⭐ Inanna (Ishtar)

Attributes & Domains

Mythology & Stories

Inanna's myths are among the most powerful and psychologically complex in ancient literature. She is never passive—she acts, demands, conquers, and transforms. Her stories explore desire, power, mortality, and rebirth.

Key Myths:

• The Theft of the Me (Divine Powers): Inanna visited Enki, god of wisdom, in his underwater realm. Enki, charmed by her beauty and plied with beer, gifted her the Me—over 100 divine powers including kingship, warfare, sexual intercourse, art, music, and justice. When he sobered and sent his demons to retrieve them, Inanna had already brought the Me to her city Uruk. This myth explains how Uruk became the greatest city—Inanna stole civilization itself.
• The Descent to the Underworld: Inanna descended to Kur (underworld) to attend the funeral of Gugalanna (Bull of Heaven). She passed through seven gates, removing a garment and a divine power at each until she arrived naked and powerless. Her sister Ereshkigal, queen of the dead, killed Inanna and hung her corpse on a hook. After three days, Enki sent helpers who revived Inanna with the food and water of life. But the law of the underworld demands a substitute—Inanna chose her consort Dumuzi, who must spend half the year in Kur. This myth explains the cycle of seasons and the inevitability of death even for gods.
• Inanna and the Huluppu Tree: When Inanna found a sacred tree (huluppu) growing by the Euphrates, she planted it in her garden, hoping to make a throne from its wood. But a serpent nested in its roots, the Anzu bird made a nest in its branches, and the demon Lilith lived in its trunk. The hero Gilgamesh helped her by slaying the serpent and driving away the pests. From the tree, she made a throne and a bed, symbolizing her authority and sexuality. This myth shows Inanna claiming divine power through action and alliance.

Relationships

Family

• Parents: Nanna (moon god) and Ningal (moon goddess); in some traditions daughter of An
• Consort(s): Dumuzi (shepherd god, her primary lover), various mortal kings in sacred marriage rites
• Children: None (goddess of sexuality but not motherhood)
• Siblings: Utu (sun god, her twin brother and protector), Ereshkigal (underworld queen, her dark sister)

Allies & Enemies

• Allies: Ninshubur (her faithful vizier and rescuer), Gilgamesh (hero and king of Uruk), Utu (protective twin brother)
• Rivals: Ereshkigal (sister who killed her), Mount Ebih (mountain that refused to bow, which Inanna destroyed)

📜 Primary Sources - Cuneiform Texts

Inanna appears extensively in ancient Sumerian cuneiform texts. Search the ORACC corpus to explore original texts mentioning Inanna in transliteration and translation.

Also known as: Inana (alternate spelling).
Major texts include: "Inanna and Enki," "The Descent of Inanna," "Inanna and the Huluppu Tree," hymns to Inanna from Uruk

Worship & Rituals

Sacred Sites

Uruk was Inanna's primary cult center, where she shared the great temple E-anna ("House of Heaven") with An. Uruk was ancient Mesopotamia's largest and most powerful city. Inanna was also worshipped at Zabalam, Akkad, and eventually throughout the ancient Near East as Ishtar (Akkadian/Babylonian), Astarte (Canaanite), and Aphrodite (Greek).

Festivals

• Sacred Marriage (Hieros Gamos): At the New Year festival, the king or high priest ritually married a priestess representing Inanna. This enacted the union of Inanna and Dumuzi, ensuring fertility for the land. The ritual involved processions, offerings, and sacred sexual union in the temple. This legitimized the king's rule and renewed cosmic order.
• Descent and Return: Annual mourning ritual commemorating Inanna's death in the underworld followed by celebration of her return. Dumuzi's descent was also mourned—women wept for the dying god. This explained seasonal changes and agricultural cycles.

Offerings

Precious jewelry and clothing, perfumes and oils, date wine and honey cakes, red dyed textiles, lions (sacrificed or depicted), flowers (especially roses), gold and lapis lazuli. Sacred prostitutes (hierodules) served in her temples, and sexual acts were considered worship. Musicians and dancers performed in her honor, as art and beauty glorified the goddess.

Prayers & Invocations

Lovers prayed to Inanna for passion and success in romance. Warriors invoked her for victory in battle—she was "she who strides across battlefields." Kings sought her blessing for legitimate authority. Women prayed for fertility and safe childbirth. Hymns praised her contradictory nature: "Lady of all powers, light-giving luminary, Inanna, righteous woman clothed in radiance, beloved of Heaven and Earth."