other gods of mischief

[mythusmage]

From the 20th century you have ...

Bugs Bunny
Daffy Duck
Screwy Squirrel
Woody Woodpecker

Please note that the first three were created by Tex Avery. The first two while with Leon Schliesenger/Warner Brothers, the third after moving to MGM. Woody was the creation of Walter Lantz.

Of the four Woody was more the type where chaos followed, rather than the cause of chaos. Think Groo the Wanderer. Screwy Squirrel on the other hand was malicious mischief compared to the relatively benign mayhem of Bugs and Daffy.

Speaking of whom, it should be noted that their personalities were shaped by those who worked on their shorts. The Avery Bugs had a very different personality than Jones'. Whereas the early Daffy took great glee in harrassing Elmer and Porky.

In minor chaos spirits from the period you have ..

Tweety Bird (The original naked, pink hatchling from the 40s. The one who would pump a cat full of gasoline and then stick a lit stick of dynamite in his mouth.)
Foghorn Leghorn
And The Gremlin (who appeared in one Bugs Bunny short)

Wile E. Coyote on the other hand exemplified the self-important and the obsessed. A trickster inflicts mayhem on others (most of the time), he does not (usually) have mayhem inflicted on him. He most especially does not inflict mayhem on himself, even accidentally.

 

[Tonguez]

One question which arises from this is why so many unrelated cultures chose to view fire not as something granted to mortals by the gods, but as something obtained, as it were, illegally. I can't really think of a good answer, off-hand...

My theory (based on nothing but conjecture and my Anthropolgy degree) is because the two 'natural' sources of fire - Volcanism and Lightning are both major destructive phenomena which are associated with the gods. Mortal control of fire implies taking control of the destructive power of the gods, and thus 'tips the balance' in favour of mortals.

Anyway for another firestealer add Maui of Polynesian Myth.