Decent of Inanna

The Descent of Inanna: An Ancient Tale of Transformation and Wisdom

The Descent of Inanna is one of the most powerful and enduring myths of ancient Mesopotamian Civilization, inscribed around 1900 BCE on seven Cuneiform tablets. The myth itself, however, likely represents a culmination of stories passed down through generations, reflecting centuries of religious and cultural evolution in Sumer. While the tablets that preserved the myth date to around 1900 BCE, the roots of the story and its key themes could have originated as far back as 6,000 years ago, during the early stages of Mesopotamian Civilization.

The story, is said to have been written by Enheduanna in the city of Ur. She was a high priestess and the daughter of Sargon of Akkad, the founder of the Akkadian Empire. The story captures the timeless themes of transformation, death, and rebirth - ideas that were central to Sumerian religious and mythological practices. This makes the myth not just a product of its time but a reflection of the ancient, deeply rooted spiritual traditions of Mesopotamia. The written tablets may have been the first formal record of these stories, but they likely drew on much earlier oral traditions, rituals, and myths.

In Sumerian mythology our protagonist is known as Inanna, but the same goddess is called Ishtar in Akkadian and later cultures like Babylonian and Assyrian. Both Inanna and Ishtar share similar attributes and myths, with Ishtar’s stories often mirroring Inanna’s journey, including her descent into the underworld. This continuity across Civilizations emphasizes the universal themes of death, rebirth, and inner transformation that have resonated through millennia.

The Story in Detail

The Descent of Inanna is inscribed on seven Cuneiform tablets, which together span approximately 700 lines of text. These lines describe Inanna's journey into the underworld and the trials she faces along the way, offering us profound insights into the human experience of transformation. The tablets are divided into sections that focus on different parts of the story - Inanna's decision to enter the underworld, her descent through its seven gates, her death, and her eventual resurrection.

The Seven Gates of the Underworld

The first major aspect of Inanna's descent is her passage through the seven gates of the underworld, a symbolic journey that represents the stripping away of material attachments, status, and power. At each gate, Inanna is required to surrender a piece of her divine adornment - items of her power and beauty, such as her crown, necklace, and clothing. This act of shedding her external identity is symbolic of the spiritual process of purging ego and preparing for inner transformation.

Each gate is watched over by a guardian, and Inanna must confront each one to continue her journey. These gates represent barriers that stand between Inanna and her sister, Ereshkigal, but they also stand as metaphors for the personal and spiritual challenges every individual must face to reach enlightenment or renewal.

The First Gate: Inanna is met by Neti, the gatekeeper, who demands that she surrender her crown.

The Second Gate: Inanna must give up her pendant.

The Third Gate: Inanna surrenders her necklace.

The Fourth Gate: She loses her earrings.

The Fifth Gate: Inanna must part with her bracelets.

The Sixth Gate: She sheds her girdle (a sash or belt).

The Seventh Gate: Finally, Inanna is left with nothing but her naked self as she enters the presence of her sister, Ereshkigal.

The shedding of each adornment is symbolic of the letting go of worldly attachments. By the time she reaches the underworld, Inanna has been stripped of all symbols of her divine status, standing before her sister without power or identity.

The Underworld: A Conceptual or Physical Place?

The underworld in Inanna's journey is described both as a physical and conceptual place. It is a realm of death, darkness, and transformation - often depicted as a physical space beneath the earth, where the spirits of the dead reside. However, the underworld also holds symbolic significance. It represents the unconscious mind, the inner depths of the self, or the spiritual realm where a person must face their inner darkness and confront the forces of destruction and renewal.

Inanna's descent mirrors the experience of facing one’s own inner demons, accepting the inevitability of change, and preparing for the death of the old self to make way for the new. As Inanna proceeds deeper into the underworld, she encounters Ereshkigal, who rules over the dead and embodies the destructive and transformative aspects of life. Ereshkigal, in some ways, represents the shadow self, the parts of the psyche that are hidden, ignored, or feared.

The Meeting with Ereshkigal and the Trials

Upon reaching the underworld's deepest chamber, Inanna is confronted by Ereshkigal, who is furious at her sister’s unexpected visit. The queen of the underworld orders that Inanna be struck dead and her body hung on a hook. Ereshkigal's reaction can be seen as a symbol of the inevitability of death and the forces of nature that exist beyond human control.

Once Inanna is dead, the underworld begins its natural cycle. Her body remains lifeless, but her loyal servant, Ninshubur, is tasked with seeking help to bring Inanna back to life. Ninshubur petitions the gods for assistance, and eventually, Enki, the god of wisdom and water, provides a solution. Enki creates two sustaining beings - small creatures made of dirt and sweet water - and sends them to the underworld to rescue Inanna's corpse.

The Return: Resurrection and Renewal

Inanna's resurrection is not a simple return from death. Her rebirth requires an exchange: someone must take her place in the underworld. Dumuzi, her lover, is chosen to descend in her place. The myth concludes with Dumuzi's eventual cycle of death and renewal in the underworld, symbolizing the eternal nature of life, death, and rebirth.

Through this cycle, Inanna returns to the realm of the living, transformed. She has undergone an ordeal that not only strips away her external identity but also prepares her for spiritual enlightenment and renewal. This final resurrection represents a spiritual rebirth, where the soul is cleansed and refined, ready for a new beginning.

What Does the Myth Teach Us?

The Descent of Inanna is a powerful metaphor for personal transformation. Inanna's journey mirrors the existentialist idea that life’s meaning is often forged through hardship and transformation. Her descent into the underworld is an allegory for the trials individuals face in life - challenges that can strip away our attachments, forcing us to confront the raw core of our being. Just as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus taught, Inanna's journey shows that transformation often requires facing death (symbolic or literal) and returning, changed and renewed, to the world of the living.

Inanna's myth also reflects the symbolic interactionist theory that identity is shaped by the roles we play in society. By shedding her divine adornments, Inanna undergoes a self-actualization process, representing the importance of stripping away external identities to discover one’s true essence. Her journey teaches us that true power and enlightenment come from embracing who we truly are beneath societal expectations.

The Timelessness of Inanna’s Wisdom

What is truly remarkable about Inanna's myth is how it resonates not just with Sumerian culture but with humanity across millennia. Joseph Campbell, in his work on the Hero’s Journey, identified the universal pattern of the hero's death and resurrection, which appears across many cultures. Inanna's story echoes this archetype, suggesting that the process of transformation and renewal is both personal and collective, universal across time and culture.

Furthermore, the myth also speaks to cultural continuity, inviting us to ask: If humanity has been writing about the cycles of life and death for thousands of years, have we really changed? Inanna's journey reminds us that, although civilizations rise and fall, the fundamental human experience remains the same. We still wrestle with questions of mortality, self-identity, and transformation.

Scholarly Reflections and Influence

The Descent of Inanna has inspired countless scholars and thinkers over the centuries. Influential figures such as Carl Jung, with his exploration of the individuation process, and Mircea Eliade, who examined the significance of sacred journeys, have drawn from Inanna's descent to understand universal themes of death, rebirth, and spiritual awakening.

Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, which has influenced much of modern storytelling, mirrors Inanna's narrative of descent and return. The similarities between Inanna's myth and other mythological stories like Persephone’s descent into the underworld or Osiris’s resurrection show how themes of transformation are deeply embedded in the collective human psyche. These archetypal stories provide insight into our understanding of life, death, and rebirth.