What is a “Trickster”?
When you first hear the word “trickster,” what do you think of? Perhaps you think of a cunning fox who uses their wits to confuse the protagonists or a small faery who indulges in pranking characters for their entertainment.
A trickster, defined by Lewis Hyde, author of the book Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art, is a “boundary-crosser” that defies physical and societal boundaries, breaking or creating a line of “right and wrong, sacred and profane, clean and dirty, male and female, young and old, living and dead.”
In this blog post, I will introduce a trickster found in folklore: Br’er Rabbit.
Who is Br’er Rabbit?
Also known as Brother Rabbit, Br’er Rabbit is a trickster figure rooted in African folklore, later spread in the United States by slaves in the New World. Br’er Rabbit was especially popularized through the stories of Joe Chandler Harris (creator of the Uncle Remus stories). In most stories, Br’er Rabbit uses his wits to outsmart larger animals than him, such as Br’er Fox, Br’er Wolf, or Br’er Bear. Let’s hop straight into these stories!
Br’er Rabbit Falls Down the Well
Br’er Rabbit Falls Down the Well is a humorous story illustrating a small journey that Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox had. One day, Br’er Rabbit grows tired while working in a garden with other animals; to slack off and rest, he decides to fake an injury on his paw. He finds an old well nearby and decides to hop into one of the buckets to cool off. However, to Br’er Rabbit’s surprise, the bucket drops with him to the bottom, leaving him stranded. Luckily, Br’er Fox, who had been following Br’er Rabbit this entire time, goes to the well asking what Br’er Rabbit was doing, assuming that he was hiding something valuable at the bottom of the well. Realizing this, Br’er Rabbit tricks Br’er Fox into jumping into the other bucket saying that there was fish, sending Br’er Rabbit up to the surface as Br’er Fox descends due to his weight. At the surface, Br’er Rabbit notices a thirsty hunter approaching and warns Br’er Fox who is still at the bottom of the well. He flees, and when the hunter pulls up the bucket for water Br’er Fox jumps out, narrowly escaping. The two animals return to the garden, amused by their adventure.
Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby
Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby is another story that touches upon the relationship between him and Br’er Fox, except rather than friends, it is a story of revenge. Tired that Br’er Rabbit only plays around and is bossy, Br’er Fox comes up with a plan to capture and kill Br’er Rabbit. Collecting some sticky coal tar, Br’er Fox molds the tar into a cute tar baby, leaving it in the middle of the road while he hides. Soon enough, Br’er Rabbit comes around and starts to try and make conversation with the tar baby. Growing frustrated that the tar baby wasn’t responding, Br’er Rabbit smacks the tar baby with a paw, then his other, and eventually, his feet. Too preoccupied with the frustration caused by the tar baby, it was far too late when Br’er Rabbit realized that he couldn’t move at all. Br’er Fox, delighted that Br’er Rabbit fell for his trap, starts listing multiple gruesome punishments. Though terrified, Br’er Rabbit cleverly pleads to Br’er Fox that no matter what punishment, he only wishes to not be thrown into the briar patch, knowing that he would be safe there. Br’er Fox is fooled, and when he throws Br’er Rabbit into the briar patch, Br’er Rabbit immediately runs away and angrily, he goes home.
Br’er Rabbit Fools Sis Cow
In the story Br’er Rabbit Fools Sis Cow, Br’er Rabbit fools Sis Cow to get cold, delicious milk. On a hot summer day, Br’er Rabbit plots to milk Sis Cow who usually refuses Br’er Rabbit when he asks to milk her. He asks Sis Cow to help him get fruits from a tree by butting into the tree with her head so that the fruits could fall. Sis Cow agrees and starts to butt her head into the tree when her horns get stuck inside the wood. She asks Br’er Rabbit for help, who brings his family to trap Sis Cow and milks her while she struggles to escape. By the time that Sis Cow breaks free, Br’er Rabbit is long gone, having outwitted her.
Conclusion
As seen in these stories, tricksters are certainly boundary crossers that use their wit or power for the (questionable) good, such as in the story Br’er Rabbit Falls Down the Well, or the bad, in stories such as Br’er Rabbit Fools Sis Cow. Their stories highlight the use of wit in the world, challenging regular societal norms, exposing vulnerabilities, and even sometimes bring about change.
