Nammu is the Sumerian Goddess of the primordial sea, creator of all things. She gave birth to An (heaven) and Ki (earth), as well as Enki, the master shaper of the world. She instructed Enki on how to create man, and helped him to form them from clay. Her name is also seen as Namma, and epithets for her include "Mother of Everything", "Mother who gave birth to Heaven and Earth", and "Primordial Mother".

Belit-Seri is the Akkadian Goddess who served as scribe of the underworld. She kept records of human activities so that she could advise Ereshkigal, Goddess of the underworld, when it came time to judge their souls. Belit-Seri is married to Amurru, the God of the nomads. Her name means "lady of the desert", and is also seen as Beletseri, Belet-Seri, Belit-Sheri, and Belit-Tseri.

Anahita (pronounced an-na-HEE-ta) is the Persian Goddess of water and fertility. She is an amalgamation of the ancient Iranian Goddess of the river that flows down from Mount Hara and the Babylonian mother Goddess. Anahita is usually depicted as a maiden in a golden cloak, pouring water from her holy pitcher. Her sacred animals are the dove and the peacock, and she was also the patroness of temple prostitutes. Her name means "the immaculate one", and has several variations, including: Anahit, Anahiti, Anaitis, Aredvi Sura Anahita, Anahid the Lady, Ardwisur Anahid, Ardwisur the Lady, Ardwisur the Lady of the Waters, Nahid, Holy Spring, Mother of Sobriety, Heavenly Spring, Wide Expanding, Benefactor of Humanity, and Golden Mother.

Sophia (pronounced sew-FEE-ah) is the Gnostic Goddess of wisdom. Gnostics believe that there is one true Source, the Pleroma, which is a state of nothingness, full of potential energy. At some point, the Pleroma imagines the "something", as opposed to the "nothing". When the something and the nothing come together, they create Sophia. Sophia in turn creates the Demiurge, and the Demiurge creates the universe and sets himself as God. However, the Demiurge is a flawed being, because Sophia created him without a divine spark, and his creation is therefore flawed as well. Trying to fix this, Sophia carries a spark of divinity down to each and every thing on earth. By reawakening this spark, a process called gnosis, the believer can be reunited with the Pleroma. Christian Gnostics believe that Jesus Christ was sent to earth to help mankind to awaken the spark.

Thisbe (pronounced THIZ-bee) is a Babylonian Goddess of unrequited love. She was the fairest maiden in her village, and her next door neighbour Pyramus was the most handsome young man. They were deeply in love, but their parents forbid them to see each other. They continued to converse through a crack in the wall between their houses, and made plans to run away together. Thisbe was the first to reach their intended rendezvous point, a white mulberry tree next to a spring just outside their village. As Thisbe waited, a lioness came to drink from the spring, her mouth dripping with blood from a recent kill. Thisbe, frightened by the lioness, ran off to a nearby cave, but in her haste she left behind her cloak, which had been a gift from Pyramus. The lioness, seeing the cloak, tossed it around in her mouth, leaving it bloody and torn. Pyramus finally arrived at the mulberry tree, where he found Thisbe's bloody cloak and saw the footprints of the lioness. Fearing the worst, he blamed himself for persuading Thisbe to meet him alone. Pyramus took out his sword and drove it into his heart, thinking that he would meet his beloved in the next world. In the nearby cave, Thisbe heard Pyramus cry out and rushed to his side. He opened his eyes long enough to see her, and then slipped away. Thisbe then took Pyramus's sword and stabbed herself too, so that they could be together forever. Their blood splashed on to the mulberry tree and soaked down to its roots. The berries on the tree turned red, and have stayed that way ever since.

