![]() Sarlo states, “The only reference to the snake having lied is the woman’s (false) statement in v. Next, we look at the supposed deception of the serpent. On the subject of the serpent as a deceiver, Daniel Sarlo writes, “Firstly, the word used to describe the snake, םרע, refers to intelligence and does not carry a negative connotation, nor does it imply the act of lying.”Solely using the description of the serpent’s craftiness or intelligence does not in itself warrant the title of a trickster. Or does it? Orthodox views of the serpent as a deceiving extension of Satan might not hold as much merit as one might think furthermore, textual evidence may also exonerate the serpent as a trickster character totally. 3:1 ESV) The serpent is characterized to be different from the others animals of the garden by using craftiness that becomes more apparent as the narrative continues. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.” (Gen. The evidence to support this claim can be found in the opening line of Genesis chapter 3. From a literary point of view, the serpent can serve as the first example of the trickster character in the book of Genesis. Many view the serpent as the embodiment of original evil, or even a first look at the ‘devil’ himself. Numerous roles have been attributed to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. ![]() Furthermore, the ability of the trickster to expand into issues regarding cultural ideologies through clever creativity will come to define a majority of the tricksters we encounter throughout the book of Genesis. Trickery might not be as glaringly obvious but plays a significant role in the characters ranging from the serpent in the garden, the patriarchs Abram and Jacob, and vital women such as Rebekah and Rachel. Sometimes the trickster appears as human, sometimes as animal.” By understanding the broad range of the role of the trickster, the reader is allowed the opportunity to explore the possibility of such characters showing up in the books of sacred text, such as Genesis. Part of his/her attraction is defiance of classification and analysis. “It’s difficult to pin down the trickster to any fixed set of characteristics or given forms. But not so fast! Not all tricksters fit into this black and white definition as Babcock-Abrahams’ colleague Mary Magoulick points out. Examples include, the wandering patriarchs who provide stability to up-and-coming Hebrew lineage through trickery, as well as women tricksters that better understand the need deceive to preserve the protagonist’s plan. Although we laugh at him for his troubles and his foolishness and are embarrassed by his promiscuity, his creative cleverness amazes us and keeps alive the possibility of transcending the social restrictions we regularly encounter.” This outlook on the trickster character sets up a basic pattern by which we can start to identify and categorize certain characters as tricksters based on their profile and actions in the text. ![]() He is positively identified with creative powers, often bringing such defining features of culture as fire or basic food, and yet he constantly behaves in the most antisocial manner we can imagine. Babcock-Abrahams offers a unique perspective on the Winnebago trickster cycle writing, “ No figure in literature, oral or written, baffles us quite as much as trickster. The trickery of such stories extends as well to symbolic play reguarding culturals forms, rules, and worldviews.” The opening book of the Pentateuch, Genesis, is no different offering a wide range of trickster characters and tales, while establishing the roots of the Hebrew Nation. ![]() Barbra Babcock-Abrahams writes on the importance of the trickster archetype, saying, “The “trickster” plays tricks and is the victim of tricks. Regardless of origins, it’s fair to say that every culture in some way utilizes the trickster character in their oral traditions, folklore, or written literature. The role of the trickster is as old as written literature itself. By taking an in-depth look at the literary meaning of the trickster archetype, as well as exploring the active characters and stories in the book of Genesis that exemplify this motif, we can try to answer the question surrounding the significance of trickster characters in the Book of Genesis. With that said, the opening book of the Pentateuch, the book of Genesis, gives the reader a multitude of stories and characters that fit perfectly into the genre of the trickster. In some instances, it’s hard to label characters like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the title of trickster because of their theological and historic importance. The association of the trickster character to folklore and fiction makes it easy to overlook this as a character archetype in sacred texts. When a reader hears the term ‘trickster character’, old folk figures such a Br’er Rabbit usually come to mind. ![]()
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