The throng of the hustle and bustle of Akkad belied the vibrant works of creativity which flourished here. Akkad was the centre of a magnificent empire stretching across Ancient Mesopotamia, the first great empire. The curious donkeys gentled sauntered over the sand-parched simple homes, while the insidiously sweet date palms nestled among the honeyed and exotic poplars and the mellow tamarisks. Swirling through such enchantment the tender lyres peeking from the doorways with tantalising tales of ennui. This peaceful realm was alive, such vibrancy brought to life by a poet and priestess. She was captivating. Entrusted with great responsibility, she took the gods of Mesopotamia to the quiescent streets of Akkad and a people searching for divination. This is the story of the fascinating Enheduanna and her mystery as richly entwined with the rise and fall of an ancient empire…
Enheduanna was unique. Daughter of King Sargon the Great who built Akkad at the centre of his vast and mighty Akkadian Empire. It was he who unified the warring lands of Mesopotamia. And at the centre of his world, his beloved daughter.
She was a high priestess in this lost empire. More precisely, she was the high priestess of the moon deity Nanna-Suen at his temple. But she was also a poet, composing many works of literature, including two hymns to the Mesopotamian love goddess Inanna. But she had to battle uprisings, too…
From attempted coups, to forced exile, this was life in the wild Akkadian Empire. For all the wealth and stability it brought, it found itself plagued by furious uprisings as armies battled for control. It was Enheduanna who had to keep the peace.
It was she who had to use the powers she possessed to keep control. But wielding such power, here of all places, was an endeavour far from easy…
We know Enheduanna lived through the 23rd century BC. Religion meant everything to the Akkadians. It brought clarity in times of great unrest. And it brought a dire warning. Never disobey those who rule. Sargon’s power was absolute. Enheduanna’s power lay in reminding people of the consequences of defying such divine authority…
One of King Sargon’s greatest conquests was the Sumerian city of Ur. It stood at the mouth of the jewel-blue Euphrates River, the dramatic faces of rock flanking either side as giants cradling the river. Ur was a strategic victory for Sargon.
Enheduanna was charged with reconciling the gods of the Akkadians with the gods of Sumerians to cement Sargon’s rule over Ur. Not only did Enheduanna succeed, but she established standards of poetry and prayer. Her influence was huge.
In a time when scribes were men, Sargon placed enormous trust in his daughter to place her in charge of the Sumerian Temple in Ur as the high priestess of Nanna-Suen. This was a tricky time in politics but there was something about Enheduanna’s poetry, encapsulating the spiritual and reaching across entire cultures, as a bridge between worlds.
In the hymns she wrote, Enheduanna remarks on the challenge of capturing divine wonders through the written word. She spent hours labouring under the Mesopotamian moonlight to create her compositions so they would be ready to be performed the next day.
The fruits of her toil are dedicated to the goddess of love, reflecting not only Enheduanna’s remarkable prose but the empire in which she lived in. There was beauty in this arid place, a soothing romance echoed through the streets of stone. Artistry flourished in this place and it flourished within Enheduanna, too.
The city of Akkad had a library and within its dusty walls, books on astronomy. Enheduanna’s praise of celestial deities has been recognised in modern astronomy. She wrote of stellar measurements and movements, among the earliest examples of scientific observations.
We know much about her life because quite a bit of her work is about herself. She once described her struggle against a usurper, Lugalanne. In ‘The Exaltation of Inanna’, Enheduanna describes Lugalanne’s attempts to force her from her role at the temple in Ur.
Enheduanna pleaded with Nanna-Suen but her cries of despair were met with loud silence. So she turned to the goddess Inanna, who returned Enheduanna to power. This challenge to Enheduanna’s authority, as well as her praise of her divine helper, are common themes of Enheduanna’s work.
‘Funeral offerings were brought, as if I had never lived there.
I approached the light, but the light scorched me.
I approached the shade, but I was covered with a storm.
My honeyed mouth became scummed.’ (The Exaltation of Inanna).
In ‘Inanna and Ebih’, Inanna finds herself in conflict with a haughty mountain named Ebih. The mountain offends the deity. He stands tall and mighty, refusing to give in. So Inanna seeks help from Anu, her father. Do not go to war with the fearsome Ebih! But the bold and brash Inanna ignores this advice and annihilates the mountain.
She thanks the god Enlil. In this, we see the poet. The figure of immense power and creativity. The one who praises the gods and goddesses with great passion. Indeed, the power of Enheduanna came to define Akkad. Here was the woman who brought the gods to Earth…
Enheduanna’s work redefined the gods for the people of the Akkadian Empire and brought the region under one religion, just as King Sargon ordered. Enheduanna held the office of high priestess for 40 years. Along the way, she even survived an attempted coup against her authority…
Her work reflected her frustrations and hopes, religious devotion, her response to war and how she felt about the world she lived in. She brought the gods closer to the people and allowed them to understand the gods as never before.
With Nanna-Suen, Enheduanna made him deeper and more sympathetic, while she elevated Inanna from a small, local deity to the Queen of Heaven. Enheduanna’s work left a profound impact on belief. Now the gods were compassionate and for all people.
She matched her monumental task with passion and found a sense of spirituality resting inside many of the Akkadian Empire. In this magnificent empire, there were few held in higher regard than Enheduanna.
The throng of the hustle and bustle of Akkad belied the vibrant works of creativity which flourished here. Akkad was at the centre of a magnificent empire stretching across Ancient Mesopotamia. It was the first great empire. This peaceful realm was alive, such vibrancy brought to life by a poet and priestess.
In 1927, British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley found a calcite disc of Enheduanna in his excavations of Ur. On that disc, three inscriptions identify four figures: Enheduanna, Adda (her estate manager), Ilum Palilis (her hairdresser) and Sagadu (her scribe). The royal inscription reads:
‘Enheduanna, zirru-priestess, wife of the god Nanna, daughter of Sargon, king of the world, in the temple of the goddess Innana.’
These words and the prominence of Enheduanna, the first named author in history, emphasise her importance and her position of great power and influence on the Akkadian culture. She was captivating. Her works are deeply personal. Entrusted with great responsibility, she took the gods of Mesopotamia to the quiescent streets of Akkad and a people searching for divination.
Enheduanna was fascinating and her mystery was as richly entwined with the history of an ancient empire…
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https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-food-in-victoria-australia, https://www.australias.guide/vic/ , https://www.weekendnotes.com/top-unusual-festivals-victoria/, https://thesabbaticalguide.com/facts-about-victoria/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_(state), https://www.australia.com/en-gb/facts-and-planning/about-australia/the-aussie-way-of-life.html, https://www.australias.guide/vic/facts/, https://www.travelvictoria.com.au/experiences/historyheritage/bigthings/, https://www.visitmelbourne.com/eat-and-drink, https://www.forteachersforstudents.com.au/site/themed-curriculum/victoria/facts/#:~:text=Victoria%20was%20the%20first%20Australian,Victoria%20is%20the%20Leadbeater%27s%20Possum., https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/gippsland/see-and-do/nature-and-wildlife/beaches-and-coastlines/squeaky-beach, https://www.thinkingaustralia.com/about-australia/states/victoria/, https://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/australia-and-south-pacific/australia/victoria/history-and-culture
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