Inanna, Lady of Largest Heart

by Meador, Betty De Shong; Grahn, Judy

• ISBN13: 9780292752429
• ISBN10: 0292752423
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

The earliest known author of written literature was a woman named Enheduanna, who lived in ancient Mesopotamia around 2300 BCE. High Priestess to the moon god Nanna, Enheduanna came to venerate the goddess Inanna above all gods in the Sumerian pantheon. The hymns she wrote to Inanna constitute the earliest written portrayal of an ancient goddess. In their celebration of Enheduanna's relationship with Inanna, they also represent the first existing account of an individual's consciousness of her inner life.This book provides the complete texts of Enheduanna's hymns to Inanna, skillfully and beautifully rendered by Betty De Shong Meador, who also discusses how the poems reflect Enheduanna's own spiritual and psychological liberation from being an obedient daughter in the shadow of her ruler father. Meador frames the poems with background information on the religious and cultural systems of ancient Mesopotamia and the known facts of Enheduanna's life. With this information, she explores the role of Inanna as the archetypal feminine, the first goddess who encompasses both the celestial and the earthly and shows forth the full scope of women's potential.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Judy Grahn
Acknowledgments	xvii
Part I: The Cultural and Historical Context	1	(80)
Introduction: ``Through the Gate of Wonder''	3	(7)
``Great Lady Inanna''	10	(13)
``The Robes of the Old, Old Gods''	23	(13)
Unearthing Enheduanna	36	(7)
Enheduanna's Life Story	43	(6)
The High Priestess at Ur	49	(19)
The Poems and Hymns of Enheduanna	68	(13)
Part II: The Three Inanna Poems: Introduction	81	(112)
The First Poem: Inanna and Ebih	89	(25)
Introduction	89	(2)
Inanna and Ebih: Text of the Poem	91	(12)
``Terror Folds in Her Robes''	103	(2)
``I Will Not Go There With You''	105	(2)
``Fury Overturns Her Heart''	107	(2)
``Because You Puff Yourself Up''	109	(5)
The Second Poem: Lady of Largest Heart	114	(54)
Introduction	114	(3)
Lady of Largest Heart: Text of the Poem	117	(20)
``Eldest Daughter of the Moon''	137	(7)
``The Carved-Out Ground Plan of Heaven and Earth''	144	(3)
``Look at Your Tormenting Emotions''	147	(4)
Four Spiritual Paths	151	(1)
Warrior	151	(4)
Priestess	155	(3)
Lover	158	(4)
Androgyne	162	(6)
The Third Poem: The Exaltation of Inanna	168	(25)
Introduction	168	(3)
The Exaltation of Inanna: Text of the Poem	171	(10)
``He Robbed Me of the True Crown''	181	(5)
``Rekindle Your Holy Heart''	186	(3)
``Proclaim!''	189	(4)
Notes	193	(16)
Bibliography	209	(6)
Index	215