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Hadrian inaugurated the ancient religion of Antinous as a way of asking other gay men to remember Antinous and ensure that his name would never be forgotten and that his beauty and his gentle heart would never fade away. Learning about a deity’s mythology and symbolism is a great way to begin forming a spiritual connection.
This list of queer mythological characters and deities from around the world, encompassing homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender identities, and gender-fluidity, only scratches the surface of the rich history of queer narratives.
In the context of cis-heteronormativity, such ancient characters are striking in their non-conforming expressions of gender and sexuality.
Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. Born as twins to the androgynous Queen Nana Baluku, Mawu and Lisa merged, giving rise to a singular, bigender deity and the creation of the universe.
Mawu, associated with the feminine moon, and Lisa, associated with the masculine sun, embody the duality of light and darkness, power and intuition, and strength and wisdom, encapsulating the inherent harmony within the natural world.
Cassells Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore, (1998), Cassell, London
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The story of Mawu-Lisa’s becoming can viewed as a profound exploration of the complexities of identity in the balance of earthly existence. When the Empire turned against her vulnerable guardian, the way was open for chaos and destruction.
The extraordinary story of Antinous was preserved by the Church in documents denouncing paganism.
Your support helps us to sustain DailyArt Magazine and keep it running. This is through the understanding that Guanyin can assume the most necessary form to aid those in need, notably her male incarnation, Avalokiteshvara. In ritual, the labarindja are depicted as gynandrous and often performed by men in women’s attire.
The corporeal manifestation of intersexuality serves as a representation of the fluidity of gender in the divine realm, illustrating the fusion of masculine and feminine energies within the forces of creation.
Whilst Mawu-Lisa serves as a symbol of the cyclical nature of existence and the interconnectedness of opposing forces, West African mythologies reflect a nuanced treatment of gender beyond binary physical forms, embracing androgynous bodies and coalescing spiritual essences.
Mawu-Lisa, West African Kingdom of Dahomey
In the Kingdom of Dahomey, the Fon people wove a rich tapestry of cosmological beliefs interwoven with mythology. Rather than adhering to rigid binary classifications, the Kanaka Maoli people recognize the fluidity and interconnectedness of gender, viewing māhū as an integral part of the communal fabric, with māhū individuals contributing a unique and valued perspective to the community.
The narrative follows that many generations ago, the shores of Hawaii welcomed the arrival of four extraordinary Pacific Island spirits: Kapaemāhu, Kapuni, Kīnohi, and Kahaloa.
In other tales, they are depicted as nonbinary or genderfluid.
Loki – Shapeshifting is one of the powers depicted in the mythology of the Norse trickster god. To save her from being hunted by her son, Zeus transforms them both into the constellations Ursa Major and Minor. When Erzulie possesses the body of a man, he is liberated to express homoerotic and effeminate tendencies.
It is therefore our duty (for those who choose to take his image upon their shoulders) in answer to the request of Hadrian, for the world, for gay men, to remember Antinous, to perpetuate his name, and to love him for all eternity, as Hadrian loved him.
This is the deepest foundation of the Modern Religion of Antinous...to hear the call of Hadrian across the centuries, to love, worship and care for the memory of the beautiful Antinous, because without us, the Name of Antinous could vanish into oblivion, or else he could merely languish on a shelf in a museum without anyone to ever say:
Behold the Divine Antinous
May He live Forever!
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They used him as an example to illustrate that the Roman Religion had become a religion of pederasty, immoral sexual indulgence, and idolatry.Antinous was the Last God of ancient Rome, and he was also unfortunately used as a weapon against the pagans by the Catholic faith. In another version, Ampelos is killed by a bull and Dionysus subsequently transforms him into the first grapevine from which he could make alcoholic wine.