The Enheduanna Society - 1st May 2010

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Enheduanna evening at the Salisbury House Arts Centre in Enfield

Enheduanna: the first named poet

Despite the great distance in time and space between the city of Ur in 2300 BCE and the London suburb of Enfield today, Enheduanna’s poetry touched the hearts and stimulated the poetic juices of the Salisbury House poets.

It was bucketing with rain outside but there was a full-house for a slide-illustrated talk and recitation in English by Fran Hazelton and a recorded reading in Sumerian by Janette Yacoub. Harpist Tara Jaff provided the musical accompaniment. The presentation was illustrated with a slide show produced by Emily Elizabeth and Jennifer Iles.

Click thumbnails to view photos:


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Three poems to the Goddess Inanna

These poems are each 150–250 lines long

It’s usually known today in English as ‘Inanna and Mount Ibih’.

It’s known to Sumerian scholars ancient and modern by its first line: IN-NIN-ME-HUŠ-A⁵.

This reads aloud as ‘Innin mehusha’ and translates as ‘Lady of blazing dominion’.

It’s usually known today in English as ‘Lady of Largest Heart’.

It’s known to Sumerian scholars ancient and modern by its first line: IN-NIN-ŠA-GUR₄-RA⁵.

This reads aloud as ‘Innin shagurra’ and translates as ‘Lady of largest heart’

It’s usually known today in English as ‘The Exultation of Inanna’.

It’s known to Sumerian scholars ancient and modern by its first line: NIN-ME-ŠÁR-RA.

This reads aloud as ‘Nin mesharra’ and translates as: ‘Queen of all cosmic powers’.

Listen to a recital in Sumerian of extracts from Enheduanna's poem
NIN-ME-ŠÁR-RA read by Janette Yacoub (4m 12s).