The Descent of Inanna* [Notes for actors, not to be spoken aloud.

] [at the top of the story, Inanna and Erishkigal tussle over the 'me' and break apart. Inanna ascends to the Heavens into the arms of Dumuzi (celebration) while Erishkigal quietly goes to Hell and suffers the death of her husband. (A low buzz [sounds of grieving] from the depths that grows and grows. Inanna is the only one who hears the sound. The buzz overshadows the celebration) Story begins here:
"From the Great Above She opened her ear [consciousness] to the Great Below. From the Great Above the Goddess opened her ear to the Great Below. From the Great Above Inanna opened her ear to the Great Below. My Lady abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld. Inanna abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld. She abandoned her office (station) of Holy Priestess to descend to the underworld.... [to witness the funeral rites of Gugalanna, husband of her sister, Erishkigal, Queen of the Underworld.] With the 7 adornments in her possession, she prepared herself. She placed the crown upon her head. She arranged the dark locks of hair across her forehead. She tied the small lapis beads around her neck. She let the double strand of beads fall to her breast, And wrapped the royal robe around her body. She bound the breast plate around her chest, Slipped the gold bracelets over her wrist. And took the lapis measuring rod and line* in hand. To the land of no return, to the land of darkness, Inanna set out for the underworld, To the house of shadows, To the house without exit, To the house without light, Inanna went. Ninshubur,her faithful servant, went with her to the the darkened gate. Inanna spoke to her saying: Ninshubur, my constant support, My friend who gives me wise advice, My warrior who fights by my side, I am descending to the underworld. If I do not return, Set up a lament for me by the ruins.

Beat a drum for me in the assembly places. Circle the houses of the gods. Tear at your eyes, at your mouth, at your thighs. Dress yourself like a beggar. Weep before Father Enki, the God of Wisdom who knows the food of life, The water of life; The secret of life. Surely he will not let me die. Inanna continued on her way to the underworld. Then she stopped and said: "Go now NinshuburDo not forget the words I have commanded you!" When Inanna arrived at the outer gates of the underworld, She knocked loudly. "Gatekeeper, ho, open thy gate! Open thy gate, Neti, that Inanna may enter! If you do not open the gate to let me enter, I will break the door, I will wrench the lock, I will smash the door-posts,I will force the doors. I will bring up the dead to eat the living So that the dead will outnumber the living. Open the door, Neti! I alone would enter." Neti, the Chief Gatekeeper, asked, Who are you?" Inanna answered, "I am Inanna, Queen of Heaven." She knocked again loudly. "Stop, oh lady, do not destroy the gate. I will go to announce thy name to Queen Erishkigal. (The Gatekkeeper runs thru the audience in search of his Queen.) The Gatekeeper entered and spoke to Erishkigal. "Ho! Your sister Inanna waits outside the palace gates With the 7 adornments in her possession Hostility of the great powers.... When Erishkigal heard this she trembled. She shook. "What has moved her mind and heart to bring her here? Does she now wish to dwell with me?" (Decision pause) "Come, my Gatekeeper, heed my words. Bolt the seven gates of the underworld. Then, one by one,open each gate a crack. Let Inanna enter. As she enters, remove her royal garments. Let the holy priestess of heaven enter bowed low. Go Gatekeeper. Open the gate for her. Treat her as you would anyone who travels here". When she entered the first gate, from her head the crown was removed. Inanna asked, "What is this?" Enter,O lady, thus are the rules of the mistress of the underworld.

When she entered the second gate, he stripped and took away the lapis beads around her neck. "Why,O Gatekeeper, do you remove my necklace?" To which he replied, "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of your sister, Erishkigel. When she entered the third gate, from her breast the double strand of beads he did remove. Inanna asked,"What is .......?" "Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect. They may not be questioned.' When she entered the fourth gate, He stripped the breast plate from around her chest. She thought to question it but remembered the Gatekeeper's words. . When she entered the the fifth gate,he slipped the gold bracelets from off her wrists. When she entered the sixth gate, he unwrapped (tore) the royal robe from 'round her body. When she entered seventh gate, he took the lapis measuring rod from her hand. Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room. Ereshkigal rose from her throne. Inanna started down toward the throne. [Inanna lunges at Erishkigal. Erishkigal attacks Inanna.] The Judges of the Underworld surrounded her. They passed judgment against her. Then Ereshkigal fastened on Inanna the eye of death. She spoke against her the word of wrath. She uttered against her the cry of guilt. She struck her. Inanna was turned into a corpse, A piece of rotting meat, And was hung from a hook on the wall...... or [She hung her corpse on a peg to rot.] After three days and nights, Inanna had not returned, Ninshubur, her faithful friend set up a lament for her by the ruins. She beat the drum for her in the assembly places. She tore at her eyes. She tore at her mouth. She tore at her thighs. She circled 'round the houses of the Gods. She circled the house of Enlil, the highest god of heaven and earth. She circled the house of Nanna, Inanna's father and the god of the moon, but both refused to meddle in the ways of the Underworld. Finally she turned to Enki, the god of waters and wisdom. He heard Ninshubur's pleas and grieved for Inanna. From the dirt beneath his fingernails, he made two creatures, neither male nor female. He gave them food and drink to bring to the underworld and told them to grieve with Erishkegal. "Go to the Underworld. Enter he doors like flies", said Father Enki. The two creatures set out for the Underworld. Like flies, they slipped through the cracks of the grates. They entered the throne room of the Queen of the Underworld. No linen was spread on her body.

