Israelite tricksters, their analogues and cross-cultural study.

Trickster tales are understood by anthropologists, folklorists, and historians of religions to be the expression of social concerns in narrative form. This article examines how the figure of the trickster functions in West African and Afro-American folklore and considers the importance of the comical in the development of his character. The role of the trickster in the Hebrew Bible is discussed in light of this cross-cultural evidence, with special interest in women as tricksters in ancient Israel. Analysis of the biblical material suggests that the role of trickster is available to both men and women and that trickery is used in situations where other forms of power are lacking. Stories of tricksters in the Bible appear to be explorations of the instability of the power brokers in society. The different functions of the trickster in different contexts suggest that cross-cultural analysis of the figure be avoided until the meaning of the trickster in each society where it appears is better understood.