Descent Of Inanna Wolkstein - Kramer
- From the Great Above she opened her ear to the Great Below.
- From the Great Above the goddess oepned her ear to the Great Below.
- From the Great Above Inanna openend her ear to the Great Below.
- My Lady abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld.
- Inanna abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld.
- In Uruk she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
- In Badtibira she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
- In Zabalam she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
- In Adab she abandoned her temple to descend to the undcerworld.
- In Nippur she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
- In Kish she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
- In Akkad she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld.
- She gathered together the seven me.
- She took them into her hands.
- With the me in her possession, she prepared herself:
- She placed the shugurra, the crown of the steppe, on her her head.
- She arranged the dark locks of hair across her forehead.
- She tied the small lapis beads around her neck.
- Let the double strand of beads fall to her breast,
- And wrapped the royal robe around her body.
- She daubed her eyes with ointment called 'let him come, let hime come.'
- Bound the breast plate called 'Come, man, come!' around her chest,
- Slipped the gold ring over her wrist,
- And took the lapis measuring rod and line in her hand.
- Inanna set out for the underworld.
- Ninshubur, her faithful servant, went with her.
- Inanna spoke to her, saying:
- 'Ninshubur, my constant support,
- My sukkal who gives me wise advice,
- My warrior who fights by my side,
- I am descending to the kur, to the underworld.
- If I do not return,
- Set up a lament for me by the ruins.
- Beat the drum for me in the assembly places.
- Circle the houses of the gods.
- Tear at your eyes, at your mouth, at your thighs.
- Dress yourself in a single garment like a beggar.
- Go to Nippur, to the temple of Enlil.
- When you enter his holy shrine, cry out:
- "Oh, father Enlil, do not let your daughter
- ..........Be put to death in he underworld.
- Do not let your bright silver
- ..........Be covered with dust in the underworld.
- Do not let your precious lapis
- ..........Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
- Do not let your fragrant boxwood
- ..........Be cut into wood for the woodworker.
- Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
- ..........Be put to death in the underworld."
- If Enlil will not help you,
- ..........Go to Ur, to the temple of Nanna.
- ..........Weep before Father Nanna.
- If Nanna will not help you,
- ..........Go to Eridu, to the temple of Enki.
- ..........Weep before Father Enki.
- Father Enki, the God Of Wisdom, knows the food of life,
- He knows the water of life;
- Knows the secret of life.
- Surely he will not let me die.'
- Inanna continued on her way to the underworld.
- Then she stopped and said:
- 'Go now Ninshubur-
- Do not forget the words I have commanded you.'
- When Inanna arrived at the outer gates of the underworld,
- ..........She knocked loudly.
- ..........She cried out in a fierce voice:
- ..........'Open the door, gatekeeper!
- ..........Open the door, Neti!
- ..........I alone would enter!'
- Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur, asked:
- ..........'Who are you?'
- She answered:
- 'I am Inanna, Queen of Heaven,
- On my way to the East.'
- Neti said:
- 'If you are truly Inanna, Queen of Heaven,
- On your way to the East,
- Why has your heart led you on the road
- From which no traveller returns?'
- Inanna answered:
- 'Because... of my older sister Erishkigal,
- Her husband, Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, has died.
- I have come to witness the funeral rites.
- Let the beer of his funeral rites be poured into the cup.
- Let it be done.'
- Neti spoke:
- 'Stay here Inanna, I will speak to my queen.
- I will giver her your message.'
- Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur,
- Entered the palace of Erishkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, and said:
- 'My Queen, a maid
- As tall as heaven,
- As wide as the earth,
- As strong as the foundations of the city wall,
- Waits outside the palace gates.
- She has gathered together the seven me.
- She has taken them in her hands.
- With the me in her possession, she has prepared herself:
- On her head she wears the shurgarra, the crown of the steppe.
- Across her forehead her dark locks of hair are carefully aranged.
- Around her neck she wears the small lapis beads.
- At her breast she wears the double strand of beads.
- Her body is wrapped inthe royal robe.
- Her eyes are daubed with the ointment "let him come, let him come."
- Around her chest she wears the breast plate called "come, man, come!"
- On her wrist she wears the gold ring.
