The peoples of many primitive societies considered rites
and rituals associated with fertility cults fundamental to the continuation of
life. The "Descent of Ishtar," a popular Mesopotamian vegetation
cycle myth founded on observations of the life cycle of plants and animals and
the changing of the seasons, was recited like other ritual myths such as the
Ennuma Elish. The "Descent of Ishtar" brought about the renewal
of vegetation in the spring and was meant to insure the continued growth of the
human population as well. In many of the extant copies of the text it is not
altogether clear why Ishtar journeyed into the underworld; but it would seem
she did so in an attempt to rescue her lover Tammuz who had been seized by death.н Mesopotamian monarchs often acted the part
of Ishtar's consort, further emphasizing the fact that in the constant struggle
between life and death the well-being of the community was intimately linked to
the efficacy of the king's regime.
(J.B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, Princeton University Press [Princeton, NJ: 1969], pp. 107-9.)
To the Land of no Return, the realm of Ereshkigal,
Ishtar, the daughter of Sin, set her mind.
Yea, the daughter of Sin set her mind
To the dark house, the abode of Irkalla,
To the house which none leave who have entered it,
To the road from which there is no way back,
To the house wherein the entrants are bereft of light,
Where dust is their fare and clay their food,
Where they see no light, residing in darkness,
Where they are clothed like birds, with wings for
garments,
And where over door and bolt is spread dust.
When Ishtar reached the gate of the Land of no Return,
She said these words to the gatekeeper:
"O gatekeeper, open your gate, open your gate that
I may enter!
If you do not open the gate so that I may enter,
I will smash the door, I will shatter the bolt,
I will smash the doorpost, I will move the doors,
I will raise up the dead, eating the living,
So that the dead will outnumber the living."
The gatekeeper opened his mouth to speak, saying to
exalted Ishtar:
"Stop, my lady, do not throw the door down!
I will go to announce your name to Queen
Ereshkigal."
The gate keeper entered, saying to Ereshkigal:
"Behold, your sister Ishtar is waiting at the gate,
She who upholds the great festivals,
Who stirs up the deep before Ea, the king."
When Ereshkigal heard this, her face turned pale like
ннннннннннн downed
tamarisk,
While her lips turned dark like a bruised kuninu-reed.
"What drove her heart to me?н What impelled her spirit hither?
Lo, should I drink water with the Anunnaki?
Should I bemoan the men who left their wives behind?
Should I bemoan the maidens who were snatched from their
lovers?
Or should I bemoan the tender little one sent before his
time?
Go, gatekeeper, open the gate for her,
Treat her in accordance with the ancient rules."
Forth went the gatekeeper to open the door for her:
"Enter, my lady, that Cutha may rejoice over you,
That the palace of the Land of no Return may be glad at
ннннннннннн your
presence."
When the first door he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the great crown on her head.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the great crown on
my head?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
When the second gate he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the pendants on her ears.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the pendants on my
ears?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
When the third gate he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the chains around her neck.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the chains around
my neck?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
When the fourth gate he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the ornaments on her breast.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the ornaments on
my breast?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
When the fifth gate he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the girdle of birthstones on
her hips.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the girdle of
birthstones?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
When the sixth gate he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the clasps round her hands and
feet.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the clasps around
my hands
ннннннннннн and
feet?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
When the seventh gate he had made her enter,
He stripped and took away the breechcloth round her
body.
"Why, O gatekeeper, did you take the breechcloth
round my body?"
"Enter, my lady, thus are the rules of the Mistress
of the
ннннннннннн Nether
World."
As soon as Ishtar descended to the Land of no Return,
Ereshkigal saw her and burst out at her presence.
Ishtar, unreflecting, flew at her.
Ereshkigal opened her mouth to speak, saying to Namtar,
her vizier:
"Go, Namtar, lock her up in my palace!
Release against her, against Ishtar, the sixty miseries:
Misery of the eyes against her eyes,
Misery of the sides against her sides,
Misery of the heart against her heart,
Misery of the feet against her feet,
Misery of the head against her head--
Against every part of her, against her whole body!"
. . .
The countenance of Papsukkal, the vizier of the great
gods,
Was fallen, his face was clouded.
He was clad in mourning, long hair he wore.
Forth went Papsukkal before Sin his father, weeping,
His tears flowing before Ea, the king:
"Ishtar has come down to the Nether World, she has
not come up.
Since Ishtar has gone down to the Land of no Return,
The bull springs not upon the cow, the ass impregnate
ннннннннннн not the
jenny.
In the street the man impregnates not the maiden.
The man lies in his own chamber, the maiden lies on her
side."
Ea in his wise heart conceived an image, and created
ннннннннннн Asushunamir,
a eunuch:
"Up, Asushunamir, set your face to the gate of the
Land
ннннннннннн of no
Return;
The seven gates of the Land of no Return shall be opened
for you.
Ereshkigal shall see you and rejoice at your presence.
When her heart has calmed, her mood is happy,
Let her utter the oath of the great gods.
Then lift up your head, paying mind to the life-water
bag,"
[Asushunamir said,] "Pray, Lady, let them give me
the
ннннннннннн life-water
bag that water therefrom I may drink."
As soon as Ereshkigal heard this,
She smote her thigh, bit her finger:
"You requested of me a thing that should not be
requested.
Come, Asushunamir, I will curse you with a mighty curse!
The food of the city's gutters shall be your food,
The sewers of the city shall be your drink,
The shadow of the wall shall be your station,
The threshold shall be your habitation,
The besotted and the thirsty shall strike your
cheek!"
Ereshkigal opened her mouth to speak,
Saying these words to Namtar, her vizier:
"Up, Namtar, knock at Egalgina,
Adorn the thresholds with coral-stone,
Bring forth the Anunnaki and seat them on thrones of
gold,
Sprinkle Ishtar with the water of life, take her from my
presence."
Forth went Namtar, knocked at Egalgina,
Adorned the thresholds with coral-stone,
Brought forth the Anunnaki, seated them on thrones of
gold,
Sprinkled Ishtar with the water of life, took her from
ннннннннннн her
presence.
When through the first gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the breechcloth for her body.
When through the second gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the clasps for her hands and feet.
When through the third gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the birthstone girdle for her hips.
When through the fourth gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the ornaments for her breasts.
When through the fifth gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the chains for her neck.
When through the sixth gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the pendants for her ears.
When through the seventh gate he had made her to go out,
He returned to her the great crown for her head.