Enheduana of Sumer

Book's are around us everywhere and we use them for many things from a research tool to a source of entertainment. Behind these books are the amazing authors, but who started it all? This is where the story of Enheduana comes in. Enheduana was the world's first author, almost 4,300 years ago. Though her works weren't published as paperback. No, they were slabs of clay, which was still soft, and a stylus was used to write into it. Enheduana was both and author and a poet, and it all started in the city-state of Akkad in Sumer. This is where Enheudana lived with her twin brothers Rimush and Manishtusu and her father Sargon, who was the king that established the Akkadian Empire. As Enheduana and her brother grew older, her father expected her brothers to be kings, yet they only had the desire but not the talent. Yet Enheduana's father saw that she had something special, both talent and drive. When she was a teenager her father appointed her high priestess to Nanna, the important moon-god of Sumer. To be a high priestess, she had to leave home, so Enheduana left and went to the city of Ur, which was one of the most sacred cities in Sumer. Since her people believed in gods and goddesses, Enheduanas job was to keep the gods and goddesses happy, which meant for the people there that their crops, animals and people prosperous. To do this she offered prayers, carried put rituals and made animals sacrifices. The most important ritual she had to do though, was the annual New Year's celebration each spring (this was celebrated in spring to encourage crops). This ceremony told this story of marriage between a shepherd and a goddess. For this ritual Enheduana and one of the reigning kings or high priests would act out the marriage to keep the gods pleased. Being a high priestess for nearly 25 years Enheduana used a lot of her religious feeling to write. She wrote poems and hymns to temples of Sumer and Akkad. Her poems were quite popular during her time and being on clay tablets made them durable and long lasting. Leaving archaeologists able to find them many years later. The writings of Enheduana included topics such as herself, Sumerian religion and politics.Even after her father died Enheduana kept of creating poetry. After the death of her father her brother, Rimush, who was the older twin, took over and then her other brother Manishtusu followed after. Both brother were quite violent and died as a result from palace enemies. After both of her brothers ruled, her nephew took over eliminating her as high priestess and replacing her with his daughter and most probably exiling Enheduana to the desert. Yet no worries for Enheduana because she became the world's first ever author. Enheduanas poems which were written around 2300 B.C are the first creations credited to an individual person.

A picture of a tablet that Enhenduana would have used to write:

QUESTIONS:

1.What did books look like during the time that Enheduana was writing? How were these books written?

These books looked much like the picture above. They were slabs of wet clay that were written on using a stylus. They were then left to dry and ended up looking like the one above.

2. Where did Enheduana and her family live? What did her father do?

Enheduana and her family lived in the city-state of Akkad in Sumer in a big palace. Her father was the king and establisher of the great Akkadian Empire.

3. What was Enheduana's job? List three of her duties. How did she lose her job?

Enheduana's job was the high priestess. She conducted rituals, offered prayers,made sacrifices and kept the gods and goddesses happy. She lost her job after her nephew took the throne, kicking her out and replacing her with his daughter.

4.The author says that Enheduana's poems were so popular that they were like bestsellers today. What evidence does she use to support this claim?

Telling us that people still talk about her today even though she wrote in 2300 B.c.

5. Enheduana's writings are hymns of praise, but they also tell us about the times she lived in. Describe one "current event" that Enheduana wrote about.

Enheduana wrote about about her father. She wrote that at one point in time the city-states that Sargon had taken united in revolt against him. They tried to capture Akkad and exile Inanna from temples. Sargon beat them and renewed Ianna's power.