The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature

(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)

Narrator:

From the Great Above she opened her ear to the Great Below

From the Great Above the Goddess opened her ear to the Great Below

 (Inanna speaks to Dumuzi in the Under World / “Great Below“)

From the Great Above Inanna opened her ear to the Great Below

She abandoned her seven holy temples to descend to the underworld

She gathered together the seven Holy Measures

She took them into her hands

With the Holy Measures in her possession

She prepared herself

She placed the crown on her head

She arranged the dark locks of (brown) hair across her forehead

She tied beads around her neck

(Inanna‘s bead jewelry falls to her bare breasts)

Let the double strand of beads fall to her breast

And wrapped the royal robe round her body

She daubed her eyes with ointment called ‘let him come, let him come!’

Bound the breastplate 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 spoke to her faithful servant Ninshubur:

 (Inanna, Goddess of Love & War in her war dress, & wearing jewelry)

Inanna:

‘Ninshubur, my support and counselor,

My warrior who fights by my side.

I am descending to the underworld

If I do not return, set up a lament for me

  (Enlil, son Nannar, & 1/2 older brother Enki)

Go to see the Great Ones, Enlil, Nanna, and Enki

Do not let this holy priestess of heaven

  (young lover aliens Inanna & Dumuzi, daughter to Nannar, son to Enki)

Be put to death in the underworld

Go to see the Great Gods

For surely they will not let me die

Go now, Ninshubur.

Do not forget the words I have commanded you.’

 (Apkulla / eagle-winged pilots on the ends, Inanna, & Ninshubur kneeling)

Ninshubur:

‘Your wish is my command, my lady, I’ll do as I am told’.

 (Inanna with mixed-breed kings, Inanna naked & dressed)

Narrator:

When Inanna arrived at the outer gates of the underworld

She knocked loudly.

Inanna:

‘Open the door! I alone would enter!’

Narrator:

Neti, the chief gatekeeper (of the Under World) of the kur, asked:

‘Who are you? Why has your heart led you on the road of no return?’

       (Nergal, Inanna, Dumuzi, unidentified god, & giant mixed-breed high-priest & king)

Inanna:

‘I am Inanna, Queen of Heaven, on my way to the East’.

I came … because of my older sister Ereshkigal,

Her husband, Gugalanna (Nergal), the Bull of Heaven has died.

I have come to witness the funeral rites.

Let it be done’.

Narrator:

The chief gatekeeper of the underworld, entered the palace of Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, and said:

‘My queen, your sister, Inanna, Queen of Heaven, waits outside the palace gates.

She has gathered together the Seven Sacred Measures;

She waits out there.’

             (Ereshkigal, Queen goddess of the Under World)

Ereshkigal:

(She hears the message, makes a sign of annoyance, takes the matter into her heart and finally speaks):

‘So my sister is here!

Come, my chief gatekeeper, heed my words:

Bolt the seven gates of the underworld

Then, one by one, open each gate a crack

Let Inanna enter, let my sister in

But as she enters, remove her royal garments

Let the holy priestess of heaven enter bowed low.’

  (naked Inanna in her winged shem / command module, Namtar, Neti, & sister Ereshkigal in the Under World)

Narrator:

At each gate Inanna had to leave a garment

At each of the seven gates Inanna had to surrender a Sacred Measure

Only then, naked and bowed low

She could enter Eternity

She could face the Holy, Dark and Eternal Ereshkigal

Inanna (kneels in front of Ereshkigal):

             (Ereshkigal, Inanna, & Neti; Inanna captured, stripped naked, & killed by sister Ereshkigal)

Ereshkigal strikes Inanna dead:

‘I’ll turn you into a corpse, a piece of rotting meat, stay there, hanging on a hook on the wall’.

Narrator:

After three days and three nights, Inanna had not returned, Ninshubur set up a lament for her everywhere

 (Ninshubur, Inanna‘s minister / servant, minor supportive goddess to Royal Family member Inanna; Ninshubur & Inanna)

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 (talking to Enki):

‘Father Enki,

  (Inanna, her 8-pointed star symbol of Venus, & many symbols of the gods)

God of Wisdom, help our Morning and Evening Star (Inanna / goddess of Venus)

Or the world will never be the same as it was’.

 (Enki, King Anu‘s eldest & wisest son, 1st to arrive on Earth Colony with his crew of 50)

Enki:

‘I’ll fashion a kurgarra and a galatur,

Creatures neither male nor female, saying to them:

  (deceased Inanna, & Ereshkigal moaning as if giving birth)

‘Go to the Underworld, where Ereshkigal, the Queen, is moaning as a woman about to give birth

Show her compassion, she will be pleased.

She will offer you a gift

Ask her only for the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall.

Sprinkle food of life on it, sprinkle water of life on it. Inanna will then arise.’

Narrator:

The kurgarra and the galatur did as they were told.

They found Ereshkigal moaning as in labor, and gave compassion to the Queen of the Underworld.

 (Ereshkigal, Queen of the Under World / Nether World, spouse to Nergal)

Ereshkigal:

No one has ever shown compassion to me

Alone I live in the depths of the Earth

As you cared about my pain I grant your wish

Take Inanna‘s body! It is yours: take it!’

Narrator:

Inanna‘s body was given to the kurgarra and the galatur,

Who sprinkled it with food and water of life Inanna came back to life…

But she had been to the Underworld

She was transformed, she was reborn

So changed, Inanna could not ascend

 (Ereshkigal, Inanna, & father Nannar)

Ereshkigal:

Inanna, no one ascends from the underworld unmarked

If you wish to return from the Underworld

You must provide someone in your place.

Narrator:

As Inanna ascended from the underworld

The galla, demons clung to her

One walking in front, the other walking behind

Ever watchful for a replacement for the Goddess in sight.

Many were those who mourned for the Goddess,

Many were those who grieved for Inanna.

Many rejoiced as they saw her back.

Only in Uruk nothing seemed to have changed

  (Anu‘s & Inanna‘s home / temple / residence in Uruk)

Only in Uruk someone didn’t seem to notice or care

About Inanna‘s absence and strange come back.

Only Dumuzi, who shared with her the Sacred Marriage bed,

Didn’t grieve, didn’t mourn or for the Goddess showed despair.

  (Dumuzi the Shepherd, son to Enki & Ninsun)

In shining garments, on the throne of sovereignty he sat, Dumuzi the Shepherd and King.

Bright as the sun, showing no signs of grief or concern.

Inanna fastened on him the eye of death

And spoke the word of wrath and pain:

 (Dumuzi in Under World, alien gods that live forever, were indeed mortal)

Inanna:

‘Take the one who didn’t grieve for me, take him, take Dumuzi away!’

Narrator:

The galla didn’t wait or hesitate, and took Dumuzi from the Goddess’ sight away.