SUMERIAN RELIGION AND THE ETERNAL RETURN

I've been doing some research on the first ever known author and poet Enheduanna. She lived over four thousand years ago, was the daughter of King Sargon of Uruk, was a priestess of the Moon (Nanna) and the goddess Inanna. Like Sappho over a thousand years later, she wrote divinely inspired lyrical poetry for her "horn of lamentations", an instrument. Also like Sappho, she found herself exiled during an uprising of rivals. She wrote particularly poignant pieces during this time complaining of the many indignities done her, her land and her religion. Finally she implores Inanna, who steps in and vanquishes Enheduanna's enemies and she is restored to power. Some kind of political marriage or sacred marriage is arranged uniting the Semitic Ishtar with her beloved Inanna, thereby restoring peace in the land.

I began brushing up on my Sumerian, Babylonian and Accadian studies in order to get a feel for her era, and religious political environment.

That's when I came across this article about the Sumerian's belief in an eternal return. I couldn't help while reading this article to recognise the themes of my own "Rainbow Return of Iris" collection.

Cool.