Enheduanna (Sumerian Princess)
Enheduanna (Sumerian princess)
Enheduanna, a Sumerian princess and high priestess, is considered the earliest-known author in history. She was the daughter of King Sargon and the first known author to write in the first person. She survived being banished for 4 years and was restored to her rightful place as priestess of Nanna after her nephew Naram Sin was crowned king.
Born: 2286 BC, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
Died: 2251 BC Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
Parents: King Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum
Occupation: Priestess, Author, Princess
Sumerian Inventions: Writing, Fabrication of copper, The wheel, A counting system.
Enhedanna’s poem “Nin-me-sar-ra: Lament to the Spirit of the Earth” is believed to be the earliest recorded poem responding to war.
Translated by Daniela Gioseffi.
You hack everything down in battle….
God of War, with your fierce wings
you slice away the land and charge
disguised as a raging storm,
growl as a roaring hurricane,
yell like a tempest yells,
thunder, rage, roar, and drum,
expel evil winds!
Your feet are filled with anxiety!
On your lyre of moans
I hear your loud dirge scream.
Like a fiery monster, you fill the land with poison.
As thunder, you growl over the earth,
trees and bushes collapse before you.
You are blood rushing down a mountain,
Spirit of hate, greed, and anger,
dominator of heaven and earth!
Your fire wafts over our land,
riding on a beast,
with indomitable commands,
you decide all fate.
You triumph over all our rites.
Who can explain why you go on so?
Enheduanna worshipped the moon god Nanna-Suen and the goddess of love and war Inanna. “In-nin sa-gur-ra: A Hymn to Inanna” is based on available translations and reconstructions.
“Queen of all divine powers, radiant Inanna,
Queen of Heaven and Earth, resplendent Ishtar,
Mistress of all lands, great in powers,
In the great heavens, supreme in the netherworlds.
Mistress of the exalted divine powers,
In the great heavens, supreme in the netherworlds,
Mistress of the exalted divine powers,
Your greatness is most evident, oh Inanna!
In the heavens, you are the wide-encompassing canopy,
In the netherworlds, you are the broad earth,
In the broad earth, you are the broad earth,
In the broad earth, you are the broad earth.”
This passage is from a poem called “Nin-me-shara: Lament to the Destroyed City of Ur,” which is credited to Enheduanna. The poem was composed around 2000 BC, when Ur fell to the Elamites and the city’s third dynasty came to an end.
“The city laments, its tears flowing ceaselessly,
The great walls crumble, their strength diminished,
Where once stood mighty temples, now lie ruins,
The sacred precincts are desolate, the gods mourn.
Oh Ur, jewel of the land, now fallen and broken,
Your glory faded, your splendor lost to time,
The rivers weep, their waters unable to cleanse,
The winds wail, their whispers echoing loss.
Gone are the bustling streets, the sounds of life,
Silence reigns, broken only by sorrowful cries,
The city of kings, now a shadow of its former self,
Nin-me-shara weeps for the city of Ur, lost in the sands of time.”
Sumerian women were often involved in activities such as farming, pottery making, and textile making. Sumerian art often portrayed women in many roles, such as priestesses, musicians, and dancers. The “Epic of Gilgamesh,” one of the oldest known literary works, features characters like Shamhat, the temple prostitute, and Siduri, the wise alewife. Women in Sumerian temples were referred to as “sacred prostitutes” or “temple priestesses” and were involved in spiritual practices.
Enheduanna’s work is of great value and provides a glimpse into the captivating ancient world. We are extremely fortunate that her clay tablets have survived for so long. From the perspectives of both historians and writers, her words are more precious to humanity than gold.
