ABSTRACT
Viewed across cultures, trickster narratives are readily found in the cultural traditions of many different peoples throughout the world. Some traditions are more replete and elaborated while others are less so. In either case, the trickster phenomenon is extremely widespread. As a result, it is important to understand the larger context of narrative trickster characters, that is, their significance in a symbolic and mythic sense that may shed light and help explain the psychological and cultural needs the trickster fulfills.
