Inanna was the goddess of war, sex, and the dispensation of justice in the ancient kingdom of Sumer in Mesopotamian mythology. One particular Sumerian hymn details how she became a goddess of sexual love, particularly for women. In the story, Inanna asked her twin brother Utu (god of the sun) to accompany her to a magical place called the Kur, where sacred plants grew because she was forbidden from traveling alone. When they arrived, she wanted to eat a sacred fruit of knowledge so that she could learn the secrets of intimacy, telling Utu “What concerns women namely, men I do not know. What concerns women lovemaking I do not know.” Utu relented and allowed her to eat the fruit, and so Inanna then became aware of the power of her own sexuality. Over time though she merged with the figure of Ishtar in the ancient world, and they are often portrayed as one and the same. (Zuhair Murad Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
