Tuesday, April 28, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Inanna and the Gods
✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦
Texts
A Hymn to InannaEnheduanna's second major hymn to Inanna — a catalogue of the goddess's power over all opposites, translated from Sumerian.Dumuzi's DreamThe Sumerian myth in which Dumuzi, condemned to the underworld as Inanna's substitute, dreams of the galla demons coming for him — and his three escapes, his friend's betrayal, and his death at the sheepfold.Enlil and NinlilThe Sumerian myth of Enlil's assault at the canal, his banishment from Nippur, and his three disguises — through which the underworld gods Nergal, Ninazu, and Enbilulu are born so that Nanna-Suen, the moon, may rise to the heavens.Enlil in the EkurA 171-line Sumerian hymn to Enlil, lord of the storm and the grain, celebrating his temple at Nippur and his cosmic sovereignty over all living things.Inanna and the Divine PowersThe Sumerian myth of Inanna's journey to Eridu, where she drinks beer with Enki and carries away the divine powers of civilization to her city Uruk — the story of how the sacred arts of human life came to belong to the queen of heaven.The Descent of InannaThe Sumerian myth of the goddess Inanna's descent through seven gates to the Great Below — stripped of her divine powers, hung on a hook, and raised from the dead by two creatures fashioned from the dirt under a god's fingernail.The Descent of IshtarThe Akkadian myth of Ishtar's descent through seven gates to the Underworld — stripped, imprisoned, and restored by the waters of life.The Exaltation of InannaThe first signed poem in history — Enheduanna's hymn to Inanna, translated from Sumerian.The Marriage of MartuA Sumerian myth of the god Martu seeking a bride in the city of Inab — featuring the wrestling match, the bridal negotiations, and the famous portrait of the nomadic Amorite.