- In her hand she carries the lapis measuring rod and line.'
- When Erishkigal heard this,
- She slapped her thigh and bit her lip.
- She took the matter into her heart and dwelt on it.
- Then she spoke:
- 'Come, Neti, my chief gatekeeper of the kur,
- Heed my words:
- Bolt the seven gates of the underworld.
- Then, one by one, open each gate a crack.
- Let Inanna enter.
- As she enters, remove her royal garments.
- Let the holy priestess of heaven enter bowed low.'
- Neti heeded the words of his queen.
- He bolted the seven gates of the underworld.
- Then he opened the outer gate.
- He said to the maid:
- 'Come, Inanna, enter.'
- When she entered the first gate,
- From her head, the shugurra, the crown of the steppe, was removed.
- Inanna asked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told:
- 'Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
- They may not be questioned.'
- When she entered the second gate,
- From her neck the small lapis beads were removed.
- Inanna asked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told:
- 'Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect
- They may not be questioned.'
- When she entered the third gate,
- From her breast the double strand of beads was removed.
- Inanna asked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told:
- 'Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect,
- They may not be questioned.'
- When she entered the fourth gate,
- From her chest the breast plate called 'Let hime come, let him come!' was removed.
- Inanna asked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told,
- 'Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
- They may not be questioned.'
- When she entered the fifth gate,
- From her wrist trhe gold ring was removed.
- Inanna asked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told:
- 'Quiet,Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
- They may not be questioned.'
- When she netered the sixth gate,
- From her hand the lapis measuring rod and line was removed.
- Inanna sked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told:
- 'Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
- They may not be questioned'
- When she netered the seventh gate,
- From her body the royal robe was removed.
- Inanna asked:
- 'What is this?'
- She was told:
- 'Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect.
- They may not be questioned.'
- Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room.
- Erishkigal rose from her throne.
- Inanna started toward the throne.
- The Annuna, the judges of the underworld, surrounded her.
- They passed judgement against her.
- Then Erishkigal fastened on Inanna the eye of death.
- She spoke against her the word of wrath.
- She uttered against her the cry of guilt.
- She struck her.
- Inanna was turned into a corpse,
- A piece of rotting meat,
- And was hung from a hook on the wall.
- When, after three days and three nights, Inanna had not returned,
- Ninshubur set up a lament for her by the ruins.
- She beat the drum for her in the assembled places.
- She circled the houses of the gods.
- She tore at her eyes; she tore at her mouth; she tore at her thighs.
- She dressed herself in a single garment like a beggar.
- Alone, she set out for Nippur and the temple of Enlil.
- When she entered the holy shrine,
- She cried out:
- 'O Father Enlil, do not let your daughter
- Be put to death in the underworld.
- Do not let your bright silver
- Be covered with dust of the underworld.
- Do not let your precious lapis
- Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
- Do not let your fragrant boxwood
- Be cut into wood fro the woodworker.
- Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
- Be put to death in the underworld.'
- Father Enlil answered angrily:'My daughter craved the Great Above.
- Inanna craved the Great Below.
- She who receives the me of the underworld does not return.
- She who goes to the Dark City stays there.'
- Father Enlil would not help.
- Ninshubur went to Ur and the temple of Nanna.
- When she entered the holy shrine,
- She cried out:
- 'Oh Father Nanna, do not let your daughter
- Be put to death in the underworld.
- Do not let your bright silver
- Be covered with dust of the underworld.
- Do not let your precious lapis
- Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
- Do not let your fragrant boxwood
- Be cut into wood fro the woodworker.
- Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
- Be put to death inthe underworld.'
- Father Nanna answered angrily:
- 'My daughter craved the Great Above.
- Inanna craved the Great Below.
- She who receives the me of the underworld does not return.
- She who goes to the Dark City stays there.'
- Father Nanna would not help.
- Ninshubur went to Eridu and the temple of Enki.
- When she entered the holy shrine,
- She cried out,:
- 'O Father Enki, do not let your daughter
- Be put to death in the underworld.
- Do not let your bright silver
- Be covered with dust of the underworld.
- Do not let your precious lapis
- Be broken into stone for the stoneworker.
- Do not let your fragrant boxwood
- Be cut into wood fro the woodworker.
