Ereshkigal
Queen of the Great Below
Ancient texts
Often compared to Hades , Hecate , Allani and Lelwani , Ereshkigal is the Goddess of Kur (Underworld) , keeping the dead within and preventing the living from entering . Occasionally she goes by the title Irkalla , another name for the underworld , thus viewing the goddess and the realm as one and the same .Ereshkigal is often described as the sister of Inanna , however it is unclear as to if this is literal or a descriptive way to say that the two were equal entities , with Inanna ruling the heavens and Ereshkigal the underworld . Traditionally Eresh is said to have ruled over transtigridian snake gods , beings often associated with the underworld . Similarly , Nergal , who later became her husband , had an entourage of minor war gods and disease demons instead . It is possible later myths of the two coupling together was to grant more consistency when it came to the belief system .
Inanna's Descent into the underworld
In all versions of this myth , Irkalla plays a vital role .Inanna descends into the underworld , seeking to extend her powers there . Ereshkigal is described as being Inanna's older sister . When Neti , the gatekeeper of the underworld , informs Ereshkigal that Inanna is at the gates and demanding to be let in , Ereshkigal responds by ordering Neti to bolt the seven gates of the underworld and to open each separately , but only after Inanna has removed one article of clothing .Inanna proceeds through each gate , removing one article of clothing at each gate , and also loses her magic items to a nymph over the course of the journey . Finally , once she has gone through all seven gates , she finds herself naked and powerless , standing before the throne of Ereshkigal . The seven judges of the underworld judge Inanna and declare her to be guilty . Inanna is struck dead and her corpse is hung on a hook in the underworld for everyone to see .Inanna's minister , Ninshubur , pleads with various gods and finally Enki agrees to rescue Inanna from the underworld . Enki sends two sexless beings down to the underworld to revive Inanna with the food and water of life . These beings escort Inanna up from the underworld , but a horde of angry demons follow Inanna , demanding to take someone else down to the underworld as Inanna's replacement . They initially want it to be Ninshubur , but Inanna rebukes this order , stating that she would not hand over a loyal subordinate to them . However , when she discovers that her husband , Dumuzid , has not mourned her death , she becomes ireful towards him and orders the demons to take him as her replacement .
Marriage to Nergal
Once, the gods held a banquet that Ereshkigal , as queen of the underworld , could not come up to attend . Kaka , one of the messengers of Anu invited her to send a messenger , and she sent her vizier Namtar in her place . He was treated well by most , the exception being Nergal , who treated Namtar with disrespect . As a result of this , Ereshkigal demanded Nergal to be sent to the underworld to atone . In one version , she planned to kill Nergal upon arrival in the underworld , but this detail is absent from the other versions .Nergal travels under the advice of Ea , who warns him not to sit , eat , drink or wash while in the underworld , as well as not to have sex with Ereshkigal . At his advice Nergal travels to the underworld along with 14 demons . When he arrives , the gatekeeper Neti gets orders from Ereshkigal to allow him through the seven gates , stripping him of everything before arriving in the throne room , but at each gate , Nergal posts two demons .Although Nergal has no problem with respecting all the other warnings , the god succumbs to the temptation and lies with the goddess for six days . At the seventh , he escapes back to the upper world , which makes Ereshkigal upset . Namtar is then sent to bring Nergal back , but Ea disguises Nergal as a lesser god and Namtar is fooled . Ereshkigal ultimately realizes the deception and demands Nergal to return again , threatening to open the gates of the underworld and allow the spirits of the dead to swarm the world of the living if her demands are ignored . The gods agree to hand Nergal over to her again .In the same version in which Ereshkigal planned to kill Nergal , when he gets to the throne he knocks over Namtar and drags Ereshkigal to the floor . He is about to kill her with his ax when she pleads for her life ; she promises to be his wife and to share her power with him . He consents . However , Nergal must still leave the underworld for six months , so Ereshkigal gives him back his demons and allows him to traverse the upper world for that time , after which he returns to her .In the other version , the myth has a less violent ending . In this version the two deities seem to reunite and live happily ever after .In both versions , Nergal ends up becoming a king of the underworld , ruling alongside Ereshkigal .
Just a little Witchcraft
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Death Invulnerability | Being goddess of the Underworld , Irkalla is invulnerable to death . Instead being locked in a suspended state should she find herself weakened too much . |
| Goddess Physiology | Granting Ereshkigal immortality , she also ages much slower than most , forever appearing as a young woman . |
| Magic | Container of immense magical power unrivalled by most , Irkalla is more than skilled in a variety of magical techniques . This includes curses , summoning , purification , elemental and constructs . |
| Darkness / Shadow Manipulation | Not just to cloud the area , but weapons and shield can be created also . Irkalla possessed the ability to travel within each as if a gateway . Always watch your shadow . |
| Fire manipulation and invulnerability | Irkalla's primary element , fire based attacks do not affect this deity . This too can be utilised as constructs as well as simple flame attacks . |
| Necromancy | Ereshkigal can pull souls from the underworld to act as her own personal army . Souls can also be called upon for information . |
| Territory Creation | Able to enact authority over the vicinity , Irkalla can turn the area into a part of the underworld , causing those not deceased or of a divine being to decay from being exposed to the environment . |
| Manipulation | Mistress of sweet words , Irkalla knows just how to hit the right pitch to get those to do as she pleases . |
| Superhuman Strength | Despite her size , Ereshkigal isn't somebody to take lightly , able to take down an entire army by herself . |
| Superhuman Speed | Able to move swiftly without a trace , Irkalla can pose a difficult threat . |
| Flight | Utilising magical energy to make herself weightless , Irkalla has mastered flight . |
| Energy Drain | Irkalla can pull energy from the life force of those around , giving herself a boost . |
| Hand to hand | If Irkalla finds herself without a weapon , she has enough knowledge and skill to defend herself . |
| Spear | Often crafted of her own energy , this is her weapon of choice . |
| Healing / Regeneration | Able to regenerate lost limbs and organs , flesh wounds do very little to halt the Queen of the Underworld . |
| Invulnerable to Soul manipulation and Erasure | Strong willed and even stronger aura , her soul is not one to be toyed with . |
Scriptures
This is a myth composite portrayal of Ereshkigal of Mesopotamian Mythology . She is NOT a servant nor available to summon .Due to very little material existing in ancient texts , much of this is my own interpretation based on deities she is compared to , and other media such as Fate .Irkalla is neutral to most , unless you are disrespecting her or those close . Never disrespect the dead whilst she is within earshot .I do not auto ship with Nergal writers . This still requires chemistry .Story driven . Irkalla is MV and OC friendly .Triggering themes may be present , such as death and violence . Occasional NSFW content will be posted .Mun is a busy adult . Do not pester for replies . This is a hobby , not a job . I do not ship with minor writers and muses for my own comfort .Multi-ship . However main ship will get priority interactions . Heavy chem is required .