Descent of Inanna into the Underworld

Uncommon card · No. 146874

The Descent of Inanna into the Underworld (or, in its Akkadian version, Descent of Ishtar into the Underworld) or Angalta ("From the Great Sky") is a Sumerian myth that narrates the descent of the goddess Inanna into the Underworld to overthrow its ruler, Ereshkigal. Following the removal of her adornments, she perishes. Enki intervenes indirectly, restoring Inanna to life. Inanna is required to deliver another living being in exchange for her freedom. She selects Dumuzi, who is transported to the Underworld. Responding to the pleas of Geshtinanna, Dumuzi is permitted to remain in the Underworld for only a portion of the year, with his sister assuming his role for the remaining duration. The myth exists in two main versions: one in Sumerian and the other in Akkadian. The Akkadian version was first discovered and translated in the 1860s. The existence of the longer and older Sumerian version was first established in the early 20th century, but it required approximately fifty years for epigraphists...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5