The Descent Of Inanna

from Diane Wolksein and Noah Kramer's book on Inanna

From the great above to the great below

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 cutinto 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 os.

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 th efuneral 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 thebreast 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 netered 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 secoind 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 netered 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 daughetr

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 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, donot 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 reedsd 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 toUmma.'

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:

'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.....

etc etc.

[Notes and observations made by myself:

I have not consulted with anyone else on these thoughts, as most people I know think I am silly in this aspect of the Descent myth.

Be warned I have turned some thoughts on their ear and view them differently. I also assume Inanna is a real person with a real personality. Some do not like this.

It is my contention that Inanna descended to the underworld to die with a plan in mind to further her own self, not to conquor the underworld. What do I have to support this? Not much really, but then there is not much to specifically say so otherwise either.

The opening lines say she opened her ear to the Great Below. Current belief has it that this meant she took notice of the Underworld and studied it. Ear may also be considered wisdom, so I guess she has turned her attention to it and is curious. Sounds just fine to me. Then she abandons heaven and earth and all her temples to take the journey. However, she takes all her own personal symbols of power - the holy me, her crown, robe, beads etc. She specifically takes no weapon, - not her lion headed mace or her bow ( I actually beleive these tools are not part of her nature till after this myth. refer below), nor even her warrior maiden Ninshubur who has protected her so ably upto now (refer Inanna & Enki myth). So basically she goes undefended (except for her breastplate - and I am not sure what breast plate means in this instance). Basically, Inanna is her own protection, or intentionally goes with no protection at all.

Now Wolkstein and Kramer write this interesting paragraph in their book on Inanna in the notes on the myth. I shall quote it all:

"The path of the descent has impelled the mystic since the beginning of recorded human experience. In many traditional societies, initiatory tribal rites are often characterised by a symbolic descent into and ascent from the labyrinthian mother earth. These rituals give women and men the experience of being reborn on a spiritual plane. According to Mircea Eliade, traditional rituals of the descent tend to follow a universal pattern: (1) seperation from the family (2) regression to a pre natal state- the cosmic night (3) death, dismemberment, suffering (4) rebirth and (5) killing of another. {reference: Mercea Eliade: Myths, Dreams and Mysteries, Harvil Press 1960 pp197-200}.In other traditional societies, only certain people are called to travel to the underworld, for the path the the Great Below is treacherous and often there is no return. Those who did return, such as Enki, the God of Wisdom, become known as shamans and Great Magicians. They carry within them the knowledge of rebirth and often return bringing to their cultures a new world view.

Sometimes there is a specific cause that starts, or seems to start, the descent: dissatisfaction, dissolution, seperation from loved ones....." {note that last piece}

So, from reading this, other thoughts struck me. What does Inanna gain from her descent? At the beginning there seems to be none. She is supposedly curious and goes for a look. At the end, what has happened? She has uttered the command for another to die. Prior to this she has been the goddess of fertility, and now she proclaims death, using the exact words of the goddess of the underworld. And who does she proclaim it against? Her mortal husband Dumuzi. And where does she do it? The holy apple tree in her city of Uruk.Following from the above paragraph from Wolkstein, could I perhaps put forward the theory: {Reminder: Inanna is a person (goddess)- with a real personality.}

Inanna's early years are taken up first by her experience with the huluppu tree, then by her courtship with Dumuzi. At the end of the courtship and consumation of their bond, Dumuzi abandons her to return to the affairs of state.

(He laid me down on the fragrant honey bed. My sweet love, lying by my heart, Tongue playing, one by one, My fair Dumuzi did so fifty times.

Now my sweet love is sated. Now he says: Set me free, my sister, set me free. You will be a little daughter to my father. Come, my beloved sister, I would go to the palace. Set me free�.

Inanna spoke: My blossom bearer, your allure was sweet. My blossom bearer in the apple orchard, My bearer of fruit in the apple orchard, Dumuzi-Abzu, your allure was sweet.

My fearless one, My holy statue, My statue outfitted with sword and alpis lazuli diadem, How sweet was your allure�.)

This part of her early life could be related to her physical state, with her craving for the love of Dumuzi. This of course also involves the apple tree of Uruk. Now he has abandoned her and she feels the loss. What has she left to do with her time? She of course oversees her city and its priests, but for her own fulfillment, she ventures of to Enki and in true cunning style obtains the holy me for herself. Not only that, she has proved to be such a good little magician, she has created her own me. Whether this is intentional or a natural cause of her actions is not clear to me. However, she may well be on the path to her own spiritual evolution. What is the path of her spiritual evolution? She must surely be like Father Enki who has also descended and returned, and become a great magician as Wolkstein says.

So she descends, and knowing Enlil and Nanna will not save her, but giving them the chance to try (why I do not know yet), she is rescued by her mentor magician Enki. While below she is stripped of everything that ever was Inanna, and is nothing now but a rotting peice of meat on a hook. Interestingly no mention is made of what happened to her spirit in the underworld, for as the action shifts topside, it is plainly clear rescue is on the way. Are we to believe there was ever a real chance she would truly die?

