Narundi

Narundi (𒀭𒈾𒊒𒋾 ^dna-ru-ti) was a goddess of the city of Susa in Elam. A statue of her is located in the Louvre Museum, where she appears seated on a lion throne, holding a cup and the branch of a palm tree in her hand.[3] She is quite similar to the Sumerian goddess Inanna, and the style of the sculture itself is reminiscent of Mesopotamian art.[3]

Narundi
𒀭𒈾𒊒𒋾

Statue of Goddess Narundi, circa 2100 BCE. Louvre Museum.[1]

"Puzur-Inshushinak, Governor of Susa" (𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞 𒑐𒋼𒋛 𒈹𒂞𒆠, puzur-inshushinak ensi shushi^ki), on the statue of the Goddess Narundi.[2]

Narundi statue

The statue was dedicated by the Elamite ruler Puzur-Inshushinak and has a bilingual inscription in Linear Elamite and Old Akkadian.[4]

• 
  Statue of goddess Narundi dedicated by Awan king Kutik-Inshushinak, with inscriptions in Linear Elamite and in Akkadian, circa 2100 BCE, Louvre Museum.
• 
  The lions appears on the side of the throne
• 
  Lions are also located on the back of the throne

Inscriptions

An archaic statue of an orant is known, which was re-dedicated by Eshpum, Military Governor of Susa for the Akkadian Empire, to Narundi.[5] It reads:

Eshpum votive statue inscription

𒈠𒀭𒅖𒌅𒋢 / 𒈗 / 𒆧 / 𒀹𒅗 / 𒀵𒋢 / 𒀀𒈾 / 𒀭𒈾𒊒𒋾 / 𒀀𒈬𒈾𒊒

"ma-an-isz-tu-su / lugal / kish / esh18-pum / ARAD2-su / a-na / {d}na-ru-ti / a mu-na-ru
For Manishtushu king of Kish, Eshpum his servant, dedicated this statue to Narundi"

— Inscription of Eshpum on the statue of the orant. Louvre Museum Sb 82.[6][7][8]

• 
  Archaic votive statue (circa 2700 BCE) dedicated by Eshpum, with his inscription in the back
• 
  Detail of the statue, Louvre Museum

References

1. "Narundi, Louvre Museum".
2. Mémoires. Paris P. Geuthner. 1899. pp. 17–19.
3. "One of the masterpieces of this era is a statue of the seated Narundi goddess that is not unlike the statue of the Sumerian Inanna. She is sitting upon two stone lions and in her hands, which are folded over her breast; she carries a cup and a branch of a palmtree" in Ayatollahi, Habibollah; Allāhī, Ḥabīb Allāh Āyat; Āyatollāhi, Habibollāh (2003). The Book of Iran: The History of Iranian Art. Alhoda UK. ISBN 978-964-94491-4-2.
4. Hansen, Donald P. (2002). Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen. Eisenbrauns. p. 222. ISBN 978-1-57506-055-2.
5. Álvarez-Mon, Javier (2020). The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC. Routledge. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-000-03485-1.
6. "CDLI-Archival View". cdli.ucla.edu.
7. "Sb 82 Louvre Museum".
8. Mémoires. Paris P. Geuthner. 1899. p. 10.