Mesopotamian Goddess Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld
The Descent of Inanna (c. 1900-1600 BCE) is a rich myth from ancient Sumer that tells the story of Inanna, the goddess of love, fertility, and war, and her perilous journey to the Underworld. This narrative reflects themes of power, justice, sacrifice, and the balance between life and death. It’s one of the oldest surviving texts in the world, inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets, and provides deep insight into Sumerian views of divinity, human existence, and morality.
“Inanna’s Descent” is a rich myth from ancient Sumer that tells the story of Inanna, the goddess of love, fertility, and war, and her perilous journey to the Underworld. Image: A copy of the Akkadian version of Ishtar’s Descent into the Underworld, from Assurbanipal’s Library, currently housed in the British Museum, London.
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Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth
Inanna was one of the most powerful and revered deities in the Sumerian pantheon. She was associated with love, fertility, beauty, and war, embodying both creative and destructive forces. Her dual nature as a life-giver and a figure of conflict makes her one of the most complex figures in Sumerian mythology.
Inanna was known as Ishtar in the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures. Her primary title is “Queen of Heaven.”
However, the tale of her descent into the Underworld is not merely a story about her divine power but also a profound commentary on the themes of mortality, justice, and the price of ambition.
The Adda Seal, an ancient Akkadian cylinder seal showing (from left to right) Inanna, Utu, Enki, and Isimud (circa 2300 BC)
The Descent Begins
The story begins with Inanna’s decision to descend to the Underworld, ruled by her sister, Ereshkigal, the goddess of death and gloom. Inanna is not simply visiting; she goes with a clear purpose: to challenge the power structure in the Underworld and potentially seize control from her sister. This audacious move hints at Inanna’s ambition and thirst for power.
Before her descent, Inanna prepares carefully. She adorns herself with seven sacred garments and items of power, including a crown, beads, and various symbols of her divine status. These items represent her authority, beauty, and protection. She instructs her loyal servant, Ninshubur, to seek help from the gods if she does not return.
As Inanna approaches the gates of the Underworld, she is met by the gatekeeper, Neti, who questions her intentions. Inanna insists on entering, and Neti relays this to Ereshkigal. Suspicious of her sister’s motives, Ereshkigal instructs that Inanna must pass through seven gates, surrendering one piece of her divine regalia at each gate.
The Stripping of Power
At each gate, Inanna is stripped of one of her sacred garments, symbolizing her gradual loss of power and divine authority. By the time she reaches the final gate, Inanna is entirely vulnerable—naked and powerless before Ereshkigal. This is a crucial moment in the narrative, as it underscores the inevitability of death and the fact that all must face mortality without the protections or privileges of life, even the gods.
In the Underworld, Inanna is judged by the Anunnaki, the judges of the dead. She is found guilty of hubris—attempting to overthrow her sister and disrupt the natural order. As punishment, she is struck dead by Ereshkigal and hung on a hook, her body left to rot.
The Role of Ninshubur
Meanwhile, Ninshubur, Inanna’s faithful servant, realizes that her mistress has not returned. Following Inanna’s instructions, Ninshubur goes to the gods for help. She first approaches Enlil, the god of air, and then Nanna, the moon god, but both refuse to interfere in the affairs of the Underworld, believing that Inanna’s fate was deserved.
Finally, Ninshubur turns to Enki, the god of wisdom and water. Enki, unlike the others, shows compassion and devises a plan to rescue Inanna. He creates two creatures, the kurgarra and the galatur, from the dirt under his fingernails. These beings are neither male nor female, and their ambiguous nature allows them to navigate the Underworld without being detected.
Goddess Ishtar (Inanna in ancient Sumer) stands on a lion and holds a bow, god Shamash symbol at the upper right corner, from Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq
The Resurrection
Enki instructs the creatures to sneak into the Underworld and soothe Ereshkigal’s grief. When they arrive, they find Ereshkigal in agony, writhing in pain and lamenting her own suffering. The kurgarra and galatur empathize with her, repeating her cries back to her. Moved by their understanding, Ereshkigal offers them a gift in return. They request Inanna’s lifeless body.
Ereshkigal reluctantly agrees, and the creatures sprinkle the water and food of life on Inanna, reviving her. However, Inanna cannot leave the Underworld without providing a substitute to take her place, as decreed by the laws of the Underworld. This introduces a stark aspect of divine justice: the balance of life and death must be maintained.
Image: Ancient Sumerian clay tablet inscribed with the text of the poem Inanna and Ebih
The Substitution and Injustice
Upon her return to the land of the living, Inanna searches for someone to take her place in the Underworld. She finds that many mourn her loss, and she is unable to choose them. But when she comes upon her husband, Dumuzi, she is enraged to find him not grieving but seated on his throne, enjoying his power and life. Outraged by his lack of loyalty and apparent indifference to her suffering, Inanna chooses Dumuzi as her substitute.
This choice introduces the element of injustice in the tale. Dumuzi, though seemingly carefree, had not committed a crime comparable to Inanna’s transgressions. Yet, he is condemned to the Underworld in her stead. In Sumerian culture, the idea of justice was complex, and gods were not always depicted as just or fair by human standards. Inanna’s decision reflects her wrath and the arbitrary nature of divine power, where even the innocent can suffer.
