Enheduanna
Earliest known named author in world history.
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Enheduanna (fl. c. She is celebrated as the earliest known named author in world history, though modern scholars debate whether she actually composed the works attributed to her.
- field
- Priestess, poet
- nationality
- Akkadian/Sumerian (city-state of Ur)
- known_for
- Earliest known named author; attributed works include the Exaltation of Inanna and Sumerian Temple Hymns
- role
- Entu (high) priestess of Nanna
Lore & Background
Enheduanna was appointed by her father, Sargon of Akkad, as high priestess of the moon god Nanna in Ur, likely to cement ties between Akkadian and Sumerian religions. After Sargon's grandson Narām-Sîn faced a rebellion led by Lugal-Ane, Enheduanna was expelled from Ur for refusing to legitimize the usurper. She composed the song Nin me šara (Exaltation of Inanna) in exile, seeking Inanna's intervention for the Akkadian dynasty. Narām-Sîn eventually suppressed the rebellion, and Enheduanna probably returned to her office.
Reader's Guide
Enheduanna's significance lies in her status as the earliest known named author, a title derived from works such as the Sumerian Temple Hymns and the Exaltation of Inanna, which feature her as first-person narrator. However, Assyriologists debate her actual authorship because the only surviving manuscripts date from six centuries after her lifetime and were written in a later dialect of Sumerian. These scribes may have attributed the works to her as part of legendary narratives of Sargon's dynasty. The disk, now at the Penn Museum, has fueled scholarly debate and feminist interest, as well as studies of early rhetoric. Her works, preserved in the First Babylonian scribal curriculum, continue to inspire literary adaptations.
Did You Know?
- The only manuscripts of works attributed to her were written by scribes six centuries after she lived.
- Two seals bearing her name, belonging to her servants, were excavated at the Giparu at Ur.
- Her works were part of the Decad, an advanced scribal curriculum in the First Babylonian Empire.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What works are attributed to Enheduanna?
The texts most commonly linked to her are the Exaltation of Inanna and a set of Sumerian Temple Hymns. These pieces praise deities and describe sacred sites across the Sumerian world, and they are the primary reason she is remembered as a poet.
What was Enheduanna's role in Sumerian society?
Holding the title of entu made her the highest-ranking priestess of Nanna in Ur, a position that blended religious authority with royal prestige. Because she was also the daughter of the Akkadian king Sargon, her role sat at the crossroads of temple power and the emerging Akkadian empire.
Why is Enheduanna important in literary history?
She is the first person in recorded history whose name is attached to a body of written work, making her a foundational figure for the very concept of authorship. Every other known named writer in the ancient world postdates her by many centuries.
Do scholars agree that Enheduanna personally composed her attributed texts?
Modern researchers debate whether she actually wrote the poems and hymns bearing her name or whether later scribes composed them in her honor. Regardless of that question, her name remains the earliest known instance of a human being credited as an author.
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