БЛАЗЕНЬ, КЛОУН, ПЛУТЯГА, ДУРЕНЬ ЯК СОЦІАЛЬНІ ПРОВІДНИКИ СМІХОВОЇ СТИХІЇ

Abstract

The article studies the mythological archetype of a laughter element - a trickster, and analyzes the role of his social masks such as a jester, a clown, a trickster, a fool as conductors of the laughter element in the society. It indicates a special place of trickster myth in the explanation of the postmodern society state. It is shown that laughter in the postmodern society acts as an attractor (conductor) of changes, and the comic carriers perform certain social roles, which are based on the archetypal component. Since, in the conditions of social and cultural shifts, the role reality is transformed into a play reality, where the mask is a myth, the myth, in its turn, puts on a mask of social reality. These roles represent the transcendental social authority, gaining philosophical and ontological status. In contrast to the theatrical masks, which are being put on deliberately for someone to “play” (pretend), trickster play of masks spontaneously unfolds in the society. People who become its “victims” sometimes do not even know whose function their social mask performs and what impact it has on the social environment.