The Descent of Inanna into the Underworld (or, in its Akkadian version, Descent of Ishtar into the Underworld) or Angalta ("From the Great Sky") is a Sumerian myth that narrates the descent of the goddess Inanna into the Underworld to overthrow its ruler, Ereshkigal. Following the removal of her adornments, she perishes. Enki intervenes indirectly, restoring Inanna to life. Inanna is required to deliver another living being in exchange for her freedom. She selects Dumuzi, who is transported to the Underworld. Responding to the pleas of Geshtinanna, Dumuzi is permitted to remain in the Underworld for only a portion of the year, with his sister assuming his role for the remaining duration.
The myth exists in two main versions: one in Sumerian and the other in Akkadian. The Akkadian version was first discovered and translated in the 1860s. The existence of the longer and older Sumerian version was first established in the early 20th century, but it required approximately fifty years for epigraphists to fully reconstruct and translate it.
The story of Descent of Inanna into the Underworld offers insights into Mesopotamian culture through its numerous characters and developed plot. The influence of this culture on subsequent civilizations is evident in the traces of Mesopotamian elements found in Greece, Phoenicia, and the Old Testament. In the 20th century, the story was used by some psychoanalysis theorists to illustrate psychic mechanisms.
Epigraphic reconstruction The myth of Descent of Inanna into the Underworld is presented in two versions: one written in Sumerian and another rewritten in Akkadian, where the goddess is referred to as Ishtar. These two versions are not faithful translations of each other; instead, they represent two distinct renditions.
The Akkadian version of the myth, comprising 138 lines and entitled The Descent of Ishtar into the Underworld, was the initial version to be unearthed. Among the numerous clay tablet fragments unearthed in Nineveh and Assur during the 1860s, two comprehensive texts dating from the early first millennium BCE particularly stand out. However, their provenance appears to originate from as early as 1600 BCE. Except for a few minor displacements and stylistic divergences, the two texts are strikingly similar and can be used to reconstruct the plot. The translation of these fragments was among the first Akkadian literary works to be published in a modern language.
The Sumerian version, entitled Descent of Inanna into the Underworld, comprises 400 lines and is the modern designation for the myth. The incipit, which designates the Sumerian text, bestows upon it the title Angalta, which translates to "From the Great Sky." This version, discovered after the Akkadian version, is of a more archaic provenance. It was composed circa 1700 BCE, although the precise date of its origin remains uncertain.: « Descente d'Ishtar aux Enfers » In the early 20th century, epigraphists painstakingly pieced together the text from numerous tablet fragments unearthed in Nippur. Arno Poebel and Stephen Langdon initiated the initial reconstruction efforts with small text fragments and the upper half of a four-column tablet preserved in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. However, due to the absence of numerous elements, it was not feasible to establish a logical reconstruction of the narrative. Consequently, archaeologist Edward Chiera identified the second portion of the Istanbul tablet at the University museum in Philadelphia, and a preliminary complete translation was published in 1936.
But for historian Samuel Noah Kramer the narrative remained incomplete. A considerable number of passages in the Akkadian version appeared to be too allusive to be linked to the Sumerian version. Furthermore, some fragments were challenging to situate within the appropriate sequence. Consequently, Kramer proceeded to collate the disparate fragments in his possession, which were located between Istanbul and Philadelphia. The discovery in 1942 of a 94-line tablet at Yale University prompted a fundamental shift in the narrative structure. Contrary to the prevailing view among researchers at the time, which was influenced by the myth of Orpheus and the initial translations of Descent of Ishtar, Inanna did not descend to the Underworld to search for Dumuzi. Instead, her purpose was to extend her power. Accordingly, her descent precedes that of her husband. In addition to the association with the Orpheus myth, this misunderstanding can also be attributed to the intricate complexity of the Akkadian version's conclusion. The final twelve lines, which pertain to Dumuzi, continue to present interpretive challenges in the present era (2021). Consequently, the Sumerian version of the myth, of which only approximately twenty lines were absent by 1951, was ultimately nearly fully comprehended and published in the 1950s. Other reconstruction efforts, notably illuminated by the discovery of a 74-line tablet in the ancient city of Ur, translated in 1963, continued to produce a more complete English version in 1974 by William R. Sladek and a French one in 1980 by Jean Bottéro.
In 1996 Bendt Alster conducted a reexamination of a passage from the conclusion of Descent of Inanna into the Underworld, which led him to the unexpected conclusion that Inanna herself intercedes on behalf of Dumuzi, whom she had previously sent to the Underworld in a cruel act, to secure his seasonal return to life. New French and English translations were produced by Pascal Attinger in 2016 (with subsequent revisions in 2021) and by Bénédicte Cuperly in 2021, who also provided new insights into the narrative.
