inanna
GODDESS OF
LOVE & WAR
ishtar
INANNA
QUEEN OF HEAVEN & EARTH
THE HULUPPU TREE
In the first days, in the very first days,
In the first nights, in the very first nights,
In the first years, in the very first years,
In the first days when everything needed was brought into being,
In the first days when everything needed was properly nourished,
When bread was baked in the shrines of the land,
And bread was tasted in the homes of the land,
When heaven had moved away from earth,
And earth had separated from heaven,
And the name of man was fixed;
When the Sky God, An, had carried off the heavens,
And the Air God, Enlil, had carried off the earth,
When the Queen of the Great Below, Ereshkigal, was given the underworld for her domain,
He set sail; the Father set sail,
Enki, the God of Wisdom, set sail for the underworld.
Small windstones were tossed up against him;
Large hailstones were hurled up against him;
Like onrushing turtles,
They charged the keel of Enki’s boat.
The waters of the sea devoured the bow of his boat like wolves;
The waters of the sea struck the stern of his boat like lions.
Ivory Lion Head Fragment
Assyrian ca. 9th–7th century BCE
IMAGE: Metropolitan Museum of Art – Object Number: 57.27.14
Excerpt from MET Description:
The mane is depicted in the form of a stylized eight-pointed star. The eyes were drilled to receive inlays in a contrasting material, now missing. Lions, which were associated with royalty and with the warlike goddess Ishtar, seem to have been frequently depicted in ivory and used as the support for elaborate chairs or thrones.
Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud (ancient Kalhu)
Date: ca. 9th–7th century BCE
THE DESCENT OF INANNA
When she entered the first gate,
From her head, the shugurra, the crown of the steppe, was removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
When she entered the second gate,
From her neck the small lapis beads were removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
When she entered the third gate,
From her breast the double strand of beads was removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
When she entered the fourth gate,
From her chest the breast plate called
‘Let him come, let him come!’ was removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
When she entered the fifth gate,
From her wrist the gold ring was removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
When she entered the sixth gate,
From her hand the lapis measuring rod and line was removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
When she entered the seventh gate,
From her body the royal robe was removed.
Inanna asked:
‘What is this?’ ✴︎
She was told:
‘Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
They may not be questioned.’ ✴︎
Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room.
Erishkigal rose from her throne.
Inanna started toward the throne.
The Annuna, the judges of the underworld, surrounded her.
They passed judgement against her.
Then Erishkigal 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.
✴︎
THE DESCENT OF INANNA
As Inanna ascended from the underworld,
The galla, the demons of the underworld, clung to her side.
The galla were demons
who know no food,
who know no drink,
Who eat no offerings, who drink no libations,
Who accept no gifts.
That enjoy no lovemaking.
They have no sweet children to kiss.
They tear the wife from the husband’s arms,
They tear the child from the father’s knees,
They steal the bride from her marriage home.
The demons clung to Inanna.
✴︎
The one who walked in front of Inanna was not a minister,
Yet he carried a sceptre.
The one who walked behind her was not a warrior,
Yet he carried a mace.
Ninshubur, dressed in a soiled sackcloth,
Waited outside the palace gates.
When she saw Inanna
Surrounded by the galla
She threw herself in the dust at Inanna’s feet.
The galla said:
‘Walk on Inanna,
We shall take Ninshubur in your place.’ ✴︎
Inanna cried:
‘No! Ninshubur is my constant support.
She is my sukkal who gives me wise advice.
She is my warrior who fights by my side.
She did not forget my words.
She set up a lament for me by the ruins.
She beat the drum for me at the assembly places.
She circled the houses of the gods.
She tore at her eyes, at her mouth, at her thighs.
She dressed herself in a single garment like a beggar.
Alone she set out for Nipuur and the temple of Enlil.
She went to Ur and the temple of Nanna.
She went to Eridu and the temple of Enki.
Because of her, my life was saved.
I will never give Ninshubur to you.’
✴︎
The galla said:
‘Walk on to your city, Inanna.
We will go with you to the big apple tree in Uruk.’ ✴︎
In Uruk, by the big apple tree,
Dumuzi, the husband of Inanna, was dressed in his shining me garments.
He sat on his magnificent throne; (he did not move).
The galla seized him by the thighs.
They poured milk out of his seven churns.
They broke the reed pipe which the shepherd was playing.
Inanna fastened on Dumuzi the eye of death.
She spoke against him the word of wrath.
She uttered against him the cry of guilt.
“Take him away!
Take Dumuzi away!”
✴︎
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