Descent of Inanna

Description and source citing can be found at http://allpoetry.com/poem/11356920-The-Descent-of-Inanna-by-Raven-Madd

From the great heaven the goddess set her mind on the great below,
My Mistress abandoned heaven and earth to descend to the underworld. [1]
Her fair face reflected the power she held, her presence marked by a soft blue glow.
She walked the path to the Netherworld with her glorious flag flying unfurled.

In her hand she carried the seven Divine Powers.
She wore her lovely pala dress covered in flowers,
Then she donned her headdress for the journey
Her scent reminiscent of lotus and honey
Upon her breast hung beads of lapis-lazuli
Her finger bore a ring that shines truly
Her mascara eyes saying "Let a man come"
With rod in hand, Death will succumb.

With her walked Nincubura, her priestess,
She faithfully revered her goddess with her life,
Her fierce loyalty showed no weakness,
She served but one no matter the challenge or strife,
Innana knew of her devotion and loved her,
She would stand by her through and through,
So she asked a favor only Nicubura could do.

"Listen to my instruction, don't let memory fade
I need you to do exactly as I say
Take to your face and body this black-hilted blade
Lament my death this day
Plead to the gods, cry unto them your sorrow
And let them not allow me to stay
Trapped in the underworld until tomorrow
Else I may never be able to escape."

Thus they set upon the road all men eventually walk
With sights set on walking this road once again.
Upon the dark doors of death did our goddess knock
And she walked through on the smooth moraine.
Before her laid a winding path with seven gates bolted,
As she passed the first gate, her headdress was removed,
"What is this?" asked our fair divine princess,
Unfamiliar with this plane, she was very confused.

"Be satisfied, Inanna, a divine power of the underworld has been fulfilled. Inanna, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the underworld." [2]

So she pressed on the path unshaken and undeterred,
Each gate she passed took another divine garment.
She reached the final gate without a single word,
She passed on through and gave her final garnet.
Naked and vulnerable, our goddess sunk to the ground.
Her glowing golden skin began to fade, flat and pale,
Her eyes went lifeless as her corpse was bound,
Through her flesh did rusty meat hooks impale.

For three days and three nights she hung there
The Mistress of the Underworld laughed until she cried
Demons poked and prodded her maliciously
"So the precious princess has finally died!"
Nincubura felt the light fade away within her heart
She took the blade, lacerated her body and face,
For her goddess she bled and split flesh apart
She grieved for the loss of light and grace.

To the gods she pleaded with her life and limb,
They did not receive the news with gladness.
The daughter of Enki was dead on a whim,
The lands  were cast in the shadows of sadness.

"Our sweet Princess craved the great heaven and she craved the great below as well.
The divine powers of the Underworld are divine powers which should not be craved, for whoever gets them must remain in the Underworld.
Who, having got to that place, could then expect to come up again?" [3]

The faithful priestess did not falter or hesitate
When her prayers were met with opposition.
She turned her eyes to our Creator, Enki
And pleaded unto him until he lent his attention.
She cried and begged and offered her life,
Her devotion was clearly not in question,
He saw lacerations from his daughter's knife,
So he responded with caring compassion.

"I will tear the underworld apart myself
My beautiful precious gem shall not perish.
I will tear the underworld apart myself
For there is nothing else I can cherish.
Take with you life-giving water and soil
I will protect you from this dark domain,
Sprinkle the water upon her lips,
Spread the soil upon her breasts,
And let her light shine bright once again."

So the devoted minister set forth with this plan
Ready to give all for the love of her goddess
She walked through forest and desert sand
To fulfill the arduous deed that she promised.
She reached the gates and flitted in unseen
Protected by Father Enki's divine will
She proceeded towards her beautiful queen
And when she saw the body she was still.

She approached the Mistress of the Underworld
She looked forward without apprehension or fear
She took her queens flag and waved it unfurled
She let out a scream that even the living could hear.

"Give me the body hanging on the hook."
"That is the body of your Queen"
"Whether it is that of my queen or king, give it to me." [4]

So the body was given to her, lifeless and cold,
Her radiant colors drained into the river of Death
Nicubura stroked the hair that once shone gold
And whispered laments under her breath.
She took the water and sprinkled it upon Inanna's lips
She spread the life-giving soil upon her icy skin
Her essence rose from the shadows of the Abyss
And filled her with precious life from within.

The powers of the Underworld demanded sacrifice
For none that enter may be permitted to leave
Only with blood may blood be justified
And Death is one that you cannot hope to decieve.
Nincubura threw herself at Inanna's feet
She wept tears of love and veneration
"My liege, my life would be so complete
To give myself for you, the Queen of Creation."

Inanna looked upon her with fondness,
A tear fell down her snow white cheek,
She was so devoted to her goddess,
That she would drink from Death's creek.

"This is my minister of fair words, my escort of trustworthy deeds. She did not forget my instructions. She did not neglect the orders I gave her. She made a lament for me on the ruin mounds. She beat the drum for me in the sanctuaries. She made the rounds of the gods' houses for me. She lacerated her eyes for me, lacerated her nose for me. Like a pauper, she clothed herself in a single garment. She brought me back to life. How could I turn her over to you? Let us go on." [5]

By her decree, Nincubura was freed from that responsibility,
But the Mistress of the Underworld still demanded a soul.
So she made a choice to get revenge against nobility,
To take from her that which made her feel whole.
Her husband, Dumuzid, sat upon his magnificent throne,
Dressed in ornate robes and his lovely golden crown
When the demons came, he froze as still as a stone
As they seized him and held him on the ground.

Dumuzid let out a wail and turned very pale. The lad raised his hands to heaven, to Utu: "Utu, you are my brother-in-law. I am your relation by marriage. I brought butter to your mother's house. I brought milk to Ningal's house. Turn my hands into snake's hands and turn my feet into snake's feet, so I can escape my demons, let them not keep hold of me." [6]

So it was that he slithered from the grasp of Death,
If only for a moment, for the moment was brief.
They captured him and then captured his breath,
And Inanna was immediately filled with grief.
She wept bitterly in regret and anguish,
The sacrifice was too great for the reward,
She knew she would forever languish,
So she took up his razor-sharp sword.

Having descended into the Underworld, her power was multiplied
For the divine powers of Death are something to behold
From this experience she became wise and dignified
From the lessons she learned when she walked that road.
To walk the darkened path to your deepest fears
And find in yourself the willingness to carry on,
To pick yourself up and wipe away your tears
Is to awake to from a nightmare to a brand new dawn.

Reviews

[Chris]

A well-worked tale. Parts were smooth and others felt rough and uneven. The end effect was to draw me along.

[Raven Madd]

Thank you for the read and review. I'm glad you enjoyed my writing.
I'd like to workshop this peice to flow as smoothly as possible throughout; if you could possibly elaborate where it feels uneven or rough, I'd greatly appreciate it. If you want to do that, you can message me. Either way, I apppreciate the feedback.