Warburg blog: The Hermaphrodite

[Paul Ferguson]

"Whilst the word ‘hermaphrodite’ is now understood to be a derogatory term, in this blog we use it in reference to classical, medieval and early modern sources. Indeed, as argued by Leah DeVun, in the European Middle Ages the term ‘hermaphrodite’ was not always associated to individuals.Instead, it was often used as an abstract analytical tool through which to explain the very nature of human identity. As such, the ‘alchemical hermaphrodite’ provides a powerful tool through which to explore how medieval scientists were thinking about sex and gender within the wider world."

https://historycollections.blogs.sas.ac....f-alchemy/