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. '
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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