"...clothed with love, feathered with seduction, a goddess of joy."
The Mesopotamians made their home in the fertile valley
between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers a thousand years before the birth of
Christ. They began mankind's long transition from an
agrarian society to a more urbanized lifestyle. The seeds of many of humanity's
greatest accomplishments were planted during the height of their civilization,
including writing, art, monumental architecture, and new political forms.
The
city of Akkad was located to the north of the Fertile Crescent, while Sumer was located to the south, at the delta of this river system.
Early attempt to unify the various city-states of Sumer and Akkad were made,
resulting in a merging of the scattered gods and goddesses worshipped at that time into one pantheon.
The goddess Inanna brought together the older Fertility goddess,
and the more commanding, powerful goddess of Love.
Inanna, also known as Ishtar, was possibly the most influential goddess of the
ancient world. She was worshipped by the people of Sumer and Akkad as the queen
of Heaven and Earth, and as the goddess of Love and the Morning Star. Though she
was the patron and protector of the city of Uruk, Inanna was revered and
worshipped throughout the Mesopotamian valley. The story of her life, from early
adolescence to godhood, was carved on a series of cuneform tablets by the people of
ancient Mesopotamia. It is a familiar tale, similar to that of many of
the moon goddesses throughout history. Inanna progresses from a headstrong, daring,
and sexually potent young woman to a strong, motherly figure who revels in her
feminine powers. Finally Inanna matures into a wise, aged goddess who faces death in the underworld. It is the
timeless tale of a strong woman, maturing in an often chaotic world. The story of Inanna remains a powerful and
compelling one today.
Three of her stories are told below, chosen from various stages of her life.
They are based on an excellent translation by Diane Wolkstein, a well-known
folklorist, and Samuel Kramer, one of the world's greatest experts on the
ancient Sumerians. Each story includes my short summary, followed by the
abridged Sumerian verses.
The Huluppu-Tree
Inanna's story begins when she is young, and possesses no power
beyond that of her own will. She finds a huluppu-tree] floating
in the Euphrates river, and decides to bring it to Uruk, where she is living.
She plants it in her garden, and cares for it as the years pass.
A woman who walked in
fear of the word of the Sky God, An,
Who walked in fear of the Air God, Enlil,
Plucked the tree from the river and
spoke:
"I shall bring this tree to Uruk.
I shall plant this tree in my holy garden."
Inanna cared for the
tree with her hand.
She settled the earth around the tree
with her foot.
She wondered:
"How long will it be until I have a shining throne to sit upon?
How long will it be until I have a shining bed to lie upon?"
After this time, however, the tree is threatened by three
beings; a serpent 'who could not be charmed,' an Anzu-bird, and the goddess Lilith. Inanna calls
upon her brothers for help. She goes first to Utu, the Sun god, and tells him
the story of finding and caring for the tree, only to have it invaded by a
series of rather persistent creatures. Utu refuses Inanna, and she goes next to
Gilgamesh, the shepherd-king of Uruk. After hearing her tale, he agrees to help her rid her tree of the
three creatures, and they set out together. Gilgamesh battles the serpent, Anzu-bird, and
Lilith, and succeeds in driving them from the huluppu-tree.
Gilgamesh fastened
his armor of fifty minas around his chest.
The fifty minas weighed as little to
him as fifty feathers.
He lifted his bronze ax, the ax of
the road,
Weighing seven talents and seven
minas, to his shoulder.
He entered Inanna's holy garden.
Gilgamesh struck the
serpent who could not be charmed.
The Anzu-bird flew with his
young to the mountains;
And Lilith smashed her home and fled
to the wild, uninhabited places.
Gilgamesh then loosened the roots of
the huluppu-tree;
And the sons of the city, who
accompanied him, cut off the branches.
Afterward Gilgamesh carves a throne for Inanna, using the trunk
of the huluppu-tree. This is the first story of Inanna, and she has begun
the long process of evolving from a mildly helpless young girl into a powerful,
grown woman. She comes away from the whole incident a little stronger, a little wiser, and
richer by one throne.
