God as "She": The Hymn of Enheduanna, Daughter of Sargon II of Akkad, Princess Imperial of Sumer and Akkad and Priestess of Inanna and the Moon in Ur: c. 2300 b.c., to Inanna, goddess of love, war and life. Enheduanna is the first “author” named in Western history. Compare this with the quiet, domestic tone of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter: Enheduanna makes Inanna more like Zeus or Marduk, calling her by the masculine titles Lord, Commander and King as well as Lady and Queen:
O Queen of the Seven Gods, O radiant splendor
of light, fountain of life, darling of Heaven
and Earth, priest, daughter and servant of Heaven!
jewelled and crowned with life, born to be Lord,
in your hand are the guardian spirits of the Seven Gods,
and you yourself guard and protect the guardian spirits,
you have taken them up and tied them to your hands,
have gathered them in and pressed them to your breast.
You can fill the land with poison like a snake,
plants vanish from the earth when you thunder like Anu,
at your command the floods come down from the mountain.
Supreme in power, Inanna of Heaven and Earth,
whose mouth rains sparkles of lightning over the land,
mistress of beasts, given the gods’ life-spirits
by An, by An given the unfailing Word
to speak at his fateful command: who can fathom your glory?
...O wild and rampant, eldest daughter of the Moon,
Queen greater than An, who can pay you sufficient homage?
Queen of Queens, who in accordance with the spirits
were greater than your mother the moment you were born,
wise and knowing queen of all the lands,
mother of men and animals, I sing your praise...
I have entered before you in my holy garments,
I the princess imperial, Enheduanna,
singing as I carried your ritual baskets,
High Priestess of the Moon. But now no longer
can I serve the goodly temple that I established,
for the day that dawns in Ur scorches my skin
and the sand of the Southwind overwhelms me at nightfall,
My honey sweet voice is hoarse and strident
and all that gave me pleasure has fallen to dust.
I, what am I among living creatures!
An, An, give to punishment the rebels
that hate Inanna, and split their cities’ walls!
Enlil, curse them, and let their children perish
with no mother there to soothe them!
...The queen of queens, the prop of all the nations,
accepted Enheduanna’s prayers. Her heart
was again as of old, the day became propitious,
Inanna showered her beauty and allure
and joy like silver moonlight over our land!
Ancient Nanu in wonder and awe, and Ningal
her mother, worshiped her at the templ’s doorstep.
Priestess, queen, noble commander of gods,
destroyer of barbarians, whom An made protector of spirits,
Queen, clothed in allure and attraction, Inanna: Praise!
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Praise to Ishtar
(from an Akkadian hymn to Ishtar, translated by Ferris J. Stephens)
She is clothed with pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm,
and voluptuousness.
Ishtar is clothed with pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm,
and voluptuousness.
In lips she is sweet; life is in her mouth.
At her appearance rejoicing becomes full.
She is glorious; veils are thrown over her head.
Her figure is beautiful; her eyes are brilliant.
The goddess - with her there is counsel.
The fate of everything she holds in her hand.
At her glance there is created joy,
power, magnificence, the protecting deity and guardian spirit.
She dwells in, she pays heed to compassion and
friendliness.
Besides, agreeableness she truly possesses.
Be it slave, unattached girl, or mother, she
preserves (her).
One calls on her; among women one names her name.
Who - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
Ishtar - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
She is sought after among the gods;
extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.
Ishtar among the gods, extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.
Man, Myth and Magic. Vol.13.
INCANTATION TO ISHTAR
O heroic one, Ishtar; the immaculate one of the goddesses,
Torch of Heaven and earth, radiance of the continents,
The goddess ‘Lady of Heaven', first-begotten of Sin, first-born of Ningal,
Twin-sister of . . . the hero Shamash [the Sun-god];
O Ishtar, you are Anu [the supreme god], you rule the heavens;
With Enlil the Counsellor you advise mankind;
The Word, creator of liturgies and rituals of ‘Hand-washing'.
....................
Where conversation takes place, you, like Shamash, are paying attention,
....................
