Enheduanna (2286 BCE-2251 BCE) was a high priestess and the world’s first author known by name. Her work bridged cultural and religious divides and was foundational for civilizations to come.
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Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Womannica.
Our storyteller of the day lived over 4,000 years ago. She was a high priestess and the world’s first author known by name. Her work bridged cultural and religious divides and was foundational for civilizations to come.
Let’s talk about Enheduanna.
Enheduanna was born in 2286 BCE. She was the daughter of Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great. Sargon was the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire which spanned across Mesopotamia. In terms of modern nation-states, the Empire included much of Iraq, Kuwait and Syria, as well as parts of Turkey and Iran.
When Sargon rose to power, he appointed Enheduanna to the position of high priestess of the most important temple in Sumer: the site of the earliest known civilization in the region. She was likely the first woman to hold this position, and her task was pivotal to her father’s success as a ruler.
Enheduanna was responsible for merging the Sumerian gods with the Akkadian gods. The hope was that a homogenous religion would consolidate her father’s power and bring stability to the region. But her efforts at unity did not go untested. Several times during Enheduanna’s time as high priestess, she endured coups and insurrections led by the Sumerians. One such coup forced her into years of exile, though eventually, she was able to return to her position.
Enheduanna pursued unifying religious factions by writing hymns and poems. Her writing humanized the gods -- and drew a more direct and personal connection between the deities and everyday life. She depicted the gods as sympathetic and compassionate, finding harmony between the Sumarian and Akkadian beliefs. Through more than 40 years as high priestess, the concept of gods transformed in the Akkadian Empire. No longer were there gods for just Sumarians or just Akkadians -- Enheduanna wrote of gods meant for all people.
Her best known works are three hymns written to the goddess Inanna. Inanna is linked to goddesses that appear in later civilizations too, such as the Greek Aphrodite. The hymns describe Inanna’s powers over desire, love and sexuality -- often taking on a very sensual tone.
In addition to her hymns, Enheduanna was known for her poetry. To this day, forty-two poems are credited to her name, including personal reflections of frustration, hope and religious devotion.
Over the years, some have cast doubt upon Enheduanna’s authorship of her many works. A few historians suggest that rather than Enheduanna herself authoring the poems that bear her name, her male scribes may have produced the work instead. Evidence for this lies in the fact that Enheduanna’s poems were preserved with the cylinder seal of her scribe. That was a common way to authenticate documents that came from her office. Most historians point out that this practice was common, and is certainly not enough evidence to cast doubt on the actual authorship of the material. Furthermore, Enheduanna identifies herself as the author in several of her poems. Plus, fellow writers who came after her, reference her work.
Indeed, the impact of Enheduanna’s work long outlived her. She is credited with creating paradigms of poetry and prayers that are still used today.
Of her impact, scholar Paul Kriwaczek wrote:
"Her compositions, though only rediscovered in modern times, remained models of petitionary prayer for [centuries]. Through the Babylonians, they influenced and inspired the prayers and psalms of the Hebrew Bible and the Homeric hymns of Greece. Through them, faint echoes of Enheduanna, the first named literary author in history, can even be heard in the hymnody of the early Christian church."
Enheduanna died in 2251 BCE. In 1927, a British archaeologist excavated the temple where she was buried. His findings included artifacts left at the burial site that were centuries younger than Enheduanna herself, meaning that offerings continued to be laid at her tomb long after the fall of the Akkadian Empire.
Enheduanna’s impact on Mesopotamian culture and theology cannot be overstated. She redefined the gods for her people. Her poems and hymns influenced religious writing over several millennia.
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