{"id":4346,"date":"2026-04-27T10:35:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T10:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/ereshkigal\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:26:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:26:02","slug":"ereshkigal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/ereshkigal\/","title":{"rendered":"Ereshkigal"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4346\" class=\"elementor elementor-4346 elementor-1970 elementor-bc-flex-widget\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10fdade e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"10fdade\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herohlft0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herohlft0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3ceb64 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c3ceb64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ae5e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"96ae5e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ereshkigal, goddess of the Mesopotamian tradition<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e45238a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e45238a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal is a goddess of the Mesopotamian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span>.<\/p><p>Mistress of the underworld, sister of Ishtar, ruler over Kur and Irkalla. Ereshkigal is the most powerful goddess of the underworld, not evil, but relentless.<\/p><p>While her sister Ishtar roams the earth and the heavens, Ereshkigal sits untouchable in Irkalla, the realm of the dead, and rules with her husband Nergal over all who cross the threshold into the beyond. She does not receive visitors easily; whoever steps before her throne must be fearless or cursed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klsbdg01 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"klsbdg01\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klshtm01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"klshtm01\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-pill-row\"><span class=\"iwg-klasse-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"God \/ Goddess: Personified supreme power in the pantheon of a culture, with clear responsibilities, forces of nature, fate, war, fertility. Venerated through cults, sacrifices, and temple institutions.\">Goddess<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/mesopotamia\/\" class=\"iwg-kultur-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Cradle of documented religion, Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria (ca. 3500 BC to 330 BC).\">Mesopotamia<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/death-deities\/\" class=\"iwg-tradition-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Gods of the underworld and of death, rulers of the beyond, judges of the dead, guides of souls.\">Death deity<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f74855 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3f74855\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c30362 elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"1c30362\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;Es wurden keine \\u00dcberschriften auf dieser Seite gefunden.&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;},&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herorght0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herorght0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-heroimg00 iwg-hero-image elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"heroimg00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_mesopotamien_ereshkigal-683x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4347\" alt=\"Ereshkigal - Gods from the Mesopotamian tradition, historical-illustrative\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_mesopotamien_ereshkigal-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_mesopotamien_ereshkigal-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_mesopotamien_ereshkigal-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_mesopotamien_ereshkigal.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32917199 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"32917199\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26e916cb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"26e916cb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-253a40d4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"253a40d4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1200c304 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1200c304\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ereshkigal<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-159dcf9a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"159dcf9a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48cee66f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"48cee66f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Quick overview: Ereshkigal<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f50d82c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f50d82c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Type:<\/strong> Mesopotamian principal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span>, queen of the underworld<br><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Pantheon<\/span>: Sumer, Akkad\/Babylon\/Assyria<br>Function: Ruler of the realm of the dead (Kur, Irkalla), judge of the dead, fate of the deceased<br>Main attributes: Diadem, black mantle, tablet of destinies, seven gate guardians<br>Main <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration for a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> sites: Kutha (together with Nergal), no large <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Handed over to the sacred through a religious act and thereby set apart from the everyday.\" tabindex=\"0\">dedicated<\/span> <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A structure that serves the veneration of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temples<\/span> of her own<br>Husband: Nergal (after the Inanna descent <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18613602 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18613602\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-262b8a9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"262b8a9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Historical context<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46dcb7d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"46dcb7d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61d3ab3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"61d3ab3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-117c166 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"117c166\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Period of the texts<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73997a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73997a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal is attested from the 3rd millennium BC (Sumerian) onward.