Enheduanna

The heroine I choose to honor is a remarkable woman whose story is reemerging from the ancient past. She was a poet, a priestess, and a princess and set standards in all three of her roles for many centuries after her lifetime. Her name is Enheduanna and she is the first author in human history whose work is signed. Her poetry is lauded by literary critics, she was a powerful priestess, and as a princess she was a political force in ancient Mesopotamia.

Enheduanna was the daughter of Sargon I, king of Sumer and Assyria. It was in his reign that the two cultures were united. His appointment of Enheduanna as High Priestess to the Moon God, Nanna, established a precedent. Never before had a ruler done this. It served to keep power in the family and was a tool to help unite the two political states, Assyria and Sumer. Enheduanna’s personal divinity, however, was the Goddess, Inanna. This Goddess was worshipped as Ishtar in Assyria and as Inanna in Sumer so having a High Priestess devoted to her helped both peoples accept Sargon as sovereign.

There is ample evidence that Enheduanna played her political and priestess roles well. But it is her body of literary work that moves us today. Her style is recognizable and lyrical; her content tells us something of her life story and confirms her personal power and position. This ancient poetry is beautifully written, develops a strong narrative that tells a gripping story, and uses phrasing that brings the whole chronicle to life.

That the first author whose work is signed is a woman should be a better known historical fact. I honor her as my heroine.