Workshop 'Trickster': Auf den Kopf gestellt. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen der Trickster-Figur.

Through their humorous and sly nature, figures, such as Coyote, the monkey-king Sun Wukong 孙悟空, Reineke fox, and the Nordic god Loki turn the world upside down. Tricksters do not only question the common order and hierarchical structures, but also act as creating and disrupting entities, commonly linked to comedy and the grotesque. Quite often the trickster figure remains obscure, which makes the term trickster both challenging and promising. Its ambivalence can easily lead to a blurred perception of the figure or to the attempt of calling
everything that seems inexplicable or analytically not tangible as ‘trickster-like’. This has turned the trickster into a label that is often applied once the attributes of an analyzed figure do not match common conceptual traditions or archetypes. Due to this fact, our workshop aims at exploring the various definitions of the trickster figure by seeking an intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue in order to grasp the connecting elements of trickster narratives. Thus, we want to explore the scientific potential of the ‘trickster’ concept and to enhance its profile. Special points of interest in our exchange are the following aspects and questions:

Development

Just as the trickster is a shapeshifting figure, its description varies just as much. Especially figures rooted in mythology undergo a process of frequent re-interpretation and re-adaption. Such disruptions and continuities seem essential for a figure that is characterized by its inherent ambiguities. Exemplary questions could be the following:

• How does the mythological trickster figure change by its re-interpretation and re-adaption?
• Can we draw any cultural-historical or societal conclusions from these transformations?
• Trickster – fool – fraudster – prankster. How do these character types differ? What makes the trickster figure so special?
• What kind of tricksters occur in modern and contemporary narratives (in all kinds of media)?
• What relationships do these more recent types of tricksters share with their predecessors?

Intercultural Comparison

All descriptions of the trickster have in common that they all claim to be transcultural characters rooted in mythology and literature. A good example of this phenomenon is the motif of the sly fox in different narrative traditions, such as the German Reineke Fuchs, the Japanese kitsune キツネ, or the Korean kumiho 구미호/九尾狐. Within the framework of the present workshop, we will critically examine whether the trickster can indeed be viewed as a transcultural figure, or if the differences and gaps outweigh the similarities.

• What kinds of tricksters are there? How do they differ from each other?
• How is the trickster figure evaluated in its own cultural context? Can we find any differences and similarities across cultures?

World Reflection

Quite remarkably, many trickster narratives include a critical perception of the ‘world’. The trickster serves as a cross-border entity and thereby encourages the dialogue about norms and their transgression. Such didactic impulses can serve the exploration of historical, political, and cultural values and norms, either as laws or habits. Furthermore, it allows us to examine whether or how literary adaptation either supports or undermines such processes.

• In what way do literary adaptations support or undermine predominant beliefs (laws, values, etc.)?
• Does the trickster figure have an inherent ethical potential?
• Could the trickster figure and its ambiguities offer a way out of predominant binary oppositions?

More Information

Date

Saturday, July 2, 2022
Sunday, July 3, 2022

Location

Seidlvilla
Nikolaiplatz 1 b
80802 Munich