And now for the other part of yesterday's discussion, Ishtar. Ishtar is the Babylonian Goddess of love, fertility, and war. Like Inanna before her, Ishtar was a Goddess of sexual love, and her partners were many. Like Inanna, Ishtar descended to the underworld to see her sister Ereshkigal, and was made to remove an article of clothing at each of the seven gates. Ishtar is not killed by Ereshkigal, but is imprisoned in the underworld, with the result that all sexual activity in the world ceased. Ea, the King of the Gods, then sends a servant to Ereshkigal to bargain for Ishtar's release and, like Inanna, Ishtar must choose someone to take her place. Her choice is her shepherd lover Tammuz (corresponding to Inanna's Dumuzi). Ishtar has a prominent role in the Epic of Gilgamesh. After Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu have killed the demon Humbaba, Ishtar appears to Gilgamesh and asks him to be her husband. Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's offer, citing her mistreatment of her former lovers and wondering why he would be any different. In fury, Ishtar asks her father Anu, God of Heaven, to unleash the Bull of Heaven so that it could attack Gilgamesh and avenge her. Anu hesitates, but when Ishtar threatens to raise all the dead from the underworld, he gives in. The Bull is set loose, and after a ferocious battle, Gilgamesh and Enkidu manage to slay it. Ishtar stands on the walls of the city and wails, which prompts Enkidu to throw the bull's leg at her, threatening to do the same to her if she comes any closer. This is too much for the Gods, who were already upset with Gilgamesh and Enkidu for killing Humbaba. They decide that Enkidu must die, and Gilgamesh learns what it means to reject Ishtar's advances. Enkidu's hostility towards Ishtar has another root. Earlier in the Epic, Enkidu, who is originally a wild man, is "civilized" by a temple prostitute. These prostitutes, called ishtaritu, inhabited the temples of Ishtar, offering themselves to any male worshipper who paid the required contribution. In fact, every Babylonian woman was expected to go to a temple and perform the rite with a stranger at least once in her life. Like Inanna, Ishtar was known as the Goddess of prostitutes, and her alternate names of Har and Hora gave rise to the terms "harlot" and "whore". Ishtar's name means "star", and she was also known as Istar, Estar, Ishara, Ishhara, Astar, Atar, Attar, Athar, Athtar, Irnini, Absusu (in her role as a promiscuous goddess), Abtagigi ("She Who Sends Messages of Desire"), Dilbah (as Venus the morning-star), Hanata (as warrior-deity), Kilili (as symbol of the promiscuous and independent woman), Nanab ("Queen"), Nin Si Anna ("Lady Eye of Heaven'"), Sharrat Shame ("Queen of Heaven"), Ulsiga (a title of reverence meaning "Ishtar of Heaven and Earth"), Zanaru ("Lady of the Lands"), and Zib (as Venus the evening-star). Epithets include Beautiful Queen, Beloved of Enki, Bestower of Strength, Bright Light of Nights, Bright Shining One of the Heavens, Daughter of the Moon, Forgiver of Sins, Framer of all Decrees, Giver of Justice and Laws, Glad-eyed Lady, Goddess of Goddesses, Goddess of Sighing, Great Goddess of Love and War, Great Harlot, Great Lover, Great Mother, Great Whore of Babylon, The Harlot, Heavenly Prostitute, Highest Sovereign of the Heavens, Ishtar of Arbela, Ishtar of Babylon, Ishtar of Nineveh, Lady of All the Harlots of Ur, Lady of Battle, Lady of Birth, Lady of Heaven, Lady of Never-Falling Waters, Lady of the Palace, Lady of Passion and Desire, Lady of Sorrow, Lady of Victory, Lawgiver, Leader of Hosts, Light of the World, Lioness of the Igigi, Mistress of the Gods, Mother of the Fruitful Breast, Mother of Harlots, Opener of the Womb, Protector of the Weak, Queen of Attack and Hand-to-Hand Fighting, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Queen of the Rising of the Sun, Righteous Judge, Ruler of the Heavens, Ruler of the World, She Who Holds Reigns of Royalty, Shining One, and Star of Heaven.

