Trickster Archetypes

The classic trickster archetype represents the traits of deceitfulness, craftiness, and stealthiness. Tricksters will repeatedly annoy the gods to make a name for themselves, or they will commit an act of great proportions, gaining infamy in their respective realms. Others, however, commit an act of trickery that results in punishment, such as the deceitful serpent in Genesis. However, Hermes, from Greek Mythology, used a mischievous act at a young age to gain notoriety and influence later in his life. Rather, Loki, depicted in Norse Mythology, committed malicious acts from his position of power. Tricksters, such as Hermes and Loki, rely on deception in order to obtain authority over others, allowing them manipulate their position to perform

Hermes’ long for adventure contributes with his cunning ability to commit an act of trickery. On the day Hermes was born, he snuck out of his house when his mother was asleep and traveled down to Apollo’s property. When Hermes saw the land, he noticed there were cows there, and with Hermes’ craftiness, he led the fifty cows by their tails. The footprints made it look as if the cows were walking towards the property and not away from it. He took them to a surrounding cave in the area, so the owner could not see them (“Hermes”). When returning home, he saw a turtle and decided to kill it, from there he “stretched some of the cows entrails across the opening of the shell to make a musical instrument" (Daly 45). Hermes uses his cunning ability to figure out a way to successfully complete his adventure. While doing so, he, additionally, uses his intelligence to complete an invention, in this case an instrument, from things he acquired. Hermes’ trickery did not go unnoticed, as he would be noticed by the gods; eventually, he will receive position of prominence. When Hermes tried to deny the robbery of the cows, the gods would not accept it because “Zeus had seen everything” for himself (“Hermes”). And as Hermes grew up he would come to receive the position of Zeus’ “personal messenger” (“Hermes”). Hermes goes from being unnoticed to having Zeus see every action he did, because of

Loki and Hermes both used their charismatic personalities to develop strong relations with the most powerful gods. Hermes was given the job of messenger of the gods because “he always used the right words in every situation” (“Hermes”). Hermes’ confidence in himself gave of an image that had the gods admire him for his ability; therefore, giving them no choice but to give him a position of power. Rather than using his strength, Loki also tended use his sly mannerisms and speech in order to get what he desired. This was the reason for Odin’s visit to Loki’s home on Jotunheim, and it was here that they became bonded to one another by blood (“Loki”). Loki’s rise to power began shortly after his arrival in Asgard, and he quickly became known to all of the gods. Due to a combination of both his popularity and affiliations, Loki was able to firmly establish his authority over his subjects and other gods in the realm. This caused Loki’s influence to expand exponentially and also allowed him to plague the kingdom with trickery without immediate consequences. Both gods, despite of their detrimental and mischievous behavior, were able to receive accolades among their kingdoms.
Hermes and Loki both display manipulative and charismatic personalities, which they use to undermine the other gods. Though they come from different stories, from two separate cultures, the theme of the