Trickster
Of course the ancient
Greeks were not the only peoples to understand and honor the spirit of
the "trickster." In the United States all the many Native American
tribes have their own unique versions of this trickster spirit. One of these tricksters has become quite popularized in recent years. His name is Kokopelli, the hunchbacked flute player. Another of his other nicknames is the "Casanova of the Cliff Dwellers."
The reasoning behind his nickname is not immediately recognizable from the modern depictions of Kokopelli such as the one here...
So, roll your mouse over this next picture of Kokopelli to reveal an ancient petroglyph located in a cave on the Pajarito Plateau (west of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA). Maybe that will help illuminate his reputation as the Casanova of the Cliff Dwellers.
It's felt that Kokopelli's image was "cleaned up" over the passing of years due much in part to the influence of the many Catholic priests who came to the American Southwest to Christianize the "heathen" natives. If you've got an old browser - then click here to see the petroglyph.
Kokopelli's hump was said to be full of seeds. These were seeds he scattered on all his journeys, and symbolized the semen of the male principle to be laid to rest in the earth.
Kokopelli's flute music soothed the good earth, and made it ready to receive his seed... And BTW - the flute which Kokopelli played was a nose flute. (It all sounds a bit messy to me...)
Another interesting story regarding a Native American trickster comes from the Winnebago tribe. In this version of the Trickster - he apparently had a penis which he could detach and send down river to "have his way" with the young maidens who were innocently bathing in the stream.
And here are two other versions of Native American kachina tricksters:
