Game of the Coyote n.d.

José Guadalupe Posada created this print, "Game of the Coyote," a board game featuring chickens and a coyote. Within the structured grid of the game board, Posada embeds potent symbols. The central image of the coyote immediately evokes primal instincts, cunning, and survival—qualities revered and feared across cultures. This symbol resonates with ancient trickster figures found in various mythologies. These figures test social boundaries and challenge conventional order. Think of Loki in Norse myths, or Hermes in Greek lore—spirits embodying change. The game then becomes a metaphor for social dynamics, where predation and vulnerability intersect. Posada taps into collective anxieties about hierarchy and chance. The act of playing the game, filled with imagery, engages our deeper subconscious, allowing us to confront and negotiate these cultural anxieties. As this game is played time and again, these themes and anxieties re-emerge in the cultural psyche.