Scribd
Upload
308 views5 pages

Ereshkigal: EREŠ - KI.GAL, Lit. "Queen of The Great Earth")

Ereshkigal is the goddess of the underworld in Sumerian mythology. She rules the underworld realm of Kur or Irkalla. Two important myths involve Ereshkigal - the story of Inanna's descent into the underworld, where Ereshkigal sentences her to death, and the story of Ereshkigal's marriage to the god Nergal after he is sent to the underworld as punishment.

Uploaded by

Edwin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
308 views5 pages

Ereshkigal: EREŠ - KI.GAL, Lit. "Queen of The Great Earth")

Ereshkigal is the goddess of the underworld in Sumerian mythology. She rules the underworld realm of Kur or Irkalla. Two important myths involve Ereshkigal - the story of Inanna's descent into the underworld, where Ereshkigal sentences her to death, and the story of Ereshkigal's marriage to the god Nergal after he is sent to the underworld as punishment.

Uploaded by

Edwin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Ereshkigal

In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal (𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆠𒃲 Ereshkigal


DEREŠ.KI.GAL, lit. "Queen of the Great Earth")[1][2] was the
Queen of the Underworld
goddess of Kur, the land of the dead or underworld in Sumerian
mythology. In later East Semitic myths, she was said to rule Irkalla
alongside her husband Nergal. Sometimes her name is given as
Irkalla, similar to the way the name Hades was used in Greek
mythology for both the underworld and its ruler, and sometimes it is
given as Ninkigal, lit. "Lady of the Great Earth".

In Sumerian myths, Ereshkigal was the only one who could pass
judgment and give laws in her kingdom. The main temple dedicated
to her was located in Kutha.[3] In the ancient Sumerian poem
Inanna's Descent to the Underworld, Ereshkigal is described as
Inanna's older sister.[4][5] The two main myths involving Ereshkigal
are the story of Inanna's descent into the Underworld and the story of
Ereshkigal's marriage to the god Nergal.

Contents The "Queen of Night Relief", which


dates to the Old Babylonian Period
Mythology and is believed to represent either
Inanna's Descent into the Underworld Ereshkigal or Ishtar
Marriage to Nergal
Abode Kur or Irkalla
Interpretation of myths
Personal information
Related deities
Parents Nanna and Ningal
Graeco-Roman syncretic folk religion
Siblings Utu and Inanna
See also (younger siblings)
Notes and references Consort Gugalana, later Nergal
Sources Children Nungal, Namtar, and
External links Ninazu
Greek Hecate
equivalent
Mythology
In ancient Sumerian mythology, Ereshkigal is the queen of the Underworld. She is the older sister of the
goddess Inanna.[4] Inanna and Ereshkigal represent polar opposites: Inanna is the Queen of Heaven, but
Ereshkigal is the queen of Irkalla.[6] Ereshkigal plays a very prominent and important role in two particular
myths.

Inanna's Descent into the Underworld


The first myth featuring Ereshkigal is described in the ancient Sumerian epic poem of "Inanna's Descent to
the Underworld." In the poem, the goddess, Inanna descends into the Underworld, apparently seeking to
extend her powers there. Ereshkigal is described as being Inanna's older sister. When Neti, the gatekeeper of
the Underworld, informs Ereshkigal that Inanna is at the gates of the Underworld, demanding to be let in,
Ereshkigal responds by ordering Neti to bolt the seven gates of the Underworld and to open each gate
separately, but only after Inanna has removed one article of clothing. Inanna proceeds through each gate,
removing one article of clothing at each gate. Finally, once she has gone through all seven gates she finds
herself naked and powerless because she lost one of her magic items to a nymph, standing before the throne
of Ereshkigal. The seven judges of the Underworld judge Inanna and declare her to be guilty. Inanna is
struck dead and her dead corpse is hung on a hook in the Underworld for everyone to see. Inanna's minister,
Ninshubur, however, pleads with Enki and Enki agrees to rescue Inanna from the Underworld. Enki sends
two sexless beings down to the Underworld to revive Inanna with the food and water of life. The sexless
beings escort Inanna up from the Underworld, but a horde of angry demons follow Inanna back up from the
Underworld, demanding to take someone else down to the Underworld as Inanna's replacement. When
Inanna discovers that her husband, Dumuzid, has not mourned her death, she becomes ireful towards him
and orders the demons to take Dumuzid as her replacement.[4]

Marriage to Nergal

The other myth is the story of Nergal, the plague god. Once, the gods held a banquet that Ereshkigal, as
queen of the Underworld, could not come up to attend. They invited her to send a messenger, and she sent
her vizier Namtar in her place. He was treated well by all, but for the exception of being disrespected by
Nergal, who did not rise to him. As a result of this, Ereshkigal demanded Nergal to be sent to the
underworld to atone.

In a version, Nergal travels to the underworld along with 14 demons. When he arrives, the gatekeeper Neti
gets orders from Ereshkigal to allow him through the seven gates, stripping him of everything until the
throne room, where he would be killed. But at each gate, Nergal posts two demons. When he gets to the
throne he knocks over Namtar and drags Ereshkigal to the floor. He is about to kill her with his ax when she
pleads for her life, promising her as his wife and to share her power with him. He consents. However,
Nergal must still leave the underworld for six months, so Ereshkigal gives him back his demons and allows
him to traverse the upper world for that time, after which he returns to her. This myth shows how war is
fought in season.[7]

