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Today:

Find your trickster by scrolling through this Padlet wall. Each trickster comes with a website in which you can find all the information you need to complete this step. If you want, you can research other websites as well.

Once you find your trickster, read the website together as a group and take notes, in your notebooks, of the following elements regarding your trickster:

Culture or Country of Origin:

Key Characteristics (personality, abilities/tricks, appearance):

Purpose (teaches a lesson, hero, troublemaker, etc.):

Example of a story based on your trickster:

Next class:

Once all information has been found, add it to Padlet by clicking on the + that you see on your screen.

Don't forget to add your group members' names and the name of your trickster in your post's TITLE. No need for full sentences; short ideas or bullet points are fine.

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Creek-Cherokee author Craig S. Womack argues that tricksters are not inherently Indigenous; rather, they were "invented by anthropologists." Womack is referring to the fact that often non-Indigenous scholars (starting generally in the 1800s) created a convenient, catch-all phrase - the trickster - to label Indigenous figures and stories that might not always fit into this category. It is therefore important to recognize and appreciate that Indigenous communities construct tricksters in different ways.

Definition of Trickster

While a general definition of "trickster" can limit the complexity and cultural specificity of this figure from nation to nation, recognizing cross-cultural similarities can help to explain what tricksters are and why they are important to most Indigenous cultures in Canada.

A common characteristic is that tricksters are foolish and childlike troublemakers. Some are harmless, while others are malevolent. Tricksters like Nanabush and Wisakedjak are considered heroes. Both are powerful and wise leaders who sometimes get into trouble and play jokes on humans. By contrast, tricksters like Napi are sometimes depicted as selfish and cruel.

Another key defining feature of tricksters is that they wander, spiritually and physically. They often travel between the spirit world and the tangible world, as well as the areas in-between. During these travels, some tricksters, such as Raven and Coyote, alter their shape, manifesting as powerful, sacred beings, animals, inanimate objects (such as rocks and trees) and humans. In these cases, tricksters are also referred to in the literature as transformers or shape-shifters.

Tricksters in Indigenous Cultures

There are a wide variety of trickster figures in Indigenous cultures in Canada. The following are a few examples of tricksters from various parts of the country.

Among the Cree, Wisakedjak is an adventurous and humorous trickster, afforded prestige as a teacher to humankind. Wisakedjak is also rebellious. According to one story, he disobeyed the Creator, who asked Wisakedjak to keep the animals and humans from quarrelling. The result was the Creator's flooding of the world, to begin life anew. While Wisakedjak played a role in the remaking of the world, some oral histories indicate that the Creator reduced his powers, leaving him with only the ability to flatter and deceive. Other stories reveal that Wisakedjak always had great powers and was responsible for creating the moon and other elements of our world.

Nanabush from the Ojibwe traditions is a half-human, half-spirit figure that appears in creation stories and is greatly respected and revered as a hero among various Anishinaabe peoples. Nanabush could change forms and often did so to play tricks on people. According to some tales, Nanabush is also described as two-spirited. Nanabush is immortalized in pre-colonial pictographs in a sacred location in Bon Echo Provincial Park on Mazinaw Lake in southern Ontario.

The Métis also have tales about Wisakedjak and Nanabush, as well as another trickster - Chi-Jean - described by some as a cousin or close friend of the other two. The travels and adventures of Chi-Jean, featured in various oral histories as well as a series of graphic novels for youth, seek to teach about Métis culture and the connection between humans and the earth.

Glooscap, huge in size and power, features in many stories of various Algonquian-speaking nations, such as the Mi'kmaq and Abenaki. Glooscap is said to have created natural features such as the Annapolis Valley, in the process often having to overcome his evil twin brother who wanted rivers to be crooked and mountains impassable.

Raven is an important trickster in the cultures of various Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples. Appearing in origin stories and other tales, Raven is valued as a guardian spirit. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian have moieties (a type of kinship group) named for this figure. Raven also appears in Inuit stories, as does cultural hero Kiviuq. Described as a powerful wanderer and shaman, Kiviuq goes on many adventures, from tricking a hungry bear to kayaking through dangerous waters to encountering a giant bumblebee.

On the Prairies, the Siksika tell stories about Napi the trickster. Possessing great powers, Napi is credited by some Siksika people with creating the world and life within it. However, Napi is also foolish and can be cruel. Many stories describe him as possessing deceptive and destructive powers. In some Prairie and West Coast Indigenous tales, Napi is accompanied by another trickster: Coyote. Usually described as a pesky thief, Coyote is also a healer that received this special power from the Creator.

Purposes and Uses of Trickster Stories

Historically, trickster stories have served a variety of roles, from entertaining community members to transmitting traditional knowledge to teaching about right from wrong. Trickster stories illustrate the centrality of relationships between family members, clans and nations, while highlighting the tension between individual motivations and those of the larger social group. In bending the structures of society, tricksters reveal (and occupy) a realm in between those structures, one that demonstrates how social norms can be challenged, redefined and overturned.

In the modern era, the trickster has proved useful to those seeking a return to Indigenous approaches to learning. Educator Sylvia Moore wrote her book, Trickster Chases the Tale of Education (2017), in the style of a trickster story, contrasting Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges. She argues that the space between these two world views (the "trickster space") may permit for a respectful and collaborative approach to Indigenous learning. Similarly, law professor John Borrows has argued that the trickster, when used as a framework for understanding Indigenous ways of knowing, can be helpful in the teaching of Indigenous rights and legal traditions. For example, he argues that Nanabush's narratives can reveal "Anishinaabe law's hidden cultural assumptions," and by doing so, "Anishinaabe people gain access to... viewpoints within their legal tradition."

Tricksters have also found a role in urban society among off- reserve Indigenous peoples who identify with the trickster as an adaptable but authentically Indigenous persona. Tricksters can be empowering figures for those who are generally left outside of traditional power structures. For example, writer Eden Robinson has used the trickster archetype in her novel, Son of a Trickster (2017), to challenge patriarchal power structures and Eurocentric notions of women's sexuality and domesticity. Similarly, for two-spirit people, the trickster is a relatable identity; in some cultures, tricksters are non-gendered and consequently occupy the spaces in between traditional gender roles.

The Trickster in Canadian Literature

In the 1980s and 1990s, the trickster became a powerful symbol for those trying to celebrate Indigenous voices in Canadian literature. A variety of works about tricksters came out during this time, including Tomson Highway's The Rez Sisters (1986), Daniel David Moses's Coyote City (1988) and Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water (1993). A number of Indigenous artists formed the Committee to Re-establish the Trickster in the 1980s as a means of emphasizing the trickster's role in Indigenous literature, while also offsetting stereotypical representations of Indigenous peoples in mainstream Canadian literature.

