A Case of Tricksterism Illustrating Ego Defences

This paper consists of two parts, a case report of an as yet incomplete analysis, followed by theoretical considerations. I hope that my reasons for coining the term “tricksterism” will emerge as the theme develops.

When I read Radin's book The Trickster, A Study in American-Indian Mythology, with commentaries by Kerényi and Jung (1956), similarities between my observations of this patient who had shown some unusual symptoms and behaviour and certain episodes recorded in the Winnebago Trickster Cycle were so obvious that I was forced to ask myself what the explanation could be. Acting on the assumption that myths reflect events and stages of importance to human development, I looked at my patient's behaviour as evidence of vicissitudes in his mental development comparable, in some respects, to episodes in the trickster myth. The peculiarities of my patient could be understood as ego defences which were acted out to an unusual degree, the defences as such being by no means uncommon. Parallels between the trickster myth and clinical observations had stimulated Metman (1958) to relate the trickster to the incipient ego in schizophrenia, while Layard (1958), with more emphasis on teleology, stressed the importance of this myth as an expression of the autonomous psyche. However, when I looked into my patient's case more closely, I found it necessary to make my own formulations in terms of ego defences, while keeping existing theories at the back of my mind. These formulations must be regarded as tentative.

II. Case Report

The appearance of this patient in his late thirties is worth mentioning: he was short in build, very broad-shouldered and muscular. His body was covered with dark hair, as I had occasion to observe on many occasions when he stripped off outer garments, as he was nearly always feeling too hot at room temperature. However, when it was really cold outside he liked to be