Mythology: The Interplay of Translocality and Locality Interpretations of the Images on the Qushu Carpets No. 1–2 (Part III)

This chapter investigates the five Qushu woolen carpets originating from Shanpula, Xinjiang, to elucidate the interplay between trans-locality and locality in mythological transmission. Characterized by their distinctive U-shaped knotting technique, these carpets unfold a serial narrative centered on the theme of resurrection. The narrative depicts Gilgamesh appealing to a diverse pantheon of deities—including Hermes (portrayed with dual snakes), Persephone (holding wheat), and Hephaestus/Aphrodite—yet all fail to restore Enkidu. Success is achieved only by Inanna, the Sumerian goddess situated beneath the Sky-Tree (a motif linked to Iranian haoma). Inanna is clearly identified by attributes consistent with her Descent myth (e.g., the lapis lazuli rod) and is flanked by the minor deities Ttaśa and Ttara, known from contemporary Khotanese texts. Collectively, these carpets demonstrate a profound act of localization: they successfully adapt Mesopotamian and Greek mythological elements into a distinctly Khotanese declaration of Inanna’s supreme authority over death and rebirth.