<\/p><p>The main flowering of her <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span> is the Old Babylonian period (early 2nd millennium BC) with the two central myths: <em>Inanna&#8217;s Descent into the Underworld<\/em> (Inanna comes to Ereshkigal, is killed, then revived through Ea&#8217;s intermediaries; her husband Dumuzi must descend into the underworld as atonement) and <em>Nergal and Ereshkigal<\/em> (Nergal comes into the underworld, is first cursed by her, then becomes her husband, the mythic pattern of a patriarchy that forces the old queen of the underworld into a marriage position).<\/p><p>In later traditions there is a marked decline of her direct veneration; she is feared, not popular.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d47b156 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d47b156\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff38c2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ff38c2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Area of distribution<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e49fcc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e49fcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Direct Ereshkigal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A structure that serves the veneration of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temples<\/span> are rarely documented; she is a feared goddess of the dead. The main cult site she shares with Nergal is <strong>Kutha<\/strong> (today Tell Ibrahim, north of Babylon), the \u201ecity of Nergal\u201c that was understood as an entrance to the underworld.<\/p><p>In personal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration for a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> she was <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The petitioning or invoking address to a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invoked<\/span> in funerary rites and <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A linguistic ritual intended to summon or bind a power.\" tabindex=\"0\">incantation<\/span> texts rather than in temples of her own. In the Greco-Roman <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magical<\/span>-theurgic tradition (e.g. PGM IV) she was received as a powerful incantation goddess.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db03c39 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"db03c39\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-229a87b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"229a87b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f471fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1f471fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">State of the sources<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36b1201 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36b1201\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Central sources: <em>Inanna&#8217;s Descent into the Underworld<\/em> (Sumerian, 2nd millennium BC), <em>Ishtar&#8217;s Descent into the Underworld<\/em> (Akkadian, more compact version), the <em>Nergal and Ereshkigal<\/em> epic (Middle Assyrian and Late Babylonian recensions), <em>Epic of Gilgamesh<\/em> tablet XII (Enkidu&#8217;s depiction of the underworld).<\/p><p>Secondary literature: Wolkstein\/Kramer, <em>Inanna<\/em>; Lambert, <em>Babylonian Wisdom Literature<\/em>; Bott\u00e9ro, <em>La plus vieille <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">religion<\/span><\/em>; Black\/Green, <em>Gods, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being to which harmful or ambivalent effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">Demons<\/span> and Symbols<\/em>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ae0637c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ae0637c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31d07739 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31d07739\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Designation and spellings<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7642947 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b7642947\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a086266 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a086266\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal is often depicted enthroned, regal, with a crossed crown and scepter. Her eyes glow with subterranean fire or darkness. She wears black or dark violet robes and is surrounded by demons and the souls of the dead.<\/p><p>Sometimes she sits beside Nergal, her somber husband. Her crown (<em>horn gold<\/em>) distinguishes her from mortal nobility. The <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands in place of an idea or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbol<\/span> of her power is the barred door, impassable for the living, inevitable for mortals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-709a44a8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"709a44a8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f585873 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f585873\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Description<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70621c12 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"70621c12\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4296eb49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4296eb49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal receives the souls of the deceased and orders their fate in Irkalla. She is not free of suffering and passion, as she is sometimes described, but clever and wrathful; whoever breaks the laws of the underworld experiences her revenge.<\/p><p>In the <em>Descent of Ishtar<\/em> narrative she acts as a moral force: Ishtar tries to intrude into the underworld, and Ereshkigal punishes the attempt with death. There were no great public festivals for her, but <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An offering to a deity to express gratitude, petition, or veneration.\" tabindex=\"0\">offerings<\/span> were made to her in private rites of honoring the dead and to appease her power.<\/p><h3>Appearance and symbolism<\/h3><p><em>Ereshkigal<\/em> is depicted as a somber, magnificently dressed goddess with a crown of horns, symbols of her queenly power. Her skin is dark blue or gray-black, her eyes glow with an eerie light.<\/p><p>She wears a heavy diadem and sits on a throne of stone or bone. Her body is majestic, yet visibly under a kind of torment or suppressed anger. An eight-armed <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being to which harmful or ambivalent influence is ascribed.\" tabindex=\"0\">demon<\/span> or a serpent may be her servants. Darkness itself is her garment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44e71476 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"44e71476\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c1fc3f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3c1fc3f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Profile: Ereshkigal<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84f33b8e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"84f33b8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-hqkdc67p elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"hqkdc67p\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most important aspects of Ereshkigal at a glance. The following fields summarize origin, function, appearance, veneration, symbols, and cultural parallels.