Gender variance in spirituality: Difference between revisions

'''A note on language:''' In religious and folklore studies, the word "mythology" means a religious story, such as one about deities and miracles. In this field of study, "mythology" doesn't mean that the story is untrue or less valid than others. Another problematic word is "hermaphrodite," which is often used in mythology. It is impolite to use this word for real intersex people today, many of whom see it as a slur.

The "primal androgyne" is a motif that appears in mythology around the world. Primal androgyne stories say that the first human was both female and male, and was for this reason more complete and powerful than anyone today. Another common version of this motif holds that the deity who created humans or the whole world was a primal androgyne, because this one being was able to create or give birth to life without anyone else's help.

[[File:C+B-Nile-Hapi.PNG|thumb|100px|Hapi, an ancient Egyptian god.]]

Gender-variant deities and figures in ancient Egyptian religion:

{{Clear}}

Gender variant deities in other African and African diaspora religions:

* '''Vondu''', a god both male and female

[[File:Huehuecoyotl.jpg|thumb|200px|The Aztec god Huehuecoyotl, in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis (16th century).]]

Gender variant figures in Zuni traditions:

* '''Nih'a'ca''', in Arapaho mythology, was the first person who was two-spirit (haxu'xan). Nih'a'ca is a trans feminine trickster who married the mountain lion.<ref>Bruce Bagemihi, Biological Exuberance, unpaged </ref>

[[File:Adam Kadmon - Androgyne.jpg|thumb|150px|The Tree of Life juxtaposed upon Adam, in which Adam is shown as a Primal Androgyne.]]

Originating from southwest Asia and spreading worldwide, the Abrahamic religions include Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith, Rastafarianism, and others. They have certain teachings in common, particularly the belief in one God (Jehovah), and how the world was created.

According to Rabbi Elliot Kukla:<ref>http://www.sojourngsd.org/blog/sixgenders</ref>

{{Clear}}

* The exact nature of the '''God of Abraham''' is much disputed, even within one particular religious sect. God is often thought of as a male patriarch, but there is also a long history of seeing God as partly or entirely other than female or male, or as both. Jehovah's wife or female aspect is Shekinah. Many Jewish and Christian sects have called God by the title Father-Mother. Jewish mystics saw God as having been originally an androgyne, noting that the name "Eve" is derived from "Jehovah".<ref>Barbara Walker, ''A Woman’s Dictionary'', p. 195-196. </ref>

** Most Christian sects believe in God as a trinity, having three parts: God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. The latter is an abstract entity depicted as a dove that flew down to be born as Jesus, and it is said to be neither male nor female.

* In Jewish mysticism, '''Lilith''' is a supernatural masculine female demon. God meant her to be the first human woman, creating her before Eve, but she refused to be submissive to Adam. She left him, and wanders the world making trouble for humankind. Some scholars think Lilith was a goddess introduced from another Southwest Asian religion.

Several Christian saints were people who were assigned female at birth and lived as men. As with many gender variant historical figures, it's open to interpretation whether they were passing as men for practicality, or if they were transgender men, or something else.  

* '''Saint Eugene''' lived as a man, as did '''Saint Marinus''' (also called Maria or  Marius), in order to enter the priesthood.

{{Clear}}

[[File:Liao Dynasty Avalokitesvara Statue Clear.jpeg|thumb|200px|Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanshiyin) statue from China, 11th-12th century CE.]]

Figures that are gender variant or patrons of gender variant people:

{{Clear}}

[[File:Dinastia ming, l'immortale lan caihe, 1510 ca..JPG|thumb|100px|Ming dynasty figurine of Lan Caihe. Circa 1510 CE.]]

Gender-variant figures in Taoism:

{{Clear}}

Gender-variant deities and patrons of gender variance in other Southwest Asian spiritualities:

* '''Enki''', a Sumerian male god, creator and patron of several kinds of intersex, transgender, and gender nonconforming people, and of their gender roles.

{{Clear}}

Gender-variant deities and patrons of gender variance:

* '''Ungud''', Australian aboriginal rainbow serpent god, androgynous

[[File:Eros - Apulian red-figured kantharos, Puglia.jpg|thumb|200px|Eros as a winged androgyne. Red-figured kantharos, Italy, 320 to 310 BCE.]]

Also called Classical religion, the ancient Greek (Hellenistic) and Roman religions featured mythology about the many gods, goddesses, and supernatural heroes. Although these are often seen as dead religions, the Classical deities are still worshiped today by Hellenistic Pagans.

* '''Tiresias''' (Teiresias), a man who was changed to a woman for several years and back again. He settled a dispute between Zeus and Hera about whether men or women experience more pleasure during sex. He said women did, which angered Hera, so she blinded him. To make up for it, Zeus gave Tiresias the power of prophesy. Some consider Tiresias to have those powers because of having experienced life as a man and as a woman.<ref>Raven Kaldera, ''Hermaphrodeities'', p. 238-239.</ref>

<gallery>

File:Statua di Ermafrodito tipo Anasyromenos.jpg|Hermaphroditus or Aphroditus in skirt-lifting (''anasyrma'') pose, a magical gesture to ward off bad luck.  

</gallery>

<gallery>

File:Kaineus centaurs MAR Palermo NI1845.jpg|Caeneus fighting centaurs. Attic black-figure lekythos, 520–510 BC.  

{{Clear}}

[[File:Ed0019.jpg|thumb|200px|Loki dressing Thor, the thunder god, in feminine clothing. Illustration by Carl Larsson and Gunnar Forssell in the ''Poetic Edda'', 1893.]]

Gender-variant deities in Norse religion:

{{Clear}}

Figures from other European spiritual traditions include:  

{{Clear}}

==Gender-variant deities, saints, and spirits, organized by what they are patrons of==