By interpreting the Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform sources from ancient Mesopotamia, Gwendolyn Leick allows us an insight into a world with fundamentally different attitudes to eroticism. The sophisticated literary texts which survive; poems, songs, myths, narratives and incantations, provide a fascinating breadth of perspectives on the subject of love and sensuality. This book examines all these literary genres ; the Bridal songs which celebrate the anticipation of adult sexuality, and the courtly love poems in which women seduce with passionate evocations of their own erotic pleasure. Gwendolyn Leick also interprets works which probe the world of masculinity, the importance of fertility and potency. She shows how the problematic and disruptive aspects of sexual love, anxiety, envy and jealousy were addressed primarily in magic and ritual texts. Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature enriches contemporary discussions about sexuality, by making the latest research on Mesopotamia accessible. Gwendolyn Leick draws on her own interdisciplinary teaching to encompass themes of archaeology, religious studies, ancient history and women's studies.
This book will appeal to students and teachers in all these fields.