So, perhaps she has intentionally descended to be reborn again, especially in a spiritual way. Why? - read on....

Her next words are to Ninshubur - I am descending to the kur, if I do not return......

This sounds to me like the plan of a cunning or intelligent mind. She is aware she may well not return, so she devises a plan to have her rescued after death. She not only devises it, but is wise enough to realise she may need a contingency, so should Enlil and Nanna fail her, she relies on Father Enki to save her. Enlil the god of the sky does fail her, as does her father Nanna. Both are celestial deities. It is left to Father Enki - god of water bodies (including the water than runs beneath the underworld) to rescue her. It is from him she has previously won the holy me, so I guess there is an added reinforcement of a relationship between them not found between Inanna and the other gods. Innana has won her position with him through respect that she has taken the holy me from him, and not only that, she has made new me he could not possibly have created. It is here some points puzzle me. She has the holy me - decrees and ways that govern the whole of society, so how could she not know the ways of the underworld? How could she not know she would be stripped of her mortal possessions, and indeed, that she would not be die once she descends to the kur? I do not know either. Needless to say, after turning her ear to the great below she was either misinformed, or well informed. As Neti tells her, the ways of the underworld are perfect. They may not be questioned. They have always been that way.

In other versions of this myth, in the world above all sexual and fertility type actions have stopped. Inanna has even left these powers behind to venture to a place that is the exact opposite of her power. Is Inanna in search of her own balance?

So Inanna descends through 7 gates, giving up the only 7 items she takes. Coincidence, or just good story telling? Inanna is now totally herself. Nothing covers Inanna in anyway. She is reduced almost to her infant self, powerless and naked. At each gate she is stripped of an item. She questions each item, but quietly accepts the response and proceeds. In later myths she threatens to raise the dead (obviously opening the gates so they can get out). Why is she powerless to open them herself now? Could she perhaps wish to enter the underworld in the correct sequence, in essence - wishing to die?

However, in various translations comes the cloudy point. In Kramer/Wolkstein's version Erishkigal rises, and Inanna starts towards her. Other versions have Inanna trying to take the throne, and in Stephanie Dalley's version of the Descent of Ishtar, Ishtar leans over Erishkigal. Dalley's version has Erishkigal all a tremble and obviously fearful. The above version is less clear. It is clear from earlier verses Erishkigal is concerned the goddess of fertility has come to the place of death. Why would this be so unless to take it from her? Why indeed.

From reading, would I be right in saying it was Erishkigal's job to decree the word of death on those that passed before her? It appears she has little other function,and made no decision on whether the person was meant to be dead. This being her function, and her name being the Queen of the Great Below, should she not show fear or concern that the Queen of the Great Above (her opposite) would be coming her way? The deaths of gods are rarely mentioned in Sumerian literature. Could Erishkigal actually fear being required to kill Inanna, but having no choice in the mater, she does as required, exactly by the rules? And here comes another thought. Are these two counterparts of each other? If so, upto now, they have been out of balance. The Queen of the Great Below has the power of life and death. Inanna has only the power of life (through fertility). Could Inanna's descent be a way of redressing this imbalance by exposing her to death, and thereby giving her power over it?

Now I regret I must beg the question, why would the goddess of life descend to conquor the land of death? She has just given up all her powers and people intentionally, and organised to be returned to the Great Above. To rule the Great Below, she has to remain in the Great Below. She cannot do both, and has already planned to go back. What does she gain while below, if not rulership of the dead? Erishkigal, while fearful of her, has more power than she. Erishkigal can utter the words of death, but as the sequence with the kurgarra and galatur show, she also has the power to offer the water gift, and the gift of the fields in harvest - both obviously symbols of life. Could these be in fact metaphors for the water and food of life sent in rescue by Enki?

Before this Inanna has been the goddess of fertility, and all her actions show it. From now on her myths attract a new outlook. She takes on warlike aspects herself and delights in battle and death. In future stories she even threatens to raise the dead so they outnumber the living - a threat well made by Erishkigal herself in other myths - i.e. Erishkigal and Nergal. Inanna regains her fertility aspect, but from now on she is an all rounder, and stands on her own. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, once Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's advances, she is quite happy to race to Anu and demand the Bull of Heaven. He refuses, the goddess of fertilty threatens thus: I shall strike ...., I shall set my face to the infernal regions, I shall raise up the dead, and they will eat the living, I shall make the dead outnumber the living! {From Dalley's translation} Here we see her threaten the great Anu - and a threat involving the dead. This no longer sits well with a goddess of fertility and in no way reflects her earlier love myths. Inanna/Ishtar has changed.

So, while below, Inanna has gained something. She has changed. We shall discuss this further below.

At the moment, Inanna is dead, and we shouldn't leave her that way. Various versions have her being killed in various ways. In Wolkstein's version the Annuna surround her and pass judgement, and Erishkigal delivers it. She cries death, wrath and guilt against Inanna, and then strikes her down. You must note the exact words in the text. They appear again exactly later. In Dalley's version of Ishtar, Erishkigal sends 60 diseases to cripple the goddess of life.

