A woman who i knew well. a very very long time ago. A woman who I lived with and ultimately died for. 1600 years before Christ in the lower Sumer Valley, Mesopotamia. There are a few notes on pantheism the religion at the time and some poetry dedicated to the memory of her, which is still fresh in my mind today as it was then. There are also some hints and clues as to the validity of pantheism and the fact of reincarnation as true today as it was in my time.
Babylon 1600bce Gar 24/2/05
Around the roman era the world view of pantheism changed from those that believed that god was in all things and all things in god (true pantheists) to those who worshipped many gods in a pantheon.
The origins of pantheism are simplistic at best. Put in its simplest form early tribes that gathered together to form civilisations worshipped many different Gods. There were many variations between these Gods and at the same time many similarities. A god may have a different name or a different appearance but may still be a war god. or a goddess of love. When tribal groups first came together they celebrated the similarities rather than the differences because they realised that they had been worshipping the same deity but just in a different aspect. Marduk the great God of Babylon had over 50 different names. Nobody ever suggested that he was 50 different and seperate entities.
Over time the names of the Gods and Goddesses changed along with the language. The Gods themselves remained the same. You only have to look at the similarities between the story "the descent of Inanna" and the story "the descent of Ishtar" to see that the only difference is in the name.
In my time Inanna was known generally as Ishtar. But everyone still knew her true name was Inanna.
It takes a little more than a foreign invasion to change 2000 years of tradition.
of forgotten kingdoms, of a different time,
The men the women, oh the children,
Dead for millenia, their dreams at rest, their needs silent,
their only impact on modern life, as a dusty museum exhibit,
with visitors rushing by for a more fashionable display,
Who mourns for them my friend,
they who lived and walked and breathed long, long ago,
they who loved and lost and fought and played,
and existed, loving life, loving each other,
in that far away land, in a different place,
a distant world, an undiscovered country,
who mourns for them my friend,
quite simply I do ,
I can't help but remember them,
I ache for them, i long for them,
I mourn for them constantly,
because my friend
I WAS THERE
1. I have met Suan of Inanna recently and she has the same eyes
2. The name Suan means Little wife of Marduk in akkadian A little too much knowledge for someone bought up in southern england
3. She was born on the festival of Innana (january 2nd)
4. Suan remembers me as i remember her.
5. We share common memories from before our respective birthdays
6. She's still into the same loves and pecadillos she always was.
7. She's comfortable with her sexuality and not repressed by christianity
8. In Babylon the Temple of Inanna was situated in the female quarter. Called Suanna
My love is as sweet as honey
She is as pleasing to the nose as red wine
The fruit of my desires
(from memory as it was written on the wall of Inannas Temple at babylon)
It's just recently been uncovered
after all this time
a happy smiling face, occasionally he wails,
He's big and bouncy and fun,
Great God i think that he's my son
Oh joy i think that he's my son
I am patient in my love for you
I will wait til the end of time for you and you alone
we're halfway there already
Love you loadsa little Wife of Marduk
25/02/05 (c) 03:34 hrs