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The Mesopotamian goddess of fertility, love, and war was worshipped by more than one people and had more than one name. To the Sumerians she was known as Inanna. Her more famous name, Ishtar, was bestowed on her by the Akkadians and later used by the Babylonians and Assyrians. Whether the name given was Inanna or Ishtar, the goddess was a central figure in the mythos of Mesopotamia. Read on to learn more about the clever, elusive, and wrathful “Queen of Heaven.”
By analyzing questions, you can see patterns emerge, patterns that will help you answer questions. Qwiz5 is all about those patterns. In each installment of Qwiz5, we take an answer line and look at its five most common clues. Here we explore five clues that will help you answer a tossup on Ishtar.
TAMMUZ
Ishtar’s consort was Tammuz, also known as Dumuzi. A pastoral deity often called “The Shepherd,” Tammuz was the son of Enki and Duttur. Tammuz married Ishtar in a ritual known as the “Sacred Marriage,” and he would later play a prominent role in one of the central myths concerning Ishtar.
RETURN FROM THE UNDERWORLD
Ishtar’s most famous adventure concerned her return from the underworld. To access the underworld and the throne of her sister Ereshkigal, Ishtar had to pass through seven gates. At each gate she discarded a piece of clothing and with that piece of clothing lost a source of magical protection. Once unprotected, Ishtar was killed and trapped in the underworld. Enki took pity on Ishtar thanks to the insistent begging of her attendant Ninshubur, and her father created two sexless creatures out of clay to rescue the goddess from the underworld. A deal was struck in which Ishtar’s place in the underworld was taken for half of the year by Tammuz and the other half of the year by his sister Geshtinanna.
THE HULUPPU TREE
Ishtar transplanted the sacred Huluppu Tree from the Banks of the Euphrates to her patron city of Uruk. Ishtar planned to make the tree into a throne, but the tree’s roots were infested with snakes and its branches became home to the dreaded Anzû-bird. A distraught Ishtar eventually appealed to the hero Gilgamesh to drive the monster away from her tree.
THE BULL OF HEAVEN
Ishtar was easily affronted, especially when her romantic gestures were rejected. She attempted to seduce Gilgamesh, but he spurned her advances. Enraged, Ishtar sent a monster known as the Bull of Heaven to Earth to bring destruction to its inhabitants. Gilgamesh and his servant Enkidu eventually defeated the Bull. To add insult to injury, Gilgamesh—or in some versions of the myth, Enkidu—hurled the thigh of the dead bull at Ishtar.
EIGHT-POINTED STAR
One of Ishtar’s symbols is an eight-pointed star, but that isn’t the goddess’ only astronomical association. Ishtar is often linked with the planet Venus.
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Quizbowl is about learning, not rote memorization, so we encourage you to use this as a springboard for further reading rather than as an endpoint. Here are a few things to check out:
Ishtar isn’t the only clever female in Mesopotamian epics. The Biblical character of Lilith has her origins in Mesopotamian myth as well.
Ishtar wasn’t always vengeful towards humanity. In fact, according to some legends she bestowed us with some of our greatest gifts.
Visit this site to see some of the ancient art depicting Ishtar.
Watch this video to learn the story of Ishtar’s descent into the underworld in more detail. It’s pretty interesting stuff!
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