It is here troubles further compound as versions digress vastly from each other from now on. I shall stick with the Wolkstein version, as it involves the earlier Inanna. The Ishtar version has newer concepts attached to it.

Ninshubur runs around topside, journeying from Enlil, to Nanna and then Enki, which may be a reference to a journey of Ninshubur's star through the 3 portions of the night sky, represented by the 3 gods. Anyway, she ends up at the temple of Enki after Enlil and Nanna have left Inanna to her fate for being so presupposing that she could journey to the underworld. Enki is the last best hope, so it were. He has already made the journey (I have not read that myth, so I do not know how he did it, but I think it had something to do with a boat and the waters of the underworld.) The master magician can not leave his junior languishing in the underworld. Using his superior experience and powers he creates the kurgurra and galatur to rescue her.

Interestingly in this version, Erishkigal gives her up without too much of a word against it. She merely points out that the corpse is that of Inanna when they ask for it. In the later Dalley version, Erishkigal is quite upset she has been tricked and curses the kugurra equivalent. How times change....

To return, Inanna is returned to life by the application of the water and food of life, and she is free to go. I find it quite unusual that Erishkigal, so terrified of her before, does not simply strike her again if she is such a threat, and break her word to the kurgarra/galatur. It appears they seemed to do so little for her, except show her sympathy (which may well mean alot to Erishkigal). I will leave this point for consideration. It is my thought Erishkigal do not actually want to kill her, but had to.

Inanna goes to leave, but the Annuna remind her she must provide a replacement. Now comes another insidious point I have been keeping from you. How could she not know that? Or does she think she is as good as Enki, who I assume provided no replacement when he returned? If she does not know this, then Dumuzi is very unlucky that he was acting the wrong way at the wrong time. On the other hand, if we can take Mircea's contention above that another death must complete the cycle of the descent, could Inanna have premeditated the death of her husband? Sacreligious to say the least. Or was she only testing her trusted ones, being happy to turn over the first one who failed her?

As a side note, no mention is made in this text for the recovery of the items she gave up in her descent, but it is assumed they are returned to her. In the later Dalley version it details the giving back of the items, and clearly states Dumuzi is to take her place, thus taking the decision of a replacement away from her. Could this later myth revision be a reworking to make her seem more likeable, and confirming she will not abandon the king?

Ninshubur grovels at her feet, even though she could theoretically been able to look Inanna in the eye. After all, she carried out the rescue plan, without which everything Inanna journeyed for would have failed. Regardless, Ninshubur behaves correctly, and so she is spared.

Next, her sons Shara and Lulal also behave correctly and are spared. While the text calls them sons, I am of the strong opinion they are in fact high priests. However, the inital section makes no note of Umma as a temple she gives up, and this later section does not list 5 of the temples she gave up as being on her path of return. Inanna's own followers stand by her.

As Inanna enters her own city, for which she has done so much, she finds her husband resplendant in the me garments. Can I assume the only reason he has them is due to his marriage to her? Unlike the others he does not fall at her feet. He sits upon his throne and waits for her approach. He waits near the holy apple tree of Uruk, the place where their early love blossomed.

Interestingly, she utters no word against him at all. Without instruction, the galla seize him. In her presence they seized him by the thighs, and destroyed his symbols - the milk urns and his reed pipe (that he was incidentally playing - a happy joyous fellow while she lies in the underworld). Then she utters the decree against him.

How does she do this? Using the exact words Erishkigal used against her. Inanna has learned the power of death. And she uses it in the place where she learned her love from Dumuzi. Can we say she has closed this cycle of her life? In her presence the galla make her husband stand, sit, they beat him, they gashed him with axes! Inanna says nothing. Has Inanna lost her love for Dumuzi and now watches the end of her relationship? Is this the whole purpose of her descent? Tellingly for Dumuzi, he turns for salvation not to the woamn he is supposed to love, who has decreed against him, but to the god who schemed their union in the first place. Does this show the whole marriage was an arranged affair with an unwitting Inanna believing it was true love? Has his actions confirmed something she may well have deduced on her own?

I leave this to your imagination.

To sum up my theory. Inanna descends to renew her life. Her love to Dumuzi has failed, and she wishes to start again. She dies, literally, and is 'reborn'. To close that part of her life, her replacement in the underworld is her husband, who has failed her. She willingly knows this, but may even be giving him a chance when she ascends, but he has proved her right. Erishkigal is an unwitting pawn who kills her out of fear or rules of the underworld, which furthers Inanna's own plan. Enki, her mentor, confirms her faith in him by saving her, while Nanna and Enlil show that they cannot support her fully. She has proven the devotion of her other followers. As a bonus, or she may have been aware, she now has powers over the dead herself, and uses that to condemn her husband.

The moral of the story could well be - the king should not get lost too much in the affairs of state and forget his spiritual duties to the goddess of his city. To do so he could well be condeming himslef.