Ereshkigal
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In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆠𒃲 [EREŠ.KI.GAL]), lit. "Queen of the Great Earth") was the goddess of Kur, the land of the dead or underworld in Sumerian mythology. In later myths, she was said to rule Irkalla alongside her husband Nergal. 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, and sometimes it is given as Ninkigal, lit. "Lady of the Great Earth”.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Mesopotamian
- Deity.name
- Ereshkigal
- Deity.image
- Relieve Reina de la Noche (ca. 1800 a.C).jpg
- Deity.caption
- The "Queen of Night Relief", which dates to the Old Babylonian Period and might represent either Ereshkigal or Ishtar
- Deity.god_of
- Queen of the Underworld
- Deity.abode
- Kur or Irkalla
- Deity.consort
- Ninazu, Gugalana, later Nergal
- Deity.parents
- Nanna and Ningal (implicitly, following the most common genealogy of Inanna)
- Deity.siblings
- Inanna, Shamash
- Deity.children
- Nungal, Ninazu, Namtar (in only one text)
- Deity.equivalent1_type
- Hurrian
- Deity.equivalent1
- Allani
- Deity.equivalent2_type
- Hittite
- Deity.equivalent2
- Sun goddess of the Earth
- Deity.equivalent3_type
- Hattian
- Deity.equivalent3
- Lelwani
- Deity.Greek_equivalent
- Hecate (only in a late magical papyrus)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- British Museum Queen of the Night.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Ereshkigal
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~11 min read
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Mythology
- Inanna's Descent into the underworld
- Marriage to Nergal
- Ningishzida's journey to the nether world
- The underworld vision of an Assyrian prince
- Family
- Syncretism
- Ereshkigal's name in Greek magical texts
- Obsolete theories
- See also
- Notes
- Citations
- References
- Further reading
- External links
In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆠𒃲 [EREŠ.KI.GAL]), lit. "Queen of the Great Earth") was the goddess of Kur, the land of the dead or underworld in Sumerian mythology. In later myths, she was said to rule Irkalla alongside her husband Nergal. 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, and sometimes it is given as Ninkigal, lit. "Lady of the Great Earth”.
Ereshkigal was only one of multiple deities regarded as rulers of the underworld in Mesopotamia. The main temple dedicated to her was located in Kutha, a city originally associated with Nergal, and her cult had a very limited scope. No personal names with "Ereshkigal" as a theophoric element are known.