Holy Catalysts Kester Brewin, over on his blog, has been posting a series of thoughts over the role, place and nature of tricksters in society. The Trickster, in case you've not come across the concept, is the character who by defying the established boundaries brings new things and possibilities into being, and often makes a fool of him or herself along the way. That's a very rough and ready definition, and I'm not sure that it's totally right, even though I've been dipping into Lewis Hyde's excellent book, Trickster Makes this World: Mischief, Myth and Art on and off for months now.

Most often the concept seems to be found in the myths and stories of native peoples around the world, but has curiously escaped, or even been expunged, from the Western mind-set as mediated by the Judaeo-Christian world-view. The Norse god, Loki, who as far as I'm concerned is the patron of computer technology, is the most obvious European example I can call to mind at present, although Prometheus who stole fire from the gods of ancient Greece is another example.

Kester's real line of thought though is that of seeing Christ as Trickster , and by extension us, as he puts it "the body, mind, walking, breathing, blood and guts of Christ."

(That in itself might be a postmodern paraphrase of the words of St Teresa of Avila, who write IIRC, "Christ has no hands but yours.." and went on to eyes, hands and feet.)

Anyway, go read, think, engage, post.

And for those of you who I keep disappointing with my lack of Role-Playing Games references, you could try looking at the nature of Eurmal in Glorantha. That link should be a starter... I really will get around to more RPG-related stuff sooner or later (probably later at this rate). In the mean time have you read this?  ¶ 11:51 am