Inanna – Prominent And Highly Honored Mesopotamian Goddess

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - The goddess of the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk is known as Inanna. She is frequently mentioned in academic literature.

During the early Akkadian reign in Mesopotamia (c.2334-2154 BC), Inanna was associated with Ishtar.

Goddess Inanna - Credit: Adobe Stock - roomyana

In the 2nd millennium BC, her cult spread widely among the Hurrians, Mitanni, and Phoenicians (Phoenician Astarte). Finally, in Greek mythology, the same goddess is Aphrodite.

This article uses her name, Inanna, as she was known among the Mesopotamians. Inanna was initially worshiped as a vegetation deity and later as the goddess of love, sex, erotic attraction, and patronized marital sexuality. She symbolized fertility, war, weather, and crops, but she also had many other aspects. She was highly honored, especially in Uruk's Eanna temple complex (meaning the "House of Heaven").

According to the myths of Enmerkar, Inanna was originally the goddess of Aratta, but later, Uruk, a rival of Aratta, began to enjoy her favor.

However, her cult was not so significant before the conquest of the Sargon of Akkad. During the post-Sargent era, Inanna became one of the Sumerian pantheon's most widely recognized and honored deities. People built a large number of temples dedicated to her across Mesopotamia. Thus, her cult continued to flourish until its gradual decline began between the first and sixth centuries AD, related to the emergence of Christianity. And yet, Inanna's cult was strong enough to survive in Upper Mesopotamia among Assyrians as late as the eighteenth century.

As mentioned, this Sumerian goddess had many different aspects and fulfilled a double role. On the one hand, she was the goddess of procreation; on the other, she was worshipped as a warrior goddess, an extremely war-like personality often called the "lady of armies."

Unlike other deities, Inanna personified the planet Venus, setting in the West and then rising again in the East. She could descend into the netherworld and then return to the heavens. We remember that the Egyptian god Ra could also make similar journeys, crossing the sunny sky by day in his solar barque and traveling through the underworld by night.

Inanna receiving offerings on the Uruk Vase, circa 3200-3000 BC. Credit: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - CC BY-SA 4.0

The goddess's iconic statue shows her holding a ring, the so-called Inanna's knot, a sacred symbol exclusively connected with this goddess. The knot was a hook-shaped and twisted knot of reeds that symbolized the doorpost of the storehouse, a common sign of fertility and abundance. Other Inanna's symbols included the lion and the eight-pointed star, which became Ishtar's primary symbol, and the rosette. 

We must refer to her different aspects to understand how important the goddess Inanna was. Inanna was the queen of the seven temples of Sumer and the queen of animals. She was depicted sitting on a sizeable earthly lion or moved on divine bulls. Among other symbols associated with her was the owl and sometimes the moon, as she was sometimes considered the daughter of Nanna, the Moon-god, and Ningal, daughter of Ningikuga, the goddess of reeds, and Enki, the god of magic, crafts, and wisdom.

Inanna Possessed Special Forces – Me

She possessed me, the special forces which earlier belonged to the god Enki. The gods gave these powers to other gods or kings-priests, who were the representatives of the gods on earth and safeguarded the continuation of civilization.

Legend says that Inanna got Enki drunk with beer and forced him to give her me. He gave her many unique gifts and strength, so she became the queen of heaven and earth. 'Me' were special forces for her because they allowed her to enter the underworld and return from there.

Aware of her extraordinary abilities, the goddess decided to extend her power and descend to the Land of the Dead. She knew that the ruler of this realm was Ereshkigal, and she hated her. She abandoned her temples in the cities and began to prepare for the journey.

Goddess Ishtar (Inanna) on an Akkadian Empire seal, 2350–2150 BC. She is equipped with weapons on her back, has a horned helmet, and is trampling a lion held on a leash. Image credit: Sailko - CC BY 3.0

She feared that even she who was bound by divine laws might be put to death and imprisoned in the world of the dead. So, she instructed her servant that if she did not return in three days, he would go for help. Inanna went underground, was deprived of divine rights, killed, and imprisoned in the world of Kur (Irkalla), the Ancient Mesopotamian underworld,

Enki came to help Inanna. Using the water of life and the food of life, she revived the goddess and was allowed to leave the kingdom of the dead on the condition that she designated her successor. It turned out to be her lover, the god Dumuzi, kidnapped and imprisoned in the underworld.

Inanna was creative, clever, and cunning-she outwitted Enki, the god of wisdom and the goddess Ereshkigal. In Sumerian literature, the goddess was depicted as a young, attractive, noble personality. She could be a happy lover, a bride, and an unhappy widow. Amazingly, she could play almost all the female roles except for two.

She was never a mature person and had no sense of responsibility.

It was a long time ago when Inanna existed, representing an uncivilized woman. She was something special. She evoked desire and, at the same time, fear in men. It happens in modern times, too.

Inanna tried to achieve her goals by arousing men's desire, and she knew how to do it.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on Sep 26, 2023

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