Author: Sophus Helle
Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Religion
Publisher: Yale University Press
Release Date: 2024
Pages: 228
Source: Personal Collection
Synopsis: The complete poems of the priestess Enheduana, the world’s first known author, newly translated from the original Sumerian.
Enheduana was a high priestess and royal princess who lived in Ur, in what is now southern Iraq, about 2300 BCE. Not only does Enheduana have the distinction of being the first author whose name we know, but the poems attributed to her are hymns of great power. They are a rare flash of the female voice in the often male-dominated ancient world, treating themes that are as relevant today as they were four thousand years ago: exile, social disruption, the power of storytelling, gender-bending identities, the devastation of war, and the terrifying forces of nature.
This book is the first complete translation of her poems from the original Sumerian. Sophus Helle’s translations replicate the intensity and imagery of the original hymns—literary time bombs that have lain buried for millennia. In addition to his translations, Helle provides background on the historical context in which Enheduana’s poems were composed and circulated, the works’ literary structure and themes, and their reception in both the ancient and the modern world.
Unjustly forgotten for millennia, Enheduana’s poems are essential reading for anyone interested in the literary history of women, religion, the environment, gender, motherhood, authorship, and empire.
My Review: Enheduana is considered to be the world’s first author. Her poems were lost for thousands of years, and have only been found in the last hundred years. However, they have not been widely read and are primarily read among the academic circles. Sophus Helle’s first translation of Enheduana’s complete poems makes them more accessible and more reader friendly to the modern audiences.
I have studied a little bit of Enheduana, and I even wrote a history article on her. However, I never really had the chance to read her complete poems. When I started to read about the myths of Inanna, I decided it was a good opportunity to read Enheduana’s poems. I have to say that I strongly admired the poems. My favorite of the poems were “The Exaltation of Inanna”. When reading the poem, I could feel Enheduana’s suffering as she appeals to the goddess to help her against King Lugal-Ane. As for the other poems, I liked them, but they were mostly lost through time. I could not help wondering if we will ever find the complete poems of Enheduana. I also liked Sophus Helle’s essays at the end. It broadened my knowledge of Enheduana and her writings. I also found it interesting that Sophus Helle believes that she did not compose the myth of “Inanna and Ebih” and did not include it in the book.
Overall, this was a very comprehensive and engaging look at Enheduana’s poems. I found the translation to be easy to read. It makes me want to read Sophus Helle’s translation of The Epic of Gilgamesh! The essays were also very interesting, and I liked how it discussed Enheduana’s place in ancient Mesopotamia. Enheduana’s poems have been lost for thousands of years and are recently being recovered. Hopefully, historians can still find some more of her poems and that they are not truly lost to time. I also hope that many general readers will also take the time to read her poems. This book proves that Enheduana’s poems need to be included in high school and college curriculum! Enheduana is an important literary figure and deserves a lot of attention! She should no longer be ignored or forgotten!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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