Outlaw Tricksters

From: David Dunham (ddunham@radiomail.net)
Date: Thu 21 Apr 1994 - 10:32:46 EEST

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I thank Roderick for the description of shinty. Is that more or less the game that Cuchulainn played?

Jonas said
>The bit about their outlaw
>status often seems to be a mere formality (if actions against you can't be
>punished, this makes your own 'immunity' pretty pointless).

I think the important thing about Tricksters being outlaws is not so much the Trickster but his clan being protected/prevented. Normally, if I kill someone, my whole clan is subject to blood vengeance (at least in Iceland this often happened -- after all, I'm a killer, so you probably don't want to mess with me, you'll kill my brother to get vengeance for your brother). On the other hand, if you do kill me, my clan can take vengeance against you.

Since a Trickster is an outlaw, he can do anything he wants without getting his clan involved. On the other hand, when he gets into trouble, they have no legal right to bail him out or take vengeance.

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