While the trickster continues to appear in modern Canadian literature, such as in Drew Hayden Taylor's Motorcycles and Sweetgrass (2010) and Eden Robinson's Son of a Trickster (2017), some contemporary scholars caution that the overuse of this figure can (or has) lead to the perpetuation of generic tricksters that are inauthentic to specific Indigenous nations. Edited by Deanna Reder and Linda M. Morra, Troubling Tricksters: Revisioning Critical Conversations (2010) encourages the appreciation and acknowledgement of culturally-specific approaches to Indigenous oral histories as opposed to vague "pan-tribal" tricksters.

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Creek-Cherokee author Craig S. Womack argues that tricksters are not inherently Indigenous; rather, they were "invented by anthropologists." Womack is referring to the fact that often non-Indigenous scholars (starting generally in the 1800s) created a convenient, catch-all phrase - the trickster - to label Indigenous figures and stories that might not always fit into this category.

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Nasreddin Hodja: The archetypal trickster of Muslim folklore

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Hundreds of fables featuring the semi-fictionalised cleric are told across the Islamic world

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kitsune, trickster foxes from traditional Japanese folklore. They are a type of yōkai, a class of supernatural creatures with godlike powers, often equated to the English ghoul or demon. Kitsune are noted for their paranormal abilities, particularly metamorphosis. As they age, these abilities can become more powerful. Kitsune are said to live for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. They are popular in many facets of Japanese culture and are regularly depicted in visual art, in text, and at religious shrines. There are primarily two types of kitsune: mischievous and good. The latter grouping is often expanded to include a more defined spiritual hierarchy.

The kitsune figure and its prevalence in folktales likely developed from the proliferation of foxes in ancient Japan, where humans encountered the animals regularly in their daily lives. While not domesticated, foxes and humans lived in close proximity to one another, especially prior to urbanization and industrialization, when much of the population were farmers. Their sacred status may have been derived from their diet; foxes eat agricultural pests like rats and mice and thus protect rice crops. Foxes began appearing as godlike figures with magical abilities in cultural records as early as the 8th century ce, in Nihon shoki, which is one of the oldest official historical accounts of Japan. However, because foxes can also be pests themselves, stealing food and killing livestock, they also began appearing in Japanese folklore as ill-intentioned tricksters.

Good kitsune are often thought to be associated with the deity Inari, one of the chief (or holy spirit) in Japan's Shintō religion. Inari is primarily known as the protector god of rice cultivation and is said to further prosperity and therefore is worshiped by merchants and farmers. In depictions the god is often flanked by servant foxes, with more than 30,000 foxes appearing in religious shrines around Japan. Some shrines can contain hundreds of foxes, often in seated positions. As the Shintō religion grew in popularity, so did the spiritual role and the accompanying magical power of these foxes. The kitsune from this period are holy messengers sent by Inari, emissaries between the earthly and celestial spheres. They deliver news and advice to pious humans. Kitsune can be harbingers of good luck, signaling an upcoming successful harvest.

In later years, the fox figure moved beyond servitude to Inari and became a god itself. One name for this type of kitsune is tenko. Tenko are kitsune that are said to be hundreds of years old and all-powerful. They live in the sky and often appear as humanlike female figures. In Edo period (also known as Tokugawa period; 1603-1867) folklore, these good foxes-called zenko as a whole-can be separated into rankings, as they are in the essay collection Kyūsensha manpitsu. In these essays, there are tenko, the highest, most righteous fox spirit, followed in descending order by kinko, ginko, kuroko, and byakko. Other texts divide zenko in different ways, however, so the hierarchy is not clearly defined in all texts on yōkai.

Beginning in the Edo period, kitsune have been more often depicted as mischievous tricksters. In Edo period literature, the most common type of kitsune are nogitsune, which roughly translates to "wild foxes." Like their wiser, holier counterparts, the tenko, they can transform into humans. This transformation is not perfect, however, and kitsune often retain certain foxlike features. Nogitsune use their abilities to make humans seem foolish or to get revenge. In folklore, they often possess women and, while feeding off of their host's life force, seduce men whom they wish to trick. This possession by a fox spirit is called kitsune tsuki. Some stories cite men marrying women who are possessed by mischievous kitsune. These types of tales are common throughout yōkai stories and often end in tragedy or bloodshed.

The origin of the mischievous fox in Japan may be from the Buddhist myth of yakan, which translates to "wild dogs" or jackals. They appear in Buddhist scripture as cunning shape-shifters. When Buddhism was introduced into Japan in the 6th century, the yakan's closest proxy in the wild, and thus its stand-in, was the fox. As such, the deeds performed by evil jackals in Buddhist tales were adopted into Japanese folklore but with foxes replacing their counterparts from other parts of Asia.

Kitsune are portrayed throughout Japanese pop culture, often appearing as powerful magical characters in anime and manga. Unlike in more traditional folk tales, these kitsune often appear more closely related to humans; their only resemblance to foxes is often their ears. Kitsune have also been referenced in pop culture globally, such as in the American television series Teen Wolf (2011-17).

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Kitsune | Meaning, Japanese, Fox, Powers, Mythology, Yokai, & Types

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Kitsune, trickster foxes from traditional Japanese folklore. They are a type of yōkai, a class of supernatural creatures with godlike powers, often equated to the English ghoul or demon. Kitsune are noted for their paranormal abilities, particularly metamorphosis. As they age, these abilities can

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Iktómi (Ik-to-mi) comes to us from the Plains, Southwestern, and Western American Indian groups. Iktómi has spider-like characteristics and features.

From Lakota legend, Iktómi is the firstborn son of Iŋyaŋ ( the rock) who was initially named Skáŋ.

American Indian culture recognized Iktómi as both a spider and a spider-like man. He was born full-grown from an egg and was the size of an ordinary human. He has a big round body like a spider, with slender arms and legs and powerful hands and feet. He dresses in clothes made of buckskin and raccoon.

The Lakota believe that Iktómi is a trickster and does things backward. His clownish ways cause the people to laugh at him, but he is also a sly and cunning man and a teacher.

American Indian culture boasts many stories about Iktómi, the trickster. The Lakota almost always have Coyote - šuŋgmánitu in their stories as well. In most stories, Iktómi comes out on top because he is so wise, cunning, and sly. Because of these characteristics, sometimes he outsmarts himself, and the Coyote comes out on top.

As a spider-like man, Iktómi, the trickster, possesses mysterious, supernatural powers, both good and bad. He might predict something, and if he senses that the people have doubts about his prediction, he makes it come true.

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Iktómi the Trickster : Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

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Iktómi (Ik-to-mi) comes to us from the Plains, Southwestern, and Western American Indian groups. Iktómi has spider-like characteristics and features. From Lakota legend, Iktómi is the firstborn son of Iŋyaŋ [...]

