STONE CIRCLE STORIES CULTURE and FOLKTALES TRICKSTER STORIES By Virginia Loh-HagAn People have been telling stories since the beginning of time This series focuses on stories found across cultures You may have heard these stories from your parents or grandparents Or you may have told one yourself around a campfire Stories explain the world around us They inspire They motivate They even scare We tell stories to share our history
Introduction TRICKSTER Stories What are tricksters How do tricksters act in stories There are many folktales about tricksters Tricksters are characters who play tricks They usually have magical powers They’re both good and bad They’re both smart and dumb They’re both kind and mean Sometimes they help others They’re heroes Heroes are good guys Sometimes they make trouble They’re villains Villains are the bad guys Tricksters can be fools They add humor to stories Humor means being funny Most tricksters are talking animals Some are human 4
Tricksters play tricks Tricks are also played on them Tricksters have a weakness They use their wit to overcome weaknesses They survive They escape Often they create order from chaos Chaos means a mess Tricksters make stories more interesting I follow my own rules 5