You alter the Fates, and an ill event becomes good;
I have sought you amongst the gods; supplications are offered to you;
To you amongst the goddesses I have turned, with intent to make entreaty,
Before you is a (protecting) shedu[a genie], behind you a (protecting) lamassu [another type of genie],
At your right is Justice, at your left Goodness,
Fixed on your head are Audience, Favour, Peace,
Your sides are encompassed with Life and Well-being;
How good it is to pray to you, how blessed to be heard by you!
Your glance is Audience, your utterance is the Light.
Have pity on me, O Ishtar! Order my prospering!
Glance on me in affirmation! Accept my litany!
.....................
I have borne your yoke; set tranquility (for me)!
I have sought your brightness; may my face be bright.
I have turned to your dominion; may it be life and well-being for me.
May I (too) have a favourable shedu like that before you;
May I (too) have a lamassu like that which goes behind you.
May I garner the prosperity at your right hand,
May I attain to the favour at your left hand.
........................
Lengthen my days, bestow life!
Let me live, let me be well, let me proclaim your divinity.
Let me achieve what I desire . . . .
At the end of the prayer comes the instruction:
Wording of the ‘hand-raising to Ishtar'. Before Ishtar you shall set a censer with juniper-wood; you shall pour a gruel-libation, you shall recite the ‘hand-raising' three times, you shall do obeisance.
The Greatness That Was Babylon. HWF Saggs, p. 327.
FROM A HYMN TO INANNA
My father gave me the heavens, gave me the earth,
I am Inanna!
Kingship he gave me,
queenship he gave me,
waging of battle he gave me, the attack he gave me,
the floodstorm he gave me, the hurricane he gave me!
The heavens he set as a crown on my head,
the earth he set as sandals on my feet,
a holy robe he wrapped around my body,
a holy sceptre he placed in my hand.
The gods are sparrows -- I am a falcon;
the Anunnaki trundle along -- I am a splendid wild cow;
I am father Enlil's splendid wild cow,
his splendid wild cow leading the way!
The Treasures of Darkness. Thorkild Jacobsen, p. 138.
PRAYER TO ISHTAR
Unto the queen of the gods, into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods, unto the lady of Nineveh,the queen of the gods, the exhalted one,unto the daughter of the moon-god,the twin sister of the sun god, unto her who ruleth all kingdoms,unto the goddess of the world who deetermineth decrees, unto the Lady of heaven and earth who recieveth supplication, unto the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty, who recieveth prayer, who loveth righteousness, I make my prayer unto Ishtar to whom all confusion is a cause of grief. The sorrows which I see I lament before thee. Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation and let thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech. Turn thy face unto me, O Lady, so that by reason therEof the heart of thy servant may be made strong! I, Ashur-nasir-pal, the sorrowful one, am thy humble servant; I, who am beloved of thee, make offerings unto thee and adore thy divinity . . . . I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth; I was without understanding and I prayed not of thy majesty. Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept thy divinity. But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods, by the lifting up of thine eyes did teach me, for thou didst desire my rule. Thou didst take me from the mountains, and didst make me the Door of my peoples . . . and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name! As concerning that for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness. Let thine anger be appeased, and let thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me.
Assyria. W.H.Boulton, p. 154.
THE POWER OF INANNA
Wake up to the power of Inanna
Whose name was first read in the form of a Knot
...known as the Knot of Inanna
For it is She who is...
the Great Goddess of Sumer
the Goddess of love, fertility and war
the Mother of all life
the Queen of Heaven, the Earth
...from which was given to Her by Her Father
the Queen of the Underworld
...from which She earned from descending thru the 7 gates
and then ascending back up to rightly place in Heaven
For it is She who is 1 with many names...
Nin-me-sar-ra, the Lady of Myriad Offices
or Queen of all the Me
Ninsianna, the personification of the planet Venus
Nin.an.na, queen of the sky
Nu-ugiganna, Hierodule of Heaven
Usunzianna, Exalted Cow of Heaven
For it is She who wears the crown of the crescent moon
and 8-pointed star and who is bejeweled with beautiful
lapis lazuli flecked with gold
and...
Whose Holy body is wrapped in the Pala robe of heaven
With eyes that call all to her
and...
Breasts that call all to them to drink from them
the elixic milk of life
As She stands on the great lion while holding lotuses
that she so generously bestows upon her true devotees
For it is She, Inanna, whom we worship
Worship in our great temples that we erected for Her, our Goddess...
where we can worship Her thru drumming, dancing and singing
For it is in these temples that we ritually seek
to become 1 with our Great Goddess Inanna
and it is...
