A fresh retelling of the ancient texts about Ishtar, the world's first goddess. Illustrated with visual artifacts of the period. "A great masterpiece of universal literature."--Mircea Eliade "This is an admirable translation, a great masterpiece of universal literature."--Mircea Eliade"A splendid mutual accomplishment and a great gift ot mythology...."Inanna "is a book to be cherished."--P.L. Travers"In the myth of Inanna, Wolkstein and Kramer give us back the totality of woman, the ruler-wife-lover-redeemer, whom all worshiped and from whom all life flowed. It is a thrilling rediscovery."--Olivier Bernier"Wolkstein has been able to convey in English the rich metaphor, the erotic fullness, and the ritual pacing of these ancient stories....Taken together with the illustrations, historical discussions, and textual commentaries, this book is worth a tower of scholarly tomes....Such a feat is remarkable and rare."--Barre Toelken, Director of Folklore and Ethnic Studies, University of Oregon"I felt shivers of recognition reading these ancient lines that proclaim Inanna's discovery of her prowess....Kramer and Wolkstein make us love their awesome goddess whose stormy complexities have been concealed in cuneiform tablets for thousands of years."--Nor Hall A fresh retelling of the ancient texts about Ishtar, the world's first goddess. Illustrated with visual artifacts of the period. "A great masterpiece of universal literature."--Mircea Eliade Diane Wolkstein has been teaching, performing, and writing for over thirty-five years. She is the author of numerous award-winning books of folklore, including The Magic Orange Tree, and Other Haitian Folktales and Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer. Known for her meticulous research as well as her great range as a performer, Ms. Wolkstein traveled to Australia three times while preparing this story. She gives workshops on storytelling worldwide and lives in New York City. In Her Own Words... "I love stories. They give me strength, Inspiration, courage, and great delight. For thirty years I've told stories at the statue of Hans Christian Andersen in Central Park. I love watching the eyes of my audience light up as they enter stories. Stories let us explore the farthest places in the universe and the deepest recesses of the human heart. They present possibilities. They let us try out different emotions and characters. Stories are treasures which last forever. "I also enjoy gardening, dancing, swimming, painting, and creating stories with music. My daughter, Rachel Zucker, is a poet, photographer, and the mother of a little boy named Moses." Inanna By Wolkstein, Diane Perennial Copyright © 2004 Diane Wolkstein All right reserved. ISBN: 0060908548 Chapter One The Huluppu -Tree In the first days, in the very first days, In the first nights, in the very first nights, In the first years, in the very first years, In the first days when everything needed was brought into being, In the first days when everything needed was properly nourished, When bread was baked in the shrines of the land, And bread was tasted in the homes of the land, When heaven had moved away from earth, And earth had separated from heaven, And the name of man was fixed; When the Sky God, An, had carried off the heavens, And the Air God, Enlil, had carried off the earth, When the Queen of the Great Below, Ereshkigal, was given the underworld for her domain, He set sail; the Father set sail, Enki, the God of Wisdom, set sail for the underworld. Small windstones were tossed up against him; Large hailstones were hurled up against him; Like onrushing turtles, They charged the keel of Enki's boat. The waters of the sea devoured the bow of his boat like wolves; The waters of the sea struck the stern of his boat like lions. At that time, a tree, a single tree, a huluppu-tree Was planted by the banks of the Euphrates. The tree was nurtured by the waters of the Euphrates. The whirling South Wind arose, pulling at its roots And ripping at its branches Until the waters of the Euphrates carried it away. A woman who walked in fear of the word of the Sky God, An, Who walked in fear of the word of the Air God, Enlil, Plucked the tree from the river and spoke: "I shall bring this tree to Uruk. I shall plant this tree in my holy garden." Inanna cared for the tree with her hand. She settled the earth around the tree with her foot. She wondered: "How long will it be until I have a shining throne to sit upon? How long will it be until I have a shining bed to lie upon?" The years passed; five years, then ten years. The tree grew thick, But its bark did not split. Then a serpent who could not be charmed Made its nest in the roots of the huluppu-tree. The Anzu-bird set his young in the branches of the tree. And the dark maid Lilith built her home in the trunk. The young woman who loved to laugh wept. How Inanna wept! (Yet they would not lea