Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Trickster: crow coyote hermes jesus jester clown fool...

Dear Readers in Humanities
 
Lewis Hyde’s introduction to The Trickster Makes the World
(Mischief , Myth, and Art) says IT all. The rest of the book
spells IT out and elaborates.
           
IT =  given any  x Y z:  IT = that which is Y: neither X nor Z
                            nor not-X nor not-Z
                                  the TRANS 
  inter lopper, luminal hopper, boundary-breaker, border crosser
    crow, coyote, mercury, hermes, jesus, jester, clown, fool
                        androgynous  hermaphrodite 
                            mediator, pontificator
                                    
                                                       Y
                           XZ
 
                    Let X be Jane Goodall                Let Z be the Chimps.
                          (or  republican)         Y           (democratic, say)
                                              stands for Jane&Chimp
                                        but NOT Jane and NOT a chimp
                                                      (libertarian?)
 
In short, trickster is a boundary-crosser. Every group has
its edge, its sense of in and out…and every case trickster 
will cross the line and confuse the distinction.
 
Trickster is the mythic embodiment of ambiguity, and 
ambivalence, double-ness and duplicity, contradiction 
and paradox.
 
The myth asserts the paradox that the origins, liveliness, 
and durability (sustainability) of culture requires that 
there be a space for  figures whose function is to uncover 
and disrupt the very things the culture is based on.
 
The trickster is never connected with  monotheism—but rather
a polytheistic multi-tasker who sustains “ relationship to other
powers and  people and institutions and  traditions  that can
manage the odd double attitude  of both insisting that the
boundaries be respected and recognizing that in the long run
 their liveliness depends on having their boundaries regularly
disturbed.”
 
An in-betweener. A switch: (neither of the party OFF or the party ON)
 
 
                                         Y
                       X                                     Z 
                Individual                    Collaborative
                   Genius                             Genius
 
These 2 values (x/z) are hostile and incommensurate.
Separate themand polarize. Don't let them bleed into
each other because if you do:X will dominate even
though there will always be a war going on.
 
The Battle of the Sets.
 
If you can keep them separate (polarized) it's possible,
then, that youmight could relate them. ( Y)  That would
be a good thing. And rare.A liberal art.
 
The “Y” factor. “Y” is the clue, the third dimension,
so to speak.Characterize “Y” and you'll be able to put in
play Individual Geniuson the one hand, and Collaborative
Genius on the other hand. 
 
Otherwise, it's always the sound of one hand clapping,
and you know how horrid THAT is.  '
   
                            

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