In Ancient Mesopotamia, Sex among the Gods Shook Heaven and Earth.

The Descent of Inanna into the Underworld: A 5,500-Year-Old Literary Masterpiece.

According to one myth, when Anu’s tears, which were shed for his separated sister-lover Ki (the personification of the earth), mingled with the salty water of the primeval sea goddess Nammu, Ereshkigal was born. In some myths, Ereshkigal is said to have been the daughter of Anu, the supreme god of the Mesopotamian pantheon and the personification of the sky. ‘Great’ in this instance is a reference to the vastness of her realm. The ruler of the Mesopotamian Underworld was Ereshkigal, whose name means ‘Queen of the Great Below’, or ‘Lady of the Great Place’. This was a dark, gloomy place, where the dead were believed to drink from muddy puddles and eat dust. To the Sumerians, this place was known as Kur, whilst the Akkadians referred to it as Irkalla. The ancient Mesopotamians believed in life after death and that the souls of the dead traveled to the Underworld. Another myth in which Ereshkigal plays an important role is that of her marriage to Nergal.

This may be seen in the myth known as Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld, where Ereshkigal emerges triumphant after a confrontation with her younger sister, Inanna, who was a formidable goddess in her own right. She is believed to have been the Queen of the Underworld and a very powerful deity. Let me take him to you, that he may kiss you again!'Įreshkigal is a chthonic goddess that is found in the mythology of ancient Mesopotamia. 'Send me to Anu your father, and let me arrest the god! “Namtar made his voice heard and spake, addressed his words to Ereshkigal,

Fonts like ereshkigal