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| Huehecoyotl from Codex Telleriano-Remensis |
Enos knew that “God could not lie” (Enos 1:6) and therefore his guilt over his sins was swept away. Bearing testimony of a God that doesn’t lie suggests the possibility of gods that did lie. Assuming the possibility of trickster gods that Enos encountered in society at large, or maybe believed in during a rebellious phase, and which would make him want a remission of his sins when he came back, brings additional insights the life of Enos, his encounter with God, and provides insights in Nephite and Lamanite societies as well.
Because trickster gods are common throughout different
cultures in different times it possible that Nephite culture responded to and
interacted with these belief systems. Enos’ initial impulse was seeking
forgiveness for his sins. Understanding the trickster gods might help us
understand what sins bothered him. The Aztec god Huehuecóyotl for example was
often a symbol for indulgence and male sexuality which suggests the sins of
Enos could have been sexual in nature. It’s possible that Enos indulged in his
youth in sexual proclivities much like Corianton from later in Nephite history
(Alma 39).[1]
In another text, much like the Greek gods Huehuecoyotl
fomented wars between humans to relieve his boredom.[2]
This is rather insightful because as the faith of Enos increased, or “began to
be unshaken” (Enos 1:11), the God who couldn’t lie explained his just reasons
for blessing the Nephites with protection, and God then explained the reasons
they would forfeit that right. Both reasons are based on the people adhering to
covenants in contrast to the capriciousness of a trickster God. Perhaps during
his sojourn among other gods or disbelief in God Enos started to think, like
the fictional character Romeo, that they were simple fools of fortune or a
trickster god (Romeo and Juliet III.1). The desire for God’s promised
protection of the Nephites suggests the possibly precarious state of Nephite
affairs in this period and the seeds for their eventual exit from the land of
Nephi.
The Navajo Coyoteway ceremony is particularly insightful as
well. In the ceremony the ritual singer acts as a mediator between the
trickster God and the people who offended him.[3]
During his prayer Enos acted as a mediator for his people, praying for their
welfare (1:9) and the perseveration of their records (1:16) from the hatred of
the Lamanites. The Nephites had a knowledge of Moses, and presumably his
intercession for the children of Israel which could mean that Enos was applying
one or both of several traditions to his specific circumstances.
The Lamanite behavior also has some possible relation to the
trickster god. In the usual ethno centric description given by the Nephites of
a wild people dwelling in tents and eating the flesh of wild beasts, Enos
mentions that they were a short “skin girdle” (Enos 1:20). While not explicitly
mentioned, the visual image of wearing the skins of creatures could recall the priests
of trickster gods that often wore animal pelts that represented their gods and
who were both feared and revered among ancient people.
The Ekeko character from South Ande tribes and Kokopeilli from North American South West tribes both represented trickster gods from afar that came bearing important messages.
The importance of this trait could be that Enos used the concept of messages
from the trickster gods, as something that was familiar to him and would make
an easier transition back to praying to the God who couldn’t lie.[4]
Kokopelli is often depicted with a prominent phallus which again connects to
the possible sexual sin of Enos which would have created strong motivation and desire
for the remission of his sins. Kokopelli’s petroglyphs as a hunchback flute
player remains in many caves today which provide vivid physical reminders of
locations where ancients would tell stories or perhaps pray all night around a
camp fire.
Examining the Book of Enos and the God who couldn’t lie as a
response to trickster gods seen throughout ancient societies gives us
tantalizing hints into the sins of Enos, the way God interacts with his people
through righteous judgement, possible Nephite politics and Lamanite material
culture, and the way trickster beliefs like intercession and messages from afar
may have influenced Nephite religious leaders.
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[3] Karl
W. Luckert and Johnny C. Cooke, Navajo Interpreter, COYOTEWAY: A Navajo Holyway Healing Ceremonial, University of
Arizona Press, 1979.
[4] Young,
John V. Kokopelli: Casanova of the Cliff
Dwellers: The Hunchbacked Flute Player. Palmer Lake, Colorado: Filter Press
1990.
The trickster motif has always fascinated me since first encountering the concept in the writings of Joseph Campbell and Mircea Eliade. Thanks for a very interesting and fresh take on Enos.
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