Resolving Gender Ambiguity: An Initial Approach to Hermaphroditism in al-Andalus: The Case of the “Bearded Woman” of Tudela

Abstract

In the context of al-Andalus, intersexuality is a topic that has received limited exploration, despite its significance. Within this landscape, a narration discovered in al-Bakrī’s geographical treatise, which details a forced change of gender, prompts us to question the role of undetermined gender in al-Andalus. This offers a unique opportunity to delve into the legal distinctions between men and women, the perceptions of masculinity and femininity and, particularly, an initial exploration of how khuntha was perceived in a pre-modern Islamic society like al-Andalus, comparing also with other accounts coming from Eastern sources.