Chaotic figure par excellence, the Trickster or rascal is a central character in First Nations myths and legends. Able to take on an innumerable number of forms, both good and bad, teasing and mischievous, this elusive character is located at the limit of the divine and terrestrial world. As part of the In June: I read indigenous! initiative, our robot reader went to meet this legendary trick player and was surprised to come across him through sometimes unusual pages.
1. Crow’s WinterKaren McBride (Hannenorak)
” Like always. Only the Sacred Fire is lit, illuminating the walls of the large teepee in the center of the clearing. The smoke escapes in curls from the wooden structure, rising into the celestial vault. I hear voices inside the teepee. You don’t need to hear what’s being said to know that it’s me they’re talking about. A Trickster of my species tends to fuel conversations. I stand up, unsteady on my new legs. I wiggle my toes in my moccasins trying to remember how to walk. Hopping from place to place as a crow is fine, but it’s not exactly the most elegant way to get around. I force my old body forward, feel my bones cracking. I must look ridiculous. A face parched with age and the wobbly legs of a newly born calf! »
2. Get out of the jarDavid Bélanger and Michel Biron (Boréal)
“The whole novel is written in a lively style, full of narrative acrobatics, crazy scenes and tasty lines, until the final chapter, that of the reunion of the mother and her son Luc, to whom a mediator character, nicknamed the Trickster, opens his eyes: “Luc had listened without having to roll a ball, without ass, flies and sails intervening. The voice of Trickster, it was as if very thin fingers were removing a pillowcase that was blocking his view.” Not the slightest irony here: the veil is torn by the heat of the voice of the Trickster. »
3. Dancing with chaos, Jean-François Vézina (The Man)
“The unexpected is not what we expect, but what awaits us. It is what is hidden so deep inside that it can no longer be recognized from the outside. It therefore risks presenting itself to us in the form of one of these necessary chances, or in the guise of trickster, this genius hidden in the unexpected. A prankster and cunning character encountered in all mythologies – including Greek mythology, with Hermes –, the trickster symbolizes the overthrow of the established order. »
4. At the heart of us (t. 3): On the way to LillewikMarie-France David (Québec America)
“Your dreams will become more and more important and meaningful. – Ah good. And you? Have you ever had premonitory dreams? — It happened to me, but like many people, I don’t remember it. — Dreams are very mysterious. I know we experience things in dreams. I had contact with Ariel in this universe. Last night, I dreamed that he and I… — Tell me more about your Singer, I like that! my ex-husband replied sarcastically. “I learned this week that he was giving a show in a town near here,” I insisted. I could attend his show, it’s so magical… Nescambiouit remained silent for a few minutes, concentrated on hitting a nail with great blows of his hammer. – Attention. It’s a trickster. – A trickster? What is a trickster? — A trickster, it’s something that happens to divert you from your path. Good advice: resist and don’t go there. The Warrior was right. »
5. The White Queen’s KissTomson Highway (Speaking)
“A note on the Trickster. Creatures, beings and events, each more fantastic than the last, inhabit the dreamlike world of North American Native mythology. Among these beings is the Trickster (literally, the trick player), a character as important and essential in our world as is the Christ of Christian mythology. The Crees call it Weesageechak, the Ojibwe, Nanabush; among other peoples it is called Raven, among still others, Coyote. It has, in fact, many names. And lots of shapes: in fact, it takes the shape it wants, when it wants. Basically, he is a comical, clownish character. Its role is to teach us the essence and meaning of earthly life; it is halfway between human consciousness and divine consciousness, that of the Great Spirit. »
6. Charlie MuskratHarold Johnson (Hannenorak)
“He asked me, holding the bag in front of my eyes: — Do you have anything for me in exchange? —What’s in there? “Oh, Charlie, that’s something good,” he said, and in his voice I could hear the echoes of Trickster who insisted: “You’re going to like this.” He brought the bag closer to his mouth and, with a bite of his teeth, pulled on the leather cords to open it. Then he put a little blue bubble directly under my nose. I stepped back a little to see something. Beneath the surface of the bubble, something was stirring. – It’s what? — One of your memories. — One of my memories? — Yes, one of your memories. »
7. I am a monsterDenis Côté and Patrick Bizier (The Short Scale)
“And now this sinister clown provided him with the explanation. Many of these characters represented a single individual: the very person who was in front of him at that moment. “If I understand correctly,” the boy summarized, “you would be a sort of… magician?” — I would rather say imp, spirit or imp… I am sometimes given much less charming nicknames: tormentor, persecutor, clever, rascal evil, deceitful… The choice is yours. — Given what you did to me, it seems to me that “persecutor” would suit you well. But that doesn’t tell me who you are or why you’re hiding behind a mask. — Do you really want to know who I am? »
8. Legendary Hunters (volume 3): Sedna’s PromisePierre-Alexandre Bonin (Bayard Canada)
“It’s worse than we could have imagined. Wolverine is a Trickster, that is to say, he is extremely intelligent and uses his knowledge to play tricks. But these are not just jokes. In fact, in our mythology, the Trickster is the one who mocks the established order, who breaks down barriers, whether between worlds or simply those represented by the laws of men. He is particularly dangerous, because he enjoys himself at the expense of humans and gods alike. Being of divine essence, Carcajou possesses immense powers. In some indigenous cultures, it is linked to the origin of the world. »
9. BirdieTracey Lindberg (Boreal)
“In her waking hours, she knows that it is a vision within a vision and that it has meaning for her, meaning. But she’s not sure she would dare talk to the seniors on this cooking show and ask them for advice. […] “What’s a little owl like you doing here alone?” asks the third trucker, eyeing her. It’s a trickster – the one who plays tricks, who makes jokes, the one who lies and who betrays. “My mom, she’s in Victoria and she’s sick, she sent me money to go see her, but as I wanted to bring her a nice gift, I’m going to hitchhike,” she babbles with lightness. Normally this wouldn’t have worried me, but she came here to take my sister home, and she lives…”
10. Solaris 229collective (Alire)
“Of course, he is not perfect, but he is the reasonable character of the novel. The intrusion of the supernatural is all the more surprising for him: it’s not that it was absent from his life, simply that he was incapable, or refused, to see it. He’s too down to earth and has enough problems to deal with to notice. And the trickster of the title? He is in the background, like a shadow over the story. It is in connection with the indigenous culture which weaves the backdrop of the book. »
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