When we shift from historic individuals to literary figures, there's a corresponding shift in the emphasis within types of motifs. The reasons women might choose to pass as men in real life were often economic or practical. In literature, there must be a reason that is important to the plot. Given how (relatively) common it was in real life, cross-dressing to join the military is fairly rare in fiction, outside of the specific genre of "female cabin boy" ballads. And when literary cross-dressing is done for the purpose of establishing a same-sex romantic or domestic relationship, it is typically either played as fraud or played for humor. Historic women who passed in male occupations might be inspired by the wage gap, but in literature they more typically represent a commentary on gender essentialism (either for or against).
This first group of examples don't touch on the same-sex possibilities of the masquerade, or at least, not as the primary function. If you notice a rather large number of 19th century German novels included, that's due to the very detailed examination of this genre in Krimmer. The next group to be covered will be the somewhat more exciting category of cross-dressing situations that create either the appearance or the reality of same-sex attraction and love.
For the permanent Tag Essay on Literary Cross-dressing with associate tag-links, click here.
Literary Cross-dressing: General
This groups covers works that include cross-dressing that don't fall in one of the more specific categories. That is, although the cross-dressing may challenge gender norms or represent appropriation of male prerogatives, in these works theres is not a focus on creating the potential for same-sex erotics (although it may be a minor element). The examples included here only scratch the surface of this motif in literature, and there is some skewing toward particular literary contexts, such as 19th century Germany, because of the publications that they've been drawn from. Unlike the historic examples of cross-dressing, I haven't separated out the military examples.
- A New System of Freedom (Charlotte von Stein) - 19th century German novel with subversive, cross-dressing working class characters.
- Albert und Albertine (Friederike Unger) - 19th century German novel in which foreign cross-dressing woman critiques gender concepts.
- Brynhildr - The valkyrie Brynhildr has connections to the “maiden warrior” motif appearing in medieval Norse sources, which typically includes cross-dressing.
- Cheat upon Cheat - An English ballad (1683) involving marriage to a cross-dressed woman.
- Clemens Brentano's Spring Wreath (Bettina Brentano-von Arnim) - 19th century German epistolary novel that interrogates gender with several characters including a cross-dressing amazonian figure.
- Comical News from Bloomsbury - An English ballad (1690) involving marriage to a cross-dressed woman.
- Conte du Roi Flore et de la belle Jehane - 13th century Fraco-Flemish romance in which a calumniated wife cross-dresses to serve her husband as his squire.
- Darthula According to Ossian (Karoline von Günderrode) - 19th century German heroic poem in which a princess cross-dresses to avenge her family.
- Decameron (Boccacio) - 14th century Italian collection of tales, including one about the Zinevra, who cross-dresses to redeem her good name.
- Eddas - A collection of early medieval Norse tales, including some involving a woman cross-dressing and taking a male role to avenge a father.
- Fiesco's Conspiracy at Genoa (Friedrich Schiller) - 18th century German novel that includes themes of cross-dressing and gender.
- Florentin (Dorothea Schlegel) - 19th century German novel that includes themes of cross-dressing and gender.
- Franz Sternbald's Migrations (Ludwig Tieck) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- From the Life of a Good-for-Nothing (Joseph von Eichendorff) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Godwi (Clemens Brentano) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Goethe's Correspondence with a Child (Bettina Brentano-von Arnim) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing and gender-bending themes.
- Gynaikeion (Thomas Heywood) - This1624 English medical text recounts a story of a 2nd century Athenian woman who cross-dresses to become a surgeon.
- Hervarar saga ok Heidhreks - Early medieval Norse saga concerning a woman who cross-dresses and takes on a male role to avenge her father.
- Histories (Saxo Grammaticus) - Early medieval germanic legendary histories that include several stories of women cross-dressing to temporarily take a male role.
- Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar - Early medieval Norse saga concerning a woman who cross-dresses and takes on a male role to avenge her father.
- Isabella of Egypt (Achim von Arnim) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Lucinde (Friedrich Schlegel) - 18th century German novel with themes of androgyny.
- Magnus saga jarls - 14th century Icelandic saga that includes an episode where a woman cross-dresses to trick her husband.
- Mary Ambree - 16th century English broadside ballad about a woman who cross-dresses for military action.
- Mora (Karoline von Günderrode) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Poets and Their Companions (Joseph von Eichendorff) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Premonition and Present (Joseph von Eichendorff) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Robin Hood - A medieval English folk-hero whose stories sometimes include cross-dressing themes.
- The Family Schroffenstein (Heinrich von Kleist) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- The Female Cabin Boy - 18th century English broadside ballad about a woman who cross-dresses to become a sailor. Also the name of an entire genre of works with this theme.
- The Female Highway Hector - 17th century English poem about a cross-dressing female outlaw.
- The Günderode (Bettina Brentano-von Arnim) - 19th century German novel with themes of gender nonconformity.
- The Merchant of Venice (William Shakespeare) - 16th century English play with a woman who cross-dresses for a male occupation.
- The Roaring Girl (Thomas Dekker and Thomas MIddleton) - 17th century English play fictionalizing the life of a historic cross-dressing woman.
- The Scornful Damsels Overthrow - An English ballad (1685) involving marriage to a cross-dressed woman.
- The Two Emilies (Charlotte von Stein) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- The Woman Warrier - English poem (1690) about a woman who cross-dressed for the military.
- Vilette (Charlotte Brontë) - 19th century English novel in which cross-dressed theatricals create homoerotic potential.
- Wilhelm Dumont (Karoline Paulus) - 19th century German novel with cross-dressing themes.
- Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) - 18th century German novel with multiple cross-dressing characters.