“The Descent of Inanna as a Ritual Journey to Kutha,”
Syro-Mesopotamian Studies 4/3, 7-18.
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In this paper, the author “suggest[s] a cultic setting for the story” of the Sumerian story of the Descent of Inanna.
In the first section, the itinerary of Inanna's journey is reported, describing the geographical framework of her peregrination towards Kutha, the residence of the Netherworld gods and her coming back to the city of Uruk. The author proposes to recognise a physical, geographical journey, starting from Uruk (through Larsa, Bad-Tibira, Umma, Zabalam, Adab, Nippur, Kish, and probably Akkad) and leading the goddess northwards to the city of Kutha, located to the north of Akkad.
The second section deals with the possible interpretation of such an itinerary as a cultic journey regarding the renewal of the goddess' statue (following a suggestion by Paul Gaebelein).
Hence the conclusion: “Within these limitations, we may conjecture further on a possible Sitz im Leben for the assumed ritual. This may have been an annual renewal ceremony, which may have been a part of the regular, recurrent caring of the goddess, and might have originated in response to the breaking of a given statue, whether accidental or through enemy intervention” (p. 6).
[M. De Pietri – November 2019]