Trickster Archetype Research Articles

The Trickster archetype: education to stupefy

Abstract Contra the teleological paradigm of the Hero, this paper argues that incorporating an ethic of the Trickster archetype may facilitate greater critical thinking and metacognition within contemporary neoliberal Education Studies learning environments in UK Higher Education. Echoing Lewis’ call for an education to stupefy, as well as Bojesen’s argument for treating Education Studies as a labour of the negative, I present the Trickster archetype as a valuable mode of educational engagement (an endeavour which itself must be done in a paradoxical fashion, for the Trickster ethic cannot be neatly prescribed). In this manner, the ethos of Trickster practices is, I suggest, one of generativity and what Greene calls ‘releasing the imagination’. As opposed to fixing us to any supposed Archimedean standpoint, Trickster practices encourage us to consider radical alternative possibilities from within normative discourse through immanent critique. I argue that the Trickster ethic foregrounds contingency over apparent necessity. I also explore how the Trickster may, paradoxically, be given a concomitant atelic aspiration in association with both Perry’s linear stages of contextual reasoning and metacognition. I conclude by elucidating the ethical and practical problems that accompany attempts to instantiate a Trickster ethic, given that it threatens, and faces possible repudiation from, those with vested interest in upholding dominant mores.

Artificial Intelligence and Psyche: The Trickster and Our Moral Compass

This article explores the mercurial nature of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a reflection of Jung’s concept of the trickster archetype, delving into how AI epitomizes at once the brightest aspirations and the darkest inclinations of the human psyche. Through personal experiences shared by the author from his decades of working in the field of information technology and as viewed through a Jungian lens, this discussion illuminates the psychological underpinnings of our collective engagement with AI technologies, arguing that AI presents ethical and moral conundrums that must be navigated cautiously by the humans who use it.

The Dark Spirit of the Trickster Archetype in Parapsychology

In this paper, the phenomenology of the Trickster (its ‘darker’ side) is explored. The archetypal Trickster is shown to manifest as psychosociological aberrations and bizarre physical effects often associated with unique individuals during certain emotionally charged states. Though the Trickster and its many variants have mythological roots, the modern-day equivalent (free, for example, from anthropomorphization) can be seen as an activated psychological proneness to err in thinking when a liminal phase is entered into—that borderland between doubt and certainty. Mainstream academia considers the field of parapsychology to be controversial—it is marginalized because the phenomena it studies (the paranormal) is mostly illusive, usually weak even when proved to be statistically anomalous, and the psi process itself has not been theoretically explained. This state of affairs propagates uncertainty which can trigger ‘tricksterish’ (spurious) interpretations of parapsychological data and findings: Long-term experimenter psi and chronological decline effects are cases in point. Due caution and bias-free analysis of the data and findings may help ameliorate, perhaps even dissolve, the problem of the Trickster.

The Trickster Archetype in Oral Literature: Unravelling Universality and Pedagogical Power across World Cultures

This paper delves into the intricate character of the trickster as portrayed in oral literature while conducting a comprehensive survey to explore the universality of this intriguing figure across diverse world cultures. The investigation draws inspiration from Carl Jung's proposition that these archetypal manifestations in cultural and religious literature stem from the "collective unconscious," a profound thread of consciousness connecting all human beings and societies worldwide. The essay emphasises the distinctiveness of each trickster's personality within their respective cultures while also highlighting the common traits shared among all tricksters. Typically perceived as an entertainer, teacher, judge, and sage, the trickster embodies both humorous and serious aspects of life, encompassing a wide range of roles from rewarding to punishing. Furthermore, the study asserts that the trickster character goes beyond being a mere fictional element in oral literature; rather, it serves as a powerful tool for pedagogy and satire. The study advocates for the deliberate collection and documentation of folktales. These tales serve as valuable raw materials for future research, offering insights into the cultural intricacies and shared human experiences across the globe.

