The Trickster and Other Archetypes

The hero archetype is often opposed by a figure that embodies the forces representative of the dark side of the psyche. This character represents different values; sometimes it is the brother of the hero, sometime a stranger that hero must come to know, and sometimes it is the enemy within.

Like all archetypes the shadow gives form to human experience; every human conceals an aspect of personality of which he is ashamed. Sometimes that aspect is inferior, sometimes immoral, sometimes evil. There is in everyone a “Mr. Hyde,” Dr. Jekyll’s dark side. The conflict between the hero and the shadow shows us that the way to psychic maturity can be found by facing that which we can not bear and conquering it.

The Trickster Archetype

Sometimes the shadow is more mischievous than evil; in such cases the archetype is called the Trickster. The trickster figure is popular in Native American Indian stories, often embodied in the wily coyote or the raven. In many European cultures the trickster figure was the jester, the fool or the clown.

Some cultures even deified the trickster; Norse mythology tells of the god Loki and Greek mythology of the god Hermes, who in many stories embodies the naughty child in all of us. Hermes was a complex deity; he was the guardian god of travelers, the god of merchants, and strangely enough, the god of thieves. Hermes led the souls to the underworld, invented musical instruments, carried messages, and was a cattle thief.

Hermes wasted no time in lying about in a cradle. As soon as he was born he embarked on his life of creativity and mischief. He discovered a tortoise outside of the cave in which he had been born and made it into a musical instrument-the first lyre. After killing the tortoise, he stretched an oxhide across the shell and strung it with sheep gut, then taught himself to play music, singing songs in praise of himself. Afterwards he devised a plan to steal the cattle of the gods. He cut out fifty cattle from the herd and drove them backwards to reverse their tracks while he himself walked forward. When he had captured the cattle, he invented a method of making fire by friction, rubbing sticks together, and heaped up the blazing wood in a pit. He chose two of the cattle and butchered them, then roasted the flesh on spits over the fire (the first barbecue!). Hermes did not eat the meat, but he divided it into twelve portions and set it out for the gods – the first sacrifice.

Then the crafty god removed all traces of his theft, and of the pitfire, hid the cattle, and slipped quietly back into the cradle, wrapping his blankets around him, and lay like an innocent baby with his beloved lyre close by him. His mother scolded him for his mischief saying:

“You area a devious rogue! Where have you been? I am sure that Apollo will bind you and drag you from here Or you will roam the valleys forever, a cheat and a robber. Begone! Your father begat you as trouble for mankind And for the gods!’ But Hermes answered her cleverly: “Mother, how can you say These words to me, and innocent helpless child. What do I know of evil? But I will set out to do whatever work is best To provide for both of us. We shall not stay here hidden from the gods, Without gifts or prayers. It is better to live with the gods, Rich and full with wealth and plenty Than to hide here in the shadowy cave I will strive for divine honors like Apollo. If my father will not give me honor, I will take it for myself, I will be the prince of thieves.”

The Wise Old One

The hero is often helped in his adventure by an archetypal figure labeled the Wise Old One. This ancient figure is often found in dark and gloomy places but can offer great enlightenment. The inexperienced hero must learn the lessons the culture believes to be most valuable.

IN the popular comic book story of Captain Marvel, the boy-hero, Billy Batson, learns from a dying old man the secret of Shazam, which will give him the power to fight evil. The letters of Shazam are drawn from figures in classical mythology. S for the wisdom of Solomon, H for the strength of Herakles, A for the stamina of Atlas, Z for the power of Zeus, A for the courage of Achilles, and M for the speed of Mercury.

Just as Merlin takes over the training of the “Once and future king”, Arthur: and Obi- wan-Kenobi advises Luke Skywalker about the powers of the force; and Gandalf the wizard aids Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit; in every hero tale someone represents wisdom. The lessons which the hero of the Star Wars films, Luke Skywalker, learned from figures like Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda are examples of the wisdom passed on by the wise old one.

The Helpful Animal Archetype

The heroes of comic books or novels, children’s stories, classic myths, and even great religious models are all patterned on the original archetypes. In many folktales when the hero reaches an impasse or is faced with a seemingly impossible task, help comes from an unusual source-the helpful animal archetype. As the Wise Old One represent human wisdom, the animal helper represents animal instinct. The hero needs the combination of both to survive the initiation. Miraculous creatures with supernatural powers populate storytelling in all of the world’s culture; the type of animal varies with the geographical area. In stories with a jungle locale such as Tarzan of the Apes or the tales of Rudyard Kipling’s boy-hero, Mowgli, the helpful animals are apes, elephants, and lions; in stories in which the old-fashioned farm life is sentimentalized, there are dog helpers like Lassie or Old Yeller. American cowboy tales have created a stable of wonderful horses, but the incredible horse is as old as Greek legends. The hero of Homer’s Iliad Achilles had a talking wonder-horse, and the hero, Bellerophon, tamed the most wonderful horse of all, the winged horse Pegasus.

Sometimes the helpful animal archetype is only one of the helpers who aid the hero in his adventures. When the hero figure is an American farm girl, Dorothy of Kansas, the usual farm animals, the cow and the horse, make way for unusual creatures; the Scarecrow who thinks he needs a brain, the Tin Woodsman who wants a heart, and the most amusing animal helper in the story, the Cowardly Lion.