Viewpoints 2.1: Addressing the Gods in Mesopotamia and Egypt
• Hymns and incantations to the gods are among the earliest written works in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Enheduana, the daughter of Sargon of Akkad, was appointed by her father as high priestess in the Sumerian city of Ur, where she wrote a number of literary and religious works, which were frequently recopied long after her death. The first text below is a part of her best-known work, a hymn to the goddess Inanna. The second text below was inscribed on a wall of the royal burial chambers in the pyramid of the Egyptian king Unas (r. 2375–2345B.C.E.) at Saqqara, a burial ground near the Nile. It is one of many incantations designed to assist the king’s ascent to the heavens and transformation into a god.
Enheduana’s “Exaltation of Inanna”
“Your divinity shines in the pure heavens. . . . Your torch lights up the corners of heaven, turning darkness into light. The men and women form a row for you and each one’s daily status hangs down before you. Your numerous people pass before you, as before Utu [the sun-god], for their inspection. No one can lay a hand on your precious divine powers; all your divine powers. . . . You exercise full ladyship over heaven and earth; you hold everything in your hand. Mistress, you are magnificent, no one can walk before you. You dwell with great An [the god of the heavens] in the holy resting-place. Which god is like you in gathering together . . . in heaven and earth? You are magnificent, your name is praised, you alone are magnificent!
I am En-hedu-ana, the high priestess of the moon god. . . . Mercy, compassion, care, lenience and homage are yours, and to cause flood storms, to open hard ground and to turn darkness into light. My lady, let me proclaim your magnificence in all lands, and your glory! Let me praise your ways and greatness! Who rivals you in divinity? Who can compare with your divine rites? . . . An and Enlil [the chief god of Sumer] have determined a great destiny for you throughout the entire universe. They have bestowed upon you ladyship in the assembly chamber. Being fitted for ladyship, you determine the destiny of noble ladies. Mistress, you are magnificent, you are great! Inanna, you are magnificent, you are great! My lady, your magnificence is resplendent. May your heart be restored for my sake! Your great deeds are unparalleled, your magnificence is praised! Young woman, Inanna, your praise is sweet!”
Pyramid Text of King Unas
“Re-Atum [the sun god], this Unas comes to you,
Who lays claim to the place of the four pillars!
Your son comes to you, this Unas comes to you,
May you cross the sky united in the dark,
May you rise in lightland, the place in which you shine!
Osiris, Isis, go proclaim to Lower Egypt’s gods
“This Unas comes, a spirit indestructible,
Like the morning star above Hapy [the god of the flooding of the Nile],
Whom the water-spirits worship;
Whom he wishes to live will live,
Whom he wishes to die will die!”
Thoth [the god of law and science], go proclaim to the gods of the west
“This Unas comes, a spirit indestructible,
Decked above the neck as Anubis,
Lord of the western height,
He will count hearts, he will claim hearts,
Whom he wishes to live will live,
Whom he wishes to die will die!””
Sources: Excerpts from J. A. Black et al., Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/), Oxford 1998–2006, http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.07.3#; Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings. Vol. 1: The Old and Middle Kingdoms. Reproduced with permission of UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS in the format Book via Copyright Clearance Center.
- What powers and qualities of the goddess Inanna does Enheduana praise? What powers does the author of the pyramid text ascribe to the god-king Unas?
- Enheduana was a member of the ruling dynasty of Akkad, and Unas was the king of Egypt. How did their social position shape their relationship to the gods? What differences do you see in their relationships to the gods in the two works?