Функции архетипа трикстера в повести «Шут» Ю. П. Вяземского

The paper considers the forms of actualisation and functioning of the trickster archetype as a “matrix” of the character and dominant psychologeme of the protagonist’s image in a modern young adult novella. The aim of the study is to identify the semiosis and functions of the trickster archetype at different levels of the text structure of the novella “The Jester” by Yu. P. Vyazemsky (1982). The scientific novelty of the study lies in determining the genesis of the protagonist’s emotional and psychological ambivalence associated with the trickster archetype underlying the chosen role mask. As a result of the study, it has been proved that the mythological roots of the archetype manifested in the novella at the level of the system of images, poetics and narrative strategy determine the creative potential and “shadow” intentions of the role mask of the “jester” in the area of artistic axiology. The “double” narrative technique is artistically represented in the genre form of a “literary diary”: the subject of artistic expression, the owner of a “solitary consciousness”, focused on the rhetoric and “point of view” of the trickster, “builds” the plot of reflection, which leads the protagonist to realise the destructive demonism of his own nature.

Conceptualization of Trickster in the Modern Literary Process

The article observes the monograph of N. Kovtun “Trickster as a hero of our time. On the Material of Russian Prose of the Second Half of the 20th – 21st Century”, where the attributive signs of the trickster archetype (ambivalence, vitality, the role of a mediator, liminarity, creativity, connection with the sacral) are summarized and supplemented. Each of these characteristics is convincingly substantiated on the basis of other researchers’ works. The conceptual and semantic field of tricksterism is revealed with the help of the analysis of the main motives – the path, insecurity, duality, resourcefulness, moral ambivalence, high adaptability.The relevance of this type and its signs as a hero of time is substantiated by both aesthetic and socio-historical grounds. Modern man is under enormous pressure, therefore the researcher indicates the crisis of the main literary trends, and concludes that the vital potential of the image of a modern rogue is the most viable.The author has analyzed a large amount of empirical material of the 20th – 21st centuries considering characters with signs of a trickster in the works of A. Solzhenitsyn, V. Shukshin, V. Makanin, M. Tarkovsky, O. Bitov, L. Ulitskaya, T. Tolstoy. The present stage indicates the trend of trickster depersonalization. As the rhetorical figure has acquired an independent communicative subjectivity, the question about the trickster's depersonalization and transformation into the category of a concept hero arises.

The tailed hero is a trickster in Sasha Cherny's story "The Cat Sanatorium"

The article presents an analysis of Sasha Cherny's novel "The Cat Sanatorium" (Rome, 1924 – Paris, 1928), the main character of which is considered as the archetype of the trickster. Beppo the cat takes revenge on his master for the hurt and pain caused, but this behavior turns against him: he finds himself on Trajan's forum, where homeless cats and cats live. Beppo does not find a place for himself in a new space for himself. The cat world does not become his own family for him, and for the inhabitants of the forum he remains an oddball. Freedom and independence are the sacred values for which he plays with death itself. Beppo is the image of a tramp, a homeless, but free and independent cat. The study reveals the main features of the trickster archetype in the image of the main character. It is also noted that Sasha Cherny's personal impressions of his stay in Rome, his experience of the historical realities of the turning point of the twentieth century and the writer's creative attitudes towards creating works for children are intertwined in the story.The scientific novelty of the work lies, firstly, in the fact that the "Cat Sanatorium" is subjected to a comprehensive analysis for the first time: the system of images, its structure, and autobiographical elements are considered, and secondly, the main character of the story is confirmed for the first time as a trickster hero. The relevance of the research will be determined by the growing interest in the literature of the Russian diaspora, and in particular, in the work of Sasha Cherny.