Dumuzi’s sister, Geshtinanna, pleads for his release, and a compromise is reached: Dumuzi will spend half the year in the Underworld, while Geshtinanna will take his place for the other half. This arrangement symbolizes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, mirroring the agricultural cycles of Sumer, where crops die in the dry season and return to life during the fertile period.
Inanna is the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility, also linked to sensuality, procreation, divine law, and political power. Image: An ancient Sumerian depiction of the marriage of Inanna and Dumuzid
Themes of Power and Mortality
“Inanna’s Descent” explores several themes, the most prominent being power, mortality, and the balance of life and death. Inanna’s ambition to seize control of the Underworld speaks to the human desire to transcend mortality, but her eventual death and resurrection highlight the inescapability of death, even for gods. Her journey symbolizes the inevitability of decline and renewal, as all beings must face death but can also be reborn.
The story also touches on the theme of justice, or more accurately, the injustice of divine rule. Inanna’s punishment is harsh, but Dumuzi’s fate is even more arbitrary, showing that the gods’ decisions are not always based on fairness. This reflects the ancient Sumerians’ view of the cosmos, where the gods were powerful but not necessarily benevolent.
Finally, the narrative emphasizes the importance of empathy and sacrifice. The kurgarra and galatur’s ability to sympathize with Ereshkigal’s pain is what ultimately leads to Inanna’s release, while Geshtinanna’s willingness to share her brother’s fate reflects the theme of familial love and self-sacrifice.
The story Inanna’s Descent explores themes such as the limits of power, the inevitability of death, the consequences of ambition, and the unpredictability of fate. It also reflects the complex relationship between gods and mortals in Sumerian culture. Image: Inanna receiving offerings on the Uruk Vase, circa 3200–3000 BCE
Conclusion
Inanna’s Descent is a multifaceted tale of ambition, justice, and the human condition, where even the most powerful gods are subject to the laws of life and death. Through her journey to the Underworld, Inanna learns the limits of her power, and the narrative ultimately reminds us that death is a universal experience.
The balance between life and death, power and vulnerability, and justice and injustice are all central to this ancient story, which continues to resonate with readers today.
Questions and Answers about The Descent of Inanna
Originally worshipped in Sumer, Inanna was known as Ishtar in the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures. Her primary title is “Queen of Heaven.” Image: The “Queen of Night Relief,” from the Old Babylonian Period, possibly represents Ereshkigal or Ishtar.
Who is Inanna in Sumerian mythology?
Inanna is the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility, and war. She is also known as the Queen of Heaven and is one of the most powerful deities in the Sumerian pantheon.
What prompts Inanna to descend to the underworld?
Inanna descends to the underworld to visit her sister Ereshkigal, Queen of the Dead, and to attend the funeral rites of Ereshkigal’s husband, Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven.
What happens to Inanna as she passes through the gates of the underworld?
At each of the seven gates of the underworld, Inanna is required to remove one of her royal garments. By the time she reaches Ereshkigal’s throne room, she is stripped of all her symbols of power and is completely vulnerable.
Inanna was the Mesopotamian goddess of war and desire. Occupying the top position in the region’s pantheon of gods, Inanna is said to have even transcended gender boundaries. Image: Ancient Akkadian cylinder seal depicting Inanna crushing a lion
How is Inanna punished when she reaches the underworld?
Inanna is judged by the Annuna, the judges of the dead, and Ereshkigal strikes her with the “eye of death.” She is transformed into a corpse and hung from a hook on the wall.
Who helps to revive Inanna, and how do they achieve it?
Inanna’s servant Ninshubur seeks help from the god Enki, who sends two beings, the galla, to rescue her. These beings empathize with Ereshkigal’s pain, and in gratitude, Ereshkigal allows them to take Inanna’s corpse. They revive her with the food and water of life.
Why must someone take Inanna’s place in the underworld, and who is chosen?
According to the laws of the underworld, one cannot leave without providing a substitute. Inanna’s lover, Dumuzi, is chosen because he is not mourning her death like the others. Inanna becomes enraged at his lack of grief and orders the demons to take him.
What arrangement is made for Dumuzi’s time in the underworld?
Dumuzi’s sister, Geshtinanna, offers to take his place for part of the year. As a result, Dumuzi spends half the year in the underworld, while Geshtinanna spends the other half. This mirrors the seasonal cycles of life and death.
Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression depicting Dumuzid being tortured by galla demons in the underworld.
How is The Descent of Inanna interpreted in modern psychological terms?
Some modern interpretations, especially those influenced by Carl Jung’s theories, view the story as an archetypal journey of personal transformation. Inanna’s descent represents the individual’s journey into the unconscious, a confrontation with the shadow self, and a rebirth into wholeness.
What is the primary lesson conveyed by the original text of The Descent of Inanna?
The original text emphasizes the themes of power, death, and the consequences of one’s actions. Inanna’s descent and subsequent punishment reflect the inevitability of death and the balance of justice in the cosmos. It also highlights Ereshkigal’s grief and rightful judgment against Inanna.
How does the poem conclude, and why is this significant?
The poem concludes with praise for Ereshkigal, not Inanna. This highlights Ereshkigal’s role in delivering justice and reinforces the Sumerian belief in the inevitability of death and the importance of maintaining balance between life and the underworld.