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-qh9oavvu iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"qh9oavvu\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-awzx8k2k elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"awzx8k2k\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Tradition<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x6rowhv0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x6rowhv0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal (Sumerian <em>Ere\u0161-ki-gal<\/em>, \u201eMistress of the great earth\u201c = underworld) is the daughter of Anu (heaven) and the earth goddess.<\/p><p>Sister of Inanna\/Ishtar (central in the descent <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>), in earlier tradition sole ruler of the underworld, in later tradition wife of Nergal. Mother of <em>Ningishzida<\/em> (serpent god of the underworld) and <em>Namtar<\/em> (messenger of fate). Daughter Ninazu in some versions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e3o4kxs iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8e3o4kxs\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08rkdgov elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08rkdgov\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Addressees<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-uwjelx8s elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"uwjelx8s\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ruler of the realm of the dead <em>Kur<\/em> or <em>Irkalla<\/em>, beyond the seven gates of the underworld. She holds the <em>tablet of destinies<\/em> (mes), on which the fate of all the dead is recorded.<\/p><p>Without her permission no one can leave the realm of the dead (Inanna&#8217;s descent <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>: only through Ea&#8217;s means and Dumuzi&#8217;s atoning <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A gift to a deity to express thanks, request, or veneration.\" tabindex=\"0\">offering<\/span> may Inanna return). In personal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration for a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span>, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The petitioning or conjuring address of a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invocation<\/span> took place in funerary rites and in the black <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of things through special acts or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span> tradition (PGM incantations).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-jm2n74ec iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"jm2n74ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8vufse4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8vufse4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Appearance<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-mwb9u015 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"mwb9u015\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal has no fixed iconographic depiction. In the myth texts she is described as a somber, sublime figure, diadem, black mantle, long robe. Seated in a dark hall, surrounded by her seven <em>Anunnaki<\/em> judges.<\/p><p>When she receives Inanna, she is blue and sallow-yellow in the face (symbols of sickness\/death). Attributes: tablet of destinies, writing stylus. Companions: Namtar (her vizier), Ningishzida (son, serpent god).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37ss2yr6 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"37ss2yr6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3v0wp3wx elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3v0wp3wx\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ereshkigal's influence<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-w3247g2m elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"w3247g2m\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Sphere of influence:<\/strong> Ereshkigal was rarely invoked directly, because she was feared. But: in every funerary <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A fixed, recurring religious act.\" tabindex=\"0\">rite<\/span> she was present as the recipient of the deceased. In the incantation tradition (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Akkadian incantation series from the 1st millennium BC; the most extensive surviving Mesopotamian collection of anti-witchcraft rituals.\">Maqlu<\/span>, Shurpu) she was invoked as a feared helper against black <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of things through special acts or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span>.<\/p><p>In the Greco-Roman magical-theurgic tradition (Papyri Graecae Magicae) she was identified as <em>Ereschigal<\/em> with Hecate in incantations. In modern <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Collective term for teachings that claim a hidden knowledge accessible only to initiates.\" tabindex=\"0\">esoteric<\/span> reception she is often used as a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands in place of an idea or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbol<\/span> of the power of the underworld and of unbending resolve.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0qpjal9w iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0qpjal9w\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ndoih0o elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ndoih0o\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ereshkigal's defense<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6684tyh9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6684tyh9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Diadem, black mantle, tablet of destinies (mes), seven gate guardians, Namtar (vizier), Ningishzida (son, serpent god). <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the divine and thereby withdrawn from everyday use.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sacred<\/span> plant: asphodel (in modern reception). Sacred number: 7 (seven gates of the underworld, seven Anunnaki judges). Sacred colors: black, dark blue.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3lfi7x32 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3lfi7x32\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0kg99ga1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0kg99ga1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Related beings<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-n0fum6kp elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"n0fum6kp\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Inanna\/Ishtar<\/em> (Mesopotamia, sister, antagonist in the descent <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>), <em>Nergal<\/em> (Mesopotamia, husband in later tradition), <em>Persephone<\/em> (Greece, queen of the underworld), <em>Hecate<\/em> (Greece, identified directly with Ereshkigal in PGM texts), <em>Hel<\/em> (Germanic, ruler of the underworld), <em>Mictecacihuatl<\/em> (Aztec), <em>Izanami<\/em> (Japan, queen of Yomi), <em>Hine-nui-te-p\u014d<\/em> (M\u0101ori).<\/p><p>The female ruler-of-the-underworld type is present in numerous cultures, often with the tension of a mother\/daughter pairing (Ereshkigal-Inanna, Demeter-Persephone, Izanami-Amaterasu).