Year in Arcadia: A Shepherd's Calendar

by August von Sachsen-Gotha, Carl Skoggard (Translator)

Year in Arcadia is an unusual book by an unusual author. Duke August Emil Leopold von Sachsen-Gotha (1772-1822), contemporary and acquaintance of Goethe, was the cross-dressing ruler of a miniscule German territory during the Napoleonic Era, and also Queen Victoria's grandfather-in-law. He was known to his subjects as "the Happy." We do not know if Duke August was happy, but his single published work is gay in more ways than one. With its backdrop of classical Greek mythology, this pastoral fable concerning two handsome shepherds who fall in love is among the first homoerotic works in Europe, and is a forgotten treasure of German literature.

Genres: LGBT, Classics, Queer, German Literature

137 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1805

Reviews

[Eavan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rough. Interesting to read as a historical document for gay literature and the small glimmers of trans subtext but man, Duke Augustus could not write. Their biography is much more interesting than any of this though, so check that out if anything.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a weird little book and, as one of the first homoerotic love stories in modern literature, what an amazing piece of history. It is set in a fictional ancient Greece with characters who are very much eighteenth century. And while this is not necessarily a great piece of literature (nor was it intended to be a great classic), it is fascinating to read in tandem while learning about the author's life. It's filled with love, wit, innuendo, satire, and social commentary.

But first things first: this was not an easy read. I ended up having to read this out loud in order to understand it because my brain was just...not computing. Turns out the author, Emil Leopold August, Duke Augustus of Saxe-Gotha-Altenberg, actually dictated this to his secretaries, rather than physically writing it. And it was spoken aloud, recited, and performed at court. So reading it out loud is more or less its intended form.

Duke Augustus, well-known for his crossdressing and preferring the company of women, would most likely be considered queer and/or transfemme in modern terms; he also wrote himself into the story as an all-knowing prophetess, Alethophone. It is also speculated that certain characters in the novel were inspired from people in his life and at court. The story cannot be separated from its author's life and the accompanying essay by translator Carl Skoggard in the 2023 Publication Studio edition is a must read.

There is a large ensemble cast full of recurring characters, but the main subject of the novel was the love story between Julanthiskos and Alexis, two youths who live in Arcadia. Julanthiskos does not give up on his love for Alexis throughout the novel and is eventually triumphant in winning Alexis's affections. The homoerotic love is certainly inspired by ancient Greece, but given the very eighteenth-century quality to the rest of the writing and the author's own gender identity and sexuality, the queer love story takes on a different significance.

This is not a 5-star read in terms of actual writing quality, but I am enamoured with the whole reading experience. And, writing this out, I'm realising that I have a lot more to say about this, so full RTC!

[Lulu]

1805 the earliest known novel that centers on an explicitly male-male love affair

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