Help me figure out who this goddess/mythological person is.
January 25, 2012 11:27 AM Subscribe
Egyptian queen? Goddess? Birth/rebirth? Help me figure out the story behind this reference!
I'm going through a hard time and someone, in a moment of wanting to help, made a comparison to "an Egyptian queen, who went underground and her body hung from hooks, and all of her skin was torn away, and after everything was gone she flew back up to the surface."
Google failed me (or perhaps I failed it.) The imagery seems really powerful on its own, but I'd really love to know where it comes from.
The other possibly-helpful pieces are:
This person made a comparison to "how women do things and how men do things" - saying that this was interesting because it's "not the way men would do things," because the men would just stay up top and "fight it out" whereas this woman went underground and endured, and the enduring was the point. Stereotypical, yes, but maybe helpful in finding the story?
They weren't altogether sure this was Egyptian, but it sounded like this person was some sort of "god" or "queen" or "goddess."
I don't remember who/what tore off her skin, etc. but it might have been birds?
They also didn't have any more information than these small pieces, so I wouldn't be surprised if the story ends up slightly different than what I was told.
Thank you so much for your help with this.
Google failed me (or perhaps I failed it.) The imagery seems really powerful on its own, but I'd really love to know where it comes from.
The other possibly-helpful pieces are:
This person made a comparison to "how women do things and how men do things" - saying that this was interesting because it's "not the way men would do things," because the men would just stay up top and "fight it out" whereas this woman went underground and endured, and the enduring was the point. Stereotypical, yes, but maybe helpful in finding the story?
They weren't altogether sure this was Egyptian, but it sounded like this person was some sort of "god" or "queen" or "goddess."
I don't remember who/what tore off her skin, etc. but it might have been birds?
They also didn't have any more information than these small pieces, so I wouldn't be surprised if the story ends up slightly different than what I was told.
Thank you so much for your help with this.
Inanna the Sumerian goddess' descent into the underworld.
posted by winna at 11:34 AM on January 25, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by winna at 11:34 AM on January 25, 2012 [4 favorites]
That's Inanna's descent to the underworld/netherworld. Very dry translation here.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:34 AM on January 25, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by cobaltnine at 11:34 AM on January 25, 2012 [3 favorites]
I remember Neal Stephenson mentioning her in "Snow Crash": Pages 316-17 are what you want.
"In another popular Sumerian myth," the Librarian says, "Inanna descends into the nether world."
"Go on," Hiro says.
"She gathers together all of her me and enters the land of no return."
"Great."
"She passes through the nether world and reaches the temple that is ruled over by Ereshkigal, goddess of Death. She is traveling under false pretenses, which are easily penetrated by the all-seeing Ereshkigal. But Ereshkigal allows her to enter the temple. As Inanna enters, her robes and jewels and me are stripped from her and she is brought, stark naked, before Ereshkigal and the seven judges of the underworld. The judges 'fastened their eyes upon her, the eyes of death; at their word, the word which tortures the spirit, Inanna was turned into a corpse, a piece of rotting meat, and was hung from a hook on the wall.' Kramer."
"Wonderful. Why the hell would she do something like that?"
"As Diane Wolkstein puts it, 'Inanna gave up all she had accomplished in life until she was stripped naked, with nothing remaining but her will to be reborn ... because of her journey to the underworld, she took on the powers and mysteries of death and rebirth.'"
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:47 AM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
"In another popular Sumerian myth," the Librarian says, "Inanna descends into the nether world."
"Go on," Hiro says.
"She gathers together all of her me and enters the land of no return."
"Great."
"She passes through the nether world and reaches the temple that is ruled over by Ereshkigal, goddess of Death. She is traveling under false pretenses, which are easily penetrated by the all-seeing Ereshkigal. But Ereshkigal allows her to enter the temple. As Inanna enters, her robes and jewels and me are stripped from her and she is brought, stark naked, before Ereshkigal and the seven judges of the underworld. The judges 'fastened their eyes upon her, the eyes of death; at their word, the word which tortures the spirit, Inanna was turned into a corpse, a piece of rotting meat, and was hung from a hook on the wall.' Kramer."
"Wonderful. Why the hell would she do something like that?"
"As Diane Wolkstein puts it, 'Inanna gave up all she had accomplished in life until she was stripped naked, with nothing remaining but her will to be reborn ... because of her journey to the underworld, she took on the powers and mysteries of death and rebirth.'"
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:47 AM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
Inanna / Erishkigal, yes.
FWIW, Odin – who came later, mind – also hung for several days. (As well as a somewhat more familiar Judeo-Christian male figure... :) ) There are indeed interesting things there about how male figures took over previously female symbolism (a lot of this has been studied; part of my own thesis dealt with this sort of takeover), while our culture still vocally prefers "active" heroism that it equates with masculinity, in spite of the notable "passive" heroism of Occidental society's most recognized hero (sorry, "God"). But I digress.
Inanna is also reflected in the goddesses Astarte / Ishtar.
posted by fraula at 12:24 PM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
FWIW, Odin – who came later, mind – also hung for several days. (As well as a somewhat more familiar Judeo-Christian male figure... :) ) There are indeed interesting things there about how male figures took over previously female symbolism (a lot of this has been studied; part of my own thesis dealt with this sort of takeover), while our culture still vocally prefers "active" heroism that it equates with masculinity, in spite of the notable "passive" heroism of Occidental society's most recognized hero (sorry, "God"). But I digress.
Inanna is also reflected in the goddesses Astarte / Ishtar.
posted by fraula at 12:24 PM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
More reading recommendations (sorry, it's my bedtime here, am nodding off a bit and didn't think this far while writing my earlier comment :) )
Joseph Campbell's "Primitive Mythology" and "Occidental Mythology" are very good at covering Inanna / Ishtar / Astarte, as well as other, related goddess beliefs (not New Age, btw, Campbell was a researcher in his own right). Extra awesomeness can be found in Marija Gimbutas' "The Language of the Goddess", which is more an incredible compendium of symbols than a descriptive work, but also touches on Inanna.
posted by fraula at 12:40 PM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
Joseph Campbell's "Primitive Mythology" and "Occidental Mythology" are very good at covering Inanna / Ishtar / Astarte, as well as other, related goddess beliefs (not New Age, btw, Campbell was a researcher in his own right). Extra awesomeness can be found in Marija Gimbutas' "The Language of the Goddess", which is more an incredible compendium of symbols than a descriptive work, but also touches on Inanna.
posted by fraula at 12:40 PM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
Agree that this is probably about Inanna. The only parallel from Egyptian mythology that comes to mind is Isis collecting the parts of her dead husband's body.
posted by rjs at 12:55 PM on January 25, 2012
posted by rjs at 12:55 PM on January 25, 2012
Response by poster: Wow - thanks, everyone. I would not have found this without help, and I appreciate the sources & things to read.
posted by rocketing at 12:56 PM on January 25, 2012
posted by rocketing at 12:56 PM on January 25, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zomg at 11:30 AM on January 25, 2012