Information AboutIshtar |
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Ishtar is the Assyria n counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate northwest Semitic goddess Astarte . Anunit, Astarte and Atarsamain are alternative names for Ishtar. Inanna, twin of Utu / Shamash , children of Nannar / Sin , first born on Earth of Enlil . The first names given are Sumerian , the second names derive from the Akkadian s, who are a Semitic people who immigrated into Sumeria. Adding an {Link without Title} to a name is typical Akkadian, as ''Anu'' to ''Anush''. .]] In late Babylonian astrology, the , an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, whose name may be etymologically connected to that of Ishtar, though no significant evidence to show such a link has yet been found. The Sumerian Inanna was first worshiped at Uruk ( Erech in the Bible , Unug in Sumerian) in the earliest period of Mesopotamia n history. In incantations, hymns, myths, epics, votive inscriptions, and historical annals, Inanna/Ishtar was celebrated and invoked as the force of life. But there were two aspects to this goddess of life. She was the goddess of fertility and sexuality, and could also destroy the fields and make the earth's creatures infertile. She was invoked as a goddess of war, battles, and the chase, particularly among the warlike Assyria ns. Before the battle Ishtar would appear to the Assyrian army, clad in battle array and armed with bow and arrow. (compare Greek Athena .) One of the most striking Sumerian myths describes Inanna passing through seven gates of hell into the underworld. At each gate some of her clothing and her ornaments are removed until at the last gate she is entirely naked. Ereshkigal , the queen of the underworld kills her and hangs her corpse on a hook on the wall. When Inanna returns from the underworld by intercession of the clever god, her uncle, Enki , according to the rules she must find someone to take her place. On her way home she encounters her friends prostrated with grief at her loss, but in Kulaba , her cult city, she finds her lover Dumuzi, a son of Enki , Tammuz seated in splendour on a throne, so she has him seized and dragged below. Later, missing him, she arranges for his sister to substitute for him during six months of the year. (Compare Greek story of Persephone ) In all the great centres Inanna and then Ishtar had her temples: E-anna, "house of An", in Uruk; E-makh, "great house", in Babylon ; E-mash-mash, "house of offerings", in Nineveh . Inanna was the guardian of prostitutes, and probably had priestess-prostitutes to serve her. She was served by priests as well as by priestesses. The (later) votaries of Ishtar were virgins who, as long as they remained in her service, were not permitted to marry. Inanna was also associated with beer, and was the Patroness of Tavern keepers, who were usually female in early Mesopotamia. Ishtar is also an omnipresent figure in the epic of Gilgamesh . She appears also on the Uruk vase, one of the most famous ancient Mesopotamian artifacts. The relief on this vase seems to show Inanna conferring kingship on a supplicant. Various inscriptions and artifacts indicate that kingship was one of the gifts bestowed by Inanna on the ruler of Uruk . On monuments and seal-cylinders Inanna/Ishtar appears frequently with bow and arrow, though also simply clad in long robes with a crown on her head and an eight-rayed star as her symbol. Statuettes have been found in large numbers representing her as naked with her arms folded across her breast or holding a child. Together with the , earth; and Enki (Ea in Akkadian), the watery deep. |