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Brer Rabbit: Brer Rabbit, trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters (see trickster tale); Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler

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Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre is very popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, and in chapbook form throughout the Early Modern period.

The stories are largely concerned with the main character Reynard (Dutch: Reinaert; French: Renart; German: Reineke or Reinicke; Latin: Renartus), an anthropomorphic red fox and trickster figure. His adventures usually involve him deceiving other anthropomorphic animals for his own advantage or trying to avoid their retaliatory efforts. His main enemy and victim across the cycle is his uncle, the wolf Isengrim (or Ysengrim).

While the character of Reynard appears in later works, the core stories were written during the Middle Ages by multiple authors and are often seen as parodies of medieval literature such as courtly love stories and chansons de geste, as well as a satire of political and religious institutions.

The main characters are anthropomorphic animals. The given names of the animals are Old High German in origin,[citation needed ] most of them were in common use as personal names in medieval Lorraine.

Reynard the Fox. The given name Reynard is from Reginhard, Raginohardus "strong in counsel". Because of the popularity of the Reynard stories, renard became the standard French word for "fox", replacing the old French word for "fox", which was from Latin .

Isengrim the Wolf, see Ysengrimus

Tibert the Cat, see Tybalt, Prince of cats

King Noble the Lion, see king of beasts

Bruin the Bear

Grimbard the Badger

Baldwin the Ass

Hirsent the She-wolf

Kyward the Hare

Chanticleer the Cock

Bellin the Ram

Martin the Ape, who had a son named Moneke that may be source of the word monkey

The figure of Reynard is thought to have originated in Lorraine folklore from where it spread to France, the Low Countries, and Germany. An extensive treatment of the character is the Old French Le Roman de Renart written by Pierre de Saint-Cloud around 1170, which sets the typical setting. Reynard has been summoned to the court of king Noble, or Leo, the lion, to answer charges brought against him by Isengrim the wolf. Other anthropomorphic animals, including Bruin the bear, Baldwin the ass, and Tibert (Tybalt) the cat, all attempt one stratagem or another. The stories typically involve satire whose usual butts are the aristocracy and the clergy, making Reynard a peasant-hero character. The story of the preaching fox found in the Reynard literature was used in church art by the Catholic Church as propaganda against the Lollards. Reynard's principal castle, Maupertuis, is available to him whenever he needs to hide away from his enemies. Some of the tales feature Reynard's funeral, where his enemies gather to deliver maudlin elegies full of insincere piety, and which feature Reynard's posthumous revenge. Reynard's wife Hermeline appears in the stories, but plays little active role, although in some versions she remarries when Reynard is thought dead, thereby becoming one of the people he plans revenge upon. Isengrim (alternate French spelling: Ysengrin) is Reynard's most frequent antagonist and foil, and generally ends up outwitted, though he occasionally gets revenge.

Reynard appears first in the medieval Latin poem Ysengrimus, a long Latin mock-epic written c. 1148-1153 by the poet Nivardus in Ghent, that collects a great store of Reynard's adventures. He also puts in an early appearance in a number of Latin sequences by the preacher Odo of Cheriton. Both of these early sources seem to draw on a pre-existing store of popular culture featuring the character.

The first "branch" (or chapter) of the Roman de Renart appears in 1174, written by Pierre de St. Cloud, although in all French editions it is designated as "Branch II". The same author wrote a sequel in 1179-called "Branch I"-but from that date onwards, many other French authors composed their own adventures for Renart li goupil ("the fox"). There is also the text Reinhard Fuchs by Heinrich der Glïchezäre, dated to c. 1180.

Pierre de St. Cloud opens his work on the fox by situating it within the larger tradition of epic poetry, the fabliaux and Arthurian romance:

Seigneurs, oï avez maint conte
Que maint conterre vous raconte
Conment Paris ravi Elaine,
Le mal qu'il en ot et la paine,
De Tristan que la Chievre fist
Qui assez bellement en dist
Et fabliaus et chançons de geste
Romanz d'Yvain et de sa beste
Maint autre conte par la terre.
Mais onques n'oïstes la guerre
Qui tant fu dure de gran fin,
Entre Renart et Ysengrin.

Lords, you have heard many tales,
That many tellers have told to you.
How Paris took Helen,
The evil and the pain he felt
Of Tristan that la Chevre
Spoke rather beautifully about;
And fabliaux and epics;
Of the Romance of Yvain and his beast
And many others told in this land
But never have you heard about the war
That was difficult and lengthy
Between Reynard and Isengrim

A mid-13th-century Middle Dutch version of the story by Willem die Madoc maecte (Van den vos Reynaerde, Of Reynaert the Fox), is also made up of rhymed verses (the same AA BB scheme). Like Pierre, very little is known of the author, other than the description by the copyist in the first sentences:

Willem, die Madocke maecte,
daer hi dicken omme waecte,
hem vernoyde so haerde
dat die avonture van Reynaerde
in Dietsche onghemaket bleven
- die Arnout niet hevet vulscreven -
dat hi die vijte dede soucken
ende hise na den Walschen boucken
in Dietsche dus hevet begonnen.

Willem who made Madocke,
which often kept him awake,
was so extremely annoyed
that the tales of Reynaert
- which Arnout has not finished -
remained unwritten in Dutch
that he had the life looked for
and, following the French books
he began it in Dutch as follows.

Madocke or Madoc is thought to be another one of Willem's works that at one point existed but was lost. The Arnout mentioned was an earlier Reynard poet whose work Willem (the writer) alleges to have finished. However, there are serious objections to this notion of joint authorship, and the only thing deemed likely is that Arnout was French-speaking ("Walschen" in Middle Dutch referred to northern French-speaking people, specifically the Walloons). Willem's work became one of the standard versions of the legend, and was the foundation for most later adaptations in Dutch, German, and English, including those of William Caxton, Goethe, and F. S. Ellis.

Geoffrey Chaucer used Reynard material in the Canterbury Tales; in " The Nun's Priest's Tale", Reynard appears as "Rossel" and an ass as "Brunel".

In 1481 William Caxton printed The Historie of Reynart the Foxe, which was translated from Van den vos Reynaerde. Also in the 1480s, the Scottish poet Robert Henryson devised a highly sophisticated development of Reynardian material as part of his Morall Fabillis in the sections known as . Hans van Ghetelen, a printer of Incunabula in Lübeck printed an early German version called Reinke de Vos in 1498. It was translated to Latin and other languages, which made the tale popular across Europe. Reynard is also referenced in the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight during the third hunt.

Tybalt in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is named after the cat in Reynard the Fox (and is called 'Prince of Cats' by Mercutio in reference to this). Jonson's play is heavily indebted to Reynard.

Reinecke Fuchs by Goethe is a poem in hexameters, in twelve parts, written 1793 and first published 1794. Goethe adapted the Reynard material from the edition by Johann Christoph Gottsched (1752), based on the 1498 Reynke de vos.

