Reading Qs 8

  • Due No Due Date
  • Points 5
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Today you are reading myths and texts about the underworld from Mesopotamia.

Important gods: Inanna/Ishtar, Ereshkigal/Allatu, Dumuzi(d)/Tammuz, Enki/Ea, Nergal

Anun(n)a gods = the underworld gods/beings

 

The Descent of Ishtar/Inanna (Old Babylonian period)

In this myth, the goddess Inanna/Ishtar travels to the underworld to visit her sister, Ereshkigal, who rules as its queen.

  1. What instructions does Inanna give to her attendant Ninshubur? Why tell her to do these things? (lines 28-72)
  2. Why does Inanna say that she wants to enter the underworld?
  3. What instructions does Ereskigal give her attendant Neti about Inanna?
  4. How does the Mesopotamian underworld seem to be structured? How is this similar to or different from the Egyptian underworld?
  5. How does Inanna make everyone in the underworld mad at her? What happens to her as a result?
  6. How do the gods react when they are asked for help? Who finally helps Ninshubur, and what does he do?
  7. Ereshkigala is described in lines 226-235. Why do you think she is described this way?
  8. How is Inanna revived? Do the underworld gods let her go free?
  9. The Anuna (underworld beings) are described in lines 295-305 and 359-367. Why do you think they are described this way?
  10. Who ultimately gets dragged off as Inanna’s substitute? Why?

 

At the end of this text, an arrangement is made that may remind you of the story of Hades and Persephone. One person will be in the underworld for half the year and their sister for the other half of the year.

 

Elegies Mourning the Death of Tammuz (Neo-Assyrian period)

This text is about all the bad things that happen in the world because the god Tammuz (Dumuzi[d]) is dead/stuck in the underworld.

  1. Based on what you saw in the previous text where certain characters were mourning for Inanna, what might be the reason that many people recited these mourning songs for Tammuz?

Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld (Old Babylonian period)

This is one of many stories about the hero Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk. The historical Gilgamesh probably ruled Uruk in the mid 2000s BC[E]. According to legend, his parents were the goddess Ninsu(mu)n and the (ghost of?) king Lugalbanda. Ninsu(mu)n may also have been the mother of Dumuzi, but the stories are mixed on this point.

Please note: you only need to read the first version of the story (pages 1-5).

  1. Why is Inana upset about this halub-tree?
  2. What does Gilgamesh do about the tree after Inana recruits him to help her? (lines 136-150)
  3. Why does Gilgamesh’s servant Enkidu end up going to the underworld?
  4. What instructions does Gilgamesh give Enkidu about how to act there?
  5. Who helps Gilgamesh to retrieve Enkidu? How?
  6. What information about the underworld does Enkidu bring back from his adventure?

 

 

The Underworld Vision of an Assyrian Prince (Neo-Assyrian period)

This text is very broken. I summarize the first few pages for you – you will start reading at paragraph r1 on the fourth page.

Paragraphs 1-15 describe how an Assyrian prince, Kumma, gains a lot of wealth and power, but “in the carelessness of his heart he misbehaved.”

He is happy for a long time, but in paragraph 16 things take a turn. He is suddenly hit with distress and bad omens. He becomes terrified of dying.

In paragraph 27-34 he prays to Ereskigal/Allatu to let him learn about the underworld.

  1. What kinds of things does Kumma see in his dream of the underworld? (paragraphs r1-r11)
  2. Why is Nergal mad at him? What does he decide to do with Kumma? (paragraphs r20-r28)
  3. How does Kumma react? How does the scribe who writes this down react?
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