The Exaltation of Inanna
by Enheduanna · Nin-me-šara
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 2300 BCE
- Form
- Lyric poetry
- Language
- Other
- Length
- Short · 10 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendEnheduana, The Complete Poems of the World's First Author, translated by Sophus HelleYale University Press, 2023All the poems attributed to her in a fresh translation, with essays on authorship and the Sumerian context.
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A Sumerian hymn of 153 lines attributed to Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad and high priestess of the moon god at Ur, which makes her the earliest named author in world literature. The poem praises the goddess Inanna as mistress of all the divine powers and of war, then turns to the speaker's own plight, driven from her temple by the rebel Lugal-Ane and unheard by the moon god Nanna, and appeals to Inanna, who restores her. The poem closes by recording its own composition at night and the priestess's return to office.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Exaltation of Inanna are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
