evile

4 Nov. 6:52 pm

I have found a goddess with whom to identify...sortakinda. I like the
part about how since she is a death goddess, being pregnant was agony
and she was unable to complete the act. Very...relevant

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ERISKIGAL (Arkkadian: ALLATU[M]) "Great Lady of Desire," Lady of the
Great Place": female Goddess of the Netherworld, sister, and perhaps
rival, of Inana/Ishtar; later she is made the wife of Nergal, god of
pestilence; however she is also associated with other spouses such as
Gulgalanna, Namtar, even Nanna as Su'en "Lord of Wisdom". Gulgalanna
is also said to be her son. Her 'Palace' is GANZIR, "the Gate-way to
the Underworld." There is not much information about her cult
(although it was probably subsumed into the later cult of Nergal) but
there are very early temples associated with her: KIDBABBARE "the
land where the moon leaves;" and KINAMTARRIDA "the place of the
fate." There may be a relationship between Ereskigal and
Nammu, 'second' wife of An and mother of Enki.

[from "Babyloniana: A Mesopotamian Magickal Practicum"
by Kalyn Tranquilson]

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Ereshkigal ("She Who Wails") seems more archaic than Persephone or
Hel. Unlike those latter-day Goddesses, She was the Queen of the
Underworld long before She was joined by a male god.

When Nergal, the unsparing god of pestilence, arrived to give
Ereshkigal a throne upon which to sit and give judgement, She offered
Him food, drink, a footbath, and enticed Him with Her body.
Eventually He succumbed and they slept with each other for seven
days. Enraged when He wished to leave Her, She sent Namtar, Her
messenger and vizier, to heaven to request that the Gods send Nergal
to Her to be punished as one of the few favors She had ever received.
If they would not, She threatened to raise the dead who would then
eat and outnumber the living. Nergal was brought back to become Her
consort. In some versions of the myth, Nergal took control of
Namtar's attendant demons, grabbed Ereshkigal from her throne by the
hair, and threatened to decapitate her. In this position she proposed
marriage to him. In both versions he accepted, they were married, and
he became her consort.

So terrifying was She that the Sumerians never described Her in any
detail, though the Babylonians said that when She was enraged, Her
lips were black and Her face livid blue.

When Inanna descended to the Underworld, Ereshkigal dealt with Her as
She dealt with all newcomers to the Land of the Dead: At each of the
gates of the Underworld, Inanna was ordered to remove a piece of
jewelry or clothing until She stood before Ereshkigal naked.

Ereshkigal fixed Inanna with the Eye of Death and spoke a single word
that slew Her instantly, then hung Her nude corpse on a spike.

The Goddess of Death had swallowed up the Goddess of Life. But having
done so, She began to suffer the pains of childbirth. Yet the Goddess
of Death could not give birth, so She lingered in misery.

At last one of the gods, growing anxious over Inanna's failure to
return, created two special beings to go to the Underworld and rescue
Her. Being made as sexless neuters, the creatures did not violate the
laws of the land of Death.

They found Ereshkigal in Her fruitless labor. They sympathized with
Her pain, echoing Her cries and complaints. Grateful for their
attentions, Ereshkigal offered them any gift they wanted. They asked
for no gift but Inanna's body, still hanging from its stake. The
Goddess of Death gave it to them. Only then was Inanna restored to
life.

Belit-tseri, the female tablet-scribe, knelt before Ereshkigal and
Sumuquan, the cattle god resided in Her underworld court. Heroes and
priests resided there, as well, and mighty kings served others food.
So we can see that Ereshkigal had actual, not referred, power. She
ruled death as an equal portion of the span from creation to
destruction. She judged and commanded both men and women. She had
sexual autonomy and authentic agency. She acknowledged and displayed
Her rage without apology. She had genuine bargaining power and was
able to use it even under extreme duress.