Enheduanna (2275-2200 BCE), also known as Enheduana or Enheduanna, meaning "lord or lady ornament of An" or "high priestess ornament of An" (An being "the sky" or "heaven") was an Akkadian princess as well as high priestess of the Moon god Nanna (Sin) in Ur.
She is the first known holder of the title, "En Priestess", a role of great political importance which often is held by royal daughters.
She is an aunt of Naram-Sin of Akkad.
Regarded by literary and historical scholars as the earliest known author and poet, she served as an En Priestess during the third millennium BC.
She was appointed to the role by her father, Sargon of Akkad.
Her mother was the Queen Tashlultum.
Enheduana has left behind a corpus of literary works definitively ascribed to her, including many personal devotions to the goddess Inanna and a collection of Hymns known as the 'Sumerian Temple Hymns' which are regarded as one of the first attempts at a systematic theology.
In addition scholars, such as Hallo and Van Dijk,suggest that certain texts which have not been ascribed to her may also be her work.
Enheduanna was appointed to the role of En Priestess in a move considered to be a shrewd political move by Sargon to help cement power in the Sumerian south, in which the city of Ur was located.
She continued to hold office during the reign of Rimush, her brother.
It is during the reign of Rimush that she is involved in some form of political turmoil and expelled from the role and eventually reinstated.
This is detailed in her composition 'The Exaltation of Inanna' or ‘nin me car2-ra’ details her expulsion from Ur and eventual reinstatement (Franke 1995: 835).
This correlates with 'The Curse of Akkade' in which Naram-Sin, under whom Enheduanna may have also served, is cursed and cast out by Enlil.
After her death Enheduanna continued to be remembered as an important figure, perhaps even attaining semi-divine status.
