Inanna, queen of heaven and earth : her stories and hymns from Sumer

A fresh retelling of the ancient texts about Ishtar, the world's first goddess. Illustrated with visual artifacts of the period. 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 aannotations 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. "A great masterpiece of universal literature."--Mircea Eliade Translation And Retelling Of The Inanna Stories From The Sumerian. With The Publication Of This Book, We Have For The First Time In Any Modern Literary Form One Of The Most Vital Of Ancient Myths- That Of Inanna (known To The Semites As Ishtar), The World's First Goddess Of Recorded History And The Beloved Deity Of The Ancient Sumerians. In This Groundbreaking Work, Samuel Noah Kramer, The Preeminent Living Expert On Sumer, And Diane Wolkstein Have Retranslated, Ordered, And Combined The Fragmented Cuneiform Tablets Comprising The Cycle Of Inanna To Created An Authentic Portrait Of The Goddess From Her Adolescence To Her Completed Womanhood And Godship. -- From Back Cover Partial Contents: Inanna's Stories And Hymns -- Commentaries. Inanna's Stories And Hymns: The Huluppa-tree -- Inanna And The God Of Wisdom -- The Courtship Of Inanna And Dumuzi -- The Descent Of Inanna -- Seven Hymns To Inanna. Commentaries: Sumerian History, Culture, And Literature / By Samuel Noah Kramer -- The Discovery And Decipherment Of 'the Descent Of Inanna' / By Samuel Noah Kramer -- Interpretation Of Inanna's Stories And Hymns / By Diane Wolkstein -- Annotations Of The Art / By Elizabeth Williams-forte. Diane Wolkstein And Samuel Noah Kramer ; Art Compiled By Elizabeth Williams-forte. Translation And Retelling Of The Inanna Stories From The Sumerian. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 209-212. Recounts the epic legends concerning the ancient Sumerian goddess, Inanna, and analyzes the mythology, religious beliefs, and culture of Sumer