Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender LoreDid you know that in medieval French folklore a person might change sex by passing under a rainbow? Or that same-sex unions have been celebrated by peoples of the ancient Mediterranean, Africa, China, and Indigenous America? Or that Sappho, da Vinci, Emily Dickinson, Nijinsky, Benjamin Britten, Mishima, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Keith Haring, Boy George, and Derek Jarman number among those who have explored the spiritual dimension of gender and sexuality in their works? While the terms many of us employ today to identify ourselves - 'queer', 'lesbian', 'gay', 'bisexual', 'transgendered' - differ markedly from those of peoples of other times and places, we are nevertheless the bearers of a rich spiritual history that has been ignored or suppressed, a history encoded in sacred texts as well as in works of art, music, dance and other media. Drawing upon religion, mythology, folklore, anthropology, history and the arts, the Encyclopedia is a cornucopia of queer spirituality, containing over 1,500 alphabetically arranged entries from Aakulujjuusi to Zeus. |
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Page 27
... looked toward the female to perpetuate the tribe . They may or may not have recognized the role of the male in reproduction . Their spiritual beliefs and practices reflected their way of life . Above all , they worshipped female deities ...
... looked toward the female to perpetuate the tribe . They may or may not have recognized the role of the male in reproduction . Their spiritual beliefs and practices reflected their way of life . Above all , they worshipped female deities ...
Page 28
... looked upon as individuals belonging to an alternate gender , or genders . This gender category ( or categories ) represented a blending of traits assumed by the cultures concerned to be masculine , feminine , and godlike or ...
... looked upon as individuals belonging to an alternate gender , or genders . This gender category ( or categories ) represented a blending of traits assumed by the cultures concerned to be masculine , feminine , and godlike or ...
Page 307
... looked upon Emperor Ai and Dong Xian as non - biological ancestors . It is conceivable that when certain men , especially poets , expressed their love for one another , they viewed themselves as ritualistically remembering these lovers ...
... looked upon Emperor Ai and Dong Xian as non - biological ancestors . It is conceivable that when certain men , especially poets , expressed their love for one another , they viewed themselves as ritualistically remembering these lovers ...
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Common terms and phrases
Agdistis Amazonian Amazons anal intercourse ancient and/or androgynous APHRODITE APOLLO appears Artemis ARTEMIS/DIANA artists associated Attis beautiful became become believed beloved bisexual Buddhism castration celebrated ceremony Christian companion cultures Cybele dance death deity depicted described devotees DIONYSUS divine dressed erotic especially eunuchs Euro-western female feminine flowers Freyja galli GANYMEDE gender variant gender variant male Ghede Goddess Reverence Greek hair healing HERACLES HERMES heterosexual HIERODULES Hindu homoerotically inclined homoeroticism homosexuality honor inspired Jesus Krishna lesbian linked living lover magic masculine mother mystical myth mythology orishá pansexual passion patron persons poem poet practitioners priestesses priests Queen queer queer-identified Radical Faeries referred relationship religion rites ritual role Roman sacred Saint same-sex eroticism Sappho sexual variance shamans Shiva signifying spiritual functionaries spiritual traditions suggests symbolic tale temple third gender transformed transgendered transgendered male transgenderism TWO-SPIRIT vampire Vodou warrior wearing woman women worship writes Xochiquetzal young ZEUS