- Do not let the holy priestess of heaven
- Be put to death in the underworld.'
- Father Enki said;
- 'What has happened?
- What has my daughter done?
- Inanna, Queen of All the Lands! Holy Priestess of Heaven!
- What has happened?
- I am troubled, I am grieved.'
- From under his fingernail Father Enki brought forth dirt.
- He fashioned the dirt into a kurgarra, a creature neither male nor female.
- From under the fingernail of his other hand he brought forth dirt.
- He fashione the dirt into a galatur, a creature neither male nor female.
- He gave the food of life to the kurgarra.
- He gave the water of life to the galatur,
- saying:
- 'Go to the underworld,
- Enter the doors like flies,
- Erishkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, is moaning
- With the cries of a woman about to give birth.
- No linen is spread on her body.
- Her breasts are uncovered.
- Her hair swirls about her head like leeks.
- When she cries,'Oh!Oh! My Inside!'
- Cry also, 'Oh! Oh! Your inside!'
- When she cries: 'Oh! Oh! My outside!'
- Cry also 'Oh! Oh! our outside!'
- The queen will be pleased.
- She will ofer you a gift.
- Ask her only for the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall.
- One of you will sprinkle the food of life on it
- The other will sprinkle the water of life.
- Inanna will arise.'
- The kurgarra and the galatur heeded Enki's words.
- They set out for the underworld.
- Like flies, they slipped through the cracks of the gates.
- They entered the throne room of the Queen of the Underworld.
- No linen was spread on her body.
- Her breasts were uncovered.
- Her hair swirld around her head like leeks.
- Erishkigal was moaning:
- 'Oh!Oh! My inside!'
- They moaned.
- 'Oh!Oh! Your inside!'
- She moaned:
- 'Ohhhh! Oh! My outside!'
- They moaned;
- 'Ohhhh! Oh! our outside!'
- She groaned:
- 'Oh! Oh! My belly!'
- They groaned:
- 'Oh! Oh! Your belly!'
- She groaned:
- 'Oh! Oh! My back!'
- They groaned:
- 'Oh! Oh! Your back!'
- She sighed:
- 'Ah! Ah! My heart!'
- They sighed:
- 'Ah! Ah! Your heart!'
- She sighed:
- 'Ah! Ahhhh! My liver!'
- They sighed:
- 'Ah! Ahhhh! Your liver!'
- Erishkigal stopped.
- She looked at them.
- She asked:
- 'Who are you,
- Moaning - groaning - sighing with me?'
- If you are gods, I will bless ou.
- If you are mortals, I will give you a gift.
- I will give you the water-gift, the river in its fullness.'
- The kurgarra and galatur answered:
- 'We do not wish it.'
- Erishkigal said:
- 'I will give you the grain gift, the fields in harvest.'
- The kugarra and galatur said:
- 'We do not wish it.'
- Erishkigal said:
- 'Speak then! What do you wish?'
- They answered:
- 'We wish only for the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall.'
- Erishkigal said:
- 'The corpse belongs to Inanna.'
- They said:
- 'Whether it belongs to our queen,
- Whether it belongs to our king,
- That is what we wish.'
- The corpse was given to them.
- The kurgarra sprinkled the food of life on the corpse.
- The galatur sprinkled the water of life on the corpse.
- Inanna rose......
- Inanna was about to ascend from the underworld
- When the Annuna, the judges of the underworld, siezed her.
- They said:
- 'No one ascends from the underworld unmarked.
- If Inanna wishes to return from the underworld,
- She must provide someone in her place.'
- As Inanna ascended from the underworld,
- The galla, the demons of the underworld, clung to her side.
- The galla were demons
- who know no food,
- who know no drink,
- Who eat no offerings, who drink no libations,
- Who accept no gifts.
- They enjoy no lovemaking.
- They have no sweet children to kiss.
- They tear the wife from the husband's arms,
- They tear the child from the father's knees,
- They steal the bride from her marriage home.
- The demons clung to Inanna.
- The small galla who accompanied Inanna
- Were like reeds the size of low picket fences.
- The large galla who accompanied Inanna
- Were like reeds the size of large picket fences.
- The one who walked in front of Inanna was not a minister,
- Yet he carried a sceptre.
