Queer as folklore : the hidden queer history of myths and monsters / Sacha Coward

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Coward, Sacha, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sexual minorities--Folklore.

Sexual minorities.

Folklore.

folklore (culture-related concept).

LGBTQ+ people.

Medical Subjects:

Folklore.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2025

Summary:

This book takes the reader around the world on a journey to discover the queer stories behind the characters of folklore, from werewolves and faeries to demons and aliens.

"Queer as folklore travels across centuries and continents to reveal the unsung heroes and villains of storytelling, magic and fantasy. Featuring images from archives, galleries and museums around the world, each chapter investigates the queer history of different mythic and folkloric characters, both old and new. Leaving no headstone unturned, Sacha Coward takes you on a wild ride through the night from ancient Greece to the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race, visiting cross-dressing pirates, radical fairies and the graves of the ‘queerly departed’ along the way. Queer communities have often sought refuge in the shadows and created safe spaces in underworlds. But these forgotten narratives tell stories of resilience that deserve to be heard. Join any Pride march and you will see a glorious display of papier-mâché unicorn heads, drag queens in mermaid tails and more fairy wings than you can shake a trident at. These are not just accessories: they are queer symbols with historic roots. To truly understand who queer people are today, we must confront the twisted tales of the past"-- De Gruyter Brill

Contents:

Introduction: monsters in the closet

A twist in the tail

Horn of plenty

Radical faeries

Big bad wolves

Children of the night

Witch-hunts

Demon twinks

Queerly departed

Loving the alien

Rum, bum and concertina

I’m sorry, Dave

Ex-men

Five magic beans

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (De Gruyter Brill, viewed July 14, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Coward, Sacha Queer as folklore

ISBN:

9781807070373

1807070379

9781807070380

1807070387

OCLC:

1552152171

Publisher Number:

CIPO000306437

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license