The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore

Name: The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore
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ISBN: 9781560231813

Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies

By: Devdutt Pattanaik

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Paperback Published: 1st January 2002
ISBN: 9781560231813
Number Of Pages: 165

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A god transforms into a nymph and enchants another god.A king becomes pregnant.A prince discovers on his wedding night that he is not a man.Another king has children who call him both father and mother. A hero turns into a eunuch and wears female apparel. A princess has to turn into a man before she can avenge her humiliation. Widows of a king make love to conceive his child. Friends of the same sex end up marrying each other after one of them metamorphoses into a woman. These are some of the tales from Hindu lore that this unique book examines. The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore is a compilation of traditional Hindu stories with a common thread: sexual transformation and gender metamorphosis. In addition to the thought-provoking stories in The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore, you'll also find:

an examination of the universality of queer narratives with examples from Greek lore and Irish folklore
a comparison of the Hindu paradigm to the biblical paradigm
a look at how Hindu society and Hindu scripture responds to queer sexuality
a discussion of the Hijras, popularly believed to be the “third gender” in India--their probable origin, and how they fit into Hindu society

With the telling of each of these tales, you will also learn how the author came upon each of them and how they relate to the context of dominant Hindu attitudes toward sex, gender, pleasure, fertility, and celibacy.

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction: Placing Stories in Context	p. 1
Universality of Queer Narratives	p. 1
Differences in Queer Narratives	p. 2
Hindu versus Biblical Paradigm	p. 4
Structured Society Within Fluid Philosophy	p. 5
The Hindu Way of Life	p. 6
Hindu Response to Queer Sexuality	p. 8
Adoption of the Colonial Discourse	p. 10
The Third Sex and Gender in India	p. 10
An Ancient Legacy	p. 12
What About the Women?	p. 13
Representation in Narratives	p. 15
Interpretation of Narratives	p. 16
Structure and Aim of the Book	p. 17
Women Who Become Men	p. 19
Bhisma: The Son Who Swore Celibacy	p. 21
Avikshita: The Prince Who Believed He Was a Woman	p. 22
Amba's Quest for Manhood	p. 23
Children of the Man with Queer Virility	p. 25
Shikhandini Gets a Male Body	p. 26
The Raja's Daughter Who Became His Son	p. 28
The Girls Who Got Married	p. 29
The Inseparable Girls	p. 31
Man Who Was a Woman	p. 33
The Woman Who Became a Man and Then a Woman	p. 35
Sariputra's Sex Change	p. 38
Malli Who Became Malli-Natha	p. 39
Pregnant Kings	p. 41
Bhangashvana: The Man Who Was Father and Mother	p. 41
Somavat: The Male Wife	p. 43
Son of a Eunuch	p. 44
The Forest Where Men Became Women	p. 45
The Dawn-God Becomes a Woman	p. 49
Riksharaja's Dip into Womanhood	p. 49
Narada Becomes a Woman	p. 51
Yuvanashva: The Pregnant King	p. 54
Ravana's Pregnancy	p. 56
Shiva Gives Birth to Shukra	p. 57
Kavya Gives Birth to Kacha	p. 58
Birth of Kartikeya	p. 61
Kartikeya Turns Away from Women	p. 63
Cross-Dressing Tricksters	p. 65
Mohini Tricks Bhasma	p. 66
Mohini Fools the Asuras	p. 68
Mohini Kills Virochana	p. 71
Mohini Enchants the Sages	p. 71
Vishnu Arouses Shiva	p. 72
Death of Adi	p. 73
The Son of Shiva and Vishnu	p. 75
Kali Becomes Krishna	p. 77
Shiva, the Milkmaid	p. 78
Krishna Wears Radha's Clothes	p. 81
Krishna Kills Araka	p. 83
Krishna and Arjuna As Mother and Daughter	p. 84
Ghatotkacha in Women's Clothes	p. 84
Bhima in Women's Clothes	p. 85
Santoshi and Her Brother	p. 86
Krishna Becomes Aravan's Wife	p. 87
Samba's Pregnancy	p. 88
Ravana's Harem	p. 91
Past Lives of the Milkmaids	p. 92
Castrated Men and Women	p. 95
Brihanalla: The Eunuch Dancer	p. 95
Urvashi Castrates Arjuna	p. 98
Bahuchara Emasculates Her Husband	p. 99
Bahuchara Cuts Her Breasts	p. 101
Kannagi Plucks Out Her Breast	p. 102
Shiva Castrates Himself	p. 103
Sages Castrate Shiva	p. 104
Indra Loses His Manhood	p. 105
Laxmana Mutilates Surpanakha	p. 106
Emasculation of Jamadagni's Sons	p. 107
Chelliamman's Female Companion	p. 109
The Man Who Had Never Seen a Woman	p. 111
Neither This nor That	p. 113
Narasimha	p. 113
Creation of Ganesha	p. 115
Two Queens Conceive a Child	p. 116
Ganesha Remains Single	p. 118
The Separation of the Three Worlds	p. 120
Rama's Return	p. 121
Purusha Splits into Two	p. 122
Brahma Sees the Half-Woman God	p. 123
Shiva Makes Parvati His Left Half	p. 125
Shiva Fuses with Parvati	p. 125
Shiva Cursed to Become an Androgyne	p. 128
Bhrungi Tries to Separate the Androgyne	p. 128
Shiva-Linga	p. 129
The Prince Who Married His Left Half	p. 130
Afterword	p. 133
Notes	p. 135
Glossary	p. 141
Bibliography	p. 153
Index	p. 157
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 9781560231813
ISBN-10: 1560231815
Series: Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies
Audience: Professional
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 165
Published: 1st January 2002
Publisher: HAWORTH PR INC
Country of Publication: US
Dimensions (cm): 20.96 x 14.61 x 1.27
Weight (kg): 0.34
Edition Number: 1