The history of the “third gender” (historically referred to in Sanskrit as Kliba or Ali) is deeply woven into ancient civilizations, often blending biological reality with divine mythology.
While the term “hermaphrodite” comes from Greek mythology(it is derogatory to refer to a person), the concept predates the Greeks by thousands of years in the Near East and the Indus Valley.
1. The Earliest Record: Sumer and Mesopotamia (c. 3000 BCE)
The earliest written records of individuals who were neither purely male nor female come from ancient Sumer (modern-day Iraq).
* The Enki and Ninmah Myth: In this creation myth, the gods Enki and Ninmah are challenged to create humans with “disabilities” or variations for whom society must find a place. They create a “man who has no penis” and a “woman who cannot give birth.” Enki assigns them roles as attendants to the King.
* The Gala Priests: These were a class of temple personnel in Sumer who exhibited feminine traits, spoke a female dialect of Sumerian (Emesal), and were considered a distinct gender blessed by the goddess Inanna.
2. Ancient Egypt (c. 2000 BCE)
Ancient Egyptian medical texts and pottery inscriptions (Execration texts) recognize three genders: tai (male), hmt (female), and sekhet (sxht).
* The Sekhet were often depicted in roles associated with the boundaries between life and death or as specific types of ritual performers.
* Hapi, the Nile God: Interestingly, Hapi was often depicted with both male features and female breasts, symbolizing the “hermaphroditic” fertility of the Nile River that nourishes the land.
3. Greek Mythology: The Name’s Origin (c. 4th Century BCE)
The English word comes from Hermaphroditus, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite.
* The Myth: He was born a remarkably handsome man. The water nymph Salmacis fell in love with him and prayed to the gods that they be “joined as one.” The gods fused their bodies into a single being with both male and female physical characteristics.
* The Symbolism: In Greek art, Hermaphroditus was not seen as a “monster” but as a symbol of the “perfect union” of the masculine and feminine principles.
4. The Vedic and Tamil Context (India)
Since you were just reading the Thiruvasagam, you’ve touched on the Indian history of this concept, which is among the oldest in the world.
* Ardhanarishvara: The iconographic representation of Shiva and Parvati as one body dates back to the Kushan period (1st Century CE), but the philosophical concept of a “neuter” or “both” divinity is found in the Rig Veda.
* The Mahabharata (Shikhandi): One of the most famous historical/mythological figures is Shikhandi, who was born female but transitioned to male (or remained in a “third” state) to fulfill a vow.
* Tamil Sangam Literature: Early Tamil works often refer to the Ali or Peddi with a sense of ritual importance, specifically their role in dance and temple ceremonies.
5. Biological “Intersex” vs. Cultural “Hermaphrodite”
It is important to note the distinction:
* Biological: Today, we use the term Intersex. Historically, “hermaphrodite” was used to describe individuals born with ambiguous genitalia or chromosomal variations.
* Cultural: In many ancient societies, being “Ali” or “Sekhet” was a social status or a religious calling, not just a biological condition.
Summary Timeline
| Era | Region | Key Figure/Term |
|—|—|—|
| 3000 BCE | Sumer | Gala (Third-gender priests) |
| 2000 BCE | Egypt | Sekhet (Third gender in texts) |
| 1500 BCE | India | Kliba / Tritiya-prakriti (Vedic “Third Nature”) |
| 400 BCE | Greece | Hermaphroditus (Mythological origin) |
Manikkavasagar’s inclusion of Ali-āgi in the Sivapuranam is part of this long global history of recognizing that the Divine (and humanity) is not limited to a simple binary. It is to be noted that Sivaji Ganesan portray appar(thirunavukkarasar or appar in thiruvarutselvar), not mānikkavasagar.