by Michel Rodance, 1869 |
April, the month for tricksters, jokers and fools is just a few hours away. Here in Massachusetts, it seems the tricksters are getting an early start because snow is predicted for tomorrow! But we are a hardy bunch in New England, and we won’t let a few snowflakes spoil our fun.
As with all stories trickster tales travel from culture to culture, shape shifting as they skip across the continents. The trickster might be a fox in Japan, mouse deer in Asia, a coyote or raven among the Native Americans, or a spider in West Africa just to name a few.
“As their name suggests, tricksters love to play tricks on other gods (and sometimes on humans and animals). But perhaps the best definition of a trickster is the one given by Lewis Hyde: "trickster is a boundary-crosser.” By that, he means that the trickster crosses both physical and social boundaries-- the trickster is often a traveller, and he often breaks societal rules… The trickster often changes shape (turning into an animal, for example) to cross between worlds. In his role as boundary-crosser, the trickster sometimes becomes the messenger of the gods…John Lame Deer said, tricksters "are sacred [because] we Indians also need their laughter to survive.” http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Tricksters.htm
So here’s to the tricksters, whether fox, raven or mouse, who have added so many stories and laughter to our lives!
STORIES
Br’er Rabbit
http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/brer-rabbit/
Jamaica Anansi Stories
http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/jas/index.htm
The Monkey’s Heart
Native American Tricksters
of Myth and Legend
http://www.native-languages.org/trickster.htm
Trickster Wives and Maidshttp://www.native-languages.org/trickster.htm
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type1741.html
The Trickster: The Hlakanyana and Huveane – Bantu Folktales
http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/mlb/mlb13.htm
The Trickster Tricked
http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/the_trickster_tricked.html
Tricksters From Around the World
https://childrensbooks.web.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Trickster-Tales.pdf
Fools, Tricksters, Festivals and Spring – My blog post from April 2009 with some additional links for trickster tales.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2009/04/fools-tricksters-festivals-and-spring.html
ARTICLES
African and Native American Trickster Folktales by Jennifer Smith
https://www.stepbystep.com/African-and-Native-American-Trickster-Folktales-134237/
BOOKS
Fools and Tricksters – Bibliography by Carol Hurst
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/fools.html
Folktales of Joha, Jewish Trickster by Matilda Koén-Sarano
http://tinyurl.com/5uawds6
Trickster Tales from Around the World – A selection of children’s books focusing on trickster tales.
http://kidworldcitizen.org/2014/01/17/trickster-tales-around-world/
Trickster Tales by Josepha Sherman
http://tinyurl.com/6afxe69
Takoma Park Library – Wonderful bibliography of Trickster Tales, including Raven, Coyote, Anansi and more.
http://www.takomapark.info/library/children/archives/000340.html
CURRICULUM
Aesop and Ananse – Animal Fables and Trickster Tales
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/aesop-and-ananse-animal-fables-and-trickster-tales
Fable and Trickster Tales From Around the World
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/fables-and-trickster-tales-around-world
The Trickster Around the World
Original link no longer valid but you may still access the information via the Wayback Machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/20120209202122/http://www.duke.edu/web/pfs/lessons/newlacurriculum/fictionquestions/Anansi%20Hat%20Dance.pdf
CRAFTS
Rabbit Paper Bag Puppet
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/wild/bagrabbit.htm
Raven the Trickster
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/raven-the-trickster-puppet-tales-lesson-plan/
Spider Windsock
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/insects/spider-windsock-halloween.htm
In my work with the Massachusetts Humanities Council FAIR program one book we shared last year was Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock. I designed the word search below as a take away for the children. Feel free to copy and paste into a word document and use it in your work. If the copy and paste does not work properly email me at storybug@aol.com and I will send it along as an attachment.
This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.
Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding,
Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding,
Karen Chace 2011 ©
2 comments:
Love this!
Thanks Linda!
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