TRICKSTER ARCHETYPE IN MODERN MEDIA CULTURE: SHOWIZATION AND DEMONISM

The paper is devoted to the study of the Trickster archetype in modern media culture. The attention is focused on certain literary texts – the literary heritage of the world (“The Golden House” by S. Rushdie) and Ukraine (“The Black Raven” by V. Shkliar), movies (“Joker” (2019) by Todd Phillips), the personalities of political elite (Donald Trump, V. Zelensky, Prankster Joker, etc.) and others, who made the Trickster archetype one of the key archetypes in the modern world and Ukrainian media space as well as in everyday life. For instance, in Shkliar’s novel “The Outcast. The Black Raven” – the postcolonial embodiment of the national collective unconscious injured by the traumatic Russian expansion, the role of Trickster belongs to the Black Raven – the rebel commander, defender of the Kholodnyi Yar (Cold Ravine). In another novel, “The Golden House” by S. Rushdie, Trickster is represented by twin heroes, tycoon Nero Golden and the Joker. The latter one ran for the US presidency and took office. The poetics of the composition fits into the Gothic novel scheme. Both characters are Gothic thieves demonstrating the “shadow” side of the Trickster archetype. The image of the Joker here is closely connected with American reality by means of movie and show format, where the function of the Trickster archetype is assigned to US President Donald Trump, whose image is also being demonized. In Ukraine, the role of Trickster is assumed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky – a comedian and showman accompanied by his colleagues from the “Studio Quarter – 95”. The atmosphere of the show deals with national politics, life and media space. The negation of the new government is reflected in Prankster Joker’s grim jokes over deputies. The global trends towards escalating infernal power of the Trickster archetype, related to the absurd motives, the sinister carnival and the madness, are expressed in the movie “Joker” (2019), with its main character Arthur Fleck as a Trickster as well. Therefore, in modern media space the interpenetration of the semiotic codes of the media, the Internet, culture and real life can be observed. The personality perceives and reproduces these signs. The Trickster archetype has become a mega media image in the collective unconscious. It brought in focus the motives of the show and the game, acquired demonic traits against the background of social dehumanization and socio-political problems.

TRICKSTER ARCHETYPE AS SEEN IN HARRY POTTER MOVIES THE FOURTH AND THE FIFTH SERIES

This research discusses two series of Harry Potter’s movies entitled “Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire” the fourth series and “Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix” the fifth series. This research aims to show the portrayal of the trickster archetype that could be seen in some characters inside the movies. In this research, the writers apply descriptive qualitative method. The data are taken from the scenes inside of the movies and the dialogue. In this research, the writers apply Archetype theories by Carl Jung and movie analysis theory by Pratista. In analysing the movie, the writer also uses a table by Nurmaily. The result of the research shows that Harry Potter Movies, the fourth series and the fifth series written by J.K Rowling, depict the existence of trickster archetype. There are two characters, the supporting characters, that portrayed the characterization of a trickster archetype, They are George and Fred. They reveal the characterization which are the characteristics of trickster archetype, such as mischievous, smart, cunning and creative; and disobedient.Keywords: Archetype, literary work, trickster, Harry Potter

Phenomenology of the trickster archetype, U.S. electoral politics and the Black Lives Matter movement

This paper examines the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in cultural, historical and relational contexts at the intersection of the U.S. Civil Rights movement, U.S. Civil Rights legislation, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and reforms thereto in the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision of Shelby County v Holder, 570U.S.529 (2013). The intergenerational relations between the BLM movement and these ongoing movements for civil and human rights is underscored. In the wake of protests about the sadistic murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, by a Caucasian police officer, the BLM movement has been mischaracterized as an affront to law and order by the Trump-led U.S. administration. The mischaracterization was a re-election campaign effort designed to ignite 'white fear', 'white rage' and to defend police brutality and systemic racism. Analytical psychology and the phenomenology of the trickster archetype, as amplified from the African-centric perspective in the Yoruba deity Esu-Elegba, are employed to interrogate partisan obstructionist behaviours that assault multicultural democracy in both contemporary U.S. electoral politics and the political economy. The paper concludes with a brief note on the social activism of Fair Fight Georgia and the integration of its agenda into the BLM movement.

