Jokery’s Butt, Deity as

Jokery’s Butt, Deities as (& Religions Exemplifying)

A prime example of a deity as jokery’s bull is North American Indian god ‘Coyote’ – in this case the deity who is the eventual butt of jokery is a failed (after various attempts to become) jokester. His earliest attempts at trickery were successful; but, by becoming renowned at being a successful trickster, he therewith attracted detracters who contrived successfully to outwit him; so that after being tricked by them on various occasions, he retired in chagrin from this world afar into self-imposed exile in heaven.

There are other, different ways in which a religion can be based on failed (unsuccessful) jokester-deities – ways as varied as can be the various metaphysical systems built on the praemise that this universe (the physical plane of existence) is a "cruel joke of God". One such way, for example, is the jesting propensity (apparently intended as a test of whether shaman be capable of discerning a teasing enticement) by Warao deities to trickily suggest to a practitioner to perform some quite (needless and unnecessary) destructive sorcery. Upon being cross-examined by the shaman thusly being tested, they will confess to their jesting behavior, saying : "... this is a game. Talking this way is our joke. We are ... playing." (MW, p. 207)

The specificity of mythology the North American Indian god ‘Coyote’ (viz., in his becoming a butt of mockery by rivals) is matched is the story of Iesous Khristos in the Eu-aggeloi – there, the mockery taketh on the forms of his being compelled to wear a mock-crown (of thorns) and being surmounted (when crucified) by a mock-placard reading "This is the king of the Ioudaioi".

the story of Iesous Khristos would appear to be based on that of Ixion :-

*Hellenic*	*Christian*	*Vais.n.ava*
Ixion used to catch the unwary in a fiery pitfall (GM 63.a).	Iesous Khristos plotted to catch the unwary in the fiery pit of Hell.
For this crime, Ixion was scourged (GM 63.c), and	For this crime, Iesous Khristos was scourged.
was bound to a wheel in the sky.	In allusion to his being set upon a cross in order to be seen from afar, Iesous Khristos said : "and I, if I be lifted up,	*cf. Vis.n.u, who is (according to the Veda) "highest of the gods".*
	*will draw all men unto me" (Eu-aggelion according to Ioannes* 12:32).**	*The name /Ixion-/ (/Wiksion-/) is apparently cognate with the Samskr.ta name /Wiswaksena/ of the god accounted as supreme by Vais.n.ava-s.**

intended secret adultery, however, may be foiled by a cloud’s identity (or else concealed by a cloud’s becoming smoke)

*Hellenic*	*Astika & Christian*	*Warao*
	/MARTa-an.d.a/ may be intended the punning intent of /MARTuroi/ (‘witnesses’) in the expression	Mawari emerged from an egg : "this "Cosmic Egg" looks like
With the woman Nephele (‘Cloud’),	*"cloud of witnesses" (Epistolos to the Hebraioi* 12:1).**	a cloud". ...
Ixion committed (what he intended as) adultery.	When committing adultery with Parama-is`vara’s wife Parvati,	Mawari invited four couples ... .
	"Agni ... escaped in the *smoke" (C&TSI3, p. 185) of a torch.*	All ... were changed into tobacco smoke." (MW, p. 241)

references :-

MW = Dale A. Olsen : Music of the Warao of Venezuela. U Pr of FL, Gainesville, 1996.

C&TSI3 = Edgar Thurston & K. Rangachari : Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. III. Government Press, Madras, 1909. http://www.archive.org/stream/castestribesofso03thuruoft/castestribesofso03thuruoft_djvu.txt