#hermaphroditus

[the-evil-clergyman]

The Nymph Salmacis and Hermaphroditus by Francois-Joseph Navez (1829)

[copperbadge]

[ID: A statue of a person lying on a very plush looking pillow-bed; the sculpture is nude with back to the camera, face turned to the side, lying on a dramatic drapery, with one foot gently raised.]

This is an incredibly compelling work in person for a number of reasons -- to begin with, the raised foot isn't done justice by the photograph, but it's really funny and very human in person. It looked ancient enough, but also whimsical enough, that I was surprised I hadn't seen it in the records yet, so I checked out the placard, which put the date at around 100 CE. I must have just missed it while paging through the records. I'm sorry I did, because it's a gorgeous sculpture. (Its history is complicated but it appears the figure and draperies are ancient while the bed itself is 17th century.)

And it's called the Sleeping Hermaphroditus, because...

[ID: The statue as seen from the side; head still turned away, the torso is visible, and shows both the generous curve of a breast and also a penis and testicles resting on the drapery on which the figure reclines.]

In ancient history, Hermaphroditus was the child of Aphrodite and Hermes, originally male, who was merged with a naiad who was obsessed with him and became both male and female. He's generally represented as a very feminine-looking person (hair in the female style of the time, prominent breasts, female clothing, rounded hips) with male genitalia, often coyly on display. The history is complicated; we don't have good sourcing for the story and we don't truly know how Hermaphroditus was viewed in the ancient world, as far as I know (classicists feel free to correct me on this). Hermaphroditus, generally referred to with male pronouns even after developing a female appearance, may have represented trans women, intersex people, or some spiritual concept that had little to do with human gender expression at all.

Regardless of the complication surrounding the narrative, the sculpture itself is beautiful, and well worth sharing, I think.

[lionofchaeronea]

Statuette (white marble) of Hermaphroditus, the mixed-gender child of Hermes and Aphrodite. Artist unknown; 2nd cent. BCE (Hellenistic). Thought to have come from Rhodes; now in the Princeton University Art Museum.

[thewhisperofzagreus]

Oh, Hermaphroditus, a Holy One.

1. Hermaphroditus statue from Imperial Rome, around 70-100 AD, at "Lady Lever Art Gallery" in Europe England 2. Hermaphroditus statue from Imperial Rome in the 2nd century AD, at "Louvre" in Paris, Europe France

[allmythologies]

greek mythology: hermaphroditus

hermaphroditus is the god of hermaphrodites, effeminacy and androgyny. born a remarkably handsome boy but after the water nymph salmacis fell in love with him, she prayed to be united forever, and their two forms merged into one.

[diana-thyme]

Greek Gods 101: Hermaphroditus

Hermaphroditus is a god of effeminates and hermaphrodites. Excluding the universal offerings, some common offerings include:

Roses

Fertility Symbols

Shells

Makeup

Depictions of Fish

Depictions of Hermaphroditic Animals

Mirrors

Jewelry and Other Adornments

Symbols of Queerness (i.e. flags)

For devotional acts, some activities that can be done for them include:

Exploring Your Gender Identity

Challenging Gender Norms

Learning About Queerness & Queer History

Wedding or Promise Rings

Practicing Self-Care

Learning About Different Types of Intersexuality

Supporting Queer and Intersex People

They are not celebrated in any Athenian holidays.

[aesthetic-otd]

Today's aesthetic is hermaphroditus

[hisfluer]

THE EROTES, winged gods of love. — HERMAPRODITUS, god of androgyny. 

[cuties-in-codices]

Hermaphroditus and the nymph Salmacis bathing in a lake

in Christine de Pizan's "L'Épître Othéa", included in a french manuscript called "The Book of the Queen" containing a collection of Pizan's works, illuminated by the Master of the Cité des Dames, ca. 1410-1414

source: London, British Library, Harley 4431, fol. 132v (detail).

[elikoeides]

I give so much praise to Hermaphroditus for my wonderful, androgynous, intersex body.

[thegodwhocums]

Hellenistic Egyptian bronze statuette (19 cm) from the Louvre, depicting a figure we might describe as intersex or transfeminine, posed looking back over her shoulder at her behind in a hand mirror.

I might editorialize to describe this as Hermaphroditos Kallipygos, though the Louvre listing contains no details as to who might be depicted.

[witchcraftndwhims]

Do y'all ever get this warm feeling in your chest when looking at items related to/of certain deities? I was looking up some statues of hermaphroditus on Etsy and man I am feeling something or another, like unspoken kindness?? Not to be all poetic or cryptic it just feels like acceptance. Maybe I just find them pretty but this is the most relaxed and or comforted I've felt in relation towards thinking about a deity.

[mythological-mayhem]

Let's give it up for Hermaphroditus, the original intersex icon

Why isn't he talked about more he should be talked about more

[silly-greek-pantheon]

[Hephaestus]: Awwh, what should we name the baby?

[Aphrodite]: *Thinking* Don't think of Hermes- Don't think of Hermes-

[Aphrodite]: Hermaphroditus.

[Aphrodite]: *Thinking* Shit.

[Hephaestus]: That's a wonderful name!

[Hephaestus:] *Years later* WAIT-

[NOTE]: literally obsessed over the fact a child of hermes and aphrodite is literally named after their ship name, it is insane--

[tragediambulante]

Sleeping Hermaphroditus, II century D.C

[ritualware]