Enheduanna (fl. 2300 BCE)
Enheduanna (fl. 2300 bce)
Sumerian poet. Born around 2300 bce; daughter of King Sargon I of Agade (2334–2279 bce); became a high priestess of the moon goddess Inanna, in whose honor she wrote The Exaltation of Inanna.
Enheduanna, the daughter of King Sargon I of Agade (the world's first empire, extending from the Mediterranean to Persia), was a high priestess of the moon goddess Inanna, for whom she wrote her famous The Exhaltation of Inanna. Enheduanna is the first writer in history whose name and work have been preserved. Over 40 poems, recorded on cuneiform tablets, have survived the ages. In her verses to Inanna, she addresses the moon goddess as a friend who has descended to the earth to help her in her need. The poems have been likened to Sappho 's poems to Aphrodite in their sensuality and intimacy. Enheduanna was revered for generations and her religious poems influenced many later writers.
suggested reading:
Gioiseffi, Daniela, ed. Women on War: Essential Voices for the Nuclear Age. NY: Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster, 1988.