ABSTRACT
In the Bridal Songs Inanna represents the voice of the adolescent girl. She expresses her longing to be in the presence of the beloved: ‘I am the girl, the lady, where are you, my man?’ and ‘Me, the lady, let me go, let me go to the garden! In the garden dwells the man of my heart.’ (Alster 1992: lines 4, 46–7) These romantic sentiments imply the temporary separation of the lovers before their wedding. We also found a certain amount of imaginary intimacy in anticipation of time spent together. The bride is shown as looking forward to her married state, not least because she will enjoy then full adult sexual relations: ‘Going to the lap of the groom—let us rejoice, Let us dance, let us dance, O Bau, let us rejoice over my vulva! Let us dance, let us dance, (until) the end it will please him, it will please him!’ (Alster 1985:152) Intercourse with full penetration was the traditional consummation of the marriage. It allowed the ‘fertilising sperm to be deposited in the woman’s womb’ 1 and thus induce pregnancy. It seems that it was also the form of sexual act which was forbidden to the unmarried girl (Cassin 1987:341).