I've always gotten confused with Inanna and Ishtar---are they the same, just two different names, or are they actually two different Goddesses who were combined into one?  From my research, it looks like they were two different Goddesses.  Inanna was worshipped by the Sumerian people in the south of Mesopotamia, and Ishtar was worshipped by the Akkadians in the north.  When Sargon the Great of Akkad conquered Sumeria in the 2300s B.C.E., he appointed his daughter Enheduanna as high priestess.  She remained in this post for over 40 years, and used her influence to carry out Sargon's policy of integrating Sumeria with Akkad by integrating their greatest Goddess, Inanna, with the great Goddess of Akkad, Ishtar.  Ishtar seems to be kind of a diminished form of Inanna---her myths are the same but shorter, and she is a little more shallow.  I've seen it argued that this is the influence of patriarchy, lessening the strength of the Goddess, but I'll leave that for you to decide. Inanna is the Sumerian Goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is the daughter of the moon God Nanna and Ningal, Goddess of dreams. Interestingly, as a love and fertility Goddess, Inanna is never identified as a mother; she is the original sex Goddess, focussed on pleasure rather than procreation. As such, she is also the patron Goddess of prostitutes. Inanna was also a kingmaker---the man she chose to be her husband would be king. She was courted by two men, the shepherd Dumuzi and the farmer Enkidu. These two men were representative of the two predominant ways of life in Sumeria---nomadic animal herders and settled farmers. Inanna at first goes with the conventional choice, the farmer, until Dumuzi comes to her and tells her of his qualities. She then accepts him, and Dumuzi becomes king to Inanna's queen. Unfortunately for Dumuzi, Inanna has a somewhat fickle nature. In one myth, Inanna descends to the underworld to visit her sister Ereshkigal, Goddess of the underworld, after the death of her husband. Ereshkigal fears that Inanna is coming to take over the underworld, and she puts her through tests as she approaches. At each of the seven gates of the underworld, Inanna has to take off a piece of clothing, until she finally arrives, naked, at the throne of Ereshkigal. Even in this humble state, Ereshkigal suspects her sister of treachery, and strikes her dead. Inanna's body is then hung from a hook behind Ereshkigal's throne. Inanna had the foresight to instruct her servant to seek help if she had not returned in three days. The servant enlisted the help of the God Enki, who sends two creatures to the underworld with the water and food of life to restore Inanna. However, no one is allowed to leave the underworld without someone taking their place. Inanna's servant told her that Dumuzi had not mourned for her when she was missing, as her servants had, and Inanna chose him to take her place. Dumuzi's sister, Geshtinanna, was devastated by the loss of her brother, and her grief touched Inanna's heart. She agreed to allow Geshtinanna to share Dumuzi's place in the underworld, with each of them staying there for six months at a time. Inanna's name means "Queen of Heaven", and is also seen as Inana, Innin, Innini, Inninna, Ninanna (queen of the sky), Nin-me-sar-ra (lady of myriad offices), Ninsianna (personification of the planet Venus), Nin-edin (lady of Edin), Usunzianna (exalted cow of heaven), and Nu-ugiganna (hierodule of heaven). Epithets for her include Destroyer of Foreign Lands, Foremost in Battle, Heroic Champion, Holy Priestess of Heaven, Honored Counsellor, Lady of Uruk and Nineveh, Lover and Beloved United as One, Mistress of Heaven, Morning and Evening Star, Ornament of Heaven, Protectress of Harlots, Queen Moon, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Queen of the Universe, and Supreme Among the Heavenly Gods.

Today's Goddess is a merry one, intent on reminding us to live in the moment.  Her advice reminds me of the lyrics of a song by Trooper:  "We're here for a good time, not a long time, so have a good time, the sun can't shine every day." Siduri is the Babylonian Goddess of wine and beer, merry-making, and wisdom. She lives in a tavern on the shore of the sea, beyond which is the Land of Life. Also called Siduri Sabitu (the innkeeper), she is referred to in the The Epic of Gilgamesh as "the Refresher" or "the girl whose drinks refresh the soul". She advises Gilgamesh to give up his quest for immortality in the wake of the death of his companion, Enkidu. On first seeing him coming towards her tavern, Siduri barred the door to Gilgamesh, because of his unkempt appearance. When he told her his identity and of his travels to find the immortal human Utnapishtim, she invited him in and shared her wisdom: "You shall not find the life you seek, For at the creation of mankind The gods allotted Death to men. They retained life in their own hands. Gilgamesh, let your belly be full, Make you merry by day and by night. Make everyday a day of feasting and of rejoicing Dance and play, by day, by night, Let your clothes be sparkling and fresh Wash your hair Bathe your body Attend to the babe who holds you by the hand Take your wife and let her rejoice in you. For this is the lot of mankind to enjoy But immortal life is not for men."                   from The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet X

Today's Goddess is in honor of Deborah Ng. Her blog Freelance Writing Jobs is where I found my first writing gig and the determination to keep looking for more.  Even when I'm writing for an audience of one, I'm still writing, and for that I thank her. Deborah is the Mycenaean Queen Bee Goddess, worshipped in ancient Crete. The bee represented the soul and rebirth for the Mycenaeans, as well as being a symbol of feminine power. Bee society is organized around a central Queen, with the female worker bees as builders of the hive. The power of the Goddess Deborah was carried forward into the character of Deborah in the biblical Book of Judges. She is referred to as the "mother of Israel", and inspired her people to a victory over their captors, the Canaanites. The Song of Deborah is one of the oldest parts of the bible (dating from the 8th century B.C.), and is said to be her victory song. Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song. Judges 5:12.