14 15

ENHEDUANNATHE FIRST KNOWN AUTHOR

16 17

Tablet O, cop�ed by E. Bergmann S.J. The obverse of the tablet con-ta�ns l�nes 267 to 285: all of Th 22, as well as fragments of Th 21 and Th 23; the reverse conta�ns l�nes 527-545. �nclud�ng all of the hymn to N�saba plus the unusual (and controvers�al) l�nes �n wh�ch Enheduanna cla�ms authorsh�p. A number of scholars th�nk there �s no way to be sure she actually wrote the hymns. Others, equally certa�n, �ns�st she d�d.

Commentary and translationby Betty De Shong Meador

These seven hymns are among the forty-two “ Sumer�an Temple hymns” attr�buted to the h�gh pr�estess Enheduanna, 2300 B.

C.E. Wh�le some l�terary texts have been found �n what was anc�ent Mesopotam�a, dat�ng from 2600 B.C.E., the texts of Enheduanna are the f�rst by a known author. There �s strong ev�dence that the Sumer�ans �nvented and developed the f�rst wr�tten scr�pt �n the f�nal th�rd of the fourth m�llenn�um B.C.E. The terr�tory of Sumer encom-passed the southern half of present-day Iraq. Enheduanna was the daughter of the f�rst k�ng to bu�ld an emp�re, Sargon. he appo�nted h�s br�ll�ant daughter, Enheduanna, to the pos�t�on of h�gh pr�estess at the temple of the moon god, Nanna, �n the anc�ent c�ty of Ur. There she pres�ded for forty years over the prest�g�ous temple �n Ur. hold�ng the most �mportant rel�g�ous off�ce �n the land, she spread her theolog�cal �deas throughout the country, wr�t�ng hymns to each of forty-two major temples. Each hymn �s wr�tten to the temple �tself, as though �t were a l�v�ng be�ng w�th power and �nfluence over �ts d�v�ne occupant, �n most hymns the patron de�ty of the c�ty. Enheduana addresses the temple �n the second person: “O house you w�ld cow,” she says �n Temple hymn 22. The temple seems to l�sten as she descr�bes �ts res�dent: “your lady a water b�rd - sacred woman of the �nner cham-ber,” she says �n Th 40 as she descr�bes Inanna to the temple �n the �nt�mate conversat�on that character�zes each hymn. The express�on ‘w�ld cow’ as a descr�pt�on of the goddesses comes up over and over aga�n. Inanna �s the pr�nc�ple ‘w�ld cow’. The �mage conveys the unpred�ctab�l�ty wh�ch the goddesses all em-body �n one way or another. W�th Nanshe, the hymn descr�bes her paradox�cal character. She �s carefree play�ng �n the waves, but also a great storm / strong dark water. The Sumer�ans had great respect

EnheduannaSeven Sumerian Temple Hymns

18 19

for the wh�ms of nature on whom they so depended. The w�ld cow �s unexpected �n a doc�le herd, but there she �s! Each hymn ends w�th an �dent�cal two-l�ne colophon, except for the f�nal hymn 42. There, �nstead of end�ng w�th a colophon, Enheduanna s�gns her name, say�ng she herself gave b�rth to th�s compos�t�on, someth�ng never before created.

Note: Betty Meador worked w�th a spec�al�st �n the Su-mer�an language at the Un�vers�ty of Cal�forn�a, Berkeley, John Carnahan, to create a word-for-word l�teral translat�on of each hymn based on var�ants from numerous tablets, from wh�ch she rendered the f�nal poet�c vers�on.

