Women's Role in Inanna
Women’s Role in Inanna
It is fascinating how the world has changed from the beginning of the ages until what we call modern time. The situation each human often finds his/herself in is often a response to one’s social status or in many cases their gender. This is especially true for women. All throughout history women have found themselves in many different roles, and those roles have changed from the beginning of written history as one will find in the story “The Descent of Inanna” Inanna finds her role as the Queen of Heaven leads her down a path very unlike those of a domesticated woman. She represents the role of woman in another place and time in her role as Queen. She represents woman’s knowledge in war, sexuality, and as the holders of power men of which could only dream.
First of all, Inanna embodies woman as a warrior. While she prepares to descend to the underworld, she speaks to Ninshubur, and she discusses what Ninshubur should do if she does not return in three days’ time Inanna describes Ninshubur as “My warrior who fights by my side” (29) which shows that Inanna is one who takes up arms whether on the battlefield or in the war room. Very few women in history have had an opportunity to become great warriors. By even attempting to enter the abyss, one could contend that she is well versed in war, and she is fearless. Again Inanna shows the warrior within when she takes the galla to Dumuzi, she shows how strong she is when she “fastened on Dumuzi the eye of death’ and ‘She [speaks] against him the word of wrath. She uttered against him the cry of guilt” (38) Just as women through out history have had to be fearless and trained in war from Cleopatra to Hilary Clinton, Inanna is the embodiment of all women’s desire to stand up to the repression they face everyday.
Next, Inanna symbolizes woman’s sexuality. The fact that Inanna is the goddess of fertility gives her the advantage over most others in that she is viewed as all that is sexual. She is
It is fascinating how the world has changed from the beginning of the ages until what we call modern time. The situation each human often finds his/herself in is often a response to one’s social status or in many cases their gender. This is especially true for women. All throughout history women have found themselves in many different roles, and those roles have changed from the beginning of written history as one will find in the story “The Descent of Inanna” Inanna finds her role as the Queen of Heaven leads her down a path very unlike those of a domesticated woman. She represents the role of woman in another place and time in her role as Queen. She represents woman’s knowledge in war, sexuality, and as the holders of power men of which could only dream.
First of all, Inanna embodies woman as a warrior. While she prepares to descend to the underworld, she speaks to Ninshubur, and she discusses what Ninshubur should do if she does not return in three days’ time Inanna describes Ninshubur as “My warrior who fights by my side” (29) which shows that Inanna is one who takes up arms whether on the battlefield or in the war room. Very few women in history have had an opportunity to become great warriors. By even attempting to enter the abyss, one could contend that she is well versed in war, and she is fearless. Again Inanna shows the warrior within when she takes the galla to Dumuzi, she shows how strong she is when she “fastened on Dumuzi the eye of death’ and ‘She [speaks] against him the word of wrath. She uttered against him the cry of guilt” (38) Just as women through out history have had to be fearless and trained in war from Cleopatra to Hilary Clinton, Inanna is the embodiment of all women’s desire to stand up to the repression they face everyday.
Next, Inanna symbolizes woman’s sexuality. The fact that Inanna is the goddess of fertility gives her the advantage over most others in that she is viewed as all that is sexual. She is