Inanna Goes to the Underworld

Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love and cosmic laws. Besides this, she was also the patron deity of fertility, grain, healing and even war.

Inanna, the beautiful goddess of love, had a twin sister—Ereshkigal. While Inanna was the goddess of light, of the heavens, her sister was the goddess of darkness, the underworld. One day, Inanna decided to pay her sister a visit, for she was missing her. (After all, they were twins.)

Nobody in heaven approved of her plan, for those who descended into the netherworld were never meant to return. But Inanna had made up her mind to go.

Her father, Nanna, was the moon god and her mother, Ningal, was the goddess of the reeds. Inanna had been given in marriage to Dumuzi, a shepherd, not by her choice but that of her brother, the sun god, Utu, for he alone had the power to decide who should wed his sister. Marriage had elevated Dumuzi’s position and he was now the King of Uruk.

Inanna began preparations for her journey. Deserting the seven temples where she was worshipped, she abandoned both heaven and earth to descend to the Underworld. She adorned herself in royal attire, which had the power to protect her. Before she left, she confided in her faithful confidante and maid, Ninshubur. ‘I’m going down to visit my sister Ereshkigal. If I do not return in three days, you must seek help from the other gods.’

Bravely, she departed to the land where no one ever wished to go. When she reached the outer gates of the Underworld, she called out to the gatekeeper, Neti. ‘Open the door, gatekeeper, this is Inanna, the Queen of the Heavens! Let me enter!’

‘But why would you wish to enter a land from which no traveller returns, o Queen?’ asked Neti.

‘I wish to see my sister Ereshkigal, who is your mistress. Now go tell her that Inanna is waiting at the gates.’

‘Okay, wait! I shall inform her,’ said Neti and went in to confer with Ereshkigal.

‘Worshipful Queen Ereshkigal! There’s a maiden at the gates, waiting to enter, claiming to be your sister Inanna. On her head she wears a shugarra, the crown of the steppe. Her dark locks are carefully arranged across her forehead and, around her neck, she wears lapis lazuli beads. On her breast she wears another double strand of beads and a breastplate. On her wrist she wears a ring of gold and holds a lapis sceptre in her hand. Her body is wrapped in a royal robe and she is as tall as heaven and as wide as the earth.’ When Neti was finished with his description of her heavenly counterpart, Ereshkigal sat silent for a while. Then she slapped her thigh and bit her lip. She was not entirely sure what her twin wanted.

‘Lock the seven gates of the underworld and open them one by one, just a crack to let Inanna enter. But remember, she has to shed, one by one, her royal garments when she passes each gate. And when she does enter the final gate to reach here, let her head be bowed low!’ Neti faithfully reported these instructions to Inanna, who was waiting at the gate.

‘But why?’ questioned Inanna. ‘I come to meet my sister, my counterpart. Why these rules for me?’

‘Quiet, Inanna! The ways of the Underworld are perfect. They cannot be questioned,’ replied Neti dispassionately. Inanna removed her shugarra, her crown, and handed it to Neti. ‘Okay, let me enter now.’

She passed through the first gate, which was opened just a crack to let her through. At the second gate, she took off the lapis beads from her neck; at the third, the double strand on her chest and her breastplate at the fourth. At the fifth gate, she removed the gold ring from her wrist and at the sixth, she gave her lapis sceptre. Finally, at the seventh and last gate, she shed her royal robe.

Inanna entered her sister’s throne room, naked, with her head bowed low as instructed. As she moved towards her sister seated on her throne, wishing to embrace her, the Annuna, the judges of the Underworld, surrounded her and, fearing an attack on their goddess Ereshkigal, passed their judgement against her. Perhaps they feared that Inanna would take her sister back to the earth or the heavens.

Ereshkigal, who obviously didn’t share her sibling’s tender feelings, spoke harshly against her, and turned Inanna into a corpse and hung her from a hook on the wall.