With flour, that is ground from Her body, that we shall make
sacred cakes for Her, that will be placed at Her altar
in this temple of Hers
As it is She that the 4 elements unfold out of -
Air, Fire, Earth, Water
and...
it is She who contains all knowledge
Including the divine knowledge of music that She
transmitted to us humans
Thru Her priestesses who divined down this knowledge from
Her divine realms above into the human realms below
For it is from the mouth of Her buru that all water comes from
For it is Her water that comes from rain that turns into blood
which turns into milk
Milk that nourishes all life
All life that grows from the rain that She gives
For it is She who is the source of life and for all life, like the
waters of life that pour out from Her womb
Her waters of life that teared from her eyes
Teared for the great Huluppa tree
Oh how she wept
She wept because the Anzu-bird had set his young in
the Huluppa trees branches
And the dark maid, Lilith, built her home in the trunk
but all was not lost because soon...
Her throne would be carved from the trunk of the Huluppa tree
by the sons of Uruk
Her bed would be carved from the trunk of the Huluppa tree
by the daughters of Uruk
and...
From the roots of the Huluppa tree She would fashion a pukka
for her brother
From the crown of the Huluppa tree she would fashion a mikku
for Enki, the Wise Father
and...
Ninshubur, who was her faithful companion, would become closer
than a sister
For it was she who went down after 3 days missing Inanna,
and aided her ascent back up to Heaven
For it is Inanna
Inanna who is the instigator of creation, the Goddess who
manifested in us sexual desire and union
It is She who "caused the created to reproduce" and
whose planet is Venus
and...
It is She who is our lovely evening star who shines brightly
in the night's sky
For it is She, Inanna, who maintains the world's order
The world's order that is birthed out of holy union
Holy union of Inanna and Dumuzi
The Holy union that on New Year's day,
is celebrated as hieros gamos
The celebration of their sexual union
The holy union of Inanna and Dumuzi
Dumuzi, who is Her consort
Dumuzi, who is the God of vegetation
Dumuzi, He who surely pleases Her
but before consummation She praises him...
He caressed my loins with His fair hands
He poured milk and cream onto Me
He stroked My pubic hair
He irrigated My womb
He lay His hands upon My holy vulva
He nourished My black boat with His cream
He ripened My narrow boat with His milk
He caressed Me on the bed
Now I'll caress Him on the bed
Then I'll make love to my faithful Dumuzi
For it is their sexual union that will make the world live again
For their union will ensure abundance and plenty for all for the year to come
and...
The rest of the years to come that will cycle around
Cycle around the power of the Great Goddess Inanna
As she enters and exits the 7 gates of her descent and ascent
That takes her from the underworld of deprivation and then
back up to her rightly place as Queen of Heaven
BySavannah Skye
Address To Ishtar
(Found on lion from Calah, now in the British Museum)
To the Lady of the land, the great lady, first in heaven and on earth, the powerful queen of all the gods, whose word is honored (weighty)....., whose form is surpassing among the goddesses, the bright being, who like Shamash, her full brother, surveys the ends of heaven (and earth) alike, the powerful one (among) the Anunnaki, the first-born daughter of Anu, the exceedingly great one of the gods, who rules her enemies, going ahead, stirring up the seas and troubling the hills; the strong one of the Igigi, the lady of battle and combat, without whom the scepter (?) in E-sharra is unfavorable, who allows victory to be attained, who causes the heart to attain its desire, lover of righteousness, who hearkens unto my prayer, who accepts supplication, who recieves petitions; --- unto Ishtar, the bright, the perfect, the mighty one, who surveys heaven and earth, whose name is named in all regions of the world, the bestower of life, the merciful goddess, whose compassion (?) is gracious, who dwells in the city of Calah, my lady (I) Assurnasir-pal, (do pray): the king of hosts, the king without a rival, the king of all four regions of the world, the Sun of all peoples, the favorite of Enlil (Bel) and Urta, the beloved of Anu and Dagan, the mighty one of the great gods, the humble one, who is dear to thy heart, the prince who is thy favorite, whose priesthood is pleasing to thy divinity and whose (kingdom) thou hast firmly established
Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia.
