Inanna (Ishtar)
The great goddess of love, sexuality, war, and fertility; 'queen of heaven'; the morning/evening star (Venus); her great temple was at Uruk. In Akkadian she is Ishtar. She descends to the underworld and is restored (the 'Inanna's Descent' myth).
Who they are
- The great goddess of love, sexuality, war, and fertility [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- The 'queen of heaven', the morning/evening star (Venus) [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- Her great temple was at Uruk (the 'Eanna') [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗[S6]S6 · Met Museum Mesopotamian collection (open access)museummuseumOpen source ↗.
- The 'Inanna's Descent' myth (death and resurrection) [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- The eight-pointed star is her symbol [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- Inanna's 'love' and 'war' roles are not separate: she is a single, complex goddess who embodies both [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- The 'Descent' myth has multiple versions (Sumerian c. 1900-1700 BCE; later Akkadian versions); the details vary [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗.
Connections
Family & kinship
Conflict & enmity
Their corner of the divine world
- parentage
- marriage ♥
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2 stories
Inanna's Descent to the Underworld
The great Sumerian myth of 'Inanna's Descent to the Underworld': Inanna descends to the underworld to attend the funeral of her sister Ereshkigal (the underworld-goddess). At the seven gates of the underworld, Inanna is stripped of her powers (her crown, her weapons, her jewelry) one by one. At the bottom, Ereshkigal kills Inanna (she is hung on a peg as a corpse). Enki (the wisdom god) is moved to pity and sends a being (the 'galatur' or the 'keshig') to bring Inanna back. Inanna is restored, but must send a 'stand-in' (her consort Dumuzi) to the underworld in her place [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
Inanna and Ereshkigal (the 'sisters' of the underworld)
Inanna (the 'light' goddess) and Ereshkigal (the 'dark' goddess of the underworld) are 'sisters' (in some accounts) or adversaries. The 'Descent' myth is the great conflict between the two: Inanna descends to the underworld and is killed by Ereshkigal [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗. The 'sisters' relationship is a 'light/dark' duality: Inanna is the 'light' (the morning star, the life-giver), Ereshkigal is the 'dark' (the underworld, the death-bringer) [S4]S4 · Inanna's Descent to the Underworldc. 1900-1700 BCE (Sumerian)textOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
Depictions
