– Ganesha as Trickster Series ( Part 1 )
The trickster is an often seen archetype in many ancient literary works , across multiple cultures.
Often holding 2 contradictory personas , neither good nor bad , just like nature. Their entry into a tale often is seen as a catalyst that either causes a hindrance or aids the protagonist , and sometimes both.
Like the spirits of nature and earth that they are associated with, imps , pixies and the likes , when placated , they are seen to do miraculous impossible tasks, and when not given what is owed , they extract a heavy price.
In the tale of Rumplestiltskin, a villager boasts to the King that his daughter could spin straw into gold , and so the King locks her in a room to do just that , with the punishment of death if she could not.
In comes an impish creature , who says he will do that task for her , in exchange for her glass necklace ( why an imp that can spin straw into gold needs a lowly glass necklace is a hint to the Trickster nature ).
And he does just that , saving the girl from certain death. That the story takes a dark turn later is typical of stories of that era.
There is a famous South Indian story where the famous female sage , Auvaiyar , would be doing her Puja when the Saiva Saint Sundarar comes in a divine horse inviting her to join him to head to see Lord Shiva in Kailasha.
She dearly wanted but could not as she was in the midst of Puja so he leaves. In comes Ganesha who asks her to do puja of him and he will ensure she reaches Shiva’s above even before Sundarar, which he does by flinging her using his trunk.
Ganesha’s dual nature , as with tricksters, is visually seen in his half divine half animal form. His names Vigna Karta and Vigna Harta reflects on exactly that. Obstacle causer and Obstacle remover.
His domain , is not over the powerful Bhuta Pisaschas that serve and bow to the Great god Bhairava , but the playful spirits of nature , that one encounters in the threshold where the material world ends and spiritual plane begins, that we term Vinayakas.
– Maha Ganapataye Namaha