How Was The Ane Underworld Goddess Taken Over ?

[Guest FaithofSolarDaevas]

I noticed that in no less than nine books there are references to the myths about the Underworld. I have experience a great deal of confusion concerning the take over of the ANE goddess 'Ereshkigal'. I have it on good authority .. that there are two versions .. to the myths dealing w/ Nergal and EREShkigal. That is what this is about. From Online sources. There is an account where although initially hostile Nergal succumbs and passionately and 'boldly' kisses the Underworld's :EREShkigal. From the other sources we read of a Underworld goddess being dragged from her throne by her hair. I cannot reconcile the descriptions of the two versions. Anyone here familiar with the mythology of the ANE that would explain the treatment of the underworld goddess ?

[Guest Atrakhasis]

I noticed that in no less than nine books there are references to the myths about the Underworld. I have experience a great deal of confusion concerning the take over of the ANE goddess 'Ereshkigal'. I have it on good authority .. that there are two versions .. to the myths dealing w/ Nergal and EREShkigal. That is what this is about. From Online sources. There is an account where although initially hostile Nergal succumbs and passionately and 'boldly' kisses the Underworld's :EREShkigal. From the other sources we read of a Underworld goddess being dragged from her throne by her hair. I cannot reconcile the descriptions of the two versions. Anyone here familiar with the mythology of the ANE that would explain the treatment of the underworld goddess ?

 

The following is abstracted from "Ereshkigal," pp. 55-57 in Gwendolyn Leick, A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. London. Routledge. 1991, 1998.

 

Ereshkigal's encounter with Nergal involves two episodes which are apparently the source of your confusion. In episode one Nergal visits Ereshkigal in her underworld kingdom, they are mutually physically attracted to each other and have sex for 7 days and 7 nights. He leaves her on a pretext and returns to heaven. Smitten with desire she schemes to get him back. She sends her vizier to heaven to demand his return. Ea changes Nergal's appearance into an old man, fooling Ereshkigal's vizier. She comes to realize what is going on and threatens to release the dead to eat the living if Anu does'nt send her lover back to her. Nergal returns to the underworld, but this time he will forcibly assert his authority as a man over a woman and he drags her off her throne by her hair and overpowers her, this ignites their mutual lusts for each other and they have sex again for another 7 days and 7 nights. She submits to her lover and tells him she will let him rule the underworld with her and he accepts.