106 i Flora Unveiled
cycles. She is particularly associated with trees, fertility, and crops, as illustrated by three
myths: Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld; The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi;
and Inanna and Shukaletuda.
Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld. It is possible that the biblical Tree of Knowledge
in the Garden of Eden had its origin in this story, which begins with an account of Inanna and
the huluppu tree. According to the myth, soon after the creation of the world, there was a young
tree, the huluppu tree, which had been washed from the banks of the Euphrates. “I shall plant
this tree in my holy garden,” said Inanna, plucking the sapling from the river. She hoped that
the tree would eventually provide her with a throne to sit on and a bed to lie upon.
After ten years, the tree had grown thick, “but its bark did not split.” Next, three demons
took over the tree: a snake “who could not be charmed” made its nest in the roots, the
Anzu- bird (a mythical mischief- causing bird) and its young roosted on the branches, and
a “ghost maiden” built her home in the trunk. Barred access by the three demons, Inanna
then approached the hero Gilgamesh, who agreed to help her take possession of the tree.
Wielding his bronze axe, Gilgamesh dispersed the three demons and went on to carve a
throne and a bed out of the trunk of the tree for Inanna. In return, she presented him with
two unidentified gifts, a pukku and a mikku, made from the roots and crown of the tree,
respectively. The remainder of the story concerns Gilgamesh and his gifts.
The identity of the huluppu tree is uncertain, although its origin on the banks of the
Euphrates suggests a willow or poplar.^52 Alternatively, because every part of the huluppu
tree is used by Gilgamesh and Inanna to make important objects, it could also be a date
palm, which was celebrated for its many uses. The statement that the “bark did not split” is
also consistent with the trunk of a date palm, which is made up of overlapping leaf bases.
On the other hand, the huluppu tree supplies wood rather than fruit, which argues against
a date palm. Whatever the huluppu tree’s identity, its primary function is to provide the raw
material for Inanna’s throne and bed.
The exact nature of the Sumerian “ghost maiden” is unclear, but she may represent a pre-
cursor of the Akkadian ardat- lili, which “seems to have the character of a frustrated bride,
incapable of normal sexual activity.”^53 The fact that the ghost maiden blocks Inanna’s access
to the tree suggests that the huluppu tree represents Inanna’s nascent sexuality and fertil-
ity. Gilgamesh exorcises the demons, and, from the wood of the huluppu tree, he builds a
throne and bed for Inanna, the symbols of “her rule and womanhood.”^54 She, in turn, pres-
ents Gilgamesh with gifts that symbolize his kingship and virility. Thus, through Inanna,
the sacred huluppu tree becomes the instrument of sexual awakening, fertility, agricultural
abundance, and kingship.
Adam and Eve also gain their sexual awakening through a tree, but in Genesis, the tree
and garden belong to God, not to Eve. Adam’s and Eve’s sexual awakening is treated as
a curse rather than a blessing, and the serpent facilitates Eve’s transgression rather than
blocking her way. Notwithstanding the differences between the two sacred garden myths,
the original Sumerian association of trees, women, and sexuality is still evident in the later,
derived story of Genesis.
The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi. If the myth of the huluppu tree describes Inanna’s
coming of age, the Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi describes her sacred marriage.
Although the shepherd Dumuzi becomes King of Uruk by marrying Inanna, he is still sub-
servient to her. In fact, in the epic poem The Descent of Inanna, Inanna forces Dumuzi to