In Friedrich Nietzsche's The Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche uses Reynard the Fox as an example of a dialectician.

German artist Johann Heinrich Ramberg made a series of 30 drawings which he also etched and published in 1825.

Renert [full original title: Renert oder de Fuuß am Frack an a Ma'nsgrëßt], was published in 1872 by Michel Rodange, a Luxembourgeois author. An epic satirical work-adapted from the 1858 Cotta Edition of Goethe's fox epic Reineke Fuchs to a setting in Luxembourg- it is known for its insightful analysis of the unique characteristics of the people of Luxembourg, using regional and sub-regional dialects to depict the fox and his companions.

Fedor Flinzer illustrated Reineke Fuchs ( Reynard the Fox) for children.

French artist Rémy Lejeune (Ladoré) illustrated Les Aventures de Maître Renart et d'Ysengrin son compère, "Bibliolâtres de France" editions (1960)

British poet laureate John Masefield's poem "Reynard the Fox" (1920) concerns a fox hunt that pursues the title character, who "could outlast horse and outrace hound."

Louis Paul Boon's novel Wapenbroeders (Brothers in Arms, 1955) is an extensive reworking of the whole tale.

Reynard the Fox makes a short but significant appearance at the end of The Magician King, when he is accidentally summoned.

Reynard, a genetically modified part-fox, is a major character in John Crowley's novel Beasts.

Reynard, in a variety of lives and names often containing "Guy," "Fox," "Fawkes," and "Reynard," is one of the leading characters in the Book of All Hours Duology by Hal Duncan, and is stated to be every incarnation of the trickster throughout the multiverse.

A human version of the character appears in David R. Witanowski's novel Reynard the Fox.

The Fantasy detective Peter Grant crosses paths with Reynard in the novel The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch.

A version of the character appears in Laurence Yep's A Dragon's Guide series as a shapeshifting, computer-hacking ally of the dragon Ms. Drake.

Antisemitic version (1937)

Van den vos Reynaerde (Of Reynaert the Fox) was an anti-Semitic children's story, written by the Dutch-Belgian Robert van Genechten, and named after the Middle Dutch poem. It was first published in 1937 in Nieuw-Nederland, a monthly publication of the Dutch Nazi Party's front, the NSB. In 1941 it was published as a book.

The story features a rhinoceros called Jodocus, somewhat akin to the Dutch word jood (" jew"); and a donkey, Boudewijn, who occupies the throne. Boudewijn was the Dutch name for the contemporary real-world Belgian crown prince. In the story, Jodocus is an outsider who comes to the Empire and subsequently introduces new ideas that drastically alter the natural order. The land is then declared a "Republic", where "liberty, equality and fraternity" are to be exercised, presenting a dystopian view of a socialist republic: "There was no one who kept to the rules of the race. Rabbits crept into foxholes, the chickens wanted to build an eyrie." Eventually, Reynard and the others trick and kill Jodocus and his colleagues.

Van den vos Reynaerde was also produced as a cartoon film by Nederlandfilm in 1943, mostly financed with German money. While lavishly budgeted, it was never presented publicly, possibly because most Dutch Jews had already been transported to the concentration camps and the film came too late to be useful as a propaganda piece, possibly also because the Dutch collaborationist Department of People's Information, Service and Arts objected to the fact that the fox, an animal traditionally seen as "villainous", should be used as a hero. In 1991, parts of the film were discovered in the German Bundesarchiv. In 2005, more pieces were found, and the film has been restored. The reconstructed film was shown during the 2006 Holland Animation Film Festival in Utrecht and during the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival in 2008, in the Netherlands.

Ladislas Starevich's 1930 puppet-animated feature film Le Roman de Renard (The Tale of the Fox) featured the Reynard character as the protagonist. The documentary film (1962) parallels Hitler's rise to power with the Reynard fable.

Initially, Walt Disney Animation Studios considered a movie about Reynard. However, due to Walt Disney's concern that Reynard was an unsuitable choice for a hero, the studio decided to make Reynard the antagonist of a single narrative feature film named Chanticleer and Reynard (based on Edmond Rostand's Chanticleer) but the production was scrapped in the mid-1960s, in favor of The Sword in the Stone (1963). Ken Anderson used the character designs for (1973) such as the animal counterparts (e.g. Robin Hood like Reynard is a fox while the Sheriff of Nottingham like Isengrim is a wolf).

In 1985, a French animated series, ( I Reynard), was created that was loosely based on Reynard's tales. In it, the original animals are anthropomorphic humanoid animals (to the point that, primary, only their heads are that of animals) and the action occurs in modern Paris with other anthropomorphic animals in human roles. Reynard is a young mischievous fox with a little monkey pet called Marmouset (an original creation). He sets off into Paris in order to discover the city, get a job and visit his grumpy and stingy uncle, Isengrim, who is a deluxe car salesman, and his reasonable yet dreamy she-wolf aunt, Hersent. Reynard meets Hermeline, a young and charming motorbike-riding vixen journalist. He immediately falls in love with her and tries to win her heart during several of the episodes. As Reynard establishes himself in Paris, he creates a small company that shares his name which offers to do any job for anyone, from impersonating female maids to opera singers. To help with this, he is a master of disguise and is a bit of a kleptomaniac, which gets him into trouble from police chief Chantecler (a rooster) who often sends cat police inspector Tybalt after him to thwart his plans.

The Goethe fox epic was adapted into a 1989 German television film produced by Manfred Durniok and ZDF called Isegrim ind Reineke; animation was outsourced to Shanghai Animation Film Studio in China. Unlike other versions, this portrays Renart (Reineke) as quite villanous while Isegrim (who is not related in this version) just tries to keep his job safe from the fox's tricks. While Reineke always tricks and beats the wolf, usually some twist of fate or accident still prevents him from winning and keeps Isegrim's job safe in the court. The movie, which is actually 6 episodes of unrelated stories strung together, is available on DVD.

Le roman de Renart is a 2005 CGI feature animated film made in Luxembourg in French with an English dub called Renart The Fox or The Adventures of Renny the Fox.

The TV show The Magicians includes a character based on Reynard. In this version, he is a violent pagan trickster god and son of Persephone who is accidentally summoned by a group of hedge witches. He ends up killing most of the summoners and taking over the body of their leader using it to rape the sole survivor of the group who summoned him. This event drives that characters plot for much of the series.

Reynard the Fox is the name of a number of traditional folk songs ( Roud 190, 358 and 1868).

Dutch modern artist Leonard van Munster made an installation titled "The Surrender of Reynard the Fox".

Reynard is portrayed as a character in Gunnerkrigg Court as Reynardine, a fox demon who can possess "anything with eyes", including living beings and, in his current form, a plush wolf toy. Gunnerkrigg Court also has Ysengrin, an Ysengrim analog, as well as Coyote.