Problematizing leadership learning facilitation through a trickster archetype: An investigation into power and identity in liminal spaces

This study uses the archetype of a ‘trickster’ to reflect back on, and hence problematize, the role of the educator/facilitator identity in leadership learning. This is based on the view that a trickster is a permanent resident in liminal spaces and that these liminal spaces play an important role in leadership learning. Our approach was based on the reading of the trickster literature alongside reflective conversations on our own experiences of facilitation of leadership learning, development and education. We suggest that paying attention to the trickster tale draws attention to the romanticization of leadership development and its facilitation as based on a response to crisis that leads to a further enhancement of the leader as a hero. Hence, it also offers ways to problematize leadership learning by uncovering the shadow side of facilitation and underlying power relations. We therefore contribute by showing how, as facilitators, we can use the trickster archetype to think more critically, reflectively and reflexively about our role and practices as educators, in particular, the ethical and power-related issues. In our conclusions, we make recommendations for research, theory and practice and invite other facilitators to share with us their trickster tales.

ХРОНОТОП И КАРНАВАЛ В РОМАНЕ ПЕРА ЛАГЕРКВИСТА «ВАРАВВА»

Subject of the article: analysis of the novel by Nobel laureate P. Lagerkvist "Barabbas" using the scientific ideas of M.M. Bakhtin. The object of the article: a study of the peculiarities of the chronotope in the reconstruction of the Gospel plot of the novel and the identification of the features of the carnival culture in the reconstruction of the central image of Barabbas. Purpose of the project: to show how the ideas of M.M. Bakhtin helps to penetrate deeper into the essence of the artist's intention and to reveal the deep, symbolic meanings of a literary work, which are not even always realized by the writer himself. Methodology of work: following Bakhtin, comparative historical and structuralist approaches are used, as well as mythological criticism, the Jungian archetypal trickster model. Results of the work: in the "biblical" novel, P. Lagerkvist uses a "confessional" chronotope, characteristic of most of his fantasies on biblical and evangelical subjects. The whole life of Barabbas, every episode of his biography is correlated by the hero and the author with the events on Calvary. Barabbas is a demonic, "dark" double of Christ, a trickster in all his bodily and moral manifestations. He has been looking for God all his life, but the miracles he witnessed do not convince him. The desire to gain faith and communion with Christians leads him in the end to death on the cross, which he escaped on Holy Friday. But his aspirations only harm Christians, and faith is never born in his soul. Scope of the results: the image created by Lagerkvist falls out of the historical context of the novel. Barabbas is not an atheist, he is an agnostic seeking faith and not finding it. This is the position of a man of the twentieth century, and even a fairly educated one. Lagerkvist, in his mythopoetic parable, solves the problems of a man of the twentieth century. and looking for answers to their own existential questions. In the words of Bakhtin: “The last word about the world has not been said. Everything is still ahead". This dialogue interested Hollywood, where the film adaptation of the novel of the same name was made. This work exposes mythological models, reveals the philosophical and ethical issues of the novel, helps to better comprehend the work of the largest Swedish writer P. Lagerkvist. Conclusion: scientific novelty lies in the study of the work of the Swedish writer P. Lagerkvist using Bakhtin and Jungian techniques, identifying the features of the trickster archetype in his novels. The writer often uses this archetypal model due to his deep penetration into the traditions of national folklore and literature and, at the same time, an excellent sense of modern trends, where the trickster archetype is becoming more and more in demand. The conclusions presented in the article speak of the author's modern reading of the Gospel story and the formulation of the moral problem of the impossibility of acquiring a modern person.

Актуализация образа кикиморы в народных верованиях и «маскарадах» у русских в Западной Сибири

