(Texts: All Artifacts, Color Coding, & Writings in Bold Type With Italics Inside Parenthesis, are Added by Editor R. Brown, not the Authors, Translators, or Publishers!)
(gods in blue …mixed-breed demigods in teal…)
Cara / Shara Quotes From Texts
Cara / Shara = Inanna’s son with King Shu-Sin
Shara … “Your own mother, holy Inana (Inanna), …”
“To divine Shara, heavenly hero, the beloved son of Inanna:
his father Shu-Sin, the powerful king, king of Ur, king of the four regions,
has built for him the temple Shagipada (Shara’s temple / residence), his beloved shrine;
may the king have life …”
“Inanna (i.e. the evening star) (Venus), the daughter of Suen (Sin / Nannar),
arose before him like a bull in the Land.
Her brilliance, like that of holy Cara (Shara, Inanna’s son), …”
“Lugalbanda, he of beloved seed, stretched his hand out (and said)
‘Like divine Shara am I, the beloved (long-lived giant mixed-breed) son of Inanna‘ …”
“Cara sat down on (1 ms. has instead: got onto) Enlil’s knees,
and Enlil gave him what he had desired (al-dug):
he had mentioned the mace, the club, arrows and quiver, and the hoe …”
“Like Cara, Inanna’s beloved son,
shoot forth with your barbed arrows like a sunbeam,
shoot forth with reed-arrows like moonlight! …” (the Roman god Cupid)
“By the immutable word of Enlil, king of the lands, father of the gods,
Ningirsu (Ninurta) and Shara set a boundary to their lands.
Mesilim, King of Kish (Ninhursag’s city), at the command of his deity Kadi (unidentified),
set up a stele [a boundary marker] in the plantation of that field.
It was the ninth year of Shu-Sin’s (Inanna’s giant mixed-breed spouse-king) reign.
It was also his last …”
“They called Shara, Ishtar´s (Inanna) son,
He (Anu) proposed a solution, spoke to him,
‘Powerful Shara, ferocious Shara, your attack cannot be deflected!
Strike Anzu with [ ……..] your weapon!
Your name shall be great in the great gods´assembly,
You shall have no rival among the gods your brothers’, …”
“Shara answered the speech, addressed his words to Anu his father,
‘Father, who could rush off to the inaccessible mountain?
Which of the gods your sons will be Anzu´s conqueror?’…”
“At the Sig-kur-caga in Umma,
Cara (Shara, Inanna’s son), in his own city, threw himself at her feet.
He had sat in the dust and dressed himself in a filthy garment.
The demons said to holy Inanna:
‘Inana, proceed to your city, we will take him back.’
Holy Inanna answered the demons:
‘Cara is my singer, my manicurist and my hairdresser.
How could I turn him over to you?
Let us go on’ …”
Ninsubur / Ninshubur / Nincubur Quotes From Texts
Ninsubur / Ninshubur / Nincubur = Inanna’s companion
messenger goddess of Inanna
As Ninsubur:
“the true minister of E-ana (Anu’s temple in Uruk)
who holds a holy scepter in her hand,
the true minister of E-ana, has erected a house in your precinct,
O E-akkil (House of lamentation), and taken her seat upon your dais.
8 lines: the house of Ninšubur in Akkil …”
“May Ninšubur, …… whom Nanna (Nannar / Sin) declared (?),
…… good fortune on your head, and declare life for you …”
As Ninshubur:
“Inanna had not returned.
Ninshubur set up a lament for her everywhere
Ninshubur, the faithful servant, dressed as a beggar in mourning
Set out for the temple of the Great Gods
To seek out help for Inanna.
Ninshubur:
‘Father Enki, God of Wisdom,
help our Morning and Evening Star (Inanna’s 8-pointed star symbol of Venus)
Or the world will never be the same as it was’ …”
(Inanna speaking:)
“’Ninshubur, once you were Queen of the East,
Now you are the faithful servant of the holy shrine of Uruk
My counselor, who gives me sound advice,
My warrior who fights by my side,
Save the Boat of Heaven (Sky Chariot) with the sacred measures!…’
Ninshubur:
‘My Lady, I stand here to serve you!
