Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer

Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Release Date: 1983

Pages: 256

Source: Personal Collection

Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians.

     The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, ordered, and combined the fragmented pieces of the Cycle of Inanna into a unified whole that presents for the first time an authentic portrait of the goddess from her adolescence to her completed womanhood and “godship.” We see Inanna in all her aspects—as girl, lover, wife, seeker, decision maker, ruler; we witness the Queen of Heaven and Earth as the voluptuous center and source of all fertile power and the unequaled goddess of love.

     Illustrated throughout with cylinder seals and other artifacts of the period, the beautifully rendered images guide the reader through Inanna’s realm on a journey parallel to the one evoked by the text. And the carefully wrought commentaries providing an historical overview, textual interpretations, and annotations on the art at once explicate and amplify the power, wonder, and mystery embedded in these ancient tales.

Inanna-- the world’s first love story, two thousand years older than the Bible—is tender, erotic, frightening, and compassionate. It is a compelling myth that is timely in its rediscovery. 

     My Review: Inanna is generally considered the world’s first goddess. Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth is a collection of stories and hymns about Inanna. In this collection, Inanna is portrayed as a queen and as the goddess of love. In this book, we see Inanna as a young teenager who eventually matures into a strong, wise, and beautiful woman.

    Before reading this collection of myths, I did not know anything about Inanna, except that she was the goddess of love. After reading her myths, I found her to be one of mythology’s most compelling characters. I love how she tricked Enki into giving her laws and powers. I also loved how Inanna was courted by Dumuzi. I thought their wedding was very beautiful and passionate. My favorite myth was Inanna’s journey to the underworld. Throughout her harrowing journey, she had to sacrifice a part of herself until she finally reached its depth. I also like how Inanna got revenge on her uncaring husband. I also hear the hymns that sing her praises. Thus, Inanna was a very fascinating and strong goddess. 

     Overall, this was a very fascinating and extremely readable collection of myths surrounding the goddess, Inanna. These myths gave me a glimpse into the Sumerian world and their religion. Inanna was heavily worshipped in the city of Uruk. Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth shows how important Inanna was in Sumerian culture. This book is a must read for fans of mythology! With the over saturation of Greek mythology, hopefully there will be more studies about this Sumerian goddess of love! Move over Aphrodite! Inanna is the more alluring goddess of love! I recommend this for fans of Athene, Isis of the Ancient World, and Pele!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars