Summary page for Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, war, and fertility.
Pantheon:
Deity Of:
Fertility, Love, War, Procreation, Protector of Grain
Archetype:
Warrior Goddess: Known for her role as a goddess of warfare.
Love Deity: Represented love and fertility.
Protector Goddess: Supported kings in battle.
Justice Deity: Enforced divine justice with her twin brother Utu.
Sky Goddess: Known as the “Queen of Heaven.”
Harvest Deity: Connected to agriculture and the earth.
Group:
Anunnaki
Other Names (a.k.a.):
Anna-Nin, Annis, Inana, Inanna, Innana, Innin, Innini, Inninina, Ištar, Nana, Nidaba, Ninanna, Nininni, Ninni, Ninsinna, Queen of Heaven
Other Pantheons:
Canaanite: Astarte
Akkadian: Ishtar
Hittite: Sauska
Phrygian: Cybele
Babylonian: Nina
Greek: Aphrodite
Roman: Venus
Goddess of Love, War, and Fertility: Revered for her powers over love, sensuality, and procreation.
War Goddess: Known as the “Queen of Battles” and fierce in warfare.
Goddess of Earth and Agriculture: Protected grain, date groves, and wine production.
Queen of Heaven: Rose from a local deity to a supreme celestial figure.
Descent to the Underworld: Famous for her journey into the underworld, challenging Ereshkigal’s rule.
Associated with Venus: Linked to the planet Venus, the morning and evening star.
Symbol of Civilization: Received the mes from Enki, embodying all aspects of culture.
Protector of Kings: Supported and guided favored kings, aiding them in battles and leadership.
Siblings:
Ereshkigal – goddess of Underworld as Queen of The Dead
Ishkur – god of Storm, Wind
Numushda – god of Flooding
Utu – god of Sun, Justice
Consorts:
Dumuzi – god of Fertility, Grain, Flocks and Herds, Underworld
Children:
None Known
Inanna was depicted as a young, independent woman. Unapologetic in expressing her power.
People associated doves and rosettes with Inanna, denoting her aspects of love and fertility.
Inanna’s imagery included the hook-shaped knot of reeds. Symbolizing fertility and abundance.
She wore a battle dress and carried a quiver and bow, highlighting her role as a war goddess.
Artists depicted Inanna with lions, symbolizing her courage and supremacy. In art, she appeared riding a lion, emphasizing her dominance over the “king of beasts.”
She was associated with the planet Venus, known as the morning and evening star.
The eight-pointed star was a common symbol for Inanna, representing her connection to the heavens and Venus.
Weapons:
Quiver and Bow: Often shown armed with a quiver and bow in battle dress.
Sacred Animals:
Lion: Symbolized strength and power; often depicted riding or standing with lions.
Dove: Associated with peace and divine presence; featured in temple artifacts.
Symbolism:
Eight-Pointed Star: Represented her connection to Venus and the heavens.
Twisted Knot of Reeds: Symbolized fertility and abundance, resembling a storehouse doorpost.
Rosette: Served as a key symbol, representing life and divine authority.
Ring Post: A doorpost design, became her cuneiform logogram in early texts.
Celestial Associations:
Planet Venus: Linked to Venus as the morning and evening star.
Eight-Pointed Star: Symbolized her celestial role and connection to Venus.
Stars and Moons: Depicted alongside the crescent moon (Nanna) and solar disk (Utu).
Realms:
Heaven: Known as the “Queen of Heaven” and patron of the Eanna temple.
Underworld: Descended into Kur, the land of no return, ruled by Ereshkigal.
City of Uruk: Patron goddess of Uruk, her main cult center.
Eridu: Visited Enki’s domain to acquire the divine Me for civilization.
Worship Places:
Eanna Temple, Uruk: Main sanctuary and central cult center; known as the “House of Heaven.”
Zabalam: Second most significant early site of Inanna worship after Uruk.
Nippur, Lagash, Shuruppak, and Ur: Hosted important temples dedicated to her worship.
Other Key Cities: Had temples in Babylon, Akkade, Adab, Isin, Larsa, and more.
Assyrian Cities: Venerated in Nineveh, Aššur, and Arbela during later periods.
Eridu: Visited in myth, especially in the story of acquiring the divine Me.
Rituals & Divinations:
Sacred Marriage Ritual: King and high priestess enacted a marriage to ensure fertility.
Funerary Rites: Mourning rituals were performed before her descent to the underworld.
Sacred Prostitution: Temple practices involved rituals symbolizing fertility and prosperity.
Prayers for Love and Potency: Devotees sought her aid for love and overcoming impotence.
Festivals:
New Year’s Festival: Celebrated the Sacred Marriage between Inanna and Dumuzi. This ritual ensured prosperity and abundance for the land.
Akitu Festival: Included reenactments of the Sacred Marriage, symbolizing fertility and renewal.
Summer Festival: Commemorated Inanna’s descent to the underworld, often observed in July or August.
Seasonal Rites: Marked Dumuzi’s return from the underworld during the autumn equinox, celebrating the renewal of life.
Fertility Cycles: Rituals aligned with agricultural seasons, representing life, death, and rebirth.
Biblical References:
Queen of Heaven: Indirectly referenced in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-25, where worship of the “Queen of Heaven” is condemned.
Linked to Astarte/Ashtoreth: Astarte, related to Inanna, appears in 1 Kings 11:5, linked to King Solomon’s worship practices.
Influence on Worship: The Bible critiques practices similar to those in Inanna’s worship, like offering cakes and drink offerings.
Inanna Prefers the Farmer: Inanna chose the farmer Dumuzi over the shepherd Enkimdu, symbolizing her preference for agricultural prosperity over pastoral life.
Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld: Innana ventured into the underworld, faced trials, died, and was resurrected. Thus, representing the cycle of life, death, and seasonal change.
Epic of Gilgamesh: Inanna (as Ishtar) proposed to Gilgamesh, and when he rejected her, she sent the Bull of Heaven to punish him, showcasing her influence and wrath.
Inanna and Utu: As siblings, they had adventures, with Utu often aiding Inanna in her quests, highlighting themes of family loyalty and divine assistance.
Inanna and the Huluppu Tree: Goddess nurtured a willow tree intending to use it, showing her connection to nature and her nurturing side.
Enki and the World Order: Inanna received the MEs (divine decrees) from Enki, establishing her power and authority in the pantheon.
Visit All Sumerian Gods & Goddesses
- Arthur Cotterell, Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology (Oxford University Press, 1997)
- Charles Russell Coulter and Patricia Turner, Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities (McFarland Myth and Legend Encyclopedias) (McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, 1997)
- J.A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2007)
- Joshua J. Mark, Inanna (World History Encyclopedia, October 15, 2010) https://www.worldhistory.org/Inanna/
- Matt Clayton, Sumerian Mythology: Captivating Myths Of Gods, Goddesses, And Legendary Creatures of Ancient Sumer and Their Importance To The Sumerians (Captivating History, 2019)
- Multiple Authors, Inanna (Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, February 21, 2024) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanna
- Yaǧmur Heffron, Inana/Ištar (goddess) (Oracc and the UK Higher Education Academy, 2019) https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/inanaitar/