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Enheduanna
c.-2285–-2250 · Mesopotamia (Ur)royal
Description
Enheduanna was the entu (high) priestess of the moon god Nanna (Sīn) in the Sumerian city-state of Ur in the reign of her father, Sargon of Akkad. She was likely appointed by her father as the leader of the religious group at Ur to cement ties between the Akkadian religion of her father and the native Sumerian religion. Enheduanna has been celebrated as the earliest known named author in world history.
Facts
| Occupation | EN priestess |
| Language | Old Sumerian |
| Nationality | Akkadian Empire |
| Genre | Hymn |
| Subject | Nanna, Inanna |
| Years active | c. 2300 BC |
| Notable works | Exaltation of InannaTemple Hymns |
| Parents | Sargon of Akkad, Tashlultum |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Work / contribution | Significance |
|---|---|
| Background | Enheduanna's father was Sargon of Akkad, founder of the Akkadian Empire. |
| Archaeological artifact | In 1927, as part of excavations at Ur, British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley discovered an alabaster disk shattered into several pieces, which has since been reconstructed. |
| Attributed works | The first person to connect the disk and seals with literary works excavated in Nippur was Adam Falkenstein, who observed that the Temple Hymns and two hymns to Inanna: The Exaltation of Inanna and another "Hymn to Inanna" (at the time not yet reconstructed) contained references to Enheduanna. |
| Authorship debate | The question of Enheduanna's authorship of poems has been subject to significant debate. |
| Influence and legacy | In 1976, American anthropologist Marta Weigle introduced Enheduanna to an audience of feminist scholars as "the first known author in world literature" with her introductory essay "Women as Verbal Artists: Reclaiming the Sisters of Enheduanna". |