Shape-shifting between the various forms of deity, human, and animal—shamans, tricksters, medicine men, and clowns possess a divine and earthly dialectic. They are often associated with the “older level consciousness” (Jung 460) of primordial man while possessing remarkable acumen, a “strange mixture of wisdom and foolishness” (Taylor 82). The shamanic trickster’s ability to control and mediate between natural and supernatural forces have played an important role in numerous cultures, ranging from the American Indian Heyoka and Hopi clowns to European court jesters and Aztec court fools. Their humour, disobedience, and unconventional behaviour have the potential to destabilize power relations through satirical gestures and subversive acts by turning hierarchical structures upside down while imparting moral lessons that reveal social truths. For Joseph Campbell, tricksters serve to overthrow social programs. Their critical and spiritual practices make them important members of their respective societies, situating them in significant political positions.

Sacred tricksters may have lost their agency in modern times, but their mythologies continue to live in society’s cultural psyche through parables and folklore. Aside from amusement and a sense of “escape in fantasy,” folklore has also served as a “vehicle for social protest” (Aguilar 2). In “Fighting the Panopticon: Filipino Trickster Tales as Active Agency against Oppressive Structures,” Mila D. Aguilar narrates an example of the marginalized overcoming the dominant power through the famous trickster tale of Juan Pusong, a Visayan cultural hero who is characterized as very mischievous yet sapient. Aguilar narrates:

As a result, Juan Pusong becomes king, fooling his tyrannical oppressor through his sharp wit and cunning tactics. The narrative illustrated by Juan Pusong thus becomes a “reflection and weapon of class conflict” (Aguilar 2).