The Descent of Ishtar: both the Sumerian and Akkadian versions

by Timothy J. Stephany

The Mistress of Heaven, the goddess Ishtar, stands in a unique position of supremacy among the goddess figures of the world; and her descent into the underworld is her essential distinctive myth. The primacy of the goddess and her lover, Dumuzi, to the seasonal cycle, and the ritual marriage which was a ceremony of the union essential to civilized life, was not retained within the textual Judeo-Christian tradition. As a result this mythological cycle of the goddess restores the expressive sexual metaphor of agricultural fertility, which merges the domestic concerns of womanhood with the essential productive forces of nature. Included along with this essential seasonal myth are two entirely dissimilar tales concerned with military valor, heroic conquest, and the assumption of absolute power; the partially incomplete Mesopotamian tales of 'The Epic of Anzu' and 'Erra and Ishum'.

Genres: Mythology

122 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2015

Reviews

[Sense of History]

The best known and most interesting Mesopotamian story of course is that of Gilgamesh, but the most homogeneous, coherent one that I've read (until now) is this one: the descent of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar into the underworld. We know it in different versions. The oldest, based on clay tablets found in Nipur, dates fromt the period 1900-1600 BCE, starring the goddess Inanna. More recent versions date from the period 1200-700 BCE and in them the goddess in question bears the Babylonian name Ishtar.

In all versions, the underworld is a dark, dusty place ruled by Ereshkigal, sister of Inanna/isthar, a place from which there is no turning back. And still in all versions Inanna/Ishtar ventures into that ominous realm, although it is not always clear exactly why. Inanna/ishtar was not a gentle goddess, she very aggressively demands entry into the underworld and in some versions she also ousts her sister Ereshkigal from the throne. But in all known versions, she doesn't fare so well: she is imprisoned, or worse, killed. And then usually follows a somewhat artificial turn in which one of the supreme gods comes to her aid and she can escape. Remarkable is the epilogue that appears in some versions, in which a brother and a sister each have to spend half a year in the underworld, as a compensation for Inanna/Ishtar escaping from down under. It’s a reference to seasonal changes that we also know from the later Demeter and Persephone myth of the Greeks.

Just as there are different versions, there are also very different interpretations of this story. The best known is the Jungian one, in which Inanna/Ishtar's journey is seen as a rite of passage to a fuller life, a bit like in the Everyman stories of later times. But there are legitimate doubts about this interpretation, for it does not do justice to the evil nature of Inanna/Ishtar and her punishment. The fact remains that we may never be able to explain this story correctly. Despite the far-reaching coherence, several passages remain obscure, and this is still one of the most accessible of the Mesopotamian myths. As far as I'm able to judge Timothy J. Stephany seems to offer a rewarding translation and study of this ancient myth.

[Marc Lamot]

Nice presentation and study of another Mesopotamian myth focussing on the underworld, with the fierce goddess Inanna (in later, Babylonian times called Ishtar) in the lead. It’s one of the more readable of Mesopotamian stories. For a full review, see my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Tiffany]

Incredible to see the way these Sumerian texts have inspired thousands of years of story telling.

[Andreas]

Not the versions I would have picked.
The Descent of Ishtar is an amazing book and I absolutely love it. This version, however, is more based on gathering as many of the different accounts and version as possible, instead of focusing specifically on the harrowing story of the beautiful and impetuous Queen of Heaven who is forced to bend low in humiliating supplication to her ugly sister Eereshkigal as the beautiful sister ultimately needs the help of the ugly sister. Sometimes, a good translation adds and removes words to convey the feeling better than a direct word-for-word translation could.

However, not a terrible version, and if you haven't read it yet, this copy is worth it!

[Taylor Ellwood]

A translation of the The descent of Ishtar and related sumerian myths. I didn’t get a sense of the Akkadian version, but found the overall content to be fascinating and insightful in regards to some research I’m doing. I do wish the author had included some analysis and translation notes.

[Stephen]

This is a short book containing two versions of Inanna/Ishtar's descent into the underworld and a couple of other tales from Sumer or Akkad. It is an interesting glimpse into myths of the ancient Near East.