Marla Vendret
Author of Romantic Fantasy & Mythos
Spiritual Realm Archives
Extras
TRANSLATIONS
Inanna's Descent into the Underworld
BIBLIOGRAPHIES:
Cosmic Cycle of Death and Rebirth
An Underworld Mystery
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Myths & Legends
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TRANSLATIONS
Inanna's Descent into the Underworld
BIBLIOGRAPHIES:
Cosmic Cycle of Death and Rebirth
An Underworld Mystery
|
Myths & Legends
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In humanity’s far distant past people curiously observed the world around them and learned to live in rhythm with it. The universe, including the heavens, land, rivers,rocks, plants, trees, and animals; all of nature was alive and imbued with spirit. They observed the cycles of the moon and developed rituals as participants in its mysteries. They created stories explaining the cyclical changes of the moon, and its connection to the seasons.
Inanna is known as Queen of Heaven and earth, yet for a brief period of time she descends into the darkness of the netherworld. As we continue our research into the meaning or symbolism of Inanna's mythic descent into the underworld we must be reminded that one of Inanna's names is Daughter of the Moon.
Inanna’s descent myth can be interpreted as part of the funeral rites. According to Adele Fiske: “When there is a death, the whole group concerned is in a 'religious state,' made 'sacred' by contagion with the dead.” Death is a mysterious and frightening part of life; it is from trying to understand death that myth and ritual are created.
Inanna’s descent into the underworld" can also be translated as a rite of passage or a spiritual initiation. In his book Rites and Symbols of Initiation, Mircea Eliade explains: “The term initiation in the most general sense denotes a body of rites and oral teachings whose purpose is to produce a decisive alteration in the religious and social status of the person to be initiated.