Enki and Ninhursag: A Paradise Myth Inanna's Descent to the Underworld Enki and the World Order Below are the three of the most prominent Sumero-Akkadian poems unearthed to date, in their entirety -- complete with lost & unintelligble passages and gaps: *Note: (parentheses) are authorial additions to the text added to enhance understanding. italicized words are uncertain, but the translaters best educated guess as to what the cuneiform wording means. elipses (. . .) represent missing gaps in the text and/or unintelligible words/lines.   Enki and Ninhursag: Paradise Myth The land Dilmun is a pure place, the land Dilmun is a clean place, The land Dilmun is a clean place, the land Dilmun is a bright place; He who is all alone laid himself down in Dilmun, The place, after Enki had laid himself by his wife, That place is clean, that place is bright; He who is all alone laid himself down in Dilmun, The place, after Enki had laid himself by Ninsikil, That place is clean, that place is bright. In Dilmun the raven uttered no cries, The kite uttered not the cry of kite, The lion killed not, The wolf snatched not the lamb, Unknown was the kid-killing dog, Unknown was the grain-devouring boar, The bird on high . . . not its young, The dove . . . not the head, The sick-eyed says not "I am sick-eyed," The sick-headed says not "I am sick-headed," Its (Dilmun's) old woman says not "I am an old woman," Its old man says not "I am an old man," Its unwashed maid is not . . . in the city, He who crosses the river utters no . . . , The overseer does not . . . , The singer utters no wail, By the side of the city he utters no lament. Her city drinks the water of abundance, Dilmun drinks the water of abundance, Her wells of bitter water, behold they are become wells of good water, Her fields and farms produced crops and grain, Her city, behold it is become the house of the banks and quays of the land, Dilmun, behold it is become the house of the banks and quays of the land. Upon Ninhursag he caused to flow the "water of the heart," She received the "water of the heart," the water of Enki. One day being her one month, Two days being her two months, Three days being her three months, Four days being her four months, Five days (being her five months,) Six days (being her six months,) Seven days (being her seven months,) Eight days (being her eight months,) Nine days being her nine months, the months of "womanhood," Like . . . fat, like . . . fat, like good butter, Nintu, the mother of the land, like . . . fat, (like . . . fat, like good butter,) Gave birth to Ninsar. The cycle of impregation, nine days' gestation, and birth between Eniki and the offspring of each succeeding goddess is repeated, presumably in the same fashion as Ninsar. With Ninsar he creates Ninkur. With Ninkur he creates Uttu. Ninhursag then intervines to solicit advice to Uttu about her future relationship with Enki. The content of this passage is either lost or unintelligible. What is clear is the result of her relationship with Enki results in the birth of eight different plants. The poem continues: Enki, in the swampland, in the swampland, lies stretched out, He says to his messenger Isimud: "What is this (plant), what is this (plant)?" His messenger, Isimud, answers him; "My king, this is the 'tree-plant'," he says to him. He cuts it off for him and he (Enki) eats it. "What is this, what is this?" "My king, this is the 'honey-plant'." He tears it off for him and he eats it. The same pattern persists for all eight plants, although some of their names, such as "tree-plant" or "honey-plant" are undecipherable. After has discovered what all of these plants are (by eating them), he is able to decree their fates. Ninhursag is furious with the desecration of her distant offspring and curses Enki: "Until thou art dead, I shall not look upon thee with the 'eye of life'." Without the presence of Ninhursag, apparently, Enki cannot survive (she is, after all, the essence of fertility, the supreme mother goddess). The fox then comes before Enlil, who is disturbed by the suffering of the extremly important water-god, and says: "If I bring Ninhursag before thee, what shall be my reward?" Enlil promises the fox a reward if he is able to bring Ninhursag back. How the fox goes about this, however, is unknown as the text is completely broken at this point. When the text picks back up, "Ninhursag proceeds to remove the effects of her curse from the rapidly sinking Enki. This she achieves by giving birth to a special deity for each of Enki's pains. This passage which closes our poem runs as follows: "My brother, what hurts thee?" "My . . . hurts me." "To the god Abu I gave birth for thee." "My brother, what hurts thee?" "My hip hurts me." "To the god Nintul I gave birth for thee." "My brother, what hurts thee?" "My tooth hurts me." "To the goddess Ninsutu I gave birth for thee." "My brother, what hurts thee?" "My mouth hurts me." "To the goddess Ninkasi I gave birth for thee." "My brother, what hurts thee?" "My side hurts me." "To the goddess Dazimua I gave birth for thee." "My brother, what hurts thee?" "My rib hurts me." "To the goddess Ninti I gave birth for thee." "My brother, what hurts thee?" "MY . . . hurts me." "To the god Enshagag I gave birth for thee." "For the little ones to which I gave birth . . . " "Let Abu be the king of the plants, Let Nintul be the lord of Magan, Let Ninsutu marry Ninazu, Let Ninkasi be (the goddess who) sates the heart, Let Nazi marry Nindar, Let Dazimua marry Nigishzida, Let Ninti be the queen of the month, Let Enshagag be the lord of Dilmun." O Father Enki, praise! Translated by S. N. Kramer, 1961.

