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Descent of Ištar (1)

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Topics (move over topic to see place in topic list)

02 Religious and ideological symbols and iconographic motifs
02 Religious and ideological symbols and iconographic motifs
04 Religious and philosophical literature and poetry
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
02 Religious and ideological symbols and iconographic motifs
02 Religious and ideological symbols and iconographic motifs
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
01 Religious and ideological doctrines and imagery
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices



 		Keywords
garments
gates
Ištar
netherworld
Period
No period specified 		Channel
Akkadian poetry

Text
Descent of Ištar to the Netherworld 39-62:
(Ereškigal:) “Go, gatekeeper, open the gate for her, treat her according to the ancient rites.” Off went the gatekeeper, opened the gate for her: “Enter, my Lady, may the land of Cutha welcome you with joy, may the palace of the Land of No Return greet you with pleasure.” He led her in through the first gate and removed the great crown from her head. “Why, O gatekeeper, did you remove the great crown from my head?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the netherworld.” He led her through the second gate and removed the earrings from her ears. “Why, O gatekeeper, did you remove the earrings from my ears?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the netherworld.” He led her through the third gate and removed the beads from her neck. “Why, O gatekeeper, why did you remove the beads from my neck?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the netherworld.” He led her through the fourth gate and removed the breastplate from her chest. “Why, O gatekeeper, why did you remove the breastplate from my chest?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the netherworld.” He led her