Inanna and the Gods

Pages

  • 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.