- The one who walked behind her was not a warrior,
- Yet he carried a mace.
- Ninshubur, dressed in a soiled sackcloth,
- Waited outside the palace gates.
- When she saw Inanna
- Surrounded by the galla
- She threw herself in the dust at Inanna's feet.
- The galla said:
- 'Walk on Inanna,
- We shall take Ninshubur in your place.'
- Inanna cried:
- 'No! Ninshubur is my constant support.
- She is my sukkal who gives me wise advice.
- She is my warrior who fights by my side.
- She did not forget my words.
- She set up a lament for my by the ruins.
- She beat the drum for me at the assembly places.
- She circled the houses of the gods.
- she tore at ther eyes, at her mouth, at her thighs.
- She dressed herself in a single garment like a beggar.
- Alone she set out for Nippur and the temple of Enlil.
- She went to Ur and the temple of Nanna.
- She went to Eridu and the temple of Enki.
- Because of her, my life was saved.
- I will never give Ninshubur to you.'
- The galla said:
- 'Walk on, Inanna,
- We will accompany you to Umma.'
- In Umma, at the holy shrine,
- Shara the son of Inanna, was dressed in a soiled sackcloth.
- When he saw Inanna
- Surrounded by the galla,
- He threw himself in the dust at her feet.
- The galla said:
- 'Walk on to your city, Innana,
- We will take Shara in your place.'
- Inanna cried:
- 'No! Not Shara!
- He is my son who sings hymns to me.
- He is my son who cuts my nails and smooths my hair.
- I will never give Shara to you.'
- The galla said:
- 'Walk on, Inanna,
- We will accompany you to Badtibira.'
- In Badtibira, at the holy shrine,
- Lulal, the son of Inanna, was dressed in a soiled sackcloth.
- When he saw Inanna
- Surrounded by the galla,
- He threw himself in the dust at her feet.
- The galla said:
- 'Walk on, Inanna,
- We will take Lulal in your place.'
- Inanna cried:
- 'No, not Lulal. he is my son.
- He is a leader among men.
- He is my right arm. He is my left arm.
- I will never give Lulal to you.'
- The galla said:
- 'Walk on to your city, Inanna.
- We will go with you to the big apple tree in uruk.'
- In Uruk, by the big apple tree,
- Dumuzi, the husband of Inanna, was dressed in his shining me garments.
- He sat on his magnificent throne; (he did not move).
- The galla seized him by the thighs.
- They poured milk out of his seven churns.
- They broke the reed pipe which the shepherd was playing.
- Inanna fastened on Dumuzi the eye of death.
- She spoke against him the word of wrath.
- She uttered against him the cry of guilt.
- 'Take him away! Take Dumuzi away!'
- The galla, who know no food, who know no drink,
- Who eat no offerings, who drink no libations,
- Who accept no gifts, seized Dumuzi.
- They made him stand up; they made him sit down.
- They beat the husband of Inanna.
- They gashed him with axes.
- Dumuzi let out a wail.
- He raised his hands to heaven to utu, the God of Justice, and beseeched him:
Agur-tês A. collector, esp. begging priest of Cybele; Gallois
Gallos , ho, A. priest of Cybele, II. eunuch,
2. vagabond, kai manteis
Used with
Pempô ,a procession, p. chorous move in dancing procession, phallos Dionusôi pempomenos carried in procession in his honour,
- 'O Utu, you are my brother in law,
- I am the husband of your sister.
- I brought cream to your mother's house,
- I brought milk to Ningal's house.
- I am the one who carried food to the holy shrine.
- I am the one who brought wedding gifts to Uruk
- I am the one who danced on the holy knees, the knees of Inanna.
- Utu, you who are a just god, a merciful god,
- Change my hands into the hands of a snake.
- Change my feet into the feet of a snake.
- Let me escape from my demons;
- Do not let them hold me
- The merciful Utu accepted Dumuzi's tears.
- He changed the hands of Dumuzi into snake hands.
- He changed the feet of Dumuzi into snake feet.
- Dumuzi escaped from his demons.
- They could not hold him.....
- See the meaning of THE Matriarchal Hostile takeover.
- Counter added 4.03.07
- http://www.ripnet.com.au/~chrono/inanna/inanna.htm