Inanna's Descent to the Nether World From the "great above" she set her mind toward the "great below," The goddess, from the "great above" she set her mind toward the "great below," Inanna, from the "great above" she set her mind toward the "great below." My lady abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, To the nether world she descended, Inanna abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, To the nether world she descended, Abandoned lordship, abandoned ladyship, To the nether world she descended. In Erech she abandoned Eanna, To the nether world she descended, In Badtibira she abandoned Emushkalamma, To the nether world she descended, In Zabalam she abandoned Giguna, To the nether world she descended, In Adab she abandoned Esharra, To the nether world she descended, In Nippur she abandoned Baratushgarra, To the nether world she descended, In Kish she abandoned Hursagkalamma, To the nether world she descended, In Agade she abandoned Eulmash, To the nether world she descended. The seven divine decrees she fastened at the side, She sought out the divine decrees, placed them at her hand, All the decrees she set up at (her) waiting foot, The Shugurra, the crown of the plain, she put upon her head, Radiance she placed upon her countenance, The . . . rod of lapis lazuli she gripped in (her) hand, Small lapis lazuli stones she tied about her neck, Sparkling . . . stones she fastened to her breast, A gold ring she gripped in her hand, A . . . breastplate she bound about her breast, All the garments of ladyship she arranged about her body . . . ointment she put on her face. Inanna walked toward the nether world, Her messenger Ninshubur walked at her side, The pure Inanna says to Ninshubur: "O (thou who art) my constant support, My messenger of faorable words, My carrier of supporting words, I am now descending to the nether world. "When I sahll have come to the nether world, Fill heaven with complaints for me, In the assembly shrine cry out for me, In the house of the gods rush about for me, Lower thy eye for me, lower thy mouth for me, With . . . lower thy great . . . for me, Like a pauper in a single garment dress for me, To the Ekur, the house of Enlil, all alone direct thy step. "Upon thy entering the Ekur, the house of Enlil, Weep before Enlil: 'O father Enlil, let not thy daughter be put to death in the nether world, Let not thy good metal be ground up into the dust of the nether world, Let not thy good lapis lazuli be broken up into the stone of the stone-worker, Let not thy boxwood be cut up into the wood of the wood-worker, Let not the maid Inanna be put to death in the nether world.' "If Enlil stands not by thee in this matter, go to Ur. "In Ur upon thy entering the house of the . . . of the land, The Ekishshirgal, the house of Nanna, Weep before Nanna: 'O Father Nanna, let not thy daughter be put to death in the netherworld, Let not thy good metal be ground up into the dust of the nether world, Let not thy good lapis lazuli be broken up into the stone of the stone-worker, Let not thy boxwood be cut up into the wood of the wood-worker, Let not the maid Inanna be put to death in the nether world.' "If Nanna stands not by thee in this matter, go to Eridu. "In Eridu upon thy entering the house of Enki, Weep before Enki: 'O father Enki, let not thy daughter be put to death in the netherworld, Let not thy good metal be ground up into the dust of the nether world, Let not thy good lapis lazuli be broken up into the stone of the stone-worker, Let not thy boxwood be cut up into the wood of the wood-worker, Let not the maid Inanna be put to death in the nether world.' "Father Enki, the lord of wisdom, Who knows the food of life, who knows the water of life, He will surely bring me to life." Inanna walked toward the nether world, To her messenger Ninshubur she says: "Go, Ninshubur, The word wich I have comamnded the . . . " When Inanna had arrived at the lapis lazuli palace of the nether world, At the door of the nether world she acted evilly, In the palace of the nether world she spoke evilly: "Open the house, gatekeeper, open the house, Open the house, Neti, open the house, all alone I would enter." Neti, the cief gatekeeper of the nether world, Answers the pure Inanna: "Who pray art thou?" "I am queen of heaven, the place where the sun rises." "If thou art the queen of heave, the place where the sun rises, Why pray hast thou come to the land of no return? On the road whose traveller returns not how has thy heart led thee?" The pure Inanna answers him: "My elder sister Ereshkigal, Because her husband, the lord Gulgalanna, had been killed, To witness the funeral rites, . . . : so be it." Neti, the cief gatekeeper of the nether world, Answers the pure Inanna: "Stay, Inanna, to my queen let me speak, To my queen Ereshkigal let me speak . . . let me speak." Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the nether world, Enters the house of his qeen Ereshkigal and says to her: "O my queen, a maid, Like a god . . . , The door . . . , . . . , In Eanna . . . , The seven divine decrees she has fastened at the side, She has sought out the divine decrees, has placed them at her hand, All the decrees she has set up at (her) waiting foot, The shugurra, the crown of the plain, she has put upon her head, Radiance she has placed upon her countenance, The . . . rod of lapi lazuli she has gripped in (her) hand, Small lapis lazuli stones she has tied about her neck, Sparkling . . . stones she has fastened to her breast, A gold ring she has gripped in her hand, A . . . breastplate she has bound about her breast, All her garments of ladyship she as arranged about her body, . . . ointment she has put on her face." Then Ereshkigal . . . , Answers Neti, her chief gatekeeper: "Come, Neti, chief gatekeeper of the nether world, Unto the word which I command thee, give ear. Of the seven gates of the nether world, open their locks, Of the gate Ganzir, the 'face' of the nether world, define its rules; Upon her (Inanna's) entering, Bowed low . . . let her . . . " Neti, the cief gatekeeper of the nethe rworld, Honored the word of his queen. Of the seven gates of the nether world, he opened their locks, Of the gate Ganzir, the 'face' of the nether world, he defined its rules. To the pure Inanna he says: "Come Inanna, enter." Upon her entering the first gate, The shugurra, the "crown of the plain" of her head, was removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." Upon her entering the second gate, The . . . rod of lapis lazuli was removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." Upon her entering the third gate, The small lapis lazuli stones of her neck were removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." Upon her entering the fourth gate, The sparkling . . . stones of her breast were removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." Upon her entering the fifth gate, The gold ring of her hand was removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." Upon her entering the sixth gate, The . . . breastplate of her breast was removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." Upon her entering the seventh gate, All the garments of ladyship of her body were removed. "What, pray, is this?" "Extraordinarily, O Inanna, have the decrees of the nether world been perfected, O Inanna, do not question the rites of the nether world." bowed low . . . The pure Ereshkigal seated herself upon her throne, The Anunnaki, the seven judges, pronounced dudgment before her, They fastend (their) eyes upon her, the eyes of death,   At their word, the word which tortures the spirit, . . . , The sick woman was turned into a corpse, The corpse was hung from a stake. After three days and three nights had passed, Her messenger Ninshubur, Her messenger of favorable words, Her carrier of supporting words, Fills the heaven with complaints for her, Cried for her in the assembly shrine, Rushed about for her in the house of the godes, Lowered his eye for her, lowered his mouth for her, With . . . he lowered his great . . . for her, Like a pauper in a single garment he dressed for her, To the Ekur, the house of Enlil, all alone he directed his step. Upon his entering the Ekur, the house of Enlil, Before Enlil he weeps: "O father Enlil, let not thy daughter be put to death in the nether world, Let not thy good metal be ground up into the dust of the nether world, Let not thy good lapis lazuli be broken up into the stone of the stone-worker, Let not thy boxwood be cut up into the wood of the wood-worker Let not the maid Inanna be put to death in the nether world. Father Enlil answeres Ninshubur: "My daughter, in the 'great above' . . . , in the 'great below' . . . , Inanna, in the 'great above' . . . , in the great below' . . . , The decrees of the nether world, the . . . decrees, to their place . . . , Who, pray, to their place . . .?" Father Enlil stood not by him in this matter, he went to Ur. In Ur upon his entering the house of the . . . of the land, The Ekishshirgal, the house of Nanna, Before Nanna he weeps: "O father Nanna, let not thy daughter be put to death in the nether world, Let not thy good metal be ground up into the dust of the nether world, Let not thy good lapis lazuli be broken up into the stone of the stone-worker, Let not thy boxwood be cut up into the wood of the wood-worker Let not the maid Inanna be put to death in the nether world. Father Nanna answers Ninshubur: "My daughter, in the 'great above' . . . , in the 'great below' . . . , Inanna, in the 'great above' . . . , in the great below' . . . , The decrees of the nether world, the . . . decrees, to their place . . . , Who, pray, to their place . . .?" Father Nanna stood not by him in this matter, he went to Eridu. In Eridu upon his entering the house of Enki, Before Enki he weeps: "O father Enki, let not thy daughter be put to death in the nether world, Let not thy good metal be ground up into the dust of the nether world, Let not thy good lapis lazuli be broken up into the stone of the stone-worker, Let not thy boxwood be cut up into the wood of the wood-worker Let not the maid Inanna be put to death in the nether world. Father Enki answeres Ninshubur: "What now has my daughter done! I am troubled, What now has Inanna done! I am troubled, What now has the queen of all the lands done! I am troubled, What now has the hierodule of heaven done! I am troubled." . . . he brought forth dirt (and) fashioned the kurgarru, . . . he brought forth dirt (and) fashioned the kalaturru, To the kurgarru he gave the food of life, To the kalaturru he gave the wter of life, Father Enki says to the kalaturru and kurgarru: . . . (nineteenlines destroyed)

"Upon the corpse hung from a stake direct the fear of the rays of fire, Sixty times the food of life, sixty times the water of life, sprinkle upon it, Verily Inanna will arise. . . . (twenty-four (?) lines destroyed) Upon the corpse hung from a stake they directed the frear of the rays of fire, Sixty times the food of life, sixty times the water of life, the sprinkled upon it, Inanna arose. Inanna ascends from the nether world, The Anunnakie fled, (And) whoever of the nether world that had descended peascefully to the nether world; When Inanna ascends from the nether world, Verily the dead hasten ahead of her. Inanna ascends from the nether world, The small demons like . . . reeds, The large demons like tablet styluses, Walked at her side. Who walked in front of her, being without . . . , held a staff in the hand, Who walked at her side, being without . . . , carried a weapon on the loin. They who preceded her, They who preceded Inanna, (Were beings who) know not food, who know not water, Who eat not sprinkled flour, Who drink not libated wine, Who take awaythe wife from the loins of man, Who take away the child from the breast of the nursing mother. Inanna ascends from the nethe world; Upon Inanna's ascending from the nether world, Her messenger Ninshubur threw himself at her feet, Sat in the dust, dressed in dirt. The demons say to the pure Inanna: "O Inanna, wait before thy city, we would bring him to thee." The pure Inanna answeres the demons: "(He is) my messenger of favorable words, My carrier of supporting words, He fails not my directions, He delays not my commanded word, He fills heaven with complaints for me, In the assembly shrine he cried ot for me, In the house of the gods he rushed about for me, He lowered his eye for me, he lowered his mouth for me, With . . . he lowered his great . . . for me, Like a pauper in a single garment he dressed for me, To the Ekur, the house of Enlil, In Ur, to the house of Nanna, In Eridu, to the house of Enki (he directed his step), He brought me to life." "Let us precede her, in Umma to the Sigkurshagga let us precede her." In Umma, from the Sigkurshagga, Shara threw himself at her feet, Sat in the dust, dressed in dirt. The demons say to the pure Inanna" "O Inanna, wait before thy city, we would bring him to thee." The pure Inanna answers the demons: (Inanna's answer is destroyed) "Let us precede her, in Badtibira to the Emushkalamma let us precede her." In Badtibira from the Emushkalamma, . . . threw themselves at her feet, Sat in the dust, dressed in dirt. The demons say to the pure Inanna: "O Inanna, wait before thy city, we would bring them to thee." The pure Inanna answers the demons: (Inanna's answer destroyed; the end of the poem is wanting). More recent discoveries have uncovered the ending of the poem: Inanna returns to her home in Erech with the demons, still searching for a replacement for her to take back with them to the underworld. When she enteres her palace, she is greeted by the seen of her husband, Dumuzi, enjoying himself drinking wine. This enrages her because her husband, of all people, ought to have been mourning for her death. She then commands the demons to take Dumuzi as her replacement, which they eventually succeed in doing, and Dumuzi becomes a major cult figure and underworld deity. He presumably marries the recently widowed Ereshkigal and ascends (or descends) to the throne of the nether world. Translated by S. N. Kramer, 1961.     Enki and the World Order The beginning of the poem is unitelligible. When it becomes intelligible, Enki is decreeing the fate of "the land" (Sumer). "O Sumer, great land, of the lands of the universe, Filled with steadfast brightness, the people fromsunrise to sunset obedient to the divine decrees, Thy decrees are excalted decrees, unreachable, Thy heart is profound, unfathomable, Thy . . . is like heaven, untouchable. "The king, begotten, adorns himself with lasting jewel, The lord, begotten, sets crown on head, Thy lord is an honored lord; with An, the king, he sits in the shrine of heaven, Thy king is the great mountain, the father Enlil, Like . . . the father of all the lands. "The Anunnaki, the great gods, In thy midst have taken up their dwelling place, In thy large groves they consume (their) food. "O house of Sumer, may thy stables be manhy, may thy cows multiply, May thy sheepfolds be many, may thy sheep be myriad, May thy . . . stand, May thy steadfast . . . lift hand to heaven, May the Anunnaki decree the fates in thy midst." To Ur he came, Enki, king of the abyss, decrees the fate: "O city, well-supplied, washed by much water, firm standing ox, Shrine of abundance of the land, knees opened, green like the 'mountain,' Hashur-forest, wide shade, . . . heroic, Thy perfected decrees he has directed, The great mountain, Enlil, in the universe has uttered thy exalted name; O thou city whose fates have been decreed by Enki, O thou shrine Ur, neck to heaven mayest thou rise." Enki then goes to the land of Meluhha, possibly northern Africa, then moves onto Mesopotamia. He fills the Tigris and Euphrates with "sparkling water and appoints the god Enbilulu, the 'knower' of rivers, in charge.Enki then fills the rivers eith fishes and makes a deitydescribed as the 'son of Kesh' responsible for them. He next turns to the sea (Persian Gulf), sets up its rules, and appoints the goddess Sirara in charge" (Kramer 1961).   Enki then calls to the winds and appoints over them the god Ishkur, who has charge of the 'silver lock of the "heart" of heaven.' The plow and yoke: The plow and the yoke he directed, The great prince Enki caused the . . . ox to . . . ; To the pure crops he roared, In the steadfast field he made grain grow; The lord, the jewel and ornament of the plain, The . . . farmer of Enlil, Enkimdu, him of the canals and ditches, Enki placed in their charge. The lord called to the steadfast field, he caused it to produce much grain, Enki made it bring forth its small and large beans . . . , The . . . grains he heaped up for the granary, Enki added granary to granary, With Enlil he increases abundance in the land; Her whose head is . . . , whose face is . . . , The lady who . . . , the might of the land, the steadfast support of the black-headed people, Ashnan, strength of all things, Enki placed in charge. "Enki now turns to the pickax and the brickmold, and appoints the brick-god Kabta in charge. He then directs the bulding implement gugun, lays foundations and builds houses, and places them under the charge of Mushdamma, the 'great builder of Enlil.' He then fills the plain with plant and animal life and places Sumugan, 'king of the "mountain",' in control. Finally Enki builds stables and sheepfolds, fills them with milk and fat, and puts them in the care of the sheperd-god Dumuzi. The rest of our text is destroyed and we do not know how to the poem ends" (Kramer 1961). Translated by S. N. Kramer, 1961.