Ereshkigal

Culture: Sumerian/Akkadian   Domain: The underworld

Ereshkigal rules the Mesopotamian underworld absolutely, and her confrontation with her sister Inanna, who descends uninvited and uses her own authority against her, forms one of the oldest surviving myths of the underworld's ruler defending her domain; Ereshkigal ultimately claims Inanna's body as a corpse-hook until a substitute is provided.

Associations

Absolute underworld authority, grief and rage as legitimate, boundaries fiercely held.

Ways people honor her (modern)

• Respect boundaries around grief, rage and the underworld as legitimate, not shameful
• Read the Descent of Inanna for her side of that pivotal myth
• Reflect on authority you hold over your own difficult, private domain
• Approach her worship, if at all, with real seriousness about death and grief

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.