Achillean Devotion
Achillean is a term for a man or masculine person who is attracted to men or masculine people. It is an alternative to the term men loving men (MLM) and is the masculine version of the term sapphic. Like sapphic, achillean is an umbrella term that includes men and masculine-identified people who are gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer, or any other identity that includes romantic or sexual attraction to men.
In some ways, this is the easiest queer identity to research. We have no shortage of primary sources about romantic and sexual relationships between men, especially from cultures where these relationships were common and acceptable, like Ancient Greece. Western history has consistently centered cisgender male expriences, including experiences of love and sexuality.
In other ways, researching achillean spirituality can be deceptively difficult. Most witchy and pagan spaces tend to be dominated by women and feminine people. While that isn't necessarily a problem, it does mean that there's a tendency in some of these spaces to center cishet female experiences. It can feel like there is pressure on male or masculine witches to downplay their masculinity in these spaces, especially if their masculinity is queer. Creating truly inclusive spaces means opening up the conversation so no single experience becomes the center of our discussions.
Below are a few of the deities and spirits that are strongly connected to queer manhood and love between men and masculine people. (A lot of this information comes from my upcoming book, Lavender Witchcraft, coming in August of this year from Moon Books.)
First of all, we have to talk about Achilles, from whom we get the term achillean. While not technically a god, Achilles can certainly be considered a divine figure depending on who you ask. (As the son of a nymph and a human king, he's technicaly a demigod, but he was worshipped in some parts of the Hellenic world.) Achilles is one of the central characters of the Iliad.
Achilles had a relationship with his companion Patroclus that was widely understood to be romantic and/or sexual in ancient sources. When Patroclus was killed during the Trojan War, Achilles was so filled with grief and rage that he went on a rampage and killed the Trojan hero, Hector. (The name Achilles literally means "grief" or "pain.") The story of Achilles and his love for Patroclus has survived for millenia, and the word achillean has been used to describe love between men even longer than the word gay!
To connect with Achilles, consider placing an image of him in your sacred space. You can also write out his name in Ancient Greek to place in your sacred space. (Check Wikipedia to find the Ancient Greek characters for his name.) His symbols include his shield and possibly sea birds, which are described tending to his temples in some sources. Like all Hellenic (Ancient Greek) gods, he can be honored with offerings of fruit, flowers, incense, or honey.
Apollo was possibly the most beloved god in the historic Hellenic pantheon. He was one of the only gods universally worshiped in all of the different city states that made up the Hellenic world.
Apollo is the god of the sun, medicine, music and poetry, prophecy, and truth, and is the protector of young boys. He was the patron god of men who love men, and myths describe him taking many, many lovers, including both men and women. The fact that such a widely beloved god was so explicitly queer shows how widely accepted relationships between men were in Hellenic society.
To connect with Apollo, consider placing an image of him in your sacred space. You can also write out his name in Ancient Greek to place in your sacred space. His symbols include the lyre, the bow and arrows, laurel wreaths, and the sun. Like all Hellenic gods, he can be honored with offerings of fruit, flowers, incense, or honey.
In ancient Kemetic (Egyptian) religion, the gods Set and Horus were associated with achillean identity. Set rules the deserts of Upper Egypt and is associated with storms and natural disasters. Horus rules the fertile lands of Lower Egypt and is associated with the sun and the pharaoh. They are depicted as rivals in most modern versions of their myths, but these stories originally had a homoerotic tone.
Ancient texts depict Set and Horus as being in a sexual relationship, and many of their oldest myths are sexual in nature. For example, in one story, Set tries to humiliate Horus by exposing him as the receptive partner in their sex (the “bottom,” to use modern slang). Horus seeks out help from his mother, Isis, and is able to trick Set. When Set attempts to humiliate Horus, Set is revealed as the receptive partner instead.
It's worth noting that some sources describe Set as predatory, while other sources show Horus as a willing and enthusiastic participant. This probably reflects changes in attitudes toward male homosexuality throughout the thousands of years of Kemetic civilization. The good news is, if you choose to view these gods as in a consensual relationship, there is good evidence to support that!
To connect with Horus and/or Set, consider placing an image of him in your sacred space. You can also write out his name in Kemetic hieroglyphs to place in your sacred space. Symbols of Horus include the Eye of Horus, the falcon, the pharoh's crown, and the sun. Symbols of Set include the was sceptre and the Set animal (an animal in Kemetic art that may be mythical or may have once existed and gone extinct). Like all Kemetic gods, Horus and Set can both be honored with offerings of bread and water.
If you'd like to invite an achillean deity or spirit into your life, try the following ritual: Set up a small sacred space with an image of your deity of choice (a print-out of a free image from the Internet is totally fine) and a candle. Make a small offering of water, coffee, or tea, or of one of the historic offerings listed above. Talk to them, either out loud or in your head, and ask what they want from a relationship with you.
These are only a few of many, many deities and spirits associated with achillean identity and love between men. If this is a topic that interests you, I strongly encourage you to do your own research. And if I missed your favorite patron of achillean identity, please let me know!
If you enjoyed this post and would like to dive deeper, please consider preordering my upcoming book on queer magical practice!