Keeping Up with the Coyote: Native American Folktales

What Are Folktales For?

Even if you’re not very familiar with Native American folktales, you’ve probably heard of Coyote. He’s the sly, cunning trickster figure who outwits the other characters in Navajo mythology. Crow is his usual victim, but not his only one. Perhaps Coyote’s biggest feat of all is being present, in one form or another, in the mythology of different cultures all over the world. In Native American folktales, Coyote is credited with stealing fire from the gods and presenting it as a gift to mankind. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Prometheus did the same thing in Greek mythology, and so did Maui in Polynesian mythology. In western African mythology, the prominently featured trickster character is called Anansi, and if you’ve seen The Avengers, you’re familiar with Loki, who is actually the trickster of Scandinavian mythology.

So, why the preoccupation with the trickster character? Native American folklore was not only used for entertainment purposes around the cook fire, it was actually a creative way of framing warnings and morals. If you remember my previous post on American folktales, you’ll remember that I stressed the importance of oral tradition in keeping stories alive. The reason it’s so vital that folklore and mythology be kept alive is that they teach children and remind adults of important kernels of wisdom.

If you’ve ever tried to explain something to a person under the age of eight, you may recall that they were fascinated with the question “Why?” and asked it upwards of fifty million times during a ten-minute explanation. Native American folktales are perhaps the most creative method of all time for preemptively answering that question. Why should we think critically and strive to be good judges of character? Well, look at what happened to Crow. Furthermore, it’s much more effective to educate through stories and fables than it is through long lists of rules because of the emotional connection you experience with stories. “Don’t talk to strangers” may be something your parents stress, but those four little words may not be at the forefront of your mind when a nice stranger is offering your favorite candy bar. There may, however, be a prickle of fear when you recall the story of The Little Boy Who Ate So Much Candy He Exploded, and you’ll have to think twice.

But let’s get back to Coyote, the epitome of using creativity for personal gain. The message here is simple: you must always stay one step ahead of Coyote, and that means being more creative than him. To trick the trickster is truly a feat, and there is only one character that has done it consistently for years. Say it with me now – the Roadrunner! That’s right folks, Chuck Jones’ own Wile E. Coyote and his creative traps is a modern update on the Coyote folktales, but with the added twist that he is thwarted at every turn. So remember kids, watch out for Coyotes, and keep your own creativity working as fast as a Roadrunner.