The mythological character “kikimora” is considered on ethnographic materials ofvarious ethnolocal groups of Russians in Western Siberia. Kikimora was considered a character in the home space, mostly malicious, harmful, sinister. Kikimora was spinning. Therefore, she was associated with the symbolic embodiment of destiny: a deity that spins and breaks the thread of life. Kikimora embodied the trickster archetype. The concept of kikimora correlates with the symbols of time. “Border” periods are especially significant: the change of day, the transition from the old year to the new year. Therefore, the masquerade image of the kikimora entered the calendar rituals of the winter-spring period. In Western Siberia, until the middle of the twentieth century, the tradition of dressing up in “kikimora” on Christmastide and Maslenitsa (“farewell to winter”) was preserved. Women dressed up in old shabby clothes, smeared their faces with soot: they created the image of a slob. Masquerade “kikimors” carried items of women’s handicraft: wool, flax, a spindle, a comb. Entering the house, they pretended to be spinning threads. The concepts of forest and swamp kikimora, widespread in the 20th and early 21st centuries, are probably associated with the erosion of this image in popular beliefs. Consciousness transferred the kikimora to a space far from the human cultural environment. Kikimora as a domestic demon, the spinning goddess disappears from popular beliefs, but is actualized in the forest and swamp spirits. The word “kikimora” is firmly entrenched in the Russian vocabulary to become a household name, a curse, while the characteristic features of the character have been preserved. The masquerade tradition in the twentieth century actualized the rudimentary idea of kikimora as a spirit spinning the thread of fate. However, the fundamental features of this character were lost: from the deity of destiny, kikimora turned into a playable character in genre scenes of Christmastide andMaslenitsa masquerades.

The Archetype of the Trickster in the Writings of C.G. Jung

Jung dealt with the concept of the trickster archetype in many of his works. References to his interpretations of the impact of this archetype and the myths associated with this figure are also scattered in many places of his works devoted to various issues. The notion of the archetype is extremely complex in his grasp, and the ways of understanding it are evolving, similarly to the concept of the unconscious. These evolutions are related to the transition from the plan of patterns of individual human development, to the development of the species, to the recognition of the very patterns of the development of reality, so they contain references to the psychological, anthropological, and philosophical levels. According to Jung, the trickster archetype expresses –i n the most general terms –the conflict of these patterns, which introduces a certain factor to the development process that is both disharmonizing and dynamizing at the same time.

Three faces of Trickster in modern politics: Donald Trump, Alexey Navalny and Julian Assange

Concerning current situation and media ecology actors of political communication should be fl exible to adapt their PR strategies to the fl uid agenda and mosaic thinking of their audience. The following article aims to describe one of the most multi-faceted archetypes used in political communications - the archetype of Trickster. Using the method of case study, the author argues that concerning information society and digital culture Trickster gains better opportunities to hold a successful PR campaign and to build a solid political image. The author describes the following archetype with the address to three fi gures of international and Russian politics that appear in agenda in 2010-2018: Donald Trump, Alexey Navalny, and Julian Assange. Using the notions of narrative politics and theory of archetypes, the author concludes vast potential of Trickster archetype in modern political communications, that can be even stronger than the traditional images of Hero or Wise Ruler. The author assumes that Trickster fi gure in modern politics became wider than classical image of Fool and Jester and now is also widely used in the aspects of “noble thug” and Shaman.

ВЄРКА СЕРДЮЧКА – ТРІКСТЕР СУЧАСНОЇ СОЦІОКУЛЬТУРНОЇ РЕАЛЬНОСТІ УКРАЇНИ


 
 
 The article is dedicated to the trickster problematics. The methods of investigation: sociocultural analysis, comparative and biographical methods, interpretation. The subject of investigation: a trickster of modern Ukrainian sociocultural reality on the example of Verka Serdjuchka, the modern Ukrainian pop star (Andriy Danylko, the artist). The results of investigation: based on the works of famous foreign and Ukrainian scientists dedicated to mythologem problematics and trickster archetype and using generalizing characteristics of this cultural phenomenon identified by Mark Lipovetsky, Professor of Colorado University (the USA) (such as ambivalence, mediator function, liminality, transformation of transgression into artistic gesture, direct or indirect connection with sacral context) the character of Verka Serdjuchka as a trickster was analyzed. The work emphasizes such special characteristics of this cultural hero as aptitude to transformation (external and inner, social and cultural), status changes ( from a saleswoman and a train host to a glamorous show programme host and a first-rate pop star, the fact being confirmed by the second place won at the Eurovision song contest in 2007 ); changes in the appearance (from a frayed jacket, a checked skirt and a beret to a futuristic silver garment with a metal star on the head); changes in speech and lyrics of the songs, that is, substantial decrease in the use of surzhyk ( a mixture of Russian and Ukrainian words); manifestation of Ukrainian identity which wasn't expressed before.
 
