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Her minister walked beside her, and now
Inanna speaks to him, Ninbushar,'My loyal minister, angel of eloquence who tells the truth,
I am on my way, the way to hell, but when I have gone
you must raise a shout in heaven for my sake,
a howl in the hall of the gods;
beat a drum in the holy shrine for my sake,
scratch your eyes and lacerate your mouth,
put on a ragged shirt and be a beggar for my sake... 'PLACE: Sumeria
TIME: prehistory
CIRCUMSTANCE: from 'Inanna's Journey to Hell'; Inanna, the goddess of fertility, prepares for her descent to hell.
Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, translated by N.K. Sandars, Penguin Books, 1971, p. 136.
Kalaturru and Kurgarru did an Enki said,
they turned their footsteps down to hell,
buzzed like flies round the gate,
circled the pivot...PLACE: Sumeria
TIME: prehistory
CIRCUMSTANCE: from 'Inanna's Journey to Hell'; Manuscript found in Nippur dates from ca. 1800 B.C.
Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, translated by N.K. Sandars, Penguin Books, 1971, p. 145-146.
The flute-song of the shepherd is broken,
the pipes are shattered
in front of him,
for on him Inanna has fastened
the eyes of death,
she has spoken the sentence
of the accused,
she has uttered the cry
of the accursed,'As for that one, carry him off!'
PLACE: Sumeria
TIME: prehistory
CIRCUMSTANCE: from 'Inanna's Journey to Hell'; mss. found in Niqqur dates from ca. 1800 B.C.
Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, translated by N.K. Sandars, Penguin Books, 1971, p. 149-150.
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