During ancient times in Phaestos, Crete, a couple was expecting a child. Ligdus, a proud man, wanted a boy, as he and his wife, Telethusa, could not afford a dowry for a daugther. Therefore, Ligdus threatened that any female child of his would be put to death. Telethusa tried to get her husband to change his mind, in vain. Ligdus remained stoic and Telethusa lived in the fear that her possible female child would be murdered upon her birth.
One night, as Telethusa was dreaming, the goddess Isis and her egyptian retinue appeared to her. She instructed the pregnant woman to keep the baby regardless of gender, as Isis would aid Telethusa and her child should any future trouble arise.
The expecting mother then continued her pregnancy in peace, confident the powers that be would protect her child no matter what. When she gave birth to a girl, she decided to name her Iphis, a gender-neutral name, and raise her as a boy in secret. Aided by the nursemaid, Telethusa lied to her husband to protect Iphis throughout her childhood.
When Iphis turned thirteen, Ligdus arranged his child to be married off to Ianthe, daughter of Teleste. The two children were already quite fond of each other, having been instructed alongside the other by the same teachers for years. They soon found love in each other’s arms. They liked to take romantic walks in the gardens and spent much time playing together. If not for their same-gender attraction, the couple seemed to be perfectly paired at the time.
On the one hand, Ianthe was glowing, as she could not be happier to be promised to her love. Iphis, on the other hand, sulked silently, knowing her love could lead nowhere, as she would not be allowed to marry a woman, as a woman herself. The teenager thus prayed to the goddess of love and marriage, Juno, and the god of wedding ceremonies, Hymeneios, for help.
On her end, Telethusa kept trying to delay the wedding, knowing her trickery would come to light. Once she had exhausted every excuse imaginable, and the wedding was set to happen on the next day, Telethusa brought Iphis to Isis’ temple.
Mother and daughter offered their entire jewellery collection, demanding any kind of aid from the goddess who promised them support all those years ago. As a response, the altar moved slightly, and the temple doors shook, as if the temple suffered from a mild earthquake.
As they left the temple, Telethusa looked at her child under the rays of the sun. Iphis seemed, somehow, changed. The once soft features of her offspring’s face had now hardened ever so slightly, and the teenager had gotten much more buff all over.
Telethusa gasped. She realized Iphis had become a young man. Hugging her child’s wide shoulders tightly, Telethusa brought him home and prepared a stone tablet to offer to Isis and commemorate the miracle in the temple.
The following day, Iphis and Ianthe were united in a loving wedding ceremony presided by the goddesses Juno and Venus, as well as the god Hymeneios. The couple lived happily ever after and had numerous offsprings.
The serie Obscure Fairy Tales encompasses an array of tales, myths and legends from around the world. To read more, visit this page dedicated to fiction writing.
Kelly Asselin-Tousignant 
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