Inanna and the God of Wisdom
Inanna is still young, but she is beginning to realize her potential and
seek greater power. She decides to visit Enki, her father and the god of Wisdom,
at his shrine in Eridu. Enki's servant, Isimud, welcomes Inanna as an equal
per Enki's instructions, and then she and her father get drunk together in the
Abzu (Enki's shrine in Eridu).
Intoxicated, Enki begins offering Inanna gifts such as the throne of kingship,
truth, and the art of lovemaking; known as the me. The me, though never
directly defined, seem to include control or understanding of every facet of
life, and abilities far beyond those any mortal possesses.
Enki, swaying with
drink, toasted Inanna:
"In the name of my power! In the name of my holy shrine!
To my daughter Inanna I shall give
The high priesthood! Godship!
The noble, enduring crown! The throne of kingship!"
Inanna replied:
"I take them!"
Enki raised his cup
and toasted Inanna a second time:
"In the name of my power! In the name of my holy shrine!
To my daughter Inanna I shall give
Truth!
Descent into the underworld! Ascent from the underworld!
The art of lovemaking! The kissing of the phallus!"
Inanna replied:
"I take them!"
(This continues for quite awhile, followed by three pages
of Inanna acknowledging, one by one, the fourteen me that her father has
given her).
Once he's sober, however, Enki realizes that he has been tricked and robbed
by his own daughter. Angered, he sends his servants after the Boat of Heaven to
retrieve the me. Inanna, with the help of her servant Ninshubur, manages
to prevail against the creatures that her father had sent. She
continues on her way back to Uruk, only to have Enki again send his servants
after her. She and Ninshubur face the fifty uru-giants, the fifty labama-monsters,
the sound-piercing kugalgal, and the enunun. No dice. Despite
Enki's best efforts, Inanna and Ninshubur arrive safely in Uruk, still in
posession of the fourteen me.
Isimud spoke to
Inanna:
"My king has said:
'Let Inanna proceed to Uruk;
Bring the Boat of Heaven with the holy me back to Eridu.'"
Inanna cried:
"My father has changed his word to me!
He has violated his pledge - broken his promise!
Deceitfully my father spoke to me!
Deceitfully he cried:
'In the name of my power! In the name of my holy shrine!'
Deceitfully he sent you to me!"
Scarcely had Inanna
spoken these words
When the wild-haired enkum-creatures
{seize|seized] the Boat of Heaven.
Inanna called to her
servant Ninshubur, saying:
"Come, Ninshubar, once you were Queen of the East;
Now you are the faithful servant of the holy shrine of Uruk.
Water has not touched your hand,
Water has not touched your foot.
My sukkal who gives me wise advice,
My warrior who fights by my side,
Save the Boat of Heaven with the holy me!"
Finally, as Inanna is announcing the me, Enki appears on
the scene. All things considered, he handles the situation well; Inanna is
allowed to keep the me, and the alliance between the people of Eridu and
the people of Uruk is renewed and strengthened. Inanna has come into
her own; she has the worship and adoration of all Uruk along with, of course,
the holy me. As an added bonus, she also has a powerful new alliance with
the god of Wisdom, whom she had just finished robbing blind.
Then Enki spoke to
Inanna, saying:
"In the name of my power! In the name of my holy shrine!
Let the me you have taken with you remain in the holy shrine
of your city.
Let the high priest spend his days at the holy shrine in song.
Let the citizens of your city prosper.
Let the children of Uruk rejoice.
The people of Uruk are allies of the people of Eridu.
Let the city of Uruk be restored to its great place."
The Descent of Inanna
Inanna, in a later story, decides to descend to the underworld.