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7533bc7a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7533bc7a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2447d18d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2447d18d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Practical defense<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5d0260c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d5d0260c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-341be2ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"341be2ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Warding off evil: of signs and objects intended to keep harmful influences away.\" tabindex=\"0\">Apotropaic<\/span> rituals<\/h3><p>Ereshkigal as mistress of the underworld (Kur-nu-gi-a, \u201eland of no return\u201c) was not venerated directly but <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Warding off evil; apotropaic symbols (Pazuzu, Hamsa, Nazar) protect against harmful magic and the evil eye.\">apotropaically<\/span> avoided; the rituals aim at keeping away her messengers (Galla, Edimmu) by purifying thresholds.<\/p><p>The purification series <em>b\u012bt rimki<\/em>, with <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An ordered sequence of symbolic actions with religious or cultural meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">ritual<\/span> exposure of the king to water, aimed specifically at protection from subterranean powers (cf. Bott\u00e9ro, <em>Mesopotamia<\/em>).<\/p><h3>Incantations<\/h3><p>In the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> \u201eInanna-Ishtar&#8217;s descent to the underworld\u201c (Akkadian, Foster, <em>Before the Muses<\/em>) the central invocations of Ereshkigal appear; through seven gates the goddess is disrobed, a ritualized self-abasement.<\/p><p>Late incantation texts from Assur (1st millennium BC) appeal to Ereshkigal as \u201e\u0161\u0113pti-\u0161a-ir\u1e63itim\u201c (one who sets the traces of the earth) to end sickness of the dead.<\/p><h3><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A worn object to which a protective, misfortune-averting effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">Amulets<\/span> and protective symbols<\/h3><p>Apotropaic clay pins with an engraved \u201eentrance <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A text incised or carved into a fixed support.\" tabindex=\"0\">inscription<\/span>\u201c (\u201eMay Ereshkigal not come to me\u201c) were buried at house entrances (excavations Nimrud, Mallowan 1953-57).<\/p><p>On Kassite cylinder seals the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands in place of an idea or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbol<\/span> of the inverted spear appears, indicating the gate of the underworld. Lapis lazuli plaques bearing her name were placed in the grave as offerings to the dead.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a584676 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5a584676\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d0757bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d0757bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ereshkigal, parallels in other cultures<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60563f68 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"60563f68\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a93fdd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a93fdd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ereshkigal resembles the Greek Persephone or Hera, who likewise exercise subterranean or invisible power. With Hades she shares rule over the realm of the dead, but differs through her femininity and strategic authority.<\/p><p>The Egyptian Isis and the Indian Kali have similar aspects, divine women who oversee life and death. Ereshkigal&#8217;s inviolability and justice make her one of the most complex female deities of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Epoch of Greek and Roman culture, roughly 800 BCE to 600 CE.\" tabindex=\"0\">antiquity<\/span>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp5fe2f09 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp5fe2f09\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp1899066 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp1899066\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Inanna's journey to the underworld: The central myth<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpb1e5f28 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpb1e5f28\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp25852c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cp25852c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most important source for Ereshkigal is the Sumerian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> of Inanna&#8217;s descent into the underworld, transmitted on cuneiform tablets of the early second millennium BC. The narrative depicts how the heavenly goddess Inanna resolves to descend into the realm of her elder sister Ereshkigal, the land of no return.<\/p><p>At seven gates of the underworld Inanna must each time remove an item of clothing or jewelry, until she stands naked and stripped of her insignia of power before Ereshkigal and the seven judges of the underworld, the Anunna.<\/p><p>These fix the gaze of death upon her, and Inanna becomes a corpse hung on a stake.<\/p><p>Only through the intervention of the wise god Enki, who sends down two sexless beings with the food of life and the water of life, can Inanna be revived. She may, however, only escape if she provides a substitute, which finally falls upon her husband Dumuzi.<\/p><p>A related Akkadian version, the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> of Ishtar&#8217;s descent to the underworld, is shorter and differs in details. <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The discipline that studies religions comparatively and without commitment to belief.\" tabindex=\"0\">Religious studies<\/span> has examined the text intensively, among other things with regard to the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A recurring thematic element in art or narrative.\" tabindex=\"0\">motif<\/span> of the disrobing descent and the question of a ritual background.<\/p><p>At the center stands Ereshkigal as the relentless mistress of a domain whose laws even a great goddess cannot violate without punishment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp1e15695 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp1e15695\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp6f90e0e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp6f90e0e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ereshkigal and Nergal: The tale of the marriage of the rulers of the underworld<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpac150ca e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpac150ca\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp0688c1f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cp0688c1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A second important <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins, and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> explains how Ereshkigal came to her husband. The text Nergal and Ereshkigal survives in several recensions, including a shorter one from Tell el-Amarna in Egypt from the 14th century BC and a longer one from the library of Ashurbanipal from the 7th century.