ANTH 331 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Eunuch, Sex Education, Natalism
26 Feb 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Hijras
Pg 223-228
● Alternative sex/gender identity
● Third sex, identifies as neither men or women
● Phenotypic men who wear female clothing
● No sex, sacrifice male genitalia to goddess
● Traditional occupations of performing at marriages, births, temples
● Also engage in sex work with men (start with this then become ritual performers)
● Hijra is a masculine noun, understood to mean physical defect inhibiting intercourse and
reproductive ability
● Women who do not menstruate can also become a Hijra
● If Hijra is not born with defective sexual organ, he must emasculate (rebirth) NIRVAN
● Loss of virility
● NARANS: reproductive capacity (aka women)
● KOTHIS: men who like to do women’s work, same sex encounters
● PANTHIS: partners of K & N, desire for sex and lack of desire for female practices
● Hijras rank themselves as the most authentic of KOTHIS
● kinship/ membership in community to which their teacher belongs in
● GANDUS: men who enjoys anal sex, excessive sexual desire
● real Hijra: cuts off penis
● Hinduism and Hijra mythology
○ Identifies most closely with ARJUN
○ SHIVA: vertically divided half man half woman mythological figure, asexual (he)
● Islam and Hijra practice
○ Eunuch
○ Muslim in practice (greetings, celebrating Muslim festivals, burial practices, etc)
○ Follow both the male and female rules
○ Do not wear bindis
● Hijras have achieved notable political success
● Individuals who are free of family, gender and caste are perfect antidotes to India’s
corruption
● Have to run as men
Sexual desire, kinship, how you dress and present yourself, religious practice, political
Rasmussen: Do Herds & Tents still Matter? In GCCP
Refer to slides 33-38 to direct your reading
● Semi Nomadic Tuareg: men’s houses
● Normadic camps: women’s tents
Required Reading: Political Demography: The Banning of Abortion in Ceausescu’s Romania.
Gail Kligman.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Third sex, identifies as neither men or women. No sex, sacrifice male genitalia to goddess. Traditional occupations of performing at marriages, births, temples. Also engage in sex work with men (start with this then become ritual performers) Hijra is a masculine noun, understood to mean physical defect inhibiting intercourse and reproductive ability. If hijra is not born with defective sexual organ, he must emasculate (rebirth) nirvan. Women who do not menstruate can also become a hijra. Kothis: men who like to do women"s work, same sex encounters. Panthis: partners of k & n, desire for sex and lack of desire for female practices. Hijras rank themselves as the most authentic of kothis. Kinship/ membership in community to which their teacher belongs in. Gandus: men who enjoys anal sex, excessive sexual desire. Hinduism and hijra mythology real hijra: cuts off penis. Shiva: vertically divided half man half woman mythological figure, asexual (he)
