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A review by gabesteller
Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art by Lewis Hyde
4.0
Very cool examination of the Trickster figure in various cultures and the similar functions his myths serve, and how he’s like the father of imagination! Woohoo!
Was definitely one of those galaxy brain books that starts one place, seems to get pretty abstract, and then brings it all home and you’re like WooooOOOaaaAAAhhhh!!
Highlights included learning about weird rituals like the medieval festival of fools where people would invade the church dressed in drag, or in grotesque masks, and drink and sing and dance around to gross songs.
As well as discussion of how tricksters can both inspire a challenge to the social order, and be a way to maintain it, his stories/traditions serving as a safety valve for dissent, mocking (festival of fools!).
The comparisons of modern artists to tricksters doesn’t completely avoid cliché but there is a suuuuper interesting exploration of Frederick Douglas, and the discussion of the public reaction to Robert Mapplethorpe’s Homoerotic/graphic photography VS. public reaction to Piss Christ, is useful as well.
By the end Hyde, does sorta start to repeat him self a bit, and even tho it’s only about 300 pages, probably still coulda cut 50 or so. Still, very worth it!
Was definitely one of those galaxy brain books that starts one place, seems to get pretty abstract, and then brings it all home and you’re like WooooOOOaaaAAAhhhh!!
Highlights included learning about weird rituals like the medieval festival of fools where people would invade the church dressed in drag, or in grotesque masks, and drink and sing and dance around to gross songs.
As well as discussion of how tricksters can both inspire a challenge to the social order, and be a way to maintain it, his stories/traditions serving as a safety valve for dissent, mocking (festival of fools!).
The comparisons of modern artists to tricksters doesn’t completely avoid cliché but there is a suuuuper interesting exploration of Frederick Douglas, and the discussion of the public reaction to Robert Mapplethorpe’s Homoerotic/graphic photography VS. public reaction to Piss Christ, is useful as well.
By the end Hyde, does sorta start to repeat him self a bit, and even tho it’s only about 300 pages, probably still coulda cut 50 or so. Still, very worth it!