In later tradition, Nergal travels under the advice of Enki, who warns him not to sit, eat, drink or wash while
in the underworld, as well as not to have sex with Ereshkigal. However, although respecting all the other
warnings, Nergal succumbs to the temptation and lies with the goddess for six days. At the seventh, he
escapes back to the upperworld, which makes Ereshkigal upset. Namtar is then sent to bring Nergal back,
but Enki disguises him as a lesser god and Namtar is foiled. Ereshkigal ultimately realizes the deception and
demands Nergal to return again. This time Nergal returns by himself, dethroning her violently, but they then
lie again for another six days. Afterwards, Nergal is made Ereshkigal's husband.[8]

Interpretation of myths

It is theorized that the story of Inanna's descent is told to illustrate the possibility of an escape from the
Underworld, while the Nergal myth is intended to reconcile the existence of two rulers of the Underworld: a
goddess and a god. The addition of Nergal also represents the harmonizing tendency to unite Ereshkigal as
the queen of the Underworld with the god who, as god of war and of pestilence, brings death to the living
and thus becomes the one who presides over the dead.[9] This takes the metaphor of a love story in the later
tradition.[10]
Related deities
In some versions of the myths, Ereshkigal rules the Underworld by herself, but in other versions of the
myths, Ereshkigal rules alongside a husband subordinate to her named Gugalana, who dies before the events
of her sister Inanna's travel to the Underworld.

In his book, Sumerian Mythology: A Study of Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the Third Millennium
B.C., the renowned scholar of ancient Sumer, Samuel Noah Kramer writes that, according to the
introductory passage of the ancient Sumerian epic poem, "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld,"
Ereshkigal was forcibly abducted, taken down to the Underworld by the Kur, and was forced to become
queen of the Underworld against her will. In order to avenge the abduction of Ereshkigal, Enki, the god of
water, set out in a boat to slay the Kur. The Kur defends itself by pelting Enki with rocks of many sizes and
by sending the waves beneath Enki's boat to attack Enki. The poem never actually explains who the ultimate
victor of the battle is, but it is implied that Enki wins. Samuel Noah Kramer relates this myth to the ancient
Greek myth of the abduction of Persephone, asserting that the Greek story is probably derived from the
ancient Sumerian story.[11]

In Sumerian mythology, Ereshkigal is the mother of the goddess Nungal. Her son with Enlil is the god
Namtar. With Gugalana, her son is Ninazu.

In Hittite mythology, the Sun goddess of the Earth rules as an underworld deity. Though the deity is of
likely Proto-Indo-European origin (see Sun goddess of Arinna), this is an aspect thought to have been
influenced by Ereshkigal.[12]

Graeco-Roman syncretic folk religion


In later times, the Greeks and Romans appear to have syncretized
Ereshkigal with their own goddess Hecate. In the heading of a spell
in the Michigan Magical Papyrus, which has been dated to the late
third or early fourth century A.D., Hecate is referred to as "Hecate
Ereschkigal" and is invoked using magical words and gestures to
alleviate the caster's fear of punishment in the afterlife.[13]

See also
Ghosts in Mesopotamian religions
Hel
Isis
Kali

Notes and references An early nineteenth century drawing


of a statuette of Hecate, with whom
1. "CDLI Literary Descent of Ishtar (composite)" (https://cdli.u Ereshkigal was syncretized
cla.edu/search/archival_view.php?ObjectID=P497322).
cdli.ucla.edu.
2. "CDLI Literary Descent of Ishtar, ex. 001" (https://cdli.ucla.
edu/search/archival_view.php?ObjectID=P345482).
cdli.ucla.edu.
3. "Ereshkigal", Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference
Suite DVD, 2003.
4. "Inana's descent to the nether world: translation" (http://etc
sl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section1/tr141.htm). etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk.
5. Mark, Joshua J. "Inanna's Descent: A Sumerian Tale of
Injustice." Ancient History Encyclopedia, 23 February
2011. http://www.ancient.eu/article/215/
6. Wolkstein, Diane, and Samuel Noah Kramer. Inanna:
Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from
Sumer. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1983, New York.
7. "Nergal and Ereshkigal" in Myths from Mesopotamia,
trans. S. Dalley (ISBN 0-199-53836-0)
8. Rikvah Harris (2003). Gender and Aging in Mesopotamia:
The Gilgamesh Epic and Other Ancient Literature.
University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-08-061353-9-7.
9. Jastrow 1911.
10. Nergal and Ereshkigal: Re-enchanting the Mesopotamian
Underworld (http://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/religion/n
ergalereshkigal2000.htm), 2000, Gateways to Babylon
11. Kramer, Samuel Noah. Sumerian Mythology: A Study of
Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the Third Millennium
B.C.: Revised Edition. University of Pennsylvania, 1944,
Philadelphia. (Pages 76-79) http://www.sacred-
texts.com/ane/sum/sum08.htm
12. Maciej Popko: Religions of Asia Minor. Warschau 1995,
ISBN 83-86483-18-0, p. 118.
13. Hans Dieter Betz, "Fragments from a Catabasis Ritual in a
Greek Magical Papyrus", History of Religions 19,4 (May
1980):287-295

Sources
Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia by Jeremy Black and Anthony Green
(ISBN 0-292-70794-0)
The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels by Alexander Heidel (ISBN 0-226-32398-6)
Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth" by Diane Wolkenstein and Samuel Noah Kramer
(ISBN 0-06-090854-8)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Jastrow, Morris
(1911). "Ereshkigal". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 9 (11th ed.).
Cambridge University Press. p. 736.

External links
Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses: Ereškigal (goddess) (http://oracc.museum.upen
n.edu/amgg/listofdeities/erekigal/)
"Inana's descent to the nether world" (http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.1.4.1&
display=Crit&charenc=gcirc#) - from The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature by the
Oriental Institute of the University of Oxford

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ereshkigal&oldid=967759769"


This page was last edited on 15 July 2020, at 03:58 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

You might also like