Inanna spoke:
"What I tell you
Let the singer weave into song.
What I tell you,
Let it flow from ear to mouth,
Let it pass from old to young:
My vulva, the horn,
The Boat of Heaven,
Is full of eagerness like the young moon.
My untilled land lies fallow.
As for me, Inanna,
Who will plow my vulva!
Who will plow my high field!
Who will plow my wet ground!
As for me, the young woman,
Who will plow my vulva!
Who will station the ox there!
Who will plow my vulva!"
Dumuzi replied:
"Great Lady, the king will plow your vulva.
I, Dumuzi the King, will plow your vulva."
Inanna:
"Then plow my vulva, man of my heart!
Plow my vulva!"
At the king's lap stood the rising cedar.
Plants grew high by their side.
Grains grew high by their side.
Gardens flourished luxuriantly.
Inanna sang:
"He has sprouted; he has burgeoned;
He is lettuce planted by the water.
He is the one my womb loves best.
My well-stocked garden of the plain,
My barley growing high in its furrow,
My apple tree which bears fruit up to its crown,
He is lettuce planted by the water.
My honey-man, my honey-man sweetens me always.
My lord, the honey-man of the gods,
He is the one my womb loves best.
His hand is honey, his foot is honey,
He sweetens me always.
My eager impetuous caresser of the navel,
My caresser of the soft thighs,
He is the one my womb loves best,
He is lettuce planted by the water."
Dumuzi sang:
"O Lady, your breast is your field.
Inanna, your breast is your field.
Your broad field pours out plants.
Your broad field pours out grain.
Water flows from on high for your servant.
Bread flows from on high for your servant.
Pour it out for me, Inanna.
I will drink all you offer."
Inanna sang:
"Make your milk sweet and thick, my bridegroom.
My shepherd, I will drink your fresh milk.
Wild bull, Dumuzi, make your milk sweet and thick.
I will drink your fresh milk.
Let the milk of the goat flow in my sheepfold.
Fill my holy churn with honey cheese.
Lord Dumuzi, I will drink your fresh milk.
My husband, I will guard my sheepfold for you.
I will watch over your house of life, the storehouse,
The shining quivering place which delights Sumer—
The house which decides the fates of the land,
The house which gives the breath of life to the people.
I, the queen of the palace, will watch over your house."
Dumuzi spoke:
"My sister, I would go with you to my garden.
Inanna I would go with you to my garden.
I would go with you to my orchard.
I would go with you to my apple tree.
There I would plant the sweet, honey-covered seed."
Inanna spoke:
"He brought me into his garden.
My brother, Dumuzi, brought me into his garden.
I strolled with him among the standing trees,
I stood with him among the fallen trees,
By an apple tree I knelt as is proper.
Before my brother coming in song,
Who rose to me out of the poplar leaves,
Who came to me in the midday heat,
Before my lord Dumuzi,
I poured out plants from my womb.
I placed plants before him,
I poured out plants before him.
I placed grain before him,
I poured out grain before him.
I poured out grain from my womb."
Inanna sang:
"Last night as I, the queen, was shining bright,
Last night as I, the Queen of Heaven, was shining bright,
As I was shining bright and dancing,
Singing praises at the coming of the night--
He met me--he met me!
My lord Dumuzi met me.
He put his hand into my hand.
He pressed his neck close against mine.
My high priest is ready for the holy loins.
My lord Dumuzi is ready for the holy loins.
The plants and herbs in his field are ripe.
O Dumuzi! Your fullness is my delight!"
She called for it, she called for it, she called for the bed!
She called for the bed that rejoices the heart.
She called for the bed that sweetens the loins.
She called for the bed of kingship.
She called for the bed of queenship.
Inanna called for the bed:
"Let the bed that rejoices the heart be prepared!
Let the bed that sweetens the loins be prepared!
Let the bed of kingship be prepared!
Let the bed of queenship be prepared!
Let the royal bed be prepared!"
Inanna spread the bridal sheet across the bed.
She called to the king:
"The bed is ready!"
She called to her bridegroom:
"The bed is waiting!"
He put his hand in her hand.
He put his hand to her heart.
Sweet is the sleep of hand-to-hand.