Reynard is portrayed as a character in Fables, as a smart and cunning fox who is loyal to Snow White and Fabletown, despite being one of the Fables segregated to the upstate New York "Farm" due to his non-human appearance. He initially appears as a physically normal fox, anthropomorphized only in his ability to think and speak as humans do; later, he is granted the ability to assume a handsome human appearance.

The French comic De cape et de crocs takes place in an alternative 17th century where anthropomorphic animals live among humans. One of the two main characters, Armand Raynal de Maupertuis, is a French fox based on Reynard while his companion, Don Lope de Villalobos y Sangrin, is a Spanish wolf based on Isengrim (which is spelled Ysengrin in French).

1. Bianciotto, G. (2005). Introduction. In ^ Le Roman de Renart. Paris: Librairie Générale Française (Livre de poche) ISBN 978-2-253-08698-7

2. ^ Weekley, Ernest (2012-07-18). "monkey". An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English. Courier Corporation. p. 945. ISBN 9780486122861.

3. ^ Briggs, Asa (ed.) (1989) The Longman Encyclopedia, Longman, ISBN 0-582-91620-8

4. ^ Benton, Janetta Rebold (1 April 1997). Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings. Abbeville Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-7892-0182-9.

5. ^ Bouwman, André; Besamusca, Bart (2009). Of Reynaert the Fox: Text and Facing Translation of the Middle Dutch Beast Epic Van Den Vos Reynaerde. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. pp. 42-43. ISBN 908964024X.

6. Jonson, B. (1999) Brian Parker and David Bevington (eds.), ^ Volpone, Manchester, Manchester University Press pp. 3-6 ISBN 978-0-7190-5182-1

7. "Reineke Fuchs. In 30 Blattern gezeichnet und radirt von Johann Heinrich Ramberg." Hannover 1826. New edition with colored prints 2016. Waltraud Maierhofer (ed.). Reineke Fuchs - Reynard the Fox. 31 Originalzeichnungen u. neu kolorierte Radierungen m. Auszügen aus d. deutschen Übersetzung des Epos im populären Stil v. Soltau | 31 original drawings and newly colored etchings with excerpts from the English translation of the burlesque poem by Soltau. VDG Weimar, 2016. ^ ISBN 978-3-89739-854-2

8. ^ Renert at the European Literary Characters website. Retrieved on 22 April 2015.

9. ^ Rodange, Michel (2010). "Renert, oder de Fuuss Am Frack an a Mansgresst". Kessinger Publishing. Retrieved on 22 April 2015.

10. ^ Reynard the Fox and the Jew Animal by Egbert Barten and Gerard Groeneveld Archived June 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

11. ^ Animation World Network (1996-10-01). "Reynard the Fox and the Jew Animal, page 6". Awn.com.

12. ^ "Reynard the Fox" at Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music website. Retrieved on 22 April 2015.

Bonafin, Massimo, Le malizie della volpe: Parola letteraria e motivi etnici nel Roman de Renart (Rome: Carocci editore, 2006) (Biblioteca Medievale Saggi). cf. here an abstract of this book & cf. here a review of this book unfortunately not yet translated in English.

Zebracki, Martin, Het grenzeloze land van Reynaerde [The boundless country of [the Fox] Reynaert]. Geografie 20 (2011: 2), pp. 30-33.

Johann Heinrich Ramberg (artist), Dietrich Wilhelm Soltau (author), Waltraud Maierhofer (editor): "Reineke Fuchs - Reynard the Fox. 31 Originalzeichnungen u. neu kolorierte Radierungen m. Auszügen aus d. deutschen Übersetzung des Epos im populären Stil v. Soltau | 31 original drawings and newly colored etchings with excerpts from the English translation of the burlesque poem by Soltau." VDG Weimar, Weimar 2016. ISBN 978-3-89739-854-2.

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Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre is very popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, and in chapbook form throughout the Early Modern period.

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Māui or Maui is the great culture hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. Very rarely was Māui actually worshipped, being less of a deity ( Demigod) and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main exploits remain relatively similar.

Tales of Māui's exploits and adventures are told throughout most of Polynesia; they can be traced back as far west as islands off New Guinea. Some exploits common to most Polynesian traditions are stealing fire for humans from the underworld, fishing up islands with his magical hook, and capturing the Sun to lengthen the days. There is a great deal of variation in the representations of Māui from nation to nation, from being a handsome young man, to being an old wise wandering priest. Although Māui was said to be very rascally or "kolohe", many of his deeds were to better the lives of his fellow people.

Māori mythology

In Māori mythology, as in other Polynesian traditions, Māui is a culture hero and a trickster, famous for his exploits and cleverness. Māori names of Māui include Māui-tikitiki ("Māui the top-knot"), Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga ("Māui the top-knot of Taranga"), Māui-pōtiki ("Māui the last born"), and Māui te whare kino ("Māui the house of trouble").[citation needed ]

Māui's older brothers always refused to let him come fishing with them. One night, he wove for himself a flax fishing line and enchanted it with a karakia to give it strength; to this he attached the magic fish-hook made from the jawbone that his grandmother Murirangawhenua had given him. Then he stowed away in the hull of his brothers' waka (canoe). The next morning, when the waka was too far from land to return, he emerged from his hiding place. His brothers would not lend him any bait, so he struck himself on the nose and baited the hook with his blood. He pulled up a giant fish which would become the North Island of New Zealand, known as Te Ika-e-Māui; the valleys and mountains of the island were made by his brothers chopping up the fish for themselves. In some traditions his waka became the South Island, known as Te Waka a Māui. (Other traditions make the South Island the waka of Aoraki.)

Māui wanted to know where fire came from, so one night he went among the villages of his people and put all the fires out. Māui's mother Taranga, who was their rangatira, said that someone would have to ask Mahuika, the goddess of fire, for more. So Māui (a grandson of Mahuika) offered to go and find her. Mahuika lived in a cave in a burning mountain at the end of the earth. She gave Māui one of her burning fingernails to relight the fires, but Māui extinguished fingernail after fingernail until Mahuika became angry and sent fire to pursue Māui, who survived only by calling upon Tāwhirimātea, the god of weather, to put it out with his rain. Mahuika threw her last nail at Māui, but it missed him and flew into some trees including the māhoe and the kaikōmako. Māui brought back dry sticks of these trees to his village and showed his people how to rub the sticks together and make fire.

In former days, the sun used to travel quickly across the sky, leaving not enough daylight time for working and eating. Māui proposed to catch the sun and slow it down. Armed with Murirangawhenua's magic jawbone and a large amount of rope, Māui and his brothers journeyed to the east and found the pit where the sun-god Tama-nui-te-rā slept during the night-time. There they tied the ropes into a noose around the pit and built a wall of clay to shelter behind. Tama-nui-te-rā was caught in the noose and Māui struck him with the jawbone until he surrendered and agreed to travel slowly across the sky.

