Attis

Zeus desired Cybele and made advances to her, which were rejected. One night Zeus approached her while she slept and masturbated at her feet. Later, because of this, Cybele gave birth to Agdistis, who was androgynous and immensely strong.

Because Agdistis was uncontrollable, Dionysus managed to trick him into emasculating himself. A great river of blood pours forth from Agdistis's wound and is absorbed by the earth from which spring forth all manner of flowers.

Nana, sees the fruit and finding it beautiful places it on her bosom. Cybele changes the fruit to a seed from which Nana becomes pregnant. Nana's father, believing her to have been licentious, locks her away without food or water, attempting to starve her to death but Cybele supplies her with food and drink. Upon the birth of the child her father orders it taken to the river and left among the reeds to die but a shepherd finds the child and takes him home. The child is named Attis.

Attis grows into a remarkably beautiful young man, and Cybele, observing that the young lad is more beautiful than any of the gods, loves Attis above all others and showers him with gifts and favors. Attis, of course, returns her love. Agdistis also loved Attis and seduced the vulnerable young man.

Midas, king of Phrygia, arranges Attis to marry his own daughter. Cybele and Agdistis however disrupt the ceremony. Cybele informs him of the agony he caused her when he left with Agdistis. When Attis learns of Cybele's suffering, in a fit of passion he grabs a knife and under a pine tree emasculates himself. As he lay dying he called out, "Oh Great Mother, forgive me. I never sought to cause you grief and I never will again." Violets spring up from drops of his blood, entwining into the boughs of the tree, and therein entered the spirit of Attis.

Upon seeing that her son was repentant, emasculated, and dead, Cybele carries the pine tree, with all its decorations, to her cave. For the three days Attis is dead and he visits the Underworld. Then, on the third day, Cybele brings Attis back to life. Providing Attis with her most glorious raiment she proclaims the renascent one her daughter and her lover, conferring upon Attis gifts of mystery equal to her own. In her own words Cybele declares the transformation, "Rejoice, my son is gone and in his place a daughter has arisen. Let all of beauty, strength, power, compassion, honor, mirth, and reverence be at her service. Let all who would do her harm, pay grievous penalty, and to all who do her tribute accrue fitting reward."

Variations

Other versions of the story combine one or more characters. Some have Nana actually being Cybele in disguise. Others do not have Agdistis. In some versions Attis is killed by a boar, and in others Cybele appeals to Zeus to raise Attis in vain, however Attis's body does not decay. In others, the only part of Attis that could be restored is his little finger, and this became a symbol of homoerotic love within the Roman Empire.

I have chosen this version because it is the most meaningful one to me, and I believe that this version would have been the one most likely to be embraced by the ancient gallae. The other versions were given to the uninitiated.

Meaning and Function

We can also look at the myth in symbolic terms. Attis has "gender dysphoria" and in experimenting flirts with the idea of bisexuality. This is not successful. Then he tries to sublimate the desire by "proving" himself a man by marriage. Cybele, who represents his anima and his transgendered nature, does not allow him to accept this as viable alternative. Finally, after a suicidal episode, Attis undergoes surgery to become a woman. This mirrors some of the myriad experiences of modern transgendered folk.