<\/p><p>The narrative begins with a banquet of the gods of heaven, in which Ereshkigal cannot take part, since she may not leave the underworld. She sends her messenger up to fetch her share. The god Nergal fails to rise before this messenger, which counts as an insult.<\/p><p>As atonement, Nergal must descend into the underworld. There it comes to a union between him and Ereshkigal. In the longer recension Nergal first tries to flee, but Ereshkigal threatens to send the dead up to devour the living if he is not returned to her. Finally Nergal returns and becomes co-ruler of the underworld.<\/p><p>This narrative is instructive in terms of religious history, because it shows that the Mesopotamian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> also endowed the underworld with an ordered structure of rule. Older sources know Ereshkigal as sole mistress or name Gugalanna as her husband.<\/p><p>The connection with Nergal is likely a later <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic study of God and the doctrines of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theological<\/span> systematization that brought together two conceptions of the underworld. Scholarship discusses whether this also reflects political or cultic developments.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpbfb7dfc e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cpbfb7dfc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpede8ea1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cpede8ea1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The underworld of the Mesopotamians and Ereshkigal's realm<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpfe9f0b1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpfe9f0b1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp8ee7cb2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cp8ee7cb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>To understand Ereshkigal&#8217;s position, the Mesopotamian conception of the underworld itself is decisive. It is described in the texts as a dark place, the land of no return, in which the dead eat dust and have clay for food, clothed like birds in a garment of feathers.<\/p><p>It is not a place of punishment in the moral sense, but the common, joyless fate of all the deceased, independent of their deeds.<\/p><p>Over this realm Ereshkigal rules. Her name means roughly mistress of the great earth or mistress of the great below, where the great land is a paraphrase of the underworld.<\/p><p>She resides in a palace with names such as Ganzir, guarded by seven gates and her vizier Namtar, the bringer of fate and pestilence. At her side stand the Anunna as a judicial body.<\/p><p>Characteristic of the Mesopotamian conception is the severity of the laws of the underworld. Whoever descends is subject to the rule that only a substitute permits escape. Even gods are subject to these laws, as Inanna&#8217;s fate shows. Ereshkigal thus embodies a cosmic order that is incorruptible.<\/p><p>The famous epic <em>Gilgamesh<\/em> reflects the same somber conception in its depiction of the realm of the dead. <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The discipline that studies religions comparatively and without commitment to belief.\" tabindex=\"0\">Religious studies<\/span> sees in Ereshkigal less a malevolent than a necessary figure, who occupies the inescapable pole of death within an otherwise life-affirming worldview.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36dd7469 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"36dd7469\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13760ab4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"13760ab4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Further links<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c87796 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"28c87796\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d6538df elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5d6538df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/ishtar\/\">Ishtar, Akkadian sister<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/nergal\/\">Nergal, husband in later tradition<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/persephone\/\">Persephone, Greek parallel<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/hecate\/\">Hecate, identified with Ereshkigal in the PGM tradition<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/mesopotamia\/\">Mesopotamia, pantheon overview<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/death-deities\/\">Death deities, subcategory<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/gods\/\">Gods, class overview<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-grl4kl40 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"grl4kl40\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bzsbfrmh elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bzsbfrmh\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Sources and literature<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c13224a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2c13224a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0eymh9ub elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0eymh9ub\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<footer class=\"iwg-literatur\" data-nosnippet=\"true\"><ul><li><span data-nosnippet>Wolkstein, Diane \/ Kramer, Samuel Noah: <em>Inanna. Queen of Heaven and Earth<\/em>. New York 1983.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Betz, Hans Dieter (ed.): <em>The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation<\/em>. Chicago 1986 (Ereshkigal-Hecate <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The merging of ideas or deities from different religious traditions.\" tabindex=\"0\">syncretism<\/span>).<\/span><\/li><li>Walde, Christine (ed.): <em>Der Neue Pauly<\/em> (entry \u201eEreschkigal\u201c).<\/li><\/ul><\/footer>\n<p class=\"iwg-bib-more\"><span data-nosnippet>Further standard works in the <a href=\"\/en\/literature\/\">literature index<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ereshkigal, goddess of the Mesopotamian tradition Ereshkigal is a goddess of the Mesopotamian tradition. Mistress of the underworld, sister of Ishtar, ruler over Kur and Irkalla. Ereshkigal is the most powerful goddess of the underworld, not evil, but relentless. While her sister Ishtar roams the earth and the heavens, Ereshkigal sits untouchable in Irkalla, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4347,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Ereshkigal","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ereshkigal: Mistress of the Mesopotamian Underworld","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ereshkigal, mistress of the Mesopotamian underworld. Sister of Ishtar, wife of Nergal: ruler over the dead and the seven gates of darkness.","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_angie_page":false,"gefaehrdungsstufe":"","wesen_kultur":"","wesen_klasse":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[79,86,85],"class_list":["post-4346","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultures","category-gods","category-mesopotamia"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ereshkigal: Mistress of the Mesopotamian Underworld<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ereshkigal, mistress of the Mesopotamian underworld. 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