In many Native American and First Nations mythologies, the coyote (Southwestern United States) or raven (Pacific Northwest and coastal British Columbia) stole fire from the gods (stars or sun) and are more tricksters than culture heroes. He is more of a culture hero than a trickster. To illustrate: Prometheus, in Greek mythology, stole fire from the gods to give it to humans. In many cultures, (as may be seen in Greek, Norse or Slavic folktales, along with Native American/First Nations lore), the trickster and the culture hero are often combined. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both they are often very funny even when considered sacred or performing important cultural tasks. Often, the rule-breaking takes the form of tricks (eg. The trickster deity breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually with ultimately positive effects. It is suggested by Hansen (2001) that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this context by Daniel G.
In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. The trickster is an alchemist, a magician, creating realities in the duality of time and illusion.