Māui's last trick led to his death and involved Hine-nui-te-pō, the goddess of death and the underworld. In an attempt to make mankind immortal by reversing the natural birth process, he transformed into a worm and entered Hine-nui-te-pō's vagina, intending to leave through her mouth while she slept. However, she was awoken by pīwakawaka ( fantails) who had burst into laughter at the sight of Māui entering her vagina. Angered, Hine-nui-te-pō crushed Māui to death with the obsidian teeth in her vagina. The story now serves as a cautionary tale against rape.

In Hawaiian religion, Māui is a culture hero and ancient chief who appears in several different genealogies. In the Kumulipo he is the son of ʻAkalana and his wife Hina-a-ke-ahi ( Hina). This couple has four sons, Māui-mua, Māui-waena, Māui-kiʻikiʻi and Māui-a-kalana. Māui-a-kalana's wife is named Hinakealohaila; his son is Nanamaoa. Māui is one of the Kupua. His name is the same as that of the Hawaiian island Maui, although native tradition holds that it is not named for him directly, but instead named after the son of the Hawaiʻiloa ("discoverer of Hawaiʻi", who was named after Māui himself).

Some of Māui's most renowned feats included causing birds (which were invisible to mortal eyes) to become visible. In this long ago, forgotten time, the music of the birds delighted Māui. He observed them with keen interest, their varied and beautiful plumage which adorned the foliage of fragrant trees, and their melodious music, however, no one else could join him in enjoying what was apparent to his vision. For, although Māui's friends could hear their wonderful bird songs, none perceived the true source of the sounds. Māui felt compassion for his friends, for humanity, and their inability to behold with their eyes the colorful, musical creatures as they flitted from tree to tree, so, Māui caused the creatures to become visible to the naked eye.

Māui also is credited with the creation of the Hawaiian islands, when he went on a fishing expedition with his friends, and, using a magic fish hook, pulled up various island groups from the oceanic depths. In some versions of the Hawaiian fisherman story, Māui is said to be a bad fisherman. His brothers would mock him for not catching any fish and he would retaliate with mischievous tricks against them. Māui and all his brothers were sons to a divine father and mother but only Māui was granted miraculous powers, which is why Māui was able to possess this magical hook made from the bones of his divine ancestors. One day, his brothers went fishing but would not permit Māui to join them on the canoe, and this irritated Māui. When they returned, Māui told them that, had he gone with them, they would have caught many more fish rather than just a single shark. His brothers considered his remark and then took him out on their next trip. They asked him where all the "good" fish were. Māui then threw in his magical hook baited with Alae birds, sacred to his mother Hina. The ocean floor began to move and generate huge waves while Māui asked his brothers to paddle fast to accommodate for the oncoming fish. They paddled with great power and were getting tired but Māui told them not to look back because if they did the fish would run away. One of the brothers disobeyed and the fishing line snapped, revealing new islands. Had nobody looked back, there would have been more islands.

As humans had not yet discovered fire, during Māui's tenure in a land of perpetual volcanic eruptions and fire in the mountaintops, Māui decided that rather than periodically hike for dozens of miles across corals just to obtain glowing embers of the extinguished fires put out the previous night by cold winds, he decided upon a simpler solution. He would bring the fire to him. Māui knew of a tribe of intelligent birds that mastered the art of fire-making. His plan was to capture their leader, and coerce from him the secret of fire. The bird taught him that he should rub certain sticks together in order to produce fire, and this is how the secret of fire was brought to humanity.

Before Māui's involvement in the matter, the Sun (Lā) notoriously traveled on irregular paths in the sky, coming and going unexpectedly at times, which made activities such as farming very difficult for man. To this end, Māui crafted snares made of his hair in order to trap the sun and compel it to travel more slowly and adhere to regular courses of travel. In this manner, Māui regulated the sun's activities for the benefit of mankind.

Similar to Atlas and Heracles of Greek mythology, Māui lifted up the heavens, which, for a long time, had lain heavily upon the plants of the Earth, leaving insufficient room for growth and for humanity to move about with ease.

In the Tongan version of his tales, Māui drew up the Tongan Islands from the deep: first appeared Lofanga and the other Haʻapai Islands, and finally Vavaʻu. Māui then dwelt in Tonga. Māui had two sons: the eldest, Māui-Atalanga, and the younger Māui-Kisikisi. The latter discovered the secret of fire, and taught people the art of cooking food: he made fire dwell in certain kinds of wood. Māui-Motu'a bears the earth on his shoulders, and when he nods in sleep it causes earthquakes, therefore the people have to stamp on the ground to waken him. Hikule'o, the deity presiding over Pulotu, the underworld, is the youngest son of Māui-Motu'a. Houma is pointed out as the spot where Māui's fish-hook caught.

Other sources say that in Tonga there were three Māui brothers: Māui-motuʻa (old Māui), Māui-atalanga, and Māui-kisikisi (dragonfly Māui), the last one being the trickster. He also got the name Māui-fusi-fonua (Māui land puller) when he begged the magic fishhook from the old fisherman Tongafusifonua, who lived in Manuka (located to the east on the island of Tonga). Tongafusifonua allowed him to take the fishhook, under the condition that he could find it in his collection of countless hooks. But his wife, Tavatava betrayed the secret, allowing Māui to pick the right hook. And so he was able to fish up the coral islands from the bottom of the ocean (Volcanic islands are supposed to have fallen down from heavens).[citation needed ]

In the mythology of Tahiti, Māui was a wise man, or prophet. He was a priest, but was afterwards deified. Being at one time engaged at the marae (sacred place), and the sun getting low while Māui's work was unfinished, he laid hold of the hihi, or sun-rays, and stopped his course for some time. As the discoverer of fire, Māui was named Ao-ao-ma-ra'i-a because he taught the art of obtaining fire by friction of wood. Before this time people ate their food raw. See also Mahui'e, Tahitian guardian of fire.

Māui was responsible for earthquakes.

