Coyote's Time to Shine

The time has come for the noble and powerful Coyote to ascend to his rightful place atop the pantheon of the Gods. For too long, Coyote has been dismissed as nothing more than a playful trickster, a fool whose only real power was to amuse or deceive those around him through his extraordinary antics. Coyote was well known for bringing music, dance, and storytelling to the first people of the Earth, and humans would often summon Coyote when they wished to be entertained. The Gods called upon Coyote to make use of his cunning and keen intellect in their squabbles with other deities. 

 

Soon, however, Gods and mortals alike will realize the awesome might of the Creator-God Coyote. All will beg for benevolence in the presence of a supreme being.  And benevolent he shall be, for Coyote does not desire to cause harm to others; he is by nature a righteous and compassionate God.  That being said, Coyote has a darker side which only appears when others have wronged him or when he does not get his way.  As it is told in a Navajo myth: "Don't bother Coyote when he takes the first-born goat or lamb. It is his, and it keeps order in the world. If he is given the first-born freely, he hopefully will leave the rest in peace."

 

As the Chief animal deity in the Native American hierarchy of Gods, Coyote's powers are virtually limitless.  In many southwestern cultures, Coyote is even supreme over his mighty cousin the wolf, with some legends describing the wolf as a “big coyote”. Coyote has the ability to shapeshift and assume the form of any human, animal, or object he chooses.  Additionally, Coyote possesses a keen intellect and superior cunning; it is said that Coyote is able to outwit Death itself.

 

Although Coyote is known for being deceitful and mischievous, he also uses his unparalled wisdom and cleverness to educate man and help him live a better life.  One Native American myth tells of Coyote's strange method of teaching: "Coyote stole the stars laid out by First Man and scattered them, willy nilly, across the heavens. Yet, from Coyote's unruly behavior, changes came about that made life better. From Coyote's foolishness, mortals gained wisdom, learned what, and what not, to do. Coyote, as the forerunner of change, created ways of doing things so that customs, moral codes, ceremonies, and designs for living came into being. Coyote's selfish acts thus clarified the boundaries of human and animal conduct. Acting as the wise fool, Coyote is able to speak and act as others of the holy pantheon, due to inherent decorum, cannot."

Coyote would certainly be a formidable foe and a deity deserving of worship even if his powers ended here. But Coyote's most sacred ability is the power of creation.  Indeed, according to Native American myth, it was the Great Coyote who created everything we see on this Earth, including humanity itself: "Old Man Coyote named buffalo, deer, elk, antelopes, and bear. And all these came into being... Old Man Coyote then took up a handful of mud, and out of it made people."  Coyote is omnipotent and benevolent, but will not hesitate to use any means necessary to ensure he and his followers get their way, making him the clear choice for Ruler of the Gods.