Eros Inanna By LaJumelleMauvaise Published on Stories Space on 13 Aug 2017 A poetic treatment of one of the oldest epic myths https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/eros-inanna.aspx Introduction: One of the oldest of the epic myths of the ancient world tells the story of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, and her strange, deadly journey down to the Underworld Kur, ruled by her older sister Ereshkigal. This tale has survived through the millennia, told and retold in many languages, but no one has ever known exactly why the Daughter of the Moon undertook this dangerous journey. Her
descent into Kur resulted in Her death at the judgement of her jealous sister-god, and subsequent resurrection by two mysterious Galla Demons summoned from the Underworld at the command of Enki, Lord of Ea. Beseeched by Innana's servant Nincubara, Enki sent the two Ugalla, Kur Jara and Gala Tura on a hopeless mission to retrieve Inanna from hell. The following poem recounts the tale from the perspective of the Hellenic Period. The Goddess Aphrodite is considered by many to be Inanna, re-imagined by the Greeks. They are both the Goddess of love in their respective cultures. Desire (Sapphic Tales - Part One), the story from which this poem is excerpted attempts to resolve the age old mystery, speculating on the truth behind the myth - the real reason Inanna descended to the underworld. Eros Inanna By Bethany Frasier (via Calliope) From Sapphic Tales, the Inanna cycle The song of love has echoed long A chorus through the ages And bards have offered words enough To fill a million pages From harlots' moans to poets' rhymes The chorus has been lifted And ever have the gods allowed Desire to be gifted Oh fairest femme in all ideals
Art thou the single thought That fills the endless yearnings Our desire has ever sought For beauty did the gods bestow The daughters they endowed With tempting form and faces fair That they would carry proud But Eros is the fevered love Which cannot be restrained By mortal hand or human heart It will not be contained For though the gift the gods have sent Is precious beyond measure They proffer too a guiding hand With such a baneful treasure
Personified in spirit form Both beautiful and mighty Inanna they have given forth And also Aphrodite Though some may say these haughty femmes Are one and all the same Their tales are told in different times Of how they both became Though Aphrodite rose in foam From 'neath the coastal sea Her sister roamed the Sumer steppes 'Fore Cyprus came to be Daughter of the moon they claim And sister to the Sun Inanna played at love intense A battle to be won
Her beauty fierce, an iron will That would not be forsaken She dared descend the underworld But her life was cruelly taken Her sister-god declared her false Erishkigala cried That fair Inanna came to steal Her throne in endless pride No mercy from the underworld Would stay her final doom Her life immortal ended then As Kur became her tomb Inanna lay alone in death For days they counted three But two would follow through the gates Of hell to set her free
Ugalla were the demons called That Enki brought to life Gala Tura and Kur Jara Together faced the strife Through seven gates did they descend In secrecy and peril Regathering her lapis jewels And all her fine apparel Into the depths of hell they brought Her periapts of power To face the fell Ereshkigal In aspect cold and dour For though her doom was cruelly cast Inanna lay in state Awaiting yet another turn In her untimely fate
To endless drums of requiem Her acolytes did grieve But knew that their Inanna fair From death would they retrieve Upon her throne Ereshkigal The Galla did beseech With soothing tone and sympathy Her soul they sought to reach And in her pride and arrogance Ereshkigala fell To hollow praise and flattery Her vanity did swell She offered them abundant gifts Of grain and water too But more than grain would she endow
The Galla demons knew For on the wall Inanna hung Upon a hook impaled And though they feared the queen's reply Her mercy had prevailed Inanna's corpse though deathly cold Was given to their care They warmed her with their soft caress And spoke a holy prayer The Daughter of the Moon awoke To breathe the breath of love And with her shone a rim of light The new moon far above For to the sky do lovers look To build into a fire The spark of passion kindled by
The Goddess of Desire Bethany Ariel Frasier - (c) 2017