In Samoan mythology, Māui or Tiʻitiʻi gave fire to his people. Being the curious and kolohe demigod that he is, Tiʻitiʻi concealed himself closely to a wall that allowed his father, Talaga, to get to work in the underworld. The underworld is home to Mafuiʻe, the earthquake god. When Tiʻitiʻi got the chance, he went up to the wall and imitated the voice of his father, saying "O rock! Divide, I am Talaga, I come to work on my land given by Mafuiʻe". As Tiʻitiʻi passed through to the underworld, his father was surprised and told his son to help quietly so he doesn't anger Mafui'e. While working, Tiʻitiʻi noticed smoke and asked his father where it was coming from. Talaga explained that the smoke was from Mafuiʻes fire. Tiʻitiʻi went to see the god and ask for fire. Mafuiʻe gave him a little bit of the fire; then he quickly built a stone oven, or umu, to put it in. His idea was to cook the taro that they had been harvesting. The god came and blew the fire up scattering the rocks and angered Tiʻitiʻi. As he goes to talk to the god, Mafui'e was determined to punish Tiʻitiʻi severely for daring to rebel against the power of fire. Their great duel ultimately ended with Tiʻitiʻi triumphant. The young demigod broke off Mafuiʻe's right arm and caught the left arm right after. Scared that Tiʻitiʻi was going to break off that arm, Mafuiʻe pleaded with him to spare the left arm so he could still fulfill his duty of keeping Samoa flat with earthquakes. The god offered him one hundred wives should he spare his left arm. The hero declined; the god offered the secrets of fire that he can take to the upper world. Tiʻitiʻi accepted this offer and learned that the gods had hidden eternal fire in trees, to be extracted by rubbing sticks from the trees together.

In the mythology of Mangareva, Māui hauls the land up from the sea, and ties the sun with tresses of hair. His father was Ataraga; his mother, Uaega.

There were eight Māui: Māui-mua, Māui-muri, Māui-toere-mataroa, Tumei-hauhia, Māui-tikitiki-toga, Māui-matavaru, Māui-taha, Māui-roto. Māui the eight-eyed (matavaru) is the hero. He is born from his mother's navel, and is raised by his grandfather, Te Rupe, who gives him a magic staff named Atua-tane and a hatchet named Iraiapatapata.

Participant of the Merrie Monarch Parade in Hilo performs as Māui, based largely on his depiction in the 2016 film Moana

Maui appears as a main character in the 2016 Disney 3D computer-animated musical film , in which he is voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Abandoned by his human parents as a baby, the gods took pity on him and made him a demigod and gave him a magic fishhook that gives him the ability to shape-shift. He went on to perform miracles to win back the love of humanity, each of which earned him an animated tattoo. He is fabled to have stolen the heart of Te Fiti, a powerful island goddess who creates life. The protagonist of the film, Moana, persuades him to help her return it. In his song "You're Welcome," composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maui mentions and takes credit for several of the deeds he is credited with in folklore. This version of Māui incorporates elements from various Polynesian narratives.

Māui was also the subject of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's song "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man" in his most well-known album, Facing Future, which is the highest selling Hawaiian album of all time.

Māui was included as a playable hero in the video game Smite in October 2022.

E.R. Tregear, Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay, 1891).

M. Beckwith, Hawaiian Mythology (University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu, 1970).

W.D. Westervelt, Legends of Maui (Hawaiian Gazette: Honolulu, 1910).

W.D. Westervelt, Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology) (Press of George H. Ellis, Co.: Boston, 1915).

E.S. Craighill Handy, Polynesian Religion (The Museum of Polynesian Religion: Honolulu, 1927).

Westervelt, W.D. (2010). Legends of Ma-ui: A demi god of Polynesia, and of his mother Hina. Honolulu, HI: The Hawaiian Gazette Co.

Westervelt, W. D. (n.d.). V. Retrieved April 10, 2019, from http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/maui/maui08.htm

Westervelt, W. D. (n.d.). II. Retrieved April 10, 2019, from http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/maui/maui05.htm

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Māui or Maui is the great culture hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. Very rarely was Māui actually worshipped, being less of a deity ( Demigod) and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main exploits remain relatively similar.

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Table of Contents

This article was most recently revised and updated by

Eshu, also spelled Eschu, also called Elegba, trickster god of the Yoruba of Nigeria, an essentially protective, benevolent spirit who serves Ifa, the chief god, as a messenger between heaven and earth. Eshu requires constant appeasement in order to carry out his assigned functions of conveying sacrifices and divining the future. One myth depicts Eshu as tricking Ifa out of the secrets of divination; another, in which Eshu restores Ifa from his imprisonment in a palm tree, casts him as the founder of the Ifa religion.

J.E. Luebering.

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Eshu, also spelled Eschu, also called Elegba, trickster god of the Yoruba of Nigeria, an essentially protective, benevolent spirit who serves Ifa, the chief god, as a messenger between heaven and earth. Eshu requires constant appeasement in order to carry out his assigned functions of conveying sacrifices and divining the future.

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Overview

In Chinese mythology, Sun Wukong (孫悟空), also known as the Monkey King, is a trickster god who plays a central role in Wu Cheng'en's adventure novel Journey to the West.

Wukong is blessed with unmatched superhuman strength and the ability to transform into 72 different animals and objects. Each of his hairs have transformative powers, and he can magically manipulate wind, water and fire as well. Characterized by his short temper, impatience and proclivity towards anger, Sun Wukong is one of the most important and beloved literary figures in Chinese culture.

Etymology

Sūn Wùkōng's name is comprised of the characters for "grandson" (孫), "awakened" (悟) and "space"(空). Though the character sūn (孫) usually refers to grandsons, in this context it refers to monkeys. His name literally translates as the "monkey awakened by the emptiness." Wukong's name is meant to represent his spiritual journey from an ignorant, short-tempered monkey to a benevolent, enlightened being. In Japan, he is known as Son Goku.

Attributes

Being a monkey, Sun Wukong has a very distinct appearance that sets him apart from the other gods. Prior to his enlightenment, Wukong is usually depicted as a naked macaque. After devoting himself to the Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang, Wukong is generally shown in full warrior gear with special items such as a golden chainmail shirt, a phoenix feathered cap, cloud-walking boots, and an eight ton staff that can shrink to the size of a needle.

Family

Sun Wukong does not have any blood relatives, as he was born from a magical rock. Prior to joining the Jade Emperor's court, he lorded over a group of wandering monkeys who took care of him and regarded him as their leader.

Mythology

The legend of Sun Wukong first appeared in the Song Dynasty-era adventure novel Journey to the West. The book follows the story of a humble Buddhist monk named Tang Sanzang who travels from his home in Southern China to India in order to bring back holy texts and enlighten his countrymen. After being released from the mountain he was trapped under for 500 years, Wukong serves as the monk's bodyguard throughout his journey.

Origins

In ancient times, a magical rock rested on top of Mount Huagou. One day, a stiff breeze blew upon the rock and caused a fully formed monkey to burst forth from its stone face. Despite having just been born, the young monkey was already able to walk and speak.

When Wukong opened his eyes, golden beams of light shot forth from his pupils, piercing the clouds and startling the Jade Emperor (玉皇). When the Jade Emperor looked for the source of the strange light, all he could see was a baby monkey. Thinking that the light could not possibly emanate from such a source, the Jade Emperor dismissed the incident from his mind.