h�gh-ly�ng Kesh �n all heaven and earth you are the form-shap�ng place spread�ng fear l�ke a great po�sonous snake O Lady of the Mounta�ns N�nhursag’s house bu�lt on a terr�fy�ng s�te O Kesh l�ke holy Aratta �ns�de �s a womb dark and deep your outs�de towers over all �mpos�ng one great l�on of the w�ldlands stalk�ng the h�gh pla�ns great mounta�n �ncantat�ons f�xed you �n place �ns�de the l�ght �s d�m even moonl�ght (Nanna’s l�ght) does not enter only N�ntur Lady B�rth makes �t beaut�ful O house of Kesh the br�ck of b�rthg�v�ng your temple tower adorned w�th a lap�s lazul� crown your pr�ncess Pr�ncess of S�lence unfa�l�ng great Lady of heaven when she speaks heaven shakes open-mouthed she roars Aruru s�ster of Enl�l O house of Kesh has bu�lt th�s house on your rad�ant s�te and placed her seat upon your da�s 13 l�nes for the temple of N�nhursag of Kesh

Temple Hymn 7 The Kesh Temple Of Ninhursag1 The Lofty

20 21

anc�ent place set deep �n the mounta�n artfully

dark shr�ne fr�ghten�ng and red place

safely placed �n a f�eld no one can fathom your m�ghty ha�r-ra�s�ng path

G�shbanda

the neck-stock the f�ne-eyed net the foot-shackl�ng netherworld knot your restored h�gh wall �s mass�ve l�ke a trap

your �ns�de the place where the sun r�ses

y�elds w�despread abundance your pr�nce the pure-handed

sh�ta pr�est of Inanna heaven’s holy one Lord N�ng�shz�da

h�s th�ck and beaut�ful ha�r falls down h�s back

O G�shbanda

has bu�lt th�s house on your rad�ant s�te and placed h�s seat upon your da�s

10 l�nes for the temple of N�ng�shz�da �n G�shbanda  

Temple Hymn 15 The Gishbanda Temple Of Ningishzida2

O house jeweled lap�s herbs fleck the sh�n�ng bed

heart-sooth�ng place of the Lady of the Steppe Emush br�ckwork gl�sten�ng and pure

�ts burn�shed clay placed f�rmly (on the earth) your sky-r�s�ng wall sprawls over the h�gh pla�n

for the one who tends the ewes and over the Aral� house for the shepherd

your pr�nce rad�ant one of the holy Woman

a l�on pac�ng the steppe back and forth the wonder-caus�ng pure breasted one the Lord spouse of pure Inanna

Dumuz� master of the Emush

O Badt�b�ra (fortress of the coppersm�th) has bu�lt th�s house on your rad�ant s�te and placed h�s seat upon your da�s

10 l�nes for the house of Dumuz� �n Badt�b�ra 

Temple Hymn 17 The Badtibira Temple Of Dumuzi3 Emush

22 23

Temple Hymn 20The Lagash Temple Of Ningirsu4 Eninnu 

warr�or the lord of lords who plots schemesk�ng of k�ngs who mounts v�ctor�esm�ghty one great hero �n battle has no r�val son of Enl�l lord N�ng�rsuO En�nnuhas bu�lt th�s house on your rad�ant s�teand establ�shed h�s seat upon your throne

22 l�nes for the N�ng�rsu house �n Lagash

En�nnu r�ght arm of th�ck-necked Lagash �n Sumerw�th heavy-cloud b�rd Anzu’s eyes that scan �nsurgent mounta�ns N�ng�rsu’s crowd-flattener blade a menace to all lands battle arm blast�ng storm drench�ng everyone battle arm all the great gods the Annuna grant aga�n and aga�n so from your sk�n of br�cks on the r�m of the holy h�ll green as mounta�ns you determ�ne fates a holy wh�rlpool sp�ns �n your r�verblow�ng wh�rlw�nds spawn from your glance at the gate fac�ng the holy C�tythey pour w�ne �nto f�ne stone vessels of An out under the sky what comes �n cannot be equaledwhat goes out never ceases at the f�ery face of the Shugalam gate �ts rad�ant br�ll�ance the fate-cutt�ng s�teLord N�ng�rsu bes�eges w�th ha�r-ra�s�ng fear all the Annuna appear at your great w�ne fest�val your pr�nce fur�ous storm-w�nddestroyer of rebel c�t�es your k�ng angry bull flaunt�ng h�s brawn savage l�on that makes heads shake

