Nowadays, the names Inanna and Ishtar (also spelled Ištar) refer to the same deity: the ubiquitous Mesopotamian Goddess of sex, love, war, and fertility. But this was not always the case.
Inanna and Ishtar were syncretised so far back- over 4,000 years ago!- that it feels like They’ve always been the same Goddess. But before that? They were distinct Goddesses in Their own rights.
Let’s see what differences we can find between the two before Their amalgamation ✴️
INANNA
✴️ Sumerian origin
✴️ Goddess of love, sex, fertility, war, kingship
✴️ Inanna’s love is best described as intimate and poetic
✴️ Inanna’s sexuality is best described as sacred, reciprocal, and fruitful
✴️ Inanna’s sexuality is a source of divine power, and celebrates mutual desire
✴️ Inanna’s warlike aspect is seen as a form of righteous rage, kingship, and necessary conquest
✴️ Warlike Inanna is the avenger, and the protector of divine justice
ISHTAR
✴️ Akkadian (Semitic) origin
✴️ Goddess of love, sex, fertility, war, political power
✴️ Ishtar’s love is best described as fierce, lustful, violent
✴️ Ishtar’s sexuality is best described as passionate, dominating, even dangerous
✴️ Ishtar’s sexuality is destructive and emotionally unstable; Her love usually leads to death or madness
✴️ Ishtar’s warlike aspect is seen as imperialistic, aggressive, and politically motivated
✴️ Warlike Ishtar is the conqueror, the harbinger of divine wrath
Prior to their syncretism, Inanna and Ishtar were already dual Goddesses. They represented love and war, life and death, creative and destructive sexuality, and could be both benevolent or wrathful, depending on Their mood.
However, Ishtar’s character brought a new facet to Inanna’s personality; one of destruction, crushing subjugation, and the use of love and sexuality as tools of manipulation.
We can see these differences between the retellings of Their myths, especially their Descent myths. Here’s how they differ:
INANNA
✴️ When questioned at the Gates of the Underworld, She states that She is there to participate in the funeral rites of Gugalanna, Ereshkigal’s husband. She comes peacefully.
✴️ When Inanna meets Ereshkigal, She simply walks up to the throne and takes a seat, enraging Her sister.
✴️ It is after being judged by the seven Anunna Gods that Inanna is sentenced to death, and strung up on a hook.
✴️ Inanna relies on Her loyal attendant, Ninshubur, to rally assistance from the other Gods to ensure that She may be brought back safely from the Underworld.
✴️ Inanna, after seeing that Dumuzid has not been properly mourning Her death, becomes outraged and sentences Him to become Her replacement in the Underworld.
After a lengthy game of cat-and-mouse, Dumuzid, who had initially escaped, is finally seized by the galla (demons from the Underworld) and dragged back to the Underworld. Inanna quickly regrets Her decision, and Dumuzid’s loyal sister Geshtinanna is offered up to take His place for half of the year.
ISHTAR
✴️ Ishtar’s reason for descending to the Underworld is unknown, but She does so aggressively. She shouts at the Gatekeeper to let Her in, threatening to break down the door if She is not granted entry.
✴️ Ereshkigal was angered when She saw Ishtar; so Ishtar threw Herself at Ereshkigal in a fit of rage.
✴️ It is Shamash who goes to the Gods, weeping that life on earth has become unbalanced as a result of Ishtar’s absence.
✴️ The Anunnaki only make their appearance after Ishtar is already deceased, there to witness Her revival and release from the Underworld.
✴️ The full myth is fragmented, but Tammuz is eventually chosen to be Ishtar’s replacement. His sister, Belili, laments his death, but it is not clear whether She also alternates staying in the Underworld with Him.
Conclusion
Though Inanna and Ishtar are now used as interchangeable names for the same Goddess, it is important that we are aware of Their histories and roles in Their original, respective pantheons.
In saying that, it does not matter which name you choose to address Her as, as long as you use the one that resonates with you 🫶🏽
Blessed Inanna is a reminder of the complexity of the divine feminine and its multifacetedness- capable of tremendous love, yet also tremendous vengeance, capable of both creation and destruction, life and death.
May Holy Inanna bless you all.
References
Archive, I. S. T. (n.d.). DESCENT OF THE GODDESS ISHTAR INTO THE LOWER WORLD. Internet Sacred Text Archive. https://sacred-texts.com/ane/ishtar.htm
Wolkstein, D., & Kramer, S. N. (1983). Inanna, queen of heaven and earth. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL9238793M/Inanna
Last edited: August 8, 2025
Leave a Reply