Contemporary Tricksters

1. Contemporary Tricksters A perpetuation and manifestation of the past, present and societal norms

2. Tricksters: • Often have the ability to traverse between worlds—the supernatural and the natural ones (p. 199). • They “know” hidden spaces (p. 199, 200) • Take on alternate forms (shape-shift). • And provide “safe passage” from this world to the next. • They possess intimate knowledge of medicine and disciplines intersecting life.

3. Contemporary Tricksters from TV Series • Touched by an Angel(1994-2003)- Monica, Tess (both angels and messengers) and Andrew, the Angel of Death take on earthly form and assume various roles (Touched.com, 2010). • Each of them “fools” people into believing they are social workers, friends, etc. in order to facilitate or promote a “correct” moral action. • Andrew, of course, the only male Angel also provides safe passage from the natural into the supernatural. His presence inevitably foreshadows tragic occurrences such as the Oklahoma City bombing and impending deaths due to other natural and unnatural circumstances (2010). • Each of them reveals their “angel” status at a most crucial moment with light from God brightly shining down on each of them. • Only Gloria was created as angel (2010). Therefore, she more perfectly fits the traditional trickster mode as a direct descendant of God. Yet, all of the angels described here are transformed by God and assigned positions by God and therefore traverse between worlds, teach, guide and often trick people into believing and/or doing the right thing.

4. Trickster: Highlander- The Series • In Highlander-The series, numerous tricksters appear. One could ague that many of the characters including Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod is a trickster. After he often guides “new immortals” those who were born to survive natural death except for losing their heads via a sword, that is (Internet Movie database, 2010). • He assumes many roles in life, masquerading a human like other immortals and “tricks” people into doing the right thing within the “immortal” world, all the while knowing in the end that there can be only one. • This behavior establishes and/or promotes a certain moral code in a world where everyone fights to be the only immortal. • Accordingly, each immortal is chosen before birth, destined to shift between worlds, across time and space, if they survive (Internet Movie database, 2010).

5. Other Highlander-The Series’ Tricksters • Coltec, in the episode called “Something Wicked” is a Native American Shaman with the unique ability to absorb the evil from quickenings (occurs after beheadings of immortals) (Internet Movie database, 2010). • As a shape-shifter/immortal in human form, he not only traverse between the supernatural and natural realms but also helps maintain a moral code and level of safety for humans and immortals. He is a shaman and a gatekeeper (Internet Movie database, 2010).

6. Coltec, Duncan MacLeod and “Something Wicked” Continued • In this episode, however, Coltec absorbs too much evil. He, himself, despite shamanistic ritual cannot purify himself. He then becomes evil Internet Movie database, 2010). • Duncan MacLeod, his friend tries to trick him into more ritual, using the methods Coltec shared with him a century before. Yet, he is unsuccessful (2010). • Eventually, Duncan MacLeod must be the one that tricks him into a battle in which Duncan MacLeod releases Coltec from the overwhelming evil and beheads him (2010).

7. “Something Wicked” Key Points • In this particular episode of Highlander-The Series, both Coltec and Duncan MacLeod are tricksters. • Both are chosen immortals and shape shifters. • Both are tricksters, who traverse between realms and worlds and guide people both mortal and immortal. • They maintain society and its moral codes through intersecting yet dissimilar means. • Yet, the situation and the impending dangers to society prompt Duncan MacLeod’s actions—to behead his friend and mentor and risk absorbing too much evil himself (Internet Movie database, 2010). • For these reasons, both are tricksters, but Duncan Macleod’s actions more definitively prompt the hierarchy and “trickster” role and title.

8. The Snake People and the Tewa Dance • The contemporary Hopi Tewa Dance is a perpetuation of a more ancient tale.(p. 202). • Based upon the story about a Hopi man determined to see the “Lower Place” (Underworld) for himself and the journey he began, the Katchina Gods appeared before him warning him that such a journey was impossible. It would take too long (p. 201). • Deer-Kachina-Cloud god told him he could make the Snake People Village (p. 201). • Star-Flickering-Glossy Man appeared and told him he could venture no father than the Snake village, but he also needed a special herb to protect him (p. 201). Because he was an unbeliever, the Snake People would most definitely bite him (p. 201). Therefore, he needed protection (p. 201). • After spending the night in the Snake People village, he married the governor’s daughter with whom he spent the night, made a special bread offering and together they set out for the Mesa (p. 201). However, she could not make it all the way. At the foot of the Mesa, she was ready to give birth. The man ventured for help, but could not avoid being touched by anyone or touching anyone, despite his efforts (p. 201, 202). • His wife, a shape-shifter herself with intimate knowledge of realms knew this before he returned, reflecting the Shaman traditions of herbal knowledge, ability to change forms between human and snake form and travel between realms.

9. Tewa continued • The Tewa dance today is performed by descendants of the Snake people/Hopi heir. The dance retells the tale and culminates in “a special offering that reveals the four sacred colours of the Tewa” (p. 201). • Tewa youth are marginally placed in the borderland, traversing between spiritual, animal and human realms. They are contemporary tricksters reflecting the ancient shaman traditions and the shape shifting abilities described throughout the Egyptian “Thoth” stories and those of “Hermes” in Greek ones (p. 200, 222).

10. Traditional and Contemporary tricksters • Obviously, most of the contemporary tricksters, the angels, immortals and even the Tewa people share shape-shifting abilities, transformational abilities, and the power to masquerade as humans in various roles. • The angels like Hermes are heavenly messengers (p. 200). Duncan MacLeod might also loosely fit into this category. • Perhaps, the Hopi man’s former lover, who rushes to him as he descends the mountain and embraces him most accurately reflects the Norse God Loki (p. 200, 201, 202). After all, she sets out to embrace him, seemingly knowing that this will induce harm and sever the ties the Hopi man has with his Snake People wife. Accordingly, her knowledge seems to arise from “the Lower Place” just as Loki’s does (p. 200). • Indeed, contemporary tricksters and the ways in which they are interwoven is, perhaps, more complex. Varied levels and degrees of tricksters exist for dissimilar yet intersecting reasons and purposes.

11. References Internet Movie database. (2010). Highlander. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091203/ Nadelberg, L. (2008 May 1). Cultural heroes and mirrors of darker desires: Transitioning tricksters of our past into contemporary society. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=anthrohp Touched.com. (2010). Touched by an angel. Retrieved from http://touched.com/ touched05/index.php Chapter 4: The male divine.