Enheduanna
High priestess of Nanna at Ur; earliest named author
- Lived
- 23rd century BCE
- Father
- Sargon of Akkad
- Office
- En (high priestess) of the moon god Nanna, Ur
- Works
- Hymns to Inanna; Sumerian temple hymns
- Known for
- Earliest author known by name
Daughter of Sargon of Akkad and priestess at Ur, she is the earliest author in history whose name is recorded.
What is Enheduanna known for?
Enheduanna lived in the 23rd century BCE. Her father, Sargon of Akkad, installed her as en, or high priestess, of the moon god Nanna in the Sumerian city of Ur, a post that also helped bind the conquered south to the new Akkadian dynasty.
Britannica describes her as the earliest known author whose name is recorded. Hymns attributed to her survive, above all poems to the goddess Inanna (the Akkadian Ishtar), such as the Exaltation of Inanna, and a cycle of hymns to the temples of Sumer. Most surviving copies were made by scribes centuries later, in the Old Babylonian period, so scholars debate how much of the wording is hers.
For readers of strange history, her Inanna hymns are a window onto how Sumerians pictured their gods: powerful, frightening and closely tied to particular cities and temples.
Wrote some of the oldest poetry with a known author, addressed to the goddess Inanna.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeInanna
- PersonSargon of Akkad
- PlaceAkkad (Agade)
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Enheduanna'Reference
- Wikipedia, 'Enheduanna'Reference
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