Inanna and Enki
Inanna and Enki is a Sumerian myth from the 3rd millennium BC. Chr. And tells the story of the change of the wisdom tablets ME from the old capital Eridu to the new holy center Uruk .
The trip to Eridu
After Inanna was coronated in the temple of Uruk , she went to her sacred garden and leaned against an apple tree. Inanna looked at herself critically; her main focus was on her lap. After a while Inanna cheered herself:
“I am the queen of all stars. The wisdom of life comes from my womb which is wonderful. I will go to Eridu to the deep fresh water and the temple of the god of wisdom. I want to put wisdom to the test. "
Enki , the god of wisdom, saw Inanna in the distance and had a lavish reception staged by his helpers. Inanna had devised a ruse; She wanted to bring the ME wisdom tablets to Uruk. That is why she drank large quantities of beer with Enki until Enki, fully drunk, fulfilled every wish of the charming Inanna:
“In the name of the temple, the beautiful goddess Inanna should rule Sumer as goddess , she should be high priestess, just as she will receive the crown and throne of the entire country. I will give her the knowledge of the truth; in addition the art of love and the holy wedding, which will be celebrated by the descent into the underworld and the subsequent return. Inanna is supposed to retain the power of fate, the stars rule, and she is supposed to give people joy and sorrow. The holy temples of the land of Sumer should belong to her. "Inanna toasted Enki a total of fourteen times and each time said only briefly" Nice, I gladly accept the gifts and promises. "At the end of the celebration, Enki gave his helpers the instruction that Handing over tablets of wisdom to ME Inanna.
The return journey to Uruk
Inanna took with her the tablets of wisdom that had been handed over to the ME , which had now been extended by fourteen tablets, the wishes fulfilled by Enki. When Enki awoke from his intoxication, he asked his helpers about the whereabouts of the wisdom tablets. The helpers explained to Enki that he himself had the tablets of wisdom handed over to Inanna. "And where is the boat of heaven, the moon?" Enki asked further. The helpers told him that these sacred objects now also belong to Inanna.
Enki let out a loud scream in rage and sent demons to Inanna to bring the items back to Eridu. He realized that Inanna had tricked him with her ruse. The helpers and the demons reached Inanna on her boat and made the demands of Enki. Inanna replied astonished:
“The word of the old God must be obeyed? He promised and gave me the wisdom tablets of the ME and the divine power with deceptive intent ? And now you should take the promised things from me again? ”Inanna called the Ninschubur , the divine Amazons of the eastern sky. Loud cries that shook the earth cut the air. The demons flew back to Eridu like a hurricane through the effects. So Inanna was able to continue the journey to Uruk.
Arrival in Uruk
Inanna drove through the Great Gate of Uruk on the water of the Euphrates , which still flowed over the streets and paths in Uruk. The people of Uruk greeted Inanna with joy. The king offered bulls and beer, women offered love, the children cheered, the men displayed axes as symbols of strength and the wise men of the city offered advice. Everyone called out Inanna's name. Inanna herself announced the contents of the tablets to the people. In awe all the people knelt before Inanna, who said to the people:
“The place where the boat of heaven moored is to be called the white quay from now on . And the place where the sacred tablets are proclaimed will from now on have Lapis Lazuli Kai as its name. "
Suddenly the people heard Enki's voice from far away:
“In the name of my power and in the name of my temple, I declare that the tablets of wisdom of the ME may remain in your city of Uruk from now on. Let the people of Uruk prosper and the children of Uruk enjoy themselves. The dispute is settled and the people of Uruk are united with Eridu in peace. "
Cultural-historical interpretation
symbolism
The goddess Inanna, embodied by the queen priest, symbolizes the power of heaven. Naked and newly created , Inanna leans against the apple tree and admires her lap as a symbol for the house of life . No god of wisdom is more powerful than life itself, which springs from its womb. History shows that Enki is therefore not up to her. The beer is the cult drink of the goddess Inanna. Therefore it is also much more drinkable than Enki, who underestimates the effect of the beer. Inanna's sensuality is added as a further stylistic means of seduction, so that Enki, as an older gentleman, is inferior to her seduction skills. Enki, after an initial defeat, later rose to become Inanna's protective relative.
Historical events
Indeed, the supremacy of the ancient Eridu sanctuary changed to Uruk. This was linked to Uruk, now also the realpolitical center of the Sumerian city-states in addition to the sacred center. Uruk's new position of power did not come about without a fight, as the reports of the Sumerian king list show. In the initial battles of the ancient cities of Uruk and Eridu, the importance of the wisdom tablets ME , which was considered a divine agreement for the sacred center of Sumer and was therefore contested as a repository , is also evident . At the end of the struggles that were being fought for supremacy, the rising Uruk gained the upper hand. Eridu, now only the seat of Enki, made a covenant with Uruk for strategic reasons.
References to the Bible
The image of the original paradise is symbolized in the garden of Inanna. There the world tree was planted, which was previously inhabited by the goddess Lilith. The dark power embodied by Lilith was also part of the world tree. Together with the apple tree, which symbolizes the tree of knowledge , Inanna becomes aware of her divine power. The motif of the seductive goddess of love, combined with dark forces, is particularly evident here . In the Bible, on the other hand, Eve is considered a disobedient seductress who, according to OT, appears out of nowhere and is no longer mentioned in the following. In terms of the name, Egyptian influences are also noticeable, as the name Hewa in Egyptian mythology was synonymous with The Seductress . Archaeological finds on the island of the gods Dilmun , which played a central role in Sumerian myths, were able to confirm the biblical motif, the tree of knowledge in which the snake is facing two people .
Notes and individual references
- ↑ Apparently humans were created between the construction of the throne and Inanna's bed. In the myth Inanna and the World Tree , the creation of men was in preparation.
- ↑ Helmut Uhlig: The Sumerians. 2002.
literature
- Diane Wolkstein, Samuel Noah Kramer : Inanna. Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer . Harper & Row, New York NY et al. 1983, ISBN 0-06-090854-8 , (Revised cuneiform texts by Samuel Noah Kramer).
- Heide Göttner-Abendroth : Inanna, Gilgamesch, Isis, Rhea - The great goddess myths of Sumer, Egypt and Greece . Ulrike Helmer Verlag, Königstein 2004, ISBN 3-89741-158-X .
- Helmut Uhlig The great goddess lives - a world religion of the feminine . Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1992, ISBN 3-7857-0651-0 .
- Helmut Uhlig The Sumerians . 3. Edition. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2002, ISBN 3-404-64117-5 .
- Getrude Farber-Flügge, The Myth 'Inanna and Enki' with special reference to the list of 'me'. Rome 1973.
- Jeremy Black, Anthony Green: Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. London 1992.
- Brigitte Groneberg: The gods of the Mesopotamia - cults, myths, epics. Stuttgart 2004.
- Samuel Noah Kramer: Sumerian Mythology. New York 1961, p. 64.