She is going to comfort her sister, Ereshkigal, Queen of the underworld, and to
witness the funeral rites of Gugalanna (the aforementioned husband). Inanna has
reached the apogee of her power. She faces death as much because it is the
next step in the slow cycle of life, as because of a familial duty. During her
descent, she is stripped of everything she possesses, and
finally allowed, 'naked and bowed low,' to see Ereshkigal. Her sister, blinded
by grief, doesn't recognize
Inanna, and kills her on the spot. This is the first truly 'dark' story in
Inanna's life, reflecting a growing maturity and loss of childhood purity. Even
the language, the word choice, reflects this change; the Inanna of this story is
much older, has seen far more, than the Inanna who so innocently cared for the huluppu-tree.
Naked and bowed low,
Inanna entered the throne room.
Ereshkigal rose from her throne.
Inanna started toward the throne.
The Annuna, the judges of the
underworld, surrounded her.
They passed judgement against her.
Then Ereshkigal
fastened on Inanna the eye of death.
She spoke against her the word of
wrath.
She uttered against her the cry of
guilt.
She struck her.
Inanna was turned
into a corpse,
A piece of rotting meat,
And was hung from a hook on the wall.
Before she left for Ereshkigal's domain, however, Inanna had given
her old servant Ninshubur very specific instructions. After three days,
Ninshubur was to set up a lament for Inanna, tear at herself, and travel to
Inanna's fathers for help (Inexplicably, Inanna has three 'fathers.' Two of them are actually her grandfathers, however). She hangs in the underworld for
the three days, and then Ninshubur begins her rounds. She visits the Air god Enlil first, and is immediately denied. Then she goes to Nanna, the Moon
god, where she receives the same response. Finally she travels to Enki's shrine,
and without hesitation he agrees to help.
Ninshubur went to
Eridu and the temple of Enki.
When she entered the holy shrine,
She cried out:
"O Father Enki, do not let your daughter
Be put to death in the underworld.
Do not let your bright silver
Be covered with the dust of the underworld.
Do not let your precious lapis
Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
Do not let your fragrant boxwood
Be cut into wood for the woodworker.
Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
Be put to death in the underworld."
Father Enki said:
"What has happened?
What has my daughter done?
Inanna! Queen of All the Lands! Holy Priestess of Heaven!
What has happened?
I am troubled. I am grieved."
Enki makes creative use of the dirt under his fingernails to
fashion two creatures, a kurgarra and a galatur. He gives them,
respectively, the food of life and the water of life, and then sends them into
the underworld with very specific instructions. They are small enough to fit
through the gates of the underworld, and they approach Ereshkigal directly. She
is still grieving for her husband, moaning and wailing alone in her throne room.
The kurgarra and the galatur mimic her moans, and she interprets
this as sympathy. Pleased and grateful, she offers the two creatures a gift. As
Enki had directed them, they ask for the body hanging on the wall. Ereshkigal
agrees, and they leave with Inanna.
She (Ereshkigal) groaned:
Oh! Oh! My belly!"
They (the kurgarra
and the galatur) groaned:
"Oh! Oh! Your belly!"
She sighed:
"Ah! Ah! My heart!"
They sighed:
"Ah! Ah! Your heart!"
Ereshkigal stopped.
She looked at them.
She asked:
"Who are you,
Moaning - groaning - sighing with me?
If you are gods, I will bless you.
If you are mortals, I will give you a gift.
I will give you the water-gift, the river in its fullness."
The kurgarra
and galatur answered:
"We do not wish it."
Ereshkigal said:
"Speak then! What do you wish?"
They answered:
"We wish only the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall."
The corpse was given
to them.
The kurgarra
sprinkled the food of life on the corpse.
The galatur sprinkled the
water of life on the corpse.
Inanna arose....
Inanna dies and is resurrected, passing through to another phase
of her life. After this story, she leaves behind any semblance of childhood,
along with many of the pretensions she had previously. She has passed through
death, and come out the other side stronger than ever before. Inanna's tale,
continuing well beyond her descent into the underworld, remains an inspiration,
as well as a powerfully evocative story today.
Sources
WOLKSTEIN, Diane and Samuel Kramer. (1983) Inanna: Queen of
Heaven and Earth. New York. Harper & Row, Publishers.
SITCHIN. (1995), pg. 167.
Website: <http://www.iraqchat.com/irqhist1.htm>