Inanna

[BrightStar]

Hi all!
I thought I'd start some threads on some Gods and Goddesses,if it's cool.If not,please let me know.I'm not an expert at all.So everyone feel free to add anything you might know.I'm just trying to contribute to this wonderful community a bit.
Inanna:She's a Sumerian Goddess who's name translates roughly as Lady of heaven.
She is the Sumerian Queen of Heaven,Mother Goddess.She and Ishtar later merged.She was an Earth,love,grain,date-palm,oracular,weaving,and wine Goddess.As she merged with Ishtar she also became more of a war or battle Goddess.She is the daughter of Enki,the God of Wisdom.She is associated with the vegetation God Dumuzi or Tammuz,who she sought in the underworld during his time of recession.She was also a Goddess of Sovereignty.A sacred marriage with the God was enacted by the King and a priestess called the Enitum.This was a very important annual ritual in Sumeria.
She's also mentioned in the Sumerian story of the flood.I'll cover that more with Ishtar.You might check out her Myth of Descent on another thread here.It's widely considered as the basis for The Descent of The Goddess used by many Pagans.
Peace and Love
Rain BrightStar

[BrightStar]

Hi all!
Here's a hymn written by Enheduanna(2300-2225 BCE).See the Descent of Inanna/Ishtar for another.Found it in my history notebook from Ancient near East History.I also found some stuff online about this priestess and the first known author in history.They even have some ancient sculptures of her.Lots more poems/hymns too.

Ninmesarra
Translated as
The Exhaltation of Inanna
You of the appropriate me's,great queen of queens
Issued from the holy womb,supreme over the mother who bore you
Omniscient sage,Lady of all the lands
Sustenance of the multitudes,I have verily recited your sacred song!
True goddess,fit for the Me's,it is exalting to praise you
Merciful one,brilliant righteous woman
I have recited your Me's for you!

Verily I had entered my holy giparu(a cloister) at your behest
I,the High Priestess,I,Enheduanna!
I carried the ritual basket,I intoned the acclaim
(But now)I am placed in the leper's ward
I,even I,can no longer live with you!

Most precious lady,beloved of An
Your holy heart is lofty,may is be assauged on my behalf

How supreme you are,over the great Gods,the Annuna!
The Anunna kiss the ground with their lips in obeisance to you
(But my)own sentence is not concluded,a hostile judgment appears before my eyes
(My)hands are no longer folded on the ritual couch
I may no longer reveal the pronouncements of Ningal to man
(note*Ningal is Earth goddess,Inanna's mother)
Yet I am the brilliant High Priestess of Nanna(*Moon God,aka Sin,Inanna's father)
O my Queen,beloved of An,may your heart take pity on me(*An,aka Anu,The sky god)

That you are lofty as heaven(An),be it known!
That you are as bread of the earth,be it known!
That you devastate the rebellious land,be it known!
That you roar at the land,be it known!
That you smite the heads,be it known!
That you devour cadavers like a dog,be it known!
That your glance is terrible,be it known!
That you lift your terrible glance,be it known!

O my Lady,beloved of An,I have verily recounted your fury
One has heaped up the coals(in the censer),prepared the lustration
The nuptial chamber awaits you,let your heart be appeased!

With "It is enough for me,It is too much for me"
I have given birth,O exalted Lady,(to this song)for you
That which I recited to you at (mid)night
May the singer repeat it at noon

The first lady,the reliance ot the throne room
Has accepted her offerings
Inanna's heart has been restored

Praise be to the dominatrix of the lands,endowed with Me's from An
To my Lady wrapped in beauty
To Inanna

That's the end.Notice how Enheduanna uses her own name in the poem.That's how we know her.She signed much of her work.Also notice how she refers to the creation of art,of a hymn,as giving birth.The Me's are Enheduanna speaking of her personal plights to Inanna.
As you can tell,I'm intrigued by this very ancient Mesopatamian princess and priestess.
Oh well.
Peace and Love
Rain BrightStar