Ruler of the Babylonian kingdom of the dead, a place of dust
and dismal bleakness where priests, prophets and kings alike share the
same eternal fate to sit like motionless birds and exist on mud.
Ishtar, a principal goddess of the Babylonians, after
causing the death of one of her lovers, demanded entry into the Underworld
to see him. She was escorted by one of Ereshkigal's guides who told
her that she must part with different items of her finery on the way
so, by the time they meet, Ishtar was naked and enraged at her treatment.
She attacked Ereshkigal who overcame Ishtar and compelled her to remain
in the kingdom of the dead. lshtar’s influence as the goddess
of love was taken from the world with the consequence that no creatures
were able to breed. Ereshkigal was eventually persuaded to sprinkle
the water of life on lshtar and return her finery.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of a king's search
for immortality Ereshkigal allowed Enkldu, the bosom friend of Gilgamesh,
to witness the sorrows of her morbid dark kingdom. Enkldu described
to Gilgamesh how he saw Ereshkigal with the Book of the Dead and her
scribe, Belit-Sheri, amongst the souls of the dead wearing garments
of wings.
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