Binary or Non-binary? Binary and Non-binary? None? Looking at Gender Expressions in the Egyptian Divine World

The present paper constitutes a preliminary attempt to (re)address gender issues in the Egyptian divine world, revisiting some Egyptological assumptions in this regard. After a brief overview of the different ways Egyptology has been receiving and applying Gender Studies’ methodology and theory, the Egyptian pantheon will be considered as a device that embodies (en)gender(ed) ideas and reflects a given gender order. Firstly, it will be argued that instances suggested as a challenge to the Egyptian binary gender system shall be revisited, as they are either somehow dubious or a reinforcement of a particular gender order. Then, the cosmogonical moment (‘First Time’, sp tpy) is analyzed as the gender-duality’s origin. Next, two of the main arguments often utilized to argue in favor of the Creator’s ‘androgyny’ or ‘gender-ambiguity’ are discussed and (re-)considered: the demiurgic masturbatory act and the binomial ‘father/mother’. It will be suggested that the former is indeed a male act/feature rather than an ‘androgynous’ one, while the latter can be envisaged as a religious phraseological tool employed to convey an all-encompassing and primordial figure who is mostly thought of as a male (except for Neith). Finally, some other deities – such as Hapy, Anat, Seth, Osiris, and Isis – are briefly considered regarding their (non)-binary gender expressions, characters, and performances. Hence, it will be argued that the Egyptian pantheon reflects and promotes a particular gender order.