Ereshkigal

*Great Lady Beneath the Earth*

**Also known as:** Allat; Allatu (The Goddess); Irkalla

**Origin:** Sumeria

Ereshkigal is the Goddess of the World Below, the Land of No Return. She rules the Mesopotamian realm of death, married to the war god Nergal. Ereshkigal is Inanna’s sister, rival, or alter ego. Descriptions of Ereshkigal and her realm are found in the Sumerian hymn, The Descent of Inanna (available in English translation). The descent that Inanna makes is to Irkalla, Ereshkigal’s realm of death.

Ereshkigal is great and powerful, if forbidding. Queen of the Dead, she also possesses power over life: Ereshkigal has access to the Water of Life, capable of resurrecting the dead.

Ereshkigal is a tempestuous, volatile, aggressive spirit. She commands and compels the dead. Her powers are invoked in necromantic spells from the magical papyri of Alexandria, Egypt. An Akkadian hymn recounts the union of Ereshkigal and Nergal. Nergal was delegated to deliver food offerings to Ereshkigal; unexpectedly they fell passionately in love and she conceived. When Nergal returned to his home in the court of the spirits, Ereshkigal threatened the supreme authorities with a zombie army, unless Nergal was sent back to her. She vows to raise the dead so that they devour the living. Unless her “request” is granted, the dead will outnumber the living. No attempts were made to call her bluff. Nergal was allowed to return.

Ereshkigal is sometimes called Allat, a title that means “goddess” or “feminine divine.” Some scholars speculate that she is the same spirit as the Arabian deity also named Allat, although from the modern perspective, their dominions seem very different. Allat may have been a title for many female deities. Much information has been lost regarding pre-Islamic Middle Eastern goddesses; however, for what it’s worth, contemporary Greeks compared Arabian Allat to Athena and Aphrodite, not Persephone.

Once the gods made a feast and sent a message to Ereshkigal saying that, though they could go down to her realm of the dead, she could not come up to their home, and therefore it would be best if she sent a messenger to fetch the food set aside for her. Ereshkigal sent a messenger. When he arrived, all of the gods stood up to receive him, except for Nergal, Erato who did not show the proper respect.

When the messenger returned to Ereshkigal, he told her what had happened. The goddess then asked that the delinquent be sent to her so that she could kill him. The gods discussed the matter and decided to send the culprit to the vengeful goddess. When Nergal arrived in the underworld, he grabbed Ereshkigal by her hair and dragged her from her throne. “Do not kill me, my brother,” cried the goddess. “Let me speak with you. You shall be my husband and I will be your wife. I will make you to rule the whole earth. I will place the Tablet of Wisdom in your hand. You shall be Lord and I will be Lady.” Nergal kissed the goddess, wiping away her tears. “Whatever you have asked me in the past will now be yours,” Nergal replied. The two were then married.

**Manifestations:** Ereshkigal may manifest as a woman but she may also appear with a lioness’ head on a woman’s body.

**Attribute:** Her scepter is a snake.

**Consort:** Nergal

**Spirit allies:** Gestinana and Belit-Seri, Lady of the Desert, serve as Ereshkigal’s personal secretaries, writing down her decrees.

**Animals:** Snakes, scorpions, lions

**Realm:** The “Big Land” Irkalla, realm of no return (Irkalla names Ereshkigal and her realm in the same way that Hades is lord and realm)

**Offerings:** Offerings made to the dead eventually find their way to Ereshkigal.

**See Also:** Allat; Gestinana; Hades; Inanna-Ishtar; Nergal; Tammuz

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Fate Grand OrderFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Monster StrikeFrom Dawn of GodsFrom Age of Ishtaria
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes

Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow