Homosexuality and Mythology - Part 4

Till now we have seen the references of same-sex relationships in different mythologies like the Greek and other mythologies, besides the Biblical overtones of the same. Closer home, many of the Asian communities had references to homosexual relationships.

The Chinese mythology is replete with references to same-sex relationships among many gods and characters. It was also common to find dragons have sex with males in the myths. Chinese folklores too have many stories which openly discuss same-sex relationships and their history too has mention of such relationships, till the concept suffered in the hands of Western moralistic influence to the extent that today such relationships are looked down upon and is actually seen as a Western import!

According to the Japanese mythology, same-sex relationships were introduced by two gods, Shinu and Ama, who were the servants of Amaterasu, the Sun goddess. According to the myth, when one died, the other committed suicide and the two were buried in the same grave. The myth goes on that the Sun did not shine the next day, till the bodies of the lovers were exhumed and buried separately. However, there is no explicit material to prove that the homosexual overtones were the reason of the offence, if at all. Besides this, there are a number of references of same-sex relationships or changing of sex for any reason, like having relationship with certain characters or animals, is mentioned in the Japanese mythology.

This brings us to Hindu Mythology. Next time we will discuss references of same-sex relationships from Hindu Mythology. Keep reading …….

Homosexuality and Mythology - Part 3

In the earlier part of the series, we have read about some well-known myths from the Greek Mythology. Let us see the treatment of such relationships from other mythologies –

Norse mythology does not have any specific references of homosexuality, as men were never expected to be a passive partner, which was looked down upon. However, one of the main gods by the name of Loki, the trickster, had the ability to change form or gender. According to one such myth, Loki changes into a mare and gives birth to a foal after a sexual encounter with a stallion. Though this might not be seen as a direct reference to homosexuality, but does hint at a lot more than just that!

A number of lesbian relationships exist in Hawaiian mythology. Mayan god Chin was associated with same-sex love, to the extent that the god was an inspiration for many a noble family to buy young men as lovers for their sons, thus lending a sense of legitimacy to such same-sex relationships through parental approval. Similarly, the Aztecs had Xochipilli as the patron god of homosexuals, which gives an indication of the existence of such alternate lifestyles and also had societal approval.

In the famous Sumerian epic, Epic of Gilgamesh, the two main characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu are supposed to have a homosexual relationship. However, it is pertinent to mention that this view is purely of the modern scholars, since the remnants of the Epic do not indicate any such intimate moments or conversation, except for the fact that they were very close companions. This could have been due to the fact that two characters were quite similar in age and class and shared an open relationship – and modern outlook does not see things in its pure form.

Jonathan & David

The Bible too has oblique references to homosexual relationships between some characters, especially that of David and Jonathan.  Both David and Jonathan had wives, but they are supposed to have shared a ‘close friendship’. Jonathan’s father, King Saul, had serious reservations of Jonathan’s relationship with David, though, he did not object to giving one of his daughters in marriage to David. Some scholars have supposed that this dislike of David by Jonathan’s father could be due to the potential threat to his monarchy and offering a daughter in marriage could be more political, than anything else. At the same time many scholars have seen the relationship between David and Jonathan at a more Platonic level. Modernism has been more regressive than evolving in our thought-process and that is why what was earlier platonic, has now become gay-relationship. No explicit material is available, but some references have made modern scholars to ‘see things’ in a manner which is implicit!

St. Sebastian

This brings us the subject of St. Sebastian which is a very significant character under the present discussion. St. Sebastian is one of the oldest gay icons, in whom the modern artists saw a depiction of the pathos of a gay individual. His strong and muscular bare torso, with arrows pierced and blood dripping has been a near-true depiction of what the gay individual goes through in the modern society. His alternative preferences and his erotic desires are well portrayed by his tragic but homoerotic frame, as depicted by the artists while representing St. Sebastian, thus making him a modern-day gay icon.

Next time we will discuss some references of same-sex relationships from some Asian mythologies. Keep reading …….

Homosexuality and Mythology - Part 2

Greek mythology is replete with references of relationships of same-sex. There are a number of references that can be given, like the relationships between Achilles and Patroclus,  Apollo and Hyacinthus, or some of the escapades of Zeus himself.

Zeus (as eagle) and Ganymede

Let’s take the case of one such relationship of Zeus. Ganymede was a handsome mortal and the son of Tros, the Lord of the Trojans. Tros loved his son so much that he ensured that he was brought up well under special tutors who taught him wrestling, riding and swimming amongst many of the sports. Once Zeus saw Ganymede from the heavens resting with his friends at Mount Ida and instantly fell in love with him and in the guise of an eagle, swooped down to the earth. He created a storm and turned the day into darkness and tenderly caught hold of Ganymede and flew away with him. Soon they reached the heavens, where Zeus took his original form and took him to bed. Soon all the gods were delighted with the looks of Ganymede and his presence and he was thus appointed the cup-bearer where he would serve wine to all the gods, not before pressing his lips to the cups before handing the cup over to the gods. Back on the earth, Tros was sad and sunk in sorrow, so much so that even Zeus felt sad for him. To make up for the loss of Ganymede, Zeus presented him with a pair of white mares who could walk on water, which filled Tros with the joy as he rode the mares! In the meanwhile, Hera, Zeus’s wife was jealous of this new found love of Zeus and she decided to destroy the Trojans (this is a different myth). Zeus who was enamoured by Ganymede decided to make place for him in the heavens and thus was put among the stars as Aquarius – the water bearer, who till date stands tall and handsome, pouring nectar!

Apollo and Hyacinthus

Another very important myth is that of Apollo and his mortal lover Hyacinthus, the son of the King of Sparta. Apollo was in love with Hyacinthus and the god would come down to the earth to spend time with his mortal lover, listening to music and indulging in boyish pastimes and learning gymnastics from Hyacinthus, an art form supposed to have been developed from the Spartans. During one such visit to earth, both of them applied oil to their glistening bodies and started to try out throwing the discus, where each tried to outdo the other, in throwing it higher and higher. Once Apollo threw the discus very high and the when the same came hurling down to earth, Hyacinthus was hurt in the head, trying to catch it. His head started bleeding. Apollo tried in vain but could not stop the bleeding and soon Hyacinth was dead. Apollo mourned and soon a red flower rose at the spot where Hyacinthus’s blood dropped and the flower was henceforth called the Hyacinth. Painters and scholars have depicted this story of love and death in full pathos, but the fact that this was same-sex relationship has never been denied like many others in the Greek Mythology.

Amongst many of the same-sex relationships there are mentions of a few like the relationships that Aphrodite has with other goddesses and there are references of her being identified as the patron goddess of lesbians. It would be pertinent to mention here that there are more references of gay relationships than that of lesbians. This however, could be explained by the fact that such myths were written/related/orated by men and from the angle of man in general. I wouldn’t ascribe this to anything beyond this.

There are many pictures of paintings and sculptures which have made the above and many other relationships artistically immortal, but due to the moral facade that modern human beings maintain, I am not uploading them. However, those interested and ask for them directly.

Next time we will discuss some references of same-sex relationships from other mythologies. Keep reading …….

Homosexuality and Mythology - Part 1

The theme of homosexuality in mythology is quite common. Many mythologies depict this as a sexual act in terms of same-sex relationships or myths which deal with the subject as it is. No mythologies deal with the subject as a taboo or unnatural, though the modern interpretation does say so. Mythologies of the world treat the subject as just another manifestation of erotic expression and don’t see it as a heterosexual or homosexual act.  Many scholars feel that it is the modern (or rather the Anglo-Saxon education and an influence of Victorian upbringing) outlook that views homosexuality in a ‘different’ manner. Mythology has dealt with the aspects of homosexuality (both gay and lesbian relationship), transgender and transvestites, etc. as just another aspect of a sexual expression – no value judgment was ever made. It is much later that people started interpreting them in their ways and influencing their thought-process on such myths.

Different mythologies have treated the subject in different ways. Some have dealt with the subject of homosexuality, transgenderism and homoeroticism without distinguishing them. Some have references to relationships of same-sex and bisexuality (and even bestiality!) while some have characters with both reproductive organs, and some see it as androgynous. The whole idea is that in some myths the subject might not have been discussed with such clarity of concepts that modern and evolved (?) man has made it out to be. The terms that we use now are modern expressions and it is we who now try to compartmentalize the terms and use it accordingly. Some have subtle references, while some have clear message – without being judgmental (at the cost of repetition).  

Majority of the creation myths have similar themes where the world and its first inhabitants have been created by genderless or hermaphrodite beings, a union between same or opposite genders. (I would avoid giving examples here as this would be a deviation from the theme under discussion).

Let us see how different mythologies have treated the subject and some of the common myths around the said theme.

Many mythologies see the aspects of homosexuality or gender-changes in human beings as acts (or rather errors) of gods. According to the Greek mythology, Prometheus (the god who made man out of clay and later was punished for giving man the gift of fire) was responsible for such gender variance. According to Aesop (of Aesop Fables fame) – Prometheus was making man and woman out of clay and was separately shaping the private parts to attach them later on to the appropriate bodies. Just as he was about to do so, he was invited for dinner. He came late from dinner and under the influence of divine wine, he is supposed to have stuck the female parts on men and vice versa! This is how Aesop explains why some men are effeminate while some females are more-manly and how ‘unnatural’ desires arise leading to ‘perverted-pleasures’!

Tomorrow we will discuss some references of same-sex relationships from Greek Mythology. Keep reading …….

Rechristening of West Bengal

West Bengal just got rechristened to a brand new vernacular name – Pashcimbanga (to be pronounced as ‘Poshchim-bongo’ with all the ‘o’s to be pronounced in different ways!). Just because the Bard of Avon once said “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet", one doesn’t have to take it so seriously! Ask any non-Bong and he would tell you which one is a rose and which one isn’t! This is just first one of the many stages of “poriborton” – or change, that Mamata-di had promised prior to the polls.

This change of name will ‘elevate’ the alphabetical position of the state to seven steps higher – from W to P!! Bravo……never read a reason for a name change more naïve than that. With that logic wouldn’t just a simple Bengal have elevated it to many more steps higher? But then since when did we start crediting our politicians with a sense of logic? Apologies for the error of judgment!

If this is the first step to poriborton, then this is a disaster and the fact that we have not learnt from such errors in the past. Mother Teresa Sarani is still known as Park Street in Calcutta…..oops Kolkata and the famous Netaji Subhash International Airport is still fondly remembered as Dum Dum Airport! Is that kinda dumb? So what, many more things are dumb that our elected politicians do. How many residents of Kolkata can tell me the new names of Camac Street, Canning Street, Amherst Street, Princep Street, and I can go on? By changing the names, have we erased the colonial past? During the 200 years of Imperial rule, the Brits have done many a good and can we respect some for those things? The Railway network, the underground sewage system, the Howrah Bridge, the numerous buildings which have stood the test of time (Victoria Memorial, the Writers Building and so on), the Mint, etc. What is the big deal in renaming all the streets, lanes and bye lanes if people are not going to call them by the new names? What an insult to the memories of all the local personalities!

I would think that it would be more important to focus on tangible change rather than such useless cosmetic changes, which will bring no relief to the Calcuttan (or is it Kolkatan?) The change that all of us are looking for is in the form of development and the image that the now-erstwhile West Bengal carries. I am told that some railway stations are now being painted in shades of green as part of the change-process to the present ruling-party colour from the previous red!

With due apologies to the Bard of Bengal, I can’t help but remember a very famous song written by him – here is the slightly changed version of the same – Aami chini-go chini tomare, ogo didi-moni, tomra neta hole akajer, tomra neta hole akajer, ogo didi-moni, ogo didi-moni !!

Recreated image of Writer's Building

Finally my sincere request to the powers-that-be – Please do not paint the Writer’s  Building, green. Leave it red, it was built that way!!