Together we will protect the Measures
Together we will take them to Uruk
(She traces a sigil in the air and utters an earth-shattering cry)
Look, my Lady! The wild haired monsters are sent hurling back to Eridu!’ …”
“Inanna spoke to her faithful servant Ninshubur:
‘Ninshubur, my support and counselor,’ …”
As Nincubur:
“Holy Inanna addressed her minister Nincubur:
‘Come, my good minister of E- ana!
My fair-spoken minister!
My envoy of reliable words!
Water has never touched your hand, water has never touched your feet!’ …”
“Inanna traveled towards the underworld.
Her minister Nincubur traveled behind her.
Holy Inanna said to Nincubur:
‘Come my faithful minister of E-ana (Inanna’s temple – residence in Uruk),’ …”
“‘I, like my mother, I, Kaka, will ride high in joy like my mother!
I, Nincubur I, Kaka, will ride high in joy like my mother ….”
Nanaya Quotes From Texts
Nanaya = Nabu’s spouse, Inanna’s protige’, fertility goddess
“He (Shalmaneser) entered also into Ê-Zida …
he prostrated himself before the temple of his immutable oracle,
and in the presence of Nebo (Nabu) and Nana (Nanaya) the gods his lords
he directed reverently his path.
Strong oxen (and) fat sheep he gave in abundance…”
“he brought the statue of Nanaya, the goddess of the Ezida
(Nabu’s temple / residence in Borsippa), the beloved of Nabû,..”
“Nanaya, ornament of E-ana (Uruk’s temple), worthy of the Lady!
Wise one, correctly chosen as lady of all the lands by the Mistress:
Nanaya, you instruct the Land, bestowing wisdom in E-ana…
As fine as An (Anu), woman with a holy (?) head, made perfect by the …… lady!
Nanaya, properly educated by holy Inana (Inanna / Ishtar),
woman who is as bright as the stars, wise lady who is available for everything,
righteous sympathetic woman, lady who is always available on request,
counseled by holy Inana, beloved by the Mistress!
Nanaya, great judge, deity who occupies the high throne of Unug (Uruk)!…”
“Nanaya, the goddess has created your holy powers …… for you.
You have …… turned the favorable eye of life onto the bedchamber,
and Icbi-Erra is the youth chosen (Inanna’s mixed-breed spouse-king) for his beauty…”
“Nanaya (Nabu’s spouse), …… the mother of all,
…… she who exists for luxury, …… a great destiny …….
……, the queen, ……, restoring the destroyed E-me-urur
and building the …… which were abandoned,
has created the …… which had not been built up since ancient days.
……, you fix the rules……., excelling in the Land,
you pray justly …… in its fine …….
Standing steadfastly in prayer ……, you determine food offerings.
And you, ……, lady, great goddess who goes by one’s side,
have determined a great destiny until distant times for him
who has set up permanent statues in E-ana and E-me-urur,
…… for the man whose destiny will not be spoiled,
1 line unclear
The lady, the nurse Nanaya,
who stands there like a great wall at the door of E-ana,
has decreed throughout heaven and earth that ……
and should spend long days in heartfelt joy;
and she has fixed life, progeny and luxury as your lot….
The lady, the nurse Nanaya, who stands there
like a great wall at the door of E-ana,
has decreed throughout heaven and earth that ……
and should spend long days in heartfelt joy;
and she has fixed life, progeny and luxury as your lot…”
“Nanaya (Nabu’s spouse), …… the mother of all,
…… she who exists for luxury,
…… a great destiny …….
……, the queen, ……, ,,,”
Enheduana Quotes From Texts
Enheduana = Nannar’s high-priestess, Inanna’s scribe
Sargon’s daughter, & perhaps Inanna’s daughter?
history’s earliest author (of many texts)
“I am En-ḫedu-ana, the high priestess of the moon god.
……; I am the (high-priestess) …… of Nanna (Nannar).…”
“The high priestess of the moon god ……. En-ḫedu-ana …….
My king …….
…… the great divine powers …….
…… holy songs, light ……
1 line fragmentary
En-ḫedu-ana ……
To bring offerings in baskets, to cause rejoicing,
to make the house comfortable, to establish the house,
to put in order the place of the holy purification rites —
may Ningal (Nannar’s spouse), my En-ḫedu-ana, restore your …….
…… Nanna (Nannar, patron god of Ur), I shall praise you …”