 

Transforming higher education through trickster-style teaching

Abstract This article utilizes theoretical inquiry to examine the need for transforming conventional, industrial-scientific, higher education curriculum and pedagogy. In recognition of the scale and urgency of the changes necessary to embrace the sustainability movement at all levels of education, the author presents the trickster archetype as a theoretical and practical framework for educational transgression and transformation. The case is made for embracing trickster-style teaching techniques to revolutionize educational approaches and to help educators, students, and educational theorists to more readily adapt to the ecological, social, and economic challenges that humanity currently faces. The author proposes that the urgency and importance of the changes that need to occur in higher education necessitate unconventional pedagogical methods, such as those embedded within the trickster archetype, to facilitate pluralistic modes of inquiry and transdisciplinary problem solving.

Побудова іміджу політиків з урахуванням психологічних архетипів під час президентських виборів у США 2016 року (на прикладі Дональда Трампа та Хілларі Клінтон)

The article makes an attempt to distinguish and analyze archetypes that form the public images of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. The article presents analysis of the archetypes that form the public images of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. The archetypes were analyzed according to both Carl Jung (to the archetypes that K. Jung has paid the greatest attention to in his works include: Self, Shadow, Anima, Animus, Person) and modern definitions. Special attention is attributed to the Trickster archetype. The study shows that this particular archetype was crucial in the image of Donal Trump, which from the very start has positioned himself as a controversial politician, which defies social norms and stereotypes. Thanks to his rather sharp statement, unpredictable behavior, impulsive reactions, he quickly managed to draw the attention of society to himself. Mass media actively picked up and distributed all the information about it, because it contributed to their popularity. In this case, the dividends were reciprocal and calculated: Donald Trump constantly attracted the attention of the public, Mass Media continued to focus his attention on his actions, attracting it again to himself. But is Donald Trump really the one, that we perceived him all the time? Is this a well-thought-out strategy, through which, a public person constantly keeps his attention without spending a lot of money on it? Non-standard, surprising, categorical are those manifestations of a character in which we always focus attention. According to the previous feature of Trickster’s archetype, which can both cause sympathy and horror at the same time, we follow such behaviors during the pre-election process and in Donald Trump. It is these behavioral mechanisms that many people can not afford, because they do not conform to social norms and have begun to cause sympathy for him in a certain part of the electorate, which then made a choice in his favor. It is noted that Hillary Clinton’s image was formed on the basis of a new 21st century Power Woman female archetype, as such image is usually well accepted by general public. The image of Hillary Clinton was built according to the traditional scheme (based on the archetypes of Person, Mother), taking into account the public’s expectations. But, in most cases, her behavior, public statements, were a response to rhetorical attacks, Donald Trump’s actions, which prevented her organically positioning herself. Changing the political situation in the country required some changes in archetypal images, namely, a certain correction of the image of Hillary Clinton, her strategy, rhetoric, and behavioral characteristics. Hillary Clinton’s image correction was gradual and therefore not very noticeable. Political technologists, responding to the demands of society, created an image that was positively perceived by a large part of the public. She became much more feminine, while remaining a strong woman.

Confronting the Trickster: Crises and Opportunity in the Time of Trump—A Jungian Perspective

Through our own moral and political ineptitude, we have unknowingly invited the trickster archetype into our midst in the form of Donald Trump, our trickster president. Terrifyingly, we now have no idea what will happen to us. Within this new dynamic, we must now confront the trickster, as it manifests within him. It is a wakeup call and a warning as to what is going on in the shadow lands of the American and global psyche. But although it is a clear and present danger to us, it is also an unprecedented opportunity to become more conscious of ourselves psychologically, and to potentially heal our divided selves. This is the hidden meaning and value that the trickster brings to us.

Coming out of the dark: the trickster archetype in “The Black Cat” and “The Loves of Lady Purple”

Coming out of the dark: the trickster archetype in “The Black Cat” and “The Loves of Lady Purple”