The first known poet in history was a woman, and sadly, that tends to come as a surprise. Though compilations of ancient literature tend to be skewed toward great works by male authors, some of the most brilliant works of writing in the ancient world were composed by women. The first known poet in history was an Akkadian woman named Enheduanna (pronounced En-Hay-Doo-Ana), which means “Priestess, Fitting for Heaven” in Sumerian. Her contributions to human civilization are immeasurable; her poems were rewritten, recited, and studied for hundreds of years after her death, by a culture whose literary works influenced many after it—the Greeks, the Romans, the authors of Biblical literature, and so on. Her poems were so important to Mesopotamian literature that her writing was used as a school text, just like Shakespeare is today. And her poems were beautiful.
Who was Enheduanna?
Enheduanna was the high priestess of the moon god Nanna at Ur, a Sumerian city in the south of modern day Iraq, sometime around the year 2300 BCE. She was the daughter of Sargon of Akkad, the first emperor in recorded history (well, maybe—that’s a topic of fierce academic debate, and a story for another time).
After her father’s death, Enheduanna held the role of high priestess throughout the reign of several family members: her father, her brothers, and her nephew. At some point, she was expelled from the temple by a usurper, Lugalanne. In her poem “The Exaltation of Inanna,” she begs the goddess to restore her to her rightful place.
Enheduanna was a powerful lady. High Priestess of Nanna was a very important position, and kings installed their daughters there as a way to assert power. The temple was the center of city life, and many people were employed there, including a large personal staff. Enheduanna’s father installed her as high priestess at Ur as a political move during his rule over Sumer.
What Did She Write?
As the high priestess, Enheduanna’s works are religious in nature. Her most famous composition is called Nin-me-shara, “The Exaltation of Inanna,” a 153-line poem in which she laments being exiled from her post at the temple and begs the goddess for her help. She wrote two other lengthy poems to Inanna, and at least 42 hymns.
Here are some excerpts from some of her famous works:
Excerpt from “Inanna and Ebih” - Source
child of the Moon God
a soft bud swelling
her queen’s robe cloaks the slender stem
steps, yes she steps her narrow foot
on the furred back
of a wild lapis lazuli bull
and she goes out
white-sparked, radiant
in the dark vault of evening’s sky
star-steps in the street
through the Gate of Wonder
Excerpts from “The Exaltation of Inanna” Source
I am not allowed in my rooms
gloom falls on the day
light turns leaden
shadows close in
dreaded southstorm cloaks the sun
he wipes his spit-soaked hand
on my honey sweet mouth
my beautiful image
fades under dust
he made me fly
like swallows swept
from their holes in the wall
he gave me
the ritual dagger of mutilation
he said
“it becomes you”
Was she really that important?
This masterful use of metaphor and vivid imagery was penned (well, inscribed) over four thousand years ago, almost two millennia before Homer. In this author’s humble opinion, Enheduanna deserves to be at least as famous as Shakespeare.
…And just in case a bona fide Assyriologist reads this, I should probably mention that scholars squabble over whether or not she really existed, but that sort of thing is par for the course in ancient history, particularly when it comes to women who did amazing things. I feel comfortable asserting that she did exist and that she was a literary genius.