Sweeter still the sleep of heart-to-heart.
Inanna spoke:
"I bathed for the wild bull,
I bathed for the shepherd Dumuzi,
I perfumed my sides with ointment,
I coated my mouth with sweet-smelling amber,
I painted my eyes with kohl.
He shaped my loins with his fair hands,
The shepherd Dumuzi filled my lap with cream and milk,
He stroked my pubic hair, He watered my womb.
He laid his hands on my holy vulva,
He smoothed my black boat with cream,
He quickened my narrow boat with milk,
He caressed me on the bed.
Now I will caress my high priest on the bed,
I will caress the faithful shepherd Dumuzi,
I will caress his loins, the shepherdship of the land,
I will decree a sweet fate for him."
The Queen of Heaven,
The heroic woman, greater than her mother,
Who was presented the me by Enki,
Inanna, the First Daughter of the Moon,
Decreed the fate of Dumuzi:
"In battle I am your leader,
In combat I am your armor-bearer,
In the assembly I am your advocate,
On the campaign I am your inspiration.
You, the chosen shepherd of the holy shrine,
You, the king, the faithful provider of Uruk,
You, the light of An's great shrine,
In all ways you are fit:
To hold your head high on the lofty dais,
To sit on the lapis lazuli throne,
To cover your head with the holy crown,
To wear long clothes on your body,
To bind yourself with the garments of kingship,
To carry the mace and sword,
To guide straight the long bow and arrow,
To fasten the throw-stick and sling at your side,
To race on the road with the holy sceptre in your hand,
And the holy sandals on your feet,
To prance on the holy breast like a lapis lazuli calf.
You, the sprinter, the chosen shepherd,
In all ways you are fit.
May your heart enjoy long days.
That which An has determined for you--may it not be altered.
That which Enlil has granted--may it not be changed.
You are the favorite of Ningal.
Inanna holds you dear."
Ninshubur, the faithful servant of the holy shrine of Uruk,
Led Dumuzi to the sweet thighs of Inanna and spoke:
"My queen, here is the choice of your heart,
The king, your beloved bridegroom.
May he spend long days in the sweetness of your holy loins.
Give him a favorable and glorious reign.
Grant him the king's throne, firm in its foundations.
Grant him the shepherd's staff of judgment.
Grant him the enduring crown with the radiant and noble diadem.
From where the sun rises to where the sun sets,
From south to north,
From the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea,
From the land of the huluppu-tree to the land of the cedar,
Let his shepherd's staff protect all of Sumer and Akkad.
As the farmer, let him make the fields fertile,
As the shepherd, let him make the sheepfolds multiply,
Under his reign let there be vegetation,
Under his reign let there be rich grain.
In the marshland may the fish and birds chatter,
In the canebrake may the young and old reeds grow high,
In the steppe may the mashgur-trees grow high,
In the forests may the deer and wild goats multiply,
In the orchards may there be honey and wine,
In the gardens may the lettuce and cress grow high,
In the palace may there be long life.
May there be floodwater in the Tigris and Euphrates,
May the plants grow high on their banks and fill the meadows,
May the Lady of Vegetation pile the grain in heaps and mounds.
O my Queen of Heaven and Earth,
Queen of all the universe,
May he enjoy long days in the sweetness of your holy loins."
The king went with lifted head to the holy loins.
He went with lifted head to the loins of Inanna.
He went to the queen with lifted head.
He opened wide his arms to the holy priestess of heaven.
Inanna spoke:
"My beloved, the delight of my eyes, met me.
We rejoiced together.
He took his pleasure of me.
He brought me into his house.
He laid me down on the fragrant honey-bed.
My sweet love, lying by my heart,
Tongue-playing, one by one,
My fair Dumuzi did so fifty times.
Now, my sweet love is sated.
Now he says:
'Set me free, my sister, set me free.
You will be a little daughter to my father.
Come, my beloved sister, I would go to the palace.
Set me free...'"
Inanna spoke:
"My blossom-bearer, your allure was sweet.
My blossom-bearer in the apple orchard,
My bearer of fruit in the apple orchard,
Dumuzi-abzu, your allure was sweet.
My fearless one,
My holy statue,
My statue outfitted with sword and lapis lazuli diadem,
How sweet was your allure...."
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