As he began exploring the forest, Sun Wukong discovered other monkeys and decided to live with them. One day the group was relaxing near a waterfall when they decided to play a game: whoever was brave enough to jump through the falls and find the stream's source would be named the King of Monkeys.

Sun Wukong immediately leapt through the waterfall and traveled up the stream to find its source. His mission was successful, and he quickly returned and declared himself king. With the support of the forest monkeys, Sun Wukong quickly established himself as a powerful forest demon that would go on to battle the Dragon King and other sea demons. His exploits earned him a number of powerful weapons, including his signature gold chainmail shirt, phoenix cap, cloud-walking boots, and magical eight ton staff.

When the time came for Yan Wang (閻王) and the Kings of Hell to collect Wukong's soul, Wukong was ready. He tricked Yan Wang into allowing him to return to earth without undergoing reincarnation. Before leaving Hell, Wukong managed to erase his and every other forest monkey's name from the Book of Life and Death. Troubled that the balance of life was being upset by a mere monkey, Yan Wang appealed to the Jade Emperor for assistance.

Sun Wukong and the Jade Emperor

Upon hearing about the irascible demon of Mount Huaguo, the Jade Emperor felt the best way to subdue Wukong was to let him live in Heaven with the other gods so that he would feel a sense of importance. He issued an invitation to Wukong, who eagerly accepted. After saying goodbye to his friends, the Monkey King set off for the Jade Palace.

Once he got there, however, Sun Wukong discovered he was assigned to the lowest task in all of Heaven: guarding the Jade Emperor's horses. He quickly realized that because he was a monkey, the other gods would never see him as a peer. In hopes of finding a way to prove himself an equal, the Monkey King became obsessed with the idea of immortality and devoted himself to the pursuit of everlasting life. When the Jade Emperor encouraged him to take up other, more fruitful pursuits, Wukong scorned him:

'Can this sort of practice lead to immortality?' asked Wukong. 'Impossible! Impossible!' said the Patriarch. 'I won't learn it then,' Wukong said.

One day, the Jade Emperor held a party to celebrate his wife, Xiwangmu (西王母). Having been unknowingly excluded from the party, Wukong decided to drop by and was laughed out of the hall by the other gods. Hurt by the actions of his peers, Wukong declared himself to be Qítiān Dàshèng (齊天大聖), or the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven". He also made an enormous banner to taunt the Emperor.

The Jade Emperor sent a battalion of soldiers to arrest Wukong for his insolence, but they proved to be no match for him. After defeating the last solder, the Monkey King shouted victoriously, "Remember my name, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong!"

The Monkey King's victory forced the Jade Emperor to acknowledge his power. In recognition of his talent, the Jade Emperor promoted him to guard Xiwangmu's Peaches of Immortality. This was not enough for the Monkey King, however, who truly believed that he was the Jade Emperor's equal. Viewing this promotion as yet another insult, Wukong decided that enough was enough. In a final act of defiance, Wukong ate all of the peaches in the garden. The Jade Emperor was furious, and sent two battalions after the Monkey King. Once again, however, Wukong defeated them all.

Out of options, the Jade Emperor told Buddha what had happened and begged him to intervene. Buddha immediately banished Wukong from Heaven and pinned him underneath a mountain so that he could reflect on his actions.

Journey to the West

For 500 years, Wukong lay immobilized beneath the weight of Buddha's mountain. Eventually, a traveling monk named Tang Sanzang found the Monkey King and offered to release him on the condition that he would repent and become the monk's disciple.

At first the Monkey King rejected the monk's offer. Sun Wukong would play servant to no one-least of all a human. After Tang started to walk away, however, Wukong quickly changed his mind. He would gladly serve the monk in exchange for his release.

Before Tang freed Wukong, the goddess of mercy Guanyin (觀音) gave the monk a magical band that granted him control over the Monkey King. After being freed from the weight of the mountain, Sun Wukong joined Tang's other demonic traveling companions: Zhū Bājiè (猪八戒) or "Piggy", and Shā Wùjìng (沙悟浄) or "Sandy."

Grateful to be released from his imprisonment, Sun Wukong served Tang faithfully during their journey to India and cheerfully battled demons whenever the need arose. Through his noble deeds and dedication to Tang's teachings, Sun Wukong eventually achieved enlightenment and put an end to his angry, greedy and envious tendencies.

Pop Culture

Though he's not commonly worshiped by Buddhist and Taoist practitioners, Sun Wukong is an important Chinese cultural figure and has been featured in a number of TV series, movies and plays.

Journey to the West has been adapted into film a number of times, and was most recently remade in 2013 by Chinese film director and actor Stephen Chow. In the anime Dragon Ball, the character of Son Goku is largely based off the myth of Sun Wukong, hence his superhuman strength and tail. Sun Wukong also serves as the inspiration for the character of the same name in RWBY.

Sun Wukong is featured as a character in the video games Sonson, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, League of Legends, and Warriors Orochi.

Authors

Mae Hamilton

Mae Hamilton is a freelance journalist with a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Texas at Austin

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Sun Wukong (孫悟空) is the Chinese trickster god known as the Monkey King. Born from a magical rock, he was thrown out of the Jade Emperor's court for his impertinence, but eventually achieved enlightenment.

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Coyote, in the mythology and folklore of the North American Plains, California, and Southwest Indians, the chief animal of the age before humans. Coyote's exploits as a creator, lover, magician, glutton, and trickster are celebrated in a vast number of oral tales (see trickster tale). He was

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Where does the story of Loki come from?

Who are Loki's offspring?

Is the Loki in Norse mythology the same as the Loki character in the Marvel comics and films?

This article was most recently revised and updated by

Loki, in Norse mythology, a cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and sex. Although his father was the giant Fárbauti, he was included among the Aesir (a tribe of gods). Loki was represented as the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing embarrassment and difficulty for them and himself. He also appeared as the enemy of the gods, entering their banquet uninvited and demanding their drink. He was the principal cause of the death of the god Balder. Loki was bound to a rock (by the entrails of one or more of his sons, according to some sources) as punishment, thus in many ways resembling the Greek figures Prometheus and Tantalus. Also like Prometheus, Loki is considered a god of fire.

C. G. Qvarnstrom/Myths of the Norsemen by H. A. Guerber

With the female giant Angerboda (Angrboda: "Distress Bringer"), Loki produced the progeny Hel, the goddess of death; Jörmungand, the serpent that surrounds the world; and Fenrir (Fenrisúlfr), the wolf. Loki is also credited with giving birth to Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse.

Loki's status in pre-Christian Scandinavia remains somewhat obscure. The medieval sources from which came much of what is known of Loki provide no evidence of a cult, unlike for other Norse deities, and the name Loki does not appear in place-names.

Adam Augustyn.

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Loki, in Norse mythology, a cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and sex. He was represented as the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing embarrassment and difficulty for them and himself.