Enheduanna ~ Priestess, Poet, & Author

Inanna, child of the Moon God

A soft bud swelling

Her queens robe cloaks the slinger stem

Steps, yes, she steps her narrow foot

On the third back of a wild lapis lazuli bowl

And she goes out white-sparked, 

Radiant in the dark vault of the evening’s sky

Star-steps in the street

Through the Gate of Wonder

Those words are an excerpt from one of Enheduanna’s many poems about Inanna. Her love for her is seen in her writings of Inanna, Lady of the Largest Heart. 

To understand her importance, we will need to go back almost 2500 years ago to the city of Ur located in Sumer. 

Little is known about this amazing priestess, but as we keep an earth thing, the lost secrets of our beginnings, we are finding more and more out about this amazing person.

Enheduanna was the high priest of the Moon Temple dedicated to the Moon God Nanna (Sin) located in the city of Ur. She was also a devote priestess to Nanna’s daughter, Inanna. Her father, Sargon of Akkad placed her in this position to help join the northern Region of Akkad to the southern Sumerian cities. Sargon is said to have been the founder of the first empire as king of Akkad and overseer (mashkim) of Inanna, king of Kish, anointed (guda) of Anu, king of the land [Mesopotamia], governor (ensi) of Enlil". So she came from great power and great power was bestowed upon her. In that time, Mesopotamia was less patriarchal than elsewhere and she held status as a religious figure and priestess wielding great political power, helping to build a great Empire helping with money, acting as a mediator in court, and spiritual vessel. 

She was a very powerful woman who helped meld the rituals and beliefs of Akkadian Goddess Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Goddess Inanna. Enheduanna's responsibilities in the region of Sumer would have been to keep the populace in check through religion.

Enheduanna’s name means “Ornament of Heaven” translated from the first artifact that was found in 1927, and from Akkadian “High Priestess of Anu”. En (Chief priest/ess); hedu (ornament); Ana (of heaven).  She is even mentioned to have helped translate the Sumerian poem The Descent of Inanna as it ties in The Epic of Gilgamesh, thus tying Inanna and Ishtar together as the once again. The two were so closely related that is was known as The Descent of Ishtar until the 20th century when works praising Sumerian Goddess Inanna were found. 

Enheduanna’s poetry was rich and sweet, giving sexual imagery as a means of showing devotion and an expression of love. 

Her works are composed of 42 temple hymns and 3 poetry books which are known as Inninsagurra, Ninmesarra, and Inninmehusa, which translate as 'The Great-Hearted Mistress', The Exaltation of Inanna', and 'Goddess of the Fearsome Powers'.  All dedicated to the Goddess Inanna who is later identified with Ishtar, Sauska (Hittite), Greek Aphrodite, Phoenician Goddess Astarte, among others. 

Enheduanna shaped our world 2300 years ago and she is still shaping our world today. Her writings still pull the heart strings of us priestesses who love our goddesses. Her writings remind us of a time when spirituality was seen as important as drinking water every day.

I agree with Betty De Shong Meador, who says in her book Inanna, lady of the largest heart, “At the beginning of this new millennium, no sacred place exist, where we can learn from deep traditional law what it means to be a woman.” In our world we are thirst into the material world, unaware how monotheism has infiltrated our paradigm and every corner of our psychological lives. As women’s powers were stripped, and gods replaced the goddesses, people slowly castrated their own culture - making it non-reproductive. As more and more women are awakening to the goddess path who are reaching back to learn of those ancient traditions to the ancient lore of the devoted priestesses who serve the Divine feminine, it is not a surprise that Enheduanna makes her presence known in today’s world.

Of course she was no stranger to the patriarchal monotheistic invasion and was cast out of her quarters, she kept her voice and was true to her convictions. 

Thank you, Enheduanna! From one of her exaltations: 

Oh Maiden Inanna

Sweet is your praise!

One of the hymns to Inanna

“You are magnificent, your name is praised, you alone are magnificent!

My lady...I am yours! This will always be so! May your heart be soothed towards me!

Your divinity is resplendent in the Land! My body has experienced your great punishment.

Lament, bitterness, sleeplessness, distress, separation...mercy, compassion, care,

Lenience, and homage are yours, and to cause flooding, to open hard ground and to turn

Darkness into light. (lines 218, 244-253)”