24 25

Temple Hymn 22 The Sirara Temple Of Nanshe5

Temple Hymn 26 The Zabalam Temple Of Inanna6

O house you w�ld cow there to conjure s�gns from d�v�nat�on

you ar�se splend�d to behold

bedecked for your pr�ncess S�rara great and pr�ncely place

you dream-opener h�ghly pr�zed �n the shr�ne

your lady Nanshe

a great storm

strong dark water born on the shore of the sea

laugh�ng �n the sea foam

play�ng play�ng �n the waves d�v�ne Nanshe m�ghty Lady

O house of S�rara has bu�lt th�s house on your rad�ant s�te and placed her seat upon your da�s 10 l�nes for the temple of Nanshe �n S�rara

O house wrapped �n beams of l�ght wear�ng sh�n�ng stone jewels waken�ng great awe

sanctuary of pure Inanna

(where) d�v�ne powers the true me spread w�de

Zabalam shr�ne of the sh�n�ng mounta�n shr�ne that welcomes the morn�ng l�ght she makes resound w�th des�re

the holy Woman grounds your hallowed chamber

w�th des�re your queen Inanna of the sheepfold that s�ngular woman the un�que one

who speaks hateful words to the w�cked

who moves among the br�ght sh�n�ng th�ngs who goes aga�nst rebel lands

and at tw�l�ght makes the f�rmament beaut�ful

all on her own

great daughter of Suen pure Inanna

O house of Zabalam

has bu�lt th�s house on your rad�ant s�te and placed her seat upon your da�s 12 l�nes for Inanna �n Zabalam

26 27

th�s sh�n�ng house of stars br�ght w�th lap�s stones has opened �tself to all lands

a whole m�x of people �n the shr�ne every month

l�ft heads for you Eresh all the pr�meval lords

soapwort the very young saba on your platform

great Nan�bgal N�saba Lady of Saba brought powers down from heaven added her measure to your powers enlarged the shr�ne set �t up for pra�s�ng

fa�thful woman exceed�ng �n w�sdom

opens [her] mouth [to rec�te] over cooled l�ned tablets always consults lap�s tablets [and] g�ves strong counc�l to all lands

true woman of the pure soapwort

born of the sharpened reed who measures the heavens by cub�ts

str�kes the co�led measur�ng rod on the earth pra�se be to N�saba the person who bound th�s tablet together�s Enheduannamy k�ng someth�ng never before createdd�d not th�s one g�ve b�rth to �t

14 l�nes for the house of N�saba �n Eresh

Temple Hymn 42The Eresh Temple of Nisaba7 Ezagin

14 l�nes for the house of N�saba �n Eresh  

TH 42, Transliteration from the Sumerian

28 29

1. N�nhursag was the great goddess of nature, w�ld and tame. W�ld an�mals were her ch�ldren. She watched over human b�rth �n all �ts aspects, as germ-loosener, blood-stauncher, mother-spread�ng-the-knees, and mother-who-has-g�ven-b�rth. By the m�d-th�rd m�llenn�-um B.C.E., she was among the tr�o of the great de�t�es, along w�th An of heaven, and Enl�l of the w�nd. She attended to form-shap�ng, both �n the womb and �n the dark �nter�or of her temple. The Sume-r�an word for womb, arhush, also means compass�on. She was pa-tron de�ty of the �mportant c�ty of Kesh �n the m�d-port�on of the fert�le alluv�um of Sumer.

2. N�ng�shz�da, a fr�ghtful de�ty of the Netherworld, held the �mpor-tant pos�t�on there of cha�r-bearer, who carr�ed notable persons ar-r�v�ng �n that unsavory place. The hymn �mpl�es that the Nether-world came �nto be�ng at creat�on, call�ng �t k�-ul, pr�meval place, set deep �n the mounta�ns, the mounta�ns east of Sumer that were, when the earth was flat, bel�eved to be the place the dead would re-s�de. Later, the underworld lay under the abzu, the sweet water ocean beneath the earth.

3. Dumuz�, the ep�tome of the young dy�ng gods, was spouse of the �n�m�table Inanna, Enheduanna’s personal de�ty. Th�s hymn focuses on Inanna, the “holy Woman,” whose heart w�ll be soothed on Du-muz�’s “sh�n�ng bed.” Inanna ban�shed Dumuz� to the underworld as ransom for her freedom, when she d�scovered h�m bask�ng �n her royal robe on her royal throne, not mourn�ng her loss at all.

4. The hymn descr�bes N�ng�rsu as a feroc�ous warr�or. In other con-texts he was the gentle god of the plough. here he enterta�ns the great gods �n a ‘great w�ne fest�val.’ War and ref�nement, savage destruct�on and d�v�ne revelry cohab�t under h�s roof. h�s temple dom�nated the terr�tory of Lagash, as one anc�ent �nscr�pt�ons says, “The En�nnu, �ts dread covered all the lands l�ke a garment.”

5. Nanshe �s goddess of the sea, notable for spann�ng the unreach-able d�stance between the consc�ous c�v�l�zed soc�ety and the darkand demon�c waters of the unknown sea. She �s the dream �nter-

Notes preter of the gods and adept at d�v�nat�on. The poet Enheduanna �n her role as h�gh pr�estess, l�ke Nanshe, �nterpreted dreams. Nanshe also cared for the soc�ally d�sadvantaged, exert�ng her concerns for soc�al just�ce and order.

6. Three of the 42 Temple hymns feature Inanna, Enheduanna’s personal de�ty, each h�ghl�ght�ng one of her sal�ent character�st�cs: the sensual, as-tral, or warr�or goddess. Inanna, some say, was the most �mportant de�ty �n the anc�ent world, her temple at Uruk dat�ng from the f�fth m�llenn�um B.C.E. unt�l the Common Era. All of Sumer’s �n�t�al de�t�es were astral be-�ngs; the f�rst three were cosm�c l�ghts, the moon, the sun, and the rad�ant morn�ng and even�ng star – Inanna. her jeweled mounta�n temple at Za-balam houses the ax�s mund�, the open�ng through wh�ch the celest�al ro-tat�on emerges. Inanna opens the gate each morn�ng at th�s nodal po�nt of the cosmos. She �s the ep�tome of des�re, the energ�z�ng force that an�-mates creat�on and fuels the heavenly process�on. Suen/Nanna �s her fa-ther the moon. The me (a Sumer�an word) were the many aspects of the known world, both the natural world and that of c�v�l�zat�on. Each de�ty was g�ven do-m�n�on over a port�on of the me. In th�s hymn, Innana’s sanctuary guards her port�on, her dom�n�on.

7. N�saba �s the venerable goddess of wr�t�ng who watched over the Sume-r�ans’ remarkable ach�evements �n the arts, sc�ences, and l�terature. Evolv-�ng from record-keep�ng tabulat�ons, stamped or drawn �nto damp clay, true wr�t�ng began to emerge �n the late fourth m�llenn�um B.C.E. The f�rst l�terary tablets d�scovered are from 2600 B.C.E. A new profess�on, the scr�bes, emerged. They worsh�ped N�saba as the�r protector, gu�de, and �nsp�rat�on. her realm encompassed all scholarly pursu�ts – from the cre-at�ve and �ntellectual ach�evements of l�terature and sc�ence to the pract�-cal record�ng of the elements of c�v�l l�fe. As purveyor of creat�ve thought, she came to be known as the goddess of w�sdom. The ‘saba’ port�on of her name, the sacred soapwort plant, �s wr�tten �n Emesal, a d�alect of the Sumer�an language used to record the speech of women, and �n th�s case, the names of goddesses. Th�s f�nal Temple hymn om�ts the usual colo-phon and adds Enheduanna’s personal s�gnature.