Gender variance in spirituality: Difference between revisions
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Writings from ancient Egypt (Middle Kingdom, 2000-1800 BCE) said there were three genders of humans: male (''tie''), ''sekhet (s<u>h</u>t)'', and female (''hemet''), in that order. Sekhet is usually translated as "eunuch," but that's probably an oversimplification of what this gender category means. Since it was given that level of importance, it could potentially be an entire category of gender/sex variance that doesn't fit into male or female. The hieroglyphs for ''sekhet'' include a sitting figure that usually mean a man, but the word doesn't include hieroglyphs that refer to genitals in any way. The word for male did include a hieroglyph explicitly showing a penis. At the very least, ''sekhet'' is likely to mean cisgender gay men, in the sense of not having children, and not necessarily someone who was castrated. Archaeologists question whether ancient Egyptians castrated humans, because the evidence for it is lacking.<ref>Sethe, Kurt, (1926), ''Die Aechtung feindlicher Fürsten, Völker und Dinge auf altägyptischen Tongefäßscherben des mittleren Reiches,'' in: Abhandlungen der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse, 1926, p. 61.</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Stewart, Sandra|title= Egyptian third gender|url=http://www.gendertree.com/Egyptian%20third%20gender.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206205104/http://www.gendertree.com/Egyptian%20third%20gender.htm |archive | Writings from ancient Egypt (Middle Kingdom, 2000-1800 BCE) said there were three genders of humans: male (''tie''), ''sekhet (s<u>h</u>t)'', and female (''hemet''), in that order. Sekhet is usually translated as "eunuch," but that's probably an oversimplification of what this gender category means. Since it was given that level of importance, it could potentially be an entire category of gender/sex variance that doesn't fit into male or female. The hieroglyphs for ''sekhet'' include a sitting figure that usually mean a man, but the word doesn't include hieroglyphs that refer to genitals in any way. The word for male did include a hieroglyph explicitly showing a penis. At the very least, ''sekhet'' is likely to mean cisgender gay men, in the sense of not having children, and not necessarily someone who was castrated. Archaeologists question whether ancient Egyptians castrated humans, because the evidence for it is lacking.<ref>Sethe, Kurt, (1926), ''Die Aechtung feindlicher Fürsten, Völker und Dinge auf altägyptischen Tongefäßscherben des mittleren Reiches,'' in: Abhandlungen der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse, 1926, p. 61.</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Stewart, Sandra|title= Egyptian third gender|url=http://www.gendertree.com/Egyptian%20third%20gender.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206205104/http://www.gendertree.com/Egyptian%20third%20gender.htm |archive-date= 6 February 2020}}</ref><ref>Mark Brustman. "The Third Gender in Ancient Egypt." ''"Born Eunuchs" Home Page and Library.'' 1999. https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/egypt.htm</ref><ref>Frans Jonckheere. Mark Brustman, translator. "Eunuchs in Pharaonic Egypt." Translation of "L'Eunuque dans l'Égypte pharaonique," originally in ''Revue d'Histoire des Sciences'', vol. 7, No. 2 (April-June 1954), pp. 139-155. https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/pharaonique.htm</ref> | ||
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Gender-variant deities and figures in ancient Egyptian religion: | Gender-variant deities and figures in ancient Egyptian religion: | ||
* '''Hapi''', god of the Nile River, often depicted as a man with a round belly, breasts, and a fake beard. This is often seen as related to his fertility aspects. <ref> | * '''Hapi''', god of the Nile River, often depicted as a man with a round belly, breasts, and a fake beard. This is often seen as related to his fertility aspects. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hapi|last=Etheredge|first=Laura|work=Britannica.com|title=Hapi: Egyptian god of the inundation}}</ref><ref name="kemet tenu">Tenu (Emky). "PBP Fridays: G is for Genderqueer and GLBTQ Netjeru." March 30, 2012. https://unorthodoxcreativity.com/emky/pbp/genderqueer-and-glbtq-netjeru/</ref> | ||
* '''Shai(male)/Shait(female)''', who was sometimes portrayed both as male and female. Being the personification of fate, gender was not a concern, and is variable depending on the place and time. | * '''Shai(male)/Shait(female)''', who was sometimes portrayed both as male and female. Being the personification of fate, gender was not a concern, and is variable depending on the place and time. | ||
* '''Nebt-het (Nephthys)'''. "In ancient texts, Nebt-het has been described as being 'an imitation woman with no vagina' because of Her barrenness and She has no children with Her husband, Set, Lord of the Red Desert, which is a striking difference from most Kemetic triads of mother-father-child. [...] She is ''sekhyt'' [''sekhet''], a Kemetic word often translated as 'eunuch' but more accurately indicates any person who doesn’t fit within the traditional gender roles of male or female, any person who is infertile, and/or a sexless/unsexed person."<ref name="kemet tenu" /> | * '''Nebt-het (Nephthys)'''. "In ancient texts, Nebt-het has been described as being 'an imitation woman with no vagina' because of Her barrenness and She has no children with Her husband, Set, Lord of the Red Desert, which is a striking difference from most Kemetic triads of mother-father-child. [...] She is ''sekhyt'' [''sekhet''], a Kemetic word often translated as 'eunuch' but more accurately indicates any person who doesn’t fit within the traditional gender roles of male or female, any person who is infertile, and/or a sexless/unsexed person."<ref name="kemet tenu" /> | ||
* '''Nit''', a world-creating goddess, who has been called by "the epithet 'The Mother and Father of All Things' and has been addressed as 'Male Who made female; Female Who made male' at the temples of Esna. [...] Nit is said to have created childbirth, and, when referred to as a creatrix, Her name is written with the hieroglyph of an ejaculating phallus."<ref name="kemet tenu" /> | * '''Nit''', a world-creating goddess, who has been called by "the epithet 'The Mother and Father of All Things' and has been addressed as 'Male Who made female; Female Who made male' at the temples of Esna. [...] Nit is said to have created childbirth, and, when referred to as a creatrix, Her name is written with the hieroglyph of an ejaculating phallus."<ref name="kemet tenu" /> | ||
* '''Set''', god of chaos. The mythology describes him having sex with men and women, and specifically mentions him ejaculating, but also calls him a ''sekhet''.<ref name="kemet tenu" /> This suggests that ''sekhet'' does not necessarily mean someone who was castrated. | * '''Set''', god of chaos. The mythology describes him having sex with men and women, and specifically mentions him ejaculating, but also calls him a ''sekhet''.<ref name="kemet tenu" /> This suggests that ''sekhet'' does not necessarily mean someone who was castrated. | ||
* '''Tatenen''', [[androgynous]] mother or father of the earth. They are a creator deity, being seen as creating the land itself. Because of their status as a creator, they are seen as androgynous. <ref> | * '''Tatenen''', [[androgynous]] mother or father of the earth. They are a creator deity, being seen as creating the land itself. Because of their status as a creator, they are seen as androgynous. <ref>{{cite web|title=Tatenen|last=Dollinger |first=André |url=http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/religion/tatenen.htm|archive-date=12 June 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143914/www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/religion/tatenen.htm}}</ref> | ||
* '''Wadj-wer''', sometimes depicted as a pregnant man. He relates to water, the Mediterranean, and fertility, the later aspect likely the reason for the pregnancy.<ref> | * '''Wadj-wer''', sometimes depicted as a pregnant man. He relates to water, the Mediterranean, and fertility, the later aspect likely the reason for the pregnancy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/wadjwer.htm|title=Egypt: Wadj Wer - The Pregnant God|work=Tour Egypt}}</ref> | ||
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