So I fell into a folklore rabbit hole the other night (as one does when insomnia and curiosity tag-team you at 2 a.m.), and wow—I did not expect to stumble upon an entire lineup of mythical creatures who basically scream, “I would totally march in Pride with glitter horns and bi flag wings.” Turns out, mythology and queerness go together like campfires and ghost stories: a little spooky, a little sparkly, and extremely extra in the best way.
Let’s start with the obvious (but still fabulous): unicorns. Yeah yeah, we all know they’ve been reclaimed by queer culture harder than a Bedazzler in a drag closet—but did you know that in some medieval texts, unicorns could only be tamed by virgins of any gender? Like, gender didn’t seem to matter as long as the vibes were pure. Honestly, that feels very nonbinary to me. Also, unicorn blood supposedly grants immortality, which I would argue is exactly the level of drama a queer icon should bring to the table.
Moving on. Ever heard of baobhan sith? They’re basically vampiric fairy women from Scottish folklore who wear green dresses and lure men into the woods for, um, deadly dances. But plot twist! Some older stories hint that they didn’t only prey on men. Like, there’s this whole sapphic energy happening under the surface—beautiful, deadly women wooing other beautiful, deadly women under the moonlight. It’s giving dangerous forest girlfriend, and I’m here for it.
Then we’ve got shapeshifters, the honorary mascots of fluid identity. From Japanese kitsune (fox spirits that can shift between genders and seduce humans) to Norse Loki (who, as we discussed in another post, literally transformed into a mare and gave birth to a horse—still not over it), these magical beings were way ahead of the curve. They didn’t just break gender rules—they exploded them, danced in the glittering remains, and went back for seconds.
And let’s take a hot second to appreciate the selkies. These seal-people from Scottish and Irish lore could shed their seal skins and walk on land, usually taking human lovers. The classic version tends to lean cis-het (yawn), but dig a little deeper, and you’ll find queer retellings where selkies fall in love across the gender spectrum. There’s something inherently queer about living between worlds, don’t you think? Ocean or land, skin or no skin—it’s all about choosing your identity and swimming against the current.
One of my personal faves, though? The Galli, ancient gender-nonconforming priests of Cybele, the Phrygian mother goddess. These folks existed IRL but were so steeped in divine mystery and myth that they basically blurred the line between person and creature. The Galli were assigned male at birth, but many lived as women, worshiped in ecstatic rituals, and embraced queer community thousands of years ago. Ancient texts totally tried to write them off as “mad” or “possessed,” but like… isn’t that just history’s way of saying “they were vibing too hard”?
Also! Real random but fascinating fact: in certain versions of Chinese mythology, dragons were said to be able to shift their sex at will. Which, once again, makes me wonder how much ancient storytellers just understood that queerness was magic and didn’t need justification. (Source: Handbook of Chinese Mythology, by Yang & An)
And don’t even get me started on mermaids. They’ve been slinking through seafaring legends for centuries, and not all of them are about pining after sailors. Haitian La Sirène, for example, is a goddess of the sea associated with femininity, magic, and—depending who you ask—queer empowerment. I once read a story where she was described as “the mother of all queer hearts who long for another world,” and I felt that in my chest cavity.
So yeah. If anyone tries to tell you queerness is “new” or not “natural,” please remind them that mythical creatures were already living their best fluid, fabulous, rainbow lives long before colonialism told us what “normal” was. We’ve always been part of the story—whether lurking in the woods, gliding through the sea, or shapeshifting into our truest forms.
Until next time, stay magical and mildly unhinged….
Nick Michelson is 16 and he:
- Can see ghosts
- Reads Tarot cards
- Gets visions of the future
- May or may not have a crush on his best friend.
- And ghosts come to him for help
- ..and some, for revenge
Read the book that began it all: Nick’s Awakening: https://buff.ly/3R31RCV