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Product Description
Review
"A splendid mutual accomplishment and a great gift ot mythology....Inanna is a book to be cherished." -- --P.L. Travers
"This is an admirable translation, a great masterpiece of universal literature." -- --Mircea Eliade
"This is an admirable translation, a great masterpiece of universal literature." -- --Mircea Eliade
Book Description
A fresh retelling of the ancient texts about Ishtar, the world's first goddess. Illustrated with visual artifacts of the period. "A great masterpiece of universal literature."--Mircea Eliade
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow! Beautiful and Powerful Poetry to Inanna,
This review is from: Inanna (Paperback)
INANNA, QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH: HER STORIES AND HYMNS FROM SUMER is a wonderful read, especially if you are studying the ancient Mesopotamians. The book, which is authored by Sumerian expert Samuel Noah Kramer and folklorist Diane Wolkstein is divided into two parts. The first part consists of the poems themselves. These are "The Huluppu Tree"; "Inanna and the God of Wisdom"; "The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi"; "The Descent of Inanna", which contains "From the Great Above to the Great Below", "The Dream of Dumuzi", and the "Return"; and "Seven Hymns to Inanna." The seven hymns are "The Holy Priestess of Heaven", "Loud Thundering Storm", "The Holy One", "The Lady of the Evening", "The Lady of the Morning", "The Lady Who Ascends into Heaven", and "The Joy of Sumer: The Sacred Marriage Rite." The second half of the book is commentaries. Kramer writes two. I found the first one entitled "Sumerian History, Culture, and Literature" absorbing, but his second essay called "The Discovery and Decipherment of 'The Ascent of Inanna'" just left me cold. Wolkstein's contribution was both fascinating and illuminating. It was "Interpretations of Inanna's Stories and Hymns." Elizabeth Williams-Forte wrote the fourth and last entry "Annotations of the Art." It had some interesting information about the black and white pictures of art interspersed throughout the poetry, but it didn't exactly bowl me over with awe.In addition there is a Family Tree for Inanna, a map of Sumer, Sources for Inanna's Stories and Hymns, Notes of the Textual Editing, Selected Bibliography, Acknowledgments, Selected Pronunciation Guide, Index, and Index. The beautiful poetry to Inanna is the most important thing though. I read them aloud. Poetry should be read aloud. They bring the past into the present and they are gorgeous. If you're studying ancient Mesopotamia or if you're into the Goddess Inanna, do yourself a favor and get this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great look at a lost goddess,
By
This review is from: Inanna (Paperback)
Wow. This book is incredible. If you have any interest in the ancient societies of the Middle East buy this book. The translations are clear and give you a feeling of being a part of something that is bigger than every day life. I can't even pick out a favorite with any ease (though I may lean toward "The Lady of the Morning" and "The Lady of the Evening" for personal reasons). Let me say it again: buy this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic introduction to Inanna's greatness,
By
This review is from: Inanna (Paperback)
I'm a pretty big nut when it comes to Sumerian gods and goddesses, so this book was a no brainer. I also have "Inanna: Lady of the Largest Heart," which I would highly reccommend in addition to this book for those who want to learn more about Inanna and Sumeria.This is mostly a collection of short hymns to Inanna, and show her gentle side. Some of the hymns are rather explicit in their descriptions of sex, something kind of out of character for a goddess of love (and of war, let's not forget!). A lot of the poems are really heartwarming, for lack of a better term. I'd actually read some of these to my girlfriend for "romantic poetry," and we both enjoyed them (even though she isn't really into the Sumerian stuff). There are a lot of copies of the ancient Sumerian tablets and images of Inanna, which will really help you get a clear picture of her. The second half of the book is information about Inanna and Sumeria, not exactly really interesting for me, but well written. This would be the best book to pick up for those interested in Inanna, then check out "Lady of the Largest Heart."
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