Her breasts were undercovered. Her hair swirled around her head like leeks. Erishkigal was moaning with grief: 'Oh! Oh! My inside!" They moaned. 'Oh! Oh! Your inside!' She moaned: 'Ohhhhhhh! Oh! My outside!' They moaned: 'Ohhhhh! Oh! Your outside!' She groaned: 'Oh! Oh! My belly!' They groaned: 'Oh! Oh! Your belly!' She groaned: 'Oh! Oh! My back! They groaned: 'Oh! Oh! Your back!' She signed: 'Ah! Ah! My heart!' They sighed: 'Ah! Ah! Your heart!' She sighed: 'Ah! Ah! My liver!' They sighed: 'Ah! Ah! Your liver!' Erishkigal stopped. She looked at them. She asked, "Who are you, Moaning - groaning- sighing with me? If you are gods, I will bless you. If you are mortals, I will give you a gift. I will give you the water gift, the river in its fullness." The eunichs answered: "We do not wish it." Erishkigal said: "I will give you the grain gift, the fields in harvest." The eunichs answered: "We do not wish it." Erishkigal said: "Speak then! What do you wish?" They answered: "We wish only for the corpse that hangs from the hook on the wall." Erishkigal said: "The corpse belongs to my sister, Inanna." They said: "Whether it belongs to our queen, Whether it belongs to our king,

That is what we wish." The corpse was given to them. The eunuchs sprinkled the food of life on the corpse. The eunuchs sprinked the water of life on the corpse. Inanna arose...... Inanna was about to ascend from the underworld When the Judges of the Underworld seized her. They said: "No one ascends from the Underworld unmarked. If Inanna wishes to return from the Underworld, She must provide someone in her place." As Inanna ascended from the underworld, The small demons of the underworld clung to her side, Like reeds the size of low picket fences. The large demons of the underworld clung to her, too, Like reeds the size of large picket fences. The one who walked in front of Inanna carried the sceptre of a minister. The one who walked behind carried the mace of a warrior. Ninshubur, dressed in a soiled sackcloth, Waited outside the palace gates. When she saw Inanna, she threw herself at Inanna's feet. The demons said: "Walk on Inanna, We shall take Ninshubur in your place." Inanna cried: "No! Ninshubur is my constant support. She is my friend who gives me wise advice. My warrior who fights at my side. She did not forget my words. She set up a lament for me by the ruins. And beat the drum for me at the assembly places. She circled 'round the houses of the gods. Because of her, my life was saved. I will never give Ninshubur to you! The demons said: "Walk on Inanna, We will accompany you to the holy shrine." At the shrine, was Shara, the son of Inanna. When he saw Inanna, Surrounded by the demons, He threw himself in the dust at her feet. The demons said: "Walk on to your city, Inanna, We will take Shara in your place." Inanna cried: "No! Not Shara! He is my son who sings hymns to me,

He is my son who cuts my nails and smooths my hair. I will never give Shara to you." The demons said: "Walk on, Inanna, We will take Lulal in your place!" Inanna cried: "No, not Lulal, he is my son. He is a leader among men. He is my right arm. He is my left arm. I will never give Lulal to you." The demons said: "Walk on to your city, Inanna. There we will go to your palace. At the palace, Dumuzi, husband of Inanna, was dressed in his royal garments. He sat upon Inanna's throne. Upon seeing her, he did not move. Inanna fastened upon Dumuzi the eye of death, She spoke against him the word of wrath. She uttered against him the cry of guilt. "Take him away! Take Dumuzi away!" Dumuzi let out a wail. He raised his hands to the heavens and the God of Justice. "Oh you, who are a just and merciful god, Change my hands into the hands of a snake. Change my feet into the feet of a snake. Let me escape these demons. Do not let them hold me!" But the God of Justice would not hear his plea And the demons took him to the underworld.

[Dumuzi is taken to the Underworld by the Demons, leaving Inanna alone. Inanna begins to sense her loss and begins to keen.]
The Goddess, Inanna, mourned the loss of her love. As she was grieving for her husband, so was Dumuzi's sister, Geshtinanna, grieving for her brother. Out of love and grief, Geshtinanna selflessly appealed to Inanna to take her instead of Dumuzi. Inanna agreed. And so it has come to pass, that for six months every year, Dumuzi lives in the underworld. For the other six, he lives in the heavens with Inanna, while his sister takes his place in the world of darkness. While he lives in the world is below, the earth is still, frozen, and dark. While he is in heaven, the world reproduces itself in its full, glorious, splendor. End of Story " Through the Inanna myth, we learn about the wisdom of the cycles of change, accepting the dark, instinctive side which helps us find meaning in suffering and death as well as the light,joyous side which reaffirms our strength, courage and life. (p. 109) We also learn about women's journeys to the

underworld, the dark night of the soul, the belly of the whale, the meeting of the dark goddess, or simply as depression......In the underworld there is no sense of time, time is endless and you cannot rush your stay. There is no morning, day or night. It is densely dark and unforgiving. This all-pervasive blackness is moist, cold and bone-chilling. Silence pervades when the wailing ceases. One is naked and walks on the bones of the dead." (pp. 87,88) Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdock. *Adapted from 4 sources including: 1. The Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdock 2. The Descent of Inanna, ed by Kiane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer

3.Open my eyes to the random nature of heaven and hell. I am made up only of tiny angels and devils all singing their arias at different frequencies so that the cacophony shakes my matter to the core And I am returned to popping in and out of existence Once again awaiting the opportunity to view life from a new perspective. Jen Meharg 7 Adornments (Me) are perhaps those material possessions of the female that Inanna came to possess while Erishkegal didn't, thus her rage.
yin and yang (Inanna and Erishkegel) on separate sides of the healing temple, fly at each other intertwined in conflict and then flying apart. Inanna flys to Heaven. Erishkigel flys to the Underworld. Ninshibur: 'nIn shI buer