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Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld
November 14, 2006 at 10:59 am by mahud
The goddess Inanna desired to visit the realm of death ruled over by her sister Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld. In preparation, Inanna clothed herself in regalia and precious jewels, and gave certain instructions to her handmaid Ninshubur, that if she should fail to return, she must present herself before the gods, Enlil, Nanna, and Enki, and ask for their assistance.
As Inanna’s journey progressed toward the heart of the underworld, she passed through seven gateways. At each of these gates it was required that she remove an item of clothing, in accordance with the decrees of the underworld. Finally Inanna stood, both naked and powerless, before the throne of queen Ereshkigal, and the Anunnaki, the seven judges of the underworld.
Inanna fought the queen of death, but in vain, and the Anunnaki cast her a deadly glance, and with a word, reduced the sick goddess to a corpse.
Her body was hung upon a stake, where it was to remain for a period of three days. According to the later Akkadian version of this myth, during the period of the goddess’s death, all sexual activity, whether between humans, or between animals, ceased.
Meanwhile, Ninshubur followed her lady’s instructions, and sought out the three gods, but Enki alone, the god of wisdom, was concerned enough to help.
He formed two asexual beings, called Kurgarra and Kalaturra, using the dirt from beneath his fingernails, and gave them the food and water of life.
The specially created beings went down to the underworld and discovered Ereshkigal morning for her dead children. Because they lamented alongside her, Ereshkigal was pleased to grant them one request. They asked her for the corpse of Inanna, and reluctantly she complied. Kurgarra and Kalaturra revived the dead goddess with the food and water of life, and fled from the realm of death, with a swarm of demons following close behind them.
The demons demanded that a substitute should take Inanna’s place, and so, when Inanna reached her own city of Erech and discovered her husband Dumuzi sitting upon a throne, seemingly unconcerned by the whole matter, she handed him over. Dumuzi is not easily imprisoned. More than once, with the help of the sun god Utu, he manages to escape from the underworld. In another text it is agreed that he should spend half the year in the realm of death, and his sister Geshtinanna, the other half, ever-revolving between the two realms, so it would seem, for endless time.