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Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the underworld by galla demons. The ancient Mesopotamian underworld (known in Sumerian as Kur, Irkalla, Kukku, Arali, or Kigal, and in Akkadian as Erṣetu), was the lowermost part of the ancient near eastern cosmos, roughly parallel to the region known as Tartarus from early Greek cosmology.
Gallu demons hauled unfortunate victims off to the underworld. They were one of seven devils (or "the offspring of hell") of Babylonian theology that could be appeased by the sacrifice of a lamb at their altars. [3] The goddess Inanna was pursued by gallu demons after being escorted from the Underworld by Galatura and Kuryara.
Nergal (Sumerian: 𒀭𒄊𒀕𒃲 [1] d KIŠ.UNU or d GÌR.UNU.GAL; [2] Hebrew: נֵרְגַל, Modern: Nergal, Tiberian: Nērgal; Aramaic: ܢܸܪܓܲܠ; [3] Latin: Nirgal) was a Mesopotamian god worshiped through all periods of Mesopotamian history, from Early Dynastic to Neo-Babylonian times, with a few attestations indicating that his cult survived into the period of Achaemenid domination.
In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆠𒃲 [D EREŠ.KI.GAL]), lit. "Queen of the Great Earth") [1] [2] [a] was the goddess of Kur, the land of the dead or underworld in Sumerian mythology. In later myths, she was said to rule Irkalla alongside her husband Nergal.
The Sumerian version, entitled Descent of Inanna into the Underworld, comprises 400 lines and is the modern designation for the myth. The incipit, which designates the Sumerian text, bestows upon it the title Angalta , which translates to "From the Great Sky."
The mythology or religion of most cultures incorporate a god of death or, more frequently, a divine being closely associated with death, an afterlife, or an underworld. They are often amongst the most powerful and important entities in a given tradition, reflecting the fact that death, like birth , is central to the human experience.
The Underworld/Netherworld (kur or erṣetu in Sumerian) is the lowest region in the direction downwards, below even Abzu (the primeval ocean/lower waters). It is geographically parallel with the plane of human existence, but was so low that both demons and gods could not descend to it.
Ereshkigal was the queen of the Mesopotamian Underworld. [140] [141] She lived in a palace known as Ganzir. [140] In early accounts, her husband is Gugalanna, [140] whose character is undefined, but later the northern god Nergal was placed in this role. [140] [141] Her gatekeeper was the god Neti [141] and her sukkal was Namtar. [140]