What is the descent of Ishtar about?
Description: This Akkadian poem tells the myth of the descent of Ishtar, goddess of love, fertility, and war, into the Netherworld and her resurrection. The poem begin’s with Ishtar’s descent to the Netherworld and a stock literary description of this mythical place.
Why did Ishtar go to the underworld?
It begins with Ishtar’s decision to visit the realm of her sister, Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld. Ostensibly, she is visiting her sister to mourn the death of her brother-in-law, possibly the Bull of Heaven who appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
What powers were attributed to the goddess Ishtar?
Ishtar was worshipped primarily as the goddess of both love and war, and she was associated with aspects of these areas such as sex, fertility, and political power. However, Ishtar’s sphere of influence also extended well beyond her primary roles.
Why was Ishtar important to the Sumerians?
Ishtar’s primary legacy from the Sumerian tradition is the role of fertility figure; she evolved, however, into a more complex character, surrounded in myth by death and disaster, a goddess of contradictory connotations and forces—fire and fire-quenching, rejoicing and tears, fair play and enmity.
What kind of myth is Descent of Ishtar?
In a myth called “The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld,” the fertility goddess decides to visit kur-nu-gi-a (“the land of no return”), where the dead “live in darkness, eat clay, and are clothed like birds with wings.” She threatens the doorkeeper: “If thou openest not that I may…
Who saved Ishtar from the underworld?
Enki
All of them refuse her, except Enki, who sends two sexless beings to rescue Inanna. They escort Inanna out of the underworld, but the galla, the guardians of the underworld, drag her husband Dumuzid down to the underworld as her replacement….Inanna.
| Inanna/Ishtar | |
|---|---|
| Mount | Lion |
| Personal information |
What are the seven divine powers?
The Enduring Goddess She is listed among the earliest seven divine powers: Anu, Enlil, Enki, Ninhursag, Nanna, Utu, and Inanna. These seven would form the basis for many of the characteristics of the gods who followed.
Is Ishtar evil or good?
A complex deity, Ishtar combined the characteristics—both good and evil—of many different goddesses. As a benevolent mother figure, she was considered the mother of gods and humans, as well as the creator of all earthly blessings.
How was Ishtar worshipped?
How did people worship Ishtar? People sacrificed animals to Ishtar, and prayed to her in her temples. The Akkadian priestess Enheduanna wrote poems to Ishtar (under her name Inanna).
What is Ishtar holding in her hands?
ring and rod combination
In her hands she holds a ring and rod combination. Evidently this is no longer a lowly she-demon, but a goddess who tames wild beasts and, as shown by the owls on the reliefs, rules by night.
What is the Babylonian version of the descent of Ishtar?
In the Babylonian version of the descent of Ishtar into the underworld, the story is split into several parts. This may have been done to better conceal the occult truths the story contains, or it may be the result of the many copyists who have embellished and altered the original narrative since its composition.
In a myth called “The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld,” the fertility goddess decides to visit kur-nu-gi-a (“the land of no return”), where the dead “live in darkness, eat clay, and are clothed like birds with wings.” She threatens the doorkeeper: “If thou openest not that I may…
Who is Ishtar the goddess?
In the Babylonian pantheon, Ishtar was the daughter of the Moon, the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of all Life. Tammuz, her husband and lover, was the god of vegetation who each year came to life and then died again. This is the same story that we find in Egypt where Isis and Osiris take the place of Ishtar and her lover.
How many gates did Ishtar pass through?
The seven ‘gates’ Ishtar passes through find their exact counterpart in the gates described in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Similar gates are also described in chapter 30 of the Book of Sa-Heti, published in full on this website, but there they are 12 in number, not 7.