These well-known native American Indian tales talk about creation
and the origin of life in a humorous way. Traditionally they are told in the cold season and often performed with movement.
Coyote, a restless character, is walking and walking, creating and destroying, helping and deceiving. Quite often he loses his life, but his death isn't permanent. He always was there and always will be.
Coyote has supernatural powers.
He is a friend of the birds and other animals. Being a "trickster",
a shape-shifter, he can transform to any form he likes - animals or people. He may appear as a raven, a spider or a rabbit.
His nature is full of contrasts, simple-minded, naïve, nasty, clever, foolish, all mixed in a strange way. Coyote is always hungry, always ready to trick others, occasionally trapped by his own tricks and quite often in trouble. He is a fool who makes nonsense - full of sense.
Coyote flips the familiar upside-down and his jokes point to other realities. He causes development and growth.
However, Coyote is a shimmering unpredictable character, sly,
intelligent and foolish, nice and lovable. He is vicious-foolish, strong-weak, sacred-sinful, funny-desperate, creative-destructive, heroic-cowardly.
Coyote teaches people how to live.
