Ishtar and Tammuz: A Babylonian Myth of the Seasons [Hardcover]

Christopher J. Moore (Author), Christina Balit (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

An ancient Babylonian myth explains the cycles of the seasons as the result of the Goddess Ishtar sending her son to Earth, where he gave life to the crops and fruits, birds and animals, only to have Ishtar destroy his handiwork in a fit of jealous rage.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The figure of Ishtar, the Mesopotamian earth goddess, harks back to 5000 B.C., but her story of jealousy, murder and redemption can still pack a punch. In this Babylonian equivalent of the Persephone myth, Ishtar sends her son Tammuz to earth and "wherever he walked, the earth brought forth fruit and crops and the green of the land." He exerts comparable charm over people and animals. Ishtar, growing envious, orders him killed. Without Tammuz, the earth dries up and people go hungry until Ishtar descends into the underworld to humbly petition her forbidding sister, Allatu, for Tammuz's release. Allatu agrees, on the condition that he return to her for six months each year (autumn and winter). Balit's (Blodin the Beast) decorative, Egyptian-influenced paintings fill each spread with their kinetic patterns, evoking the desolation of winter, the dank splendor of the underworld and the teeming spring. The visual impact of these highly stylized illustrations underscores the dramatic nature of Moore's retelling. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-A Babylonian precursor to the story of Persephone. Tammuz, son of the goddess Ishtar, is sent to live on Earth. He is so beloved by the people that jealous Ishtar orders her soldiers to kill him. Without Tammuz, the earth is devastated, and the suffering people petition Ishtar for mercy. She agrees to travel to the underworld, where she reclaims her son, although for only half the year; he must return to the underworld for the other half. Moore evokes rich and clear images with carefully chosen words and phrases and a good sense of rhythm and pace. Balit's vivid, boldly patterned illustrations are packed with detail and sharp contrasts, a style that is effective most of the time but that makes some of the pages appear cluttered. The paintings do capture the mood of the myth, and Balit uses unusual perspectives and sharply delineated shapes to the story's advantage. This well-told tale from a little-explored subject area is a good choice for any library, especially collections supporting interdisciplinary-studies programs.
Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Kingfisher Books (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753450127
• ISBN-13: 978-0753450123
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,371,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not even close, March 23, 2007

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Titanium Lili (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ishtar and Tammuz: A Babylonian Myth of the Seasons (Hardcover)

This is definitely a poor excuse for a retelling of the Ishtar/Tammuz story. The problems with the story are myriad; examples include:
- Tammuz was Ishtar's husband, not her son as this book claims.
- Ishtar was not sitting around in the heavens watching the doings of Tammuz from afar, but was on earth just as he was.
- Tammuz was sent to the underworld for completely different reasons (involving Ishtar's own descent to the underworld) than explained in this book, definitely not out of insecurity over Tammuz gaining popularity and power.
- Ishtar decided from her own heart to seek relief for Tammuz, not because she had to be convinced by the supplications of others.
- Ishtar's descent preceded that of Tammuz, and she didn't rescue anyone by crying on them. She herself had to be rescued by another.
- Ishtar did not return to the underworld for six months out of every year; that was Geshtinanna, Tammuz's sister.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that this is nowhere near an accurate telling of the mythos of Ishtar and Tammuz. I agree with the previous reviewer who indicated that this is not a good book for children because of the portrayal of the supposed harsh and uncaring mother in the story, but I'd also not share this with my child simply because the liberties taken with the story result in a mauled version that is extremely divergent from the known myths. As one who honors Ishtar, I find it to be a rather disrespectful approach.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I was surprised and disappointed by this book, March 17, 2008

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Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ishtar and Tammuz (Paperback)

Ishtar, the goddess of all creation, sent her son, Tammuz, to walk the earth. However, when Tammuz got too popular with the people, Ishtar grew jealous, and banished him to the underworld. But with Tammuz's passing, the earth grew arid and barren, and so Ishtar went down to the underworld and brought him back. And so each winter, when Tammuz returns to the underworld, cold winter descends on the earth, until spring arrives and Tammuz returns.

Overall, I must say that I was surprised and disappointed by this book. The illustration work was excellent, very fitting to its milieu. However, for some unknown reason, the author took the myth of Ishtar and Tammuz, and twisted the story almost completely out of shape. Indeed, why did the author recast Tammuz as Ishtar's son, rather than her husband?

The basis of the Tammuz story is not the coming of winter's chill, something that is unknown in Mesopotamia, but instead the summertime's exodus of the shepherds and their flocks. You see, because of the heat of lower Iraq, flocks would be taken to the mountains, where they could stay cool, and enjoy rich forage. In the autumn, the flocks (and their accompanying shepherds) would return, and the crops would be planted. As such, you see a see-sawing between the time when the flocks would be gone, and when the grain was in the ground - which was reflected in the Tammuz myth by the time in the underworld being split between Tammuz and his sister.

Anyway, in ancient Mesopotamian culture, the Tammuz myth held great power, and was revered by many. But, this book takes that myth and twists it for no good reason. As such, if you are interested in the ancient myth of Ishtar and Tammuz, then don't get this book, as it really won't give you a feeling for this fascinating ancient myth.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars "Simplified" beyond all recognition, March 13, 2007

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F. Presson "Freeman" (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ishtar and Tammuz (Paperback)

On the plus side, the artwork by Christina Balit is colorful and lively, and uses symbolism from the Ancient Near East in an intelligent way.

However, for reasons given in an afterword, Christopher Moore has chosen to gut the original story and flesh it out with his own version, in which Tammuz is Ishtar's son and his death caused by her in a fit of jealousy.

This makes the story fit with the Neopagan monomyth of The Goddess and her son who becomes her consort, then dies and is reborn each year, but that new myth has no support in any of the surviving legends of the Ancient Near East or anywhere. I'd really hesitate to use this in teaching a child his or her mythological heritage. Even if it were a true reflection of the Matter of Mesopotamia, I would not expose my son to a story about a mother who kills her son until he was too old for children's books.

The editorial review and the author's end note both refer to Ishtar as an "Earth Goddess." This, too, reflects a modern view based on a false generalization. Inanna and later Ishtar were goddesses of war, sex, and the granary, not necessarily in that order. This is hardly the same as the modern concept of an "Earth Mother."

We had been really looking forward to an age-appropriate book based on this great cosmic drama, but after reading this, we see we are still waiting.