Characters
Inanna/Ishtar
Inanna (also known as Ishtar in Akkadian) is a prominent deity in the Mesopotamian pantheon, identified as the "Lady of Heaven" in Sumerian texts. Inanna is the daughter of Sîn (Nanna in Sumerian), the moon god, and his wife Nikkal. Her siblings include the sun god Shamash (Utu in Sumerian) and Ereshkigal, her older sister.: « Ishtar » Inanna is a goddess with a multifaceted nature. She is the goddess of love, fertility, war, grain, and prosperity. She is also associated with prostitution and other taboo practices such as sex change, deformity, and disguises. Her domain is so vast that she seems to embody the characteristics of several goddesses that appeared and disappeared throughout Mesopotamian history. Additionally, she is the goddess who elevates kings and unites with them in a sacred marriage to ensure their prosperity.
Inanna is depicted as a conquering and vindictive goddess in the context of the mythological narrative of Descent of Inanna into the Underworld and other related stories such as Inanna and Bilulu. As a principle of movement and dynamism, she appears to represent an intermediate character between life and death. She traverses the celestial and terrestrial realms, exemplified by her capacity to unlock the portals of the Underworld and her proclivity to unleash the dead upon the living. To Enlil, Nanna, or Enki, she manifests as an impetuous and reckless deity. Enki is not averse to remarking upon the incongruity of the goddess's eccentricity, fantasy, or lunacy.
Additionally, Inanna is a goddess who has no husband but is associated with numerous lovers. These lovers, in contact with her, transform and subsequently perish. This is corroborated by the passage from the Epic of Gilgamesh where Gilgamesh refuses to be seduced by Ishtar (referred to as "princess" in the narrative). He safeguards himself against her affections and censures her for having caused only misery to her lovers, whose list he then enumerates, commencing with Tammuz.
In his analysis of Inanna/Ishtar in Descent of Inanna into the Underworld, Jean Bottéro posits that the goddess is depicted not as a deity associated with fertility or abundance, but rather as a lover and guardian of free love. She is portrayed as a figure whose passionate attachment knows no bounds. This is exemplified by the Akkadian version of the episode in which the goddess's demise results in the termination of all physical love and coupling activities. Although coupling is a prerequisite for fertility and reproduction, Ishtar's function does not fall within the scope of this fertility framework. Instead, her role is confined to the realms of physical attraction, sexuality, and desire.
Ereshkigal
In contrast to her younger sister Inanna, Ereshkigal is depicted as a more static figure, known as the "Queen of the Underworld" or the "Queen of the Dead.": « Ereshkigal » Inanna's sister, Ereshkigal, represents death, yet in contrast to her, she gives birth to children: young people who die prematurely on Earth, which causes the anguish she experiences in Descent of Inanna into the Underworld. However, according to Francis Joannes, this affliction can be attributed to the sorrow and sadness experienced by these humans who are cut off before they can experience the most fulfilling moments of their existence.: « Descente d'Ishtar aux Enfers » She rules from a "lapis-lazuli palace", with the assistance of her vizier Namtar and the scribe of the Underworld, Geshtinanna, Dumuzi's sister and wife of Ningishzida. She is also accompanied by the seven Anunnakil, the judges of the Underworld, who, in Descent of Inanna into the Underworld, condemn Inanna to find a substitute to replace her in the Underworld.
Gugalanna The Akkadian myth of Nergal and Ereshkigal portrays Ereshkigal as the wife of the god Nergal. But in Descent of Inanna into the Underworld, Gugalanna is attributed to her as a husband. His name likely signifies "Inspector of An's Canals" and may represent an alternative designation for Ennugi.
The name Gugalanna may also be interpreted as the "Bull of Heaven." Inanna requests entry into the Underworld on the pretext of sharing the mourning of Gugalanna with her sister. It appears that Ereshkigal's negative response to Inanna's arrival is related to what she may perceive as a pretext on the part of her sister. The overt display of grief for the demise of the renowned Bull of Heaven could be interpreted as somewhat inconsiderate or audacious on Inanna's part, particularly if this Bull of Heaven is the same entity whose premature death occurs in his confrontation with Gilgamesh, indirectly due to Ishtar.
Namtar In the Akkadian version Ereshkigal is assisted by her vizier, Namtar. He is regarded as the deity responsible for diseases and epidemics. It is he who is charged with unleashing the "Sixty Diseases" upon Ishtar, resulting in her inevitable demise. Nevertheless, he is also credited with pouring the water from the "Waterskin" to resurrect Ishtar. Some hypothesize that he is also a progeny of Ereshkigal, the firstborn child of the goddess following her premature demise on Earth.
Enki
In the Sumerian pantheon, Enki (also known as Ea in Akkadian) is the god of subterranean freshwater, specifically the Apsû. According to myth, Enki's life began in the waters of Apsû even before humans existed. His wife, Ninhursag, his mother, Nammu, and various subordinate creatures also inhabited this realm. The Eabsû (house of the Apsû) was Enki's primary sanctuary.: « Ea »