Descent to the Underworld

In one of the greatest Mesopotamian myths, the goddess Inana (Ishtar in Akkadian) descends into the netherworld of her sister Ereshkigal. At each of seven gates she surrenders a garment or ornament, arriving stripped and powerless; she is struck dead and hung on a hook. Rescued by Enki's cunning, she may return only if she provides a substitute — and the lot falls on her consort Dumuzi. The myth explores the boundary between life and death, the price of crossing it, and the terrible logic that someone must remain below for another to come up. It is among the most influential descent-narratives in world literature.