Love Liturgies
The call and response chorus ritual piece for the ancient Mesopotamian Inanna Temple is akin to the Song of Solomon, one of the few good bits in the Bible, which is, itself, an example of the Asherah/Ashtoreth liturgy of Solomon’s First Temple in Jerusalem:
“Chapter 1
1 THE SONG of songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — for thy love is better than wine.
3 Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the maidens love thee.
4 Draw me, we will run after thee; the king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will find thy love more fragrant than wine! sincerely do they love thee.
5 ‘I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon….
I have nostalgia — a pronounced case of Welsh Hiraeth — for the days when religious liturgies, ritual theatre and art were so elevated and sociable. This bit from the Rite of Inanna is especially good:
“…The king went with lifted head to the holy loin.
He went with lifted head to the loins of Inanna.
He went to the queen with lifted head.
He opened wide his arms to the holy priestess of heaven.
“Inanna spoke:
— My beloved, the delight of my eyes, met me.
We rejoiced together.
He took his pleasure of me.
He brought me into his house.
He laid me down on the fragrant honey-bed.
My sweet love, lying by my heart,
Tongue-playing, one by one,
My fair Dumuzi did so fifty times.
Now, my sweet love is sated….”
Images: Asherah/Ashtoreth tablets
