The legend of Enki and Anna (transferring civilization traditions from Eridu to Uruk)
Sumerian religious thought imagined that the principles of human civilization were formulated and preserved by the gods in a set of sacred laws called (Mi), and that these laws that the gods kept in their hands were the ones that actually directed every civilizational activity carried out by humans on Earth, and these laws were in the possession of Enki.
The god of wisdom and fresh water depths, and the god of the city of Eridu, the first civilized city in the Mesopotamian Valley, but the Sumerian fertility god, Inanna, the main deity of the city of Uruk, wanted to prepare her city and bring it to a level equal to, if not exceeding, it. To achieve this goal, she had no choice but to transfer the laws of civilization from the city of Eridu to The city of Uruk, but would Enki agree to give her the sleeping lights???
At the beginning of the myth, we find Inanna preparing to travel to the home of the god Enki on the shore of the Arabian Gulf, where the ancient city of Eridu stands. She is putting on her adornments, wearing the Shugara crown, and reassured of her charms. When she becomes close to the apsu, Enki calls his servant Esmond and orders him to receive Inanna and offer her butter cakes to eat and pour water for her. Cold water for her to drink and for him to treat her with the respect that befits her. After that, Enki comes and receives Inanna, and they sit at the table and they drink wine together. Enki drinks a lot in the presence of the beautiful girl who urges him to do more, and when the wine plays with his head, he begins to abandon the sacred laws of one Enoch after another.
Then Enki continues to raise his cup and drink to Inanna's health, and with each toast he gives her a number of sacred laws, which Inanna accepts. After the eight groups related to the priesthood, divinity, the temple, and the rituals of serving the gods, Enki proceeds to give her worldly affairs such as agriculture, crafts, mining, music, justice, and so on. When Inanna receives all the laws, their number is about Eighty stands before Enki and acknowledges that she has received the laws, enumerating them one by one, and after Inanna finishes enumerating what she has received.
She prepares to leave the place while Enki is still under the influence of alcohol
Inanna took the sacred laws, carried them in the boat of heaven, and rode away from the harbour.
When the wine was gone from Enki's head, he began to look around the Epsu around Eridu and called his servant, Esmond, and asked him about the law of the highest priesthood, divinity, and the noble and permanent crown, where it was, so Esmond told him that he had given it to his daughter Inanna. Enki repeated his question fourteen times, only to receive the same answer from Esmond.
Enki, the boat of heaven with the sacred laws, was asked where he is now.
Esmund replied that he was in the first port after Eridu, so he ordered him to take the Inkum dragons and go to return the sky boat to Eridu. Esmund arrived to Inanna and told her that Enki wanted to return the boat to Eridu. Inanna shouted, “The Father has changed the word he gave me.” As soon as Inanna finished speaking, she attacked. The Inkum dragons grabbed the boat and called Inanna, her minister, Nenshubur, who let out an earth-shaking scream, throwing the Inkum dragons back to Eridu.
When Anki learned of what had happened, he ordered Esmond to go with the Oro giants, so Ninchubur returned and saved the boat from their hands. Then Anki sent the Alabama monsters.
Enki repeats his attempts to retrieve the boat loaded with divine laws a fourth, fifth, and sixth time, but his attempts fail.
Inanna arrives in the city of Uruk and lands in the port that she called Annan after the sacred laws were revealed in the white port...the azure port. And here the legend ends with Enki accepting that the sacred laws remain in the city of Uruk...
(In the name of my power, in the name of my holy temple
Let the laws which you received remain in the temple of your city
Let the high priest devote himself to singing in the Holy Sanctuary
May the conditions of Uruk prosper and the children of your city rejoice
Let the people of Uruk be an ally of the people of Eridu
May Uruk assume its great position..)
Source: websites