Ishtar

Description

Ishtar is the first book dedicated to providing an accessible analysis of the mythology and image of this complex goddess. The polarity of her nature is reflected in her role as goddess of sexual love and war, and has made her difficult to characterise in modern scholarship. By exploring this complexity, Ishtar offers insight into Mesopotamian culture and thought, and elucidates a goddess who transcended the limits of gender, divinity and nature. It gives an accessible introduction to the Near Eastern pantheon, while also opening a pathway for comparison with the later Near Eastern and Mediterranean deities who followed her. Ishtar- Front Cover Ishtar Title Page Copyright Page Contents Series foreword WHY GODS AND HEROES? Acknowledgements List of figures WHY ISHTAR? INTRODUCTION HOW TO USE THIS BOOK ISHTAR: A COMPLICATED DEITY MESOPOTAMIA THE EVIDENCE FOR ISHTAR ENHEDUANNA AND ANCIENT LITERATURE ISHTAR AND IMAGERY ISHTAR AND HISTORIOGRAPHY AN OVERVIEW OF THE THEMES OF THIS BOOK RE-INTRODUCING ISHTAR KEY THEMES CHAPTER 1: LOVE AND INTIMACY CUNEIFORM LITERATURE AND CONTEXT THE SETTING OF THE POETRY THE YOUNG GODDESS IN LOVE UTU AND INANNA FAMILY AND THE HOLY MOTHER-IN-LAW INANNA’S LOVER DUMUZI DUMUZI IN LOVE POETRY LOVE IN LITERATURE SOME ELEMENTS OF THE INANNA/DUMUZI NARRATIVE DEFINING TERMS IN SUMERIAN LOVE POETRY THEMES OF SUMERIAN LOVE POETRY SEXUAL INTIMACY SPEECH AND INTIMACY THE WORLD’S FIRST POWER DRESSER? MARITAL AND MATERIAL STATUS GIFT-GIVING AND AGRICULTURE CONSIDERING POSSIBLE PURPOSES FOR SUMERIAN LOVE POETRY LAMENTATIONS FOR DUMUZI OVERVIEW NOTES CHAPTER 2: SEXUALITY AND ORDER SACRED PROSTITUTION AND SACRED MARRIAGE SEX AND THE SINGLE GODDESS ISHTAR/INANNA AS LIBIDO SEXUALITY AND BOUNDARIES ISHTAR AND COSMIC ORDER ISHTAR AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE PERSPECTIVE, STATUS, FATE AND REVERSALS INANNA AND THE Me THE THREE PLAGUES PUNISHMENT AND CRIME ORDER ANIMAL LOVE? OVERVIEW CHAPTER 3: ISHTAR AND THE PANTHEON THE PANTHEON DIVINE COMPARISONS INTIMACY AND ACCESS THE ORIGINS OF POWER LIMINALITY AND STRUCTURE THE Me ISHTAR AND THE PANTHEON INANNA AND ENKI THE AGUSHAJA HYMN INANNA AND ENKI MOTIVATION NINSHUBUR ENKI AND THE WORLD ORDER INANNA AND AN PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES ISHTAR’S VOICE INANNA’S DESCENT TO THE NETHERWORLD LOYALTY POWER DRESSING FOR A FUNERAL ISHTAR AND AGENCY OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4: KINGSHIP, BATTLE AND FAMILY MESOPOTAMIAN KINGSHIP BENEFITS AND BALANCE KINGSHIP AND THE GODS DISTINCTIVENESS DUMUZI STORMS AND BATTLE ISHTAR AS MOTHER WIFE, MOTHER AND SISTER INANNA/ISHTAR AS VENUS ISHTAR AS WIFE SACRED MARRIAGE AND RITUAL? MARRIAGE IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA MARITAL STATUS THE DIVINE IN-LAWS OVERVIEW CHAPTER 5: ISHTAR AND THE HEROES OF MESOPOTAMIAN EPIC THE HERO AND THE GODDESS ENMERKAR LUGALBANDA ETANA GILGAMESH AS EVIDENCE ONE GODDESS, TWO WAYS THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH, TABLET VI BATHING AND BEAUTY GIFTING AND ABUNDANCE GILGAMESH REFUSES THE PROPOSAL TO LOVE AND PROTECT? MYTHIC BACKGROUND DUMUZI IN GILGAMESH’S REJECTION ISHULLANU AND SHUKALETUDA FOOD, WOMEN AND GILGAMESH FOOD AND LIFE ISHTAR RESPONDS SACRIFICE AND DIVINE CONNECTIONS ISHTAR IN THE GILGAMESH EPIC ISHTAR AND GILGAMESH GILGAMESH AND ISHTAR IN SUMERIAN MYTH GILGAMESH, ENKIDU AND THE NETHERWORLD HARMONY AND CARPENTRY UTU AND GILGAMESH: BROTHER AND HERO GILGAMESH AND AGGA GILGAMESH’S DESTRUCTIVE LOVE OVERVIEW NOTES CHAPTER 6: VENGEANCE AND DEATH REVENGE AND ORDER KINGSHIP AND JUSTICE DIVINE JUSTICE COMPLEXITY AND VARIETY IN MYTHS INVOLVING VENGEANCE INANNA AND EBIH INANNA AND BILULU A ‘PATTERN’ OF REVENGE SOCIAL CONTEXTS FOR JUSTICE RAISING THE DEAD COSMIC CONTEXTS FOR JUSTICE DEATH IN MESOPOTAMIAN THOUGHT AND CULTURE ISHTAR AND DEATH OVERVIEW ISHTAR AFTERWARDS CHAPTER 7: RECEPTION AND INFLUENCE THE DISAPPEARING GODDESS SEXUALITY AND SCHOLARSHIP MYTH AND INFLUENCE THE DYING AND RISING GOD SCHOOL SYNCRETISMS MEASURING INFLUENCE APHRODITE ISHTAR AND THE BIBLE ISHTAR AND FEMINIST THOUGHT ISHTAR IN MODERN POPULAR CULTURE ISHTAR IN SONG LITERARY ISHTAR ISHTAR ON SCREEN STARGATE: SG-1 YEAR ONE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER HERCULES ISHTAR IN THE STARS OVERVIEW NOTE Further Reading INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: LOVE AND INTIMACY CHAPTER 2: SEXUALITY AND ORDER CHAPTER 3: ISHTAR AND THE PANTHEON CHAPTER 4: KINGSHIP, BATTLE AND FAMILY CHAPTER 5: ISHTAR AND THE HEROES OF MESOPOTAMIAN EPIC CHAPTER 6: VENGEANCE AND DEATH CHAPTER 7: RECEPTION AND INFLUENCE Bibliography Glossary Timeline Index