Rabbit, the Trickster
Image Source: A
Guide to the Cherokee History Sources at Bizzell Library
The Rabbit in the
Cherokee myth tradition was a trickster,
and in being one, he served a very important purpose to the people.
Virtually every aspect of the Cherokee life and environment had a story to explain it, and animals were often a key part of these tales. Among these stories, the Rabbit was often a principal character.
They were passed down one generation to the next, and carried morals and values used to teach lessons to young and old. One of the many trickster characters in folklore – characters who were always playing tricks and misbehaving - Rabbit is often shown as poking his nose into stories that aren't even generally about him! He plays tricks on and often outwits all of the other animals in order to get what he wants – and what he wants usually involves something that will make him look good, or add to his already oversized ego! There are a few other trickster animals in these tales, but none have quite the same attitude that Rabbit portrays throughout the different tales.
The Rabbit in the Cherokee tales is vain, silly, smart but often foolish, and is always out to get the best things or the most praise for himself. He's musically talented, and is utterly selfish in all of his desires. More than once these traits get him into trouble, sometime life-threatening trouble, yet he always manages to use his wits and his trickery to escape with his life, and he often sought revenge or bragging rights over the other animals present in the tales. He tends to get other animals in trouble, but this is evened out by his own inability to stay out of it himself!
James Mooney, a man who lived with the Cherokee from 1887 to 1890, while they still were located in their homeland in the southeastern United States, before the Cherokees forced removal on the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee however, kept their culture and many traditions in their new home in Indian Territory including all their tales and stories. Mr. Mooney captured some of the stories in print form as reports for the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology. These reports were later collected and published under the title “Myths of the Cherokee,” which was my primary source for these tales.
The Cherokee people used the tales about rabbit to teach moral lessons to listeners of all ages. Rabbit was simultaneously an example of what things not to do, and what certain bad behaviors could cause, and an example of how being cunning can help to outwit enemies, save your life, and in general be useful.
I myself have grown up listening to and reading these tales, and know first-hand that their entertainment value has always been secondary to their ability to teach. Rabbit's pride and desire to prove that he is the best at everything is a character fault that leads him close to death many times – because of this, the audience of these stories has a good example of why pride and showing off are bad things, because they cost in the end. Rabbit is my favorite character because he will do anything to get what he wants and is generally such a troublemaker that he is, at heart, impossible to really dislike. Rabbit is an extremely jealous trickster, and can’t stand when someone is better at something, or prettier, than he is.
It’s at these times that his more conniving nature really becomes apparent, such as in “Why the Possum’s Tail is Bare”, wherein his jealously leads to extreme humiliation for the equally vain Possum.
In “The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting”, his vanity and jealousy struck again, leading to near-disaster for the silly trickster.
In “The Rabbit and the Possum After a Wife”, Rabbit yet again uses his cunning to get what he wants, leading to more trouble for poor Possum.
In “How the Terrapin Beat the Rabbit”, the trickster himself was tricked and humiliated by someone who out-planned him.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the tales from the Old Ones about the loveable, contemptible, completely incomparable, terrible trickster that was Rabbit.
Onward to the first story: The Possum's Bare Tail
Virtually every aspect of the Cherokee life and environment had a story to explain it, and animals were often a key part of these tales. Among these stories, the Rabbit was often a principal character.
They were passed down one generation to the next, and carried morals and values used to teach lessons to young and old. One of the many trickster characters in folklore – characters who were always playing tricks and misbehaving - Rabbit is often shown as poking his nose into stories that aren't even generally about him! He plays tricks on and often outwits all of the other animals in order to get what he wants – and what he wants usually involves something that will make him look good, or add to his already oversized ego! There are a few other trickster animals in these tales, but none have quite the same attitude that Rabbit portrays throughout the different tales.
The Rabbit in the Cherokee tales is vain, silly, smart but often foolish, and is always out to get the best things or the most praise for himself. He's musically talented, and is utterly selfish in all of his desires. More than once these traits get him into trouble, sometime life-threatening trouble, yet he always manages to use his wits and his trickery to escape with his life, and he often sought revenge or bragging rights over the other animals present in the tales. He tends to get other animals in trouble, but this is evened out by his own inability to stay out of it himself!
James Mooney, a man who lived with the Cherokee from 1887 to 1890, while they still were located in their homeland in the southeastern United States, before the Cherokees forced removal on the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee however, kept their culture and many traditions in their new home in Indian Territory including all their tales and stories. Mr. Mooney captured some of the stories in print form as reports for the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology. These reports were later collected and published under the title “Myths of the Cherokee,” which was my primary source for these tales.
The Cherokee people used the tales about rabbit to teach moral lessons to listeners of all ages. Rabbit was simultaneously an example of what things not to do, and what certain bad behaviors could cause, and an example of how being cunning can help to outwit enemies, save your life, and in general be useful.
I myself have grown up listening to and reading these tales, and know first-hand that their entertainment value has always been secondary to their ability to teach. Rabbit's pride and desire to prove that he is the best at everything is a character fault that leads him close to death many times – because of this, the audience of these stories has a good example of why pride and showing off are bad things, because they cost in the end. Rabbit is my favorite character because he will do anything to get what he wants and is generally such a troublemaker that he is, at heart, impossible to really dislike. Rabbit is an extremely jealous trickster, and can’t stand when someone is better at something, or prettier, than he is.
It’s at these times that his more conniving nature really becomes apparent, such as in “Why the Possum’s Tail is Bare”, wherein his jealously leads to extreme humiliation for the equally vain Possum.
In “The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting”, his vanity and jealousy struck again, leading to near-disaster for the silly trickster.
In “The Rabbit and the Possum After a Wife”, Rabbit yet again uses his cunning to get what he wants, leading to more trouble for poor Possum.
In “How the Terrapin Beat the Rabbit”, the trickster himself was tricked and humiliated by someone who out-planned him.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the tales from the Old Ones about the loveable, contemptible, completely incomparable, terrible trickster that was Rabbit.
Onward to the first story: The Possum's Bare Tail