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Ereshkigal, Death Mistress

Lore[]

Ereshkigal sheds tears. Since any who heppen to gaze at her scarlet eyes will be led to death, nobody can understand the reason for her tears. With her magnificent body, she weeps within the night.

Acquisition[]

Name Origin[]

In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal ("great lady under earth") was the goddess of Irkalla, the land of the dead or underworld. Sometimes her name is given as Irkalla, similar to the way the name Hades was used in Greek mythology for both the underworld and its ruler.

Ereshkigal was the only one who could pass judgment and give laws in her kingdom. The main temple dedicated to her was located in Kutha.

The goddess Ishtar refers to Ereshkigal as her older sister in the Sumerian hymn "The Descent of Inanna" (which was also in later Babylonian myth, also called "The Descent of Ishtar"). Inanna/Ishtar's trip and return to the underworld is the most familiar of the myths concerning Ereshkigal.

Additional Info[]

Artwork by Dave Palumbo.

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