Elements of Native American Stories

1. Elements of Native American Stories

2. Elements: • Man’s attitude and relationship with nature • Balance/coexistence of good and evil • Animal’s relationships with humans • The manner in which humans view animals

3. Elements • Polytheistic • Matriarchal • Imperfection • Oral tradition – tribe authorship

4. Trickster Tales • Type of folk tale • Main character (animal or human) typically engages in deceit, violence, and magic. • Often ‘ mythic’ in nature

5. Trickster Tales • Tricksters are ARCHTYPAL: they are found in literary works from different cultures throughout the ages. In Africa the trickster is a hare or spider. In Japan it may be a fox.

6. Trickster Tales • The trickster demonstrates contradictory qualities: he is foolish yet clever, greedy yet helpful, immoral yet moral.

7. Trickster Tales • These tales are usually grouped in cycles, and consist of a series of stories focusing on the adventures of the trickster character.

8. Trickster Tales • Each story involves an incident to which the trickster responds, often leading to a violent or absurd conclusion.