Inannas

Inannas is a term used in some scholarly and popular contexts to refer collectively to the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna and her Akkadian counterpart Ishtar, as well as to the variety of cultic forms and mythological aspects associated with the deity across Sumerian and Akkadian periods. The plural usage appears mainly in discussions that compare regional cults, epithet sets, and myth cycles rather than as a separate independent deity.

Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, beauty, sex, war, and justice, is one of the best-documented deities of ancient Mesopotamia. The name Inanna translates roughly as “Lady of Heaven” in Sumerian; in Akkadian, the goddess is known as Ishtar. Across cities, the goddess was linked to different epithets and cult centers, with the temple Eanna in Uruk serving as a principal cult site in early periods.

Key myths include Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld, her marriage to Dumuzi (Tammuz), and her interactions with Enki. The myths illuminate dual aspects of feminine power, fertility, and sovereignty.

Icons include the lion and the eight-pointed star; symbols like the rosette and horned crown; associated with Venus. Worship involved priestesses and rituals; major centers include Uruk, Ur, and Isin.

In modern scholarship, “Inannas” appears in discussions of variation and syncretism; Inanna/Ishtar also appears in literature, archaeology discussions, and popular culture.