The true trick of a trickster
A closer look at what these deities really represent.
Never underestimate a Trickster. Though these characters may seem like nothing more than troublemakers they are much more. They are the catalyst that gets the story going. Paris had nothing to do with any kind of "International Incident", that is until Eris came in and started some trouble amongst some Goddesses. Trouble in doesn't necessarily need to be evil or good much like Anansi; he is neither good nor evil. Trouble is something that is perhaps necessary in our world to bring about change, to be the cause of events that are supposed to happen.
It's interesting to note that these characters that are depicted are not one specific gender, they exchange gender roles like they are purses and in some literature and art they are depicted as homosexuals. This is elaborating on the fact that trouble does not come from one specific gender or the other. Just because a person if female doesn't mean she is going to cause all sorts or problems. Just because a person is male doesn't mean they are innocent and visa versa. Also the Tricksters don't conform to the rules of society. They do what they want how they want when they want...quite liberating when one thinks about it.
Tricksters are also like the underdogs of mythology. They have screwed up in the past, failed and caused nothing but trouble for everyone else. However, they can also win big time in the end. Anansi, the trickster God of the West African cultures, he messed up more than once. However, he managed to get himself named king of all stories by accomplishing a task no one thought he would finish.
Every culture has them. They unfortunately get overlooked and down played in society because of the role that they play. Satan of Christian mythology is a trickster deity. The island of Maui is named for a Hawaiian trickster. We have Eris of Greek origins and Anansi of West African Origins. The Native Americans had many tricksters, one for each tribe one could say. The most famous trickster would be Loki of the Norse religion.
The general lessons that we can learn from these tricksters are that trouble and bad times are not necessarily a bad thing. They can usher in a new age of prosperity and joy in our lives. Trouble doesn't come from one specific gender; both sexes are capable of mischief. Don't give up, just because you failed and made a fool of yourself once before doesn't mean you will certainly do it again. Likewise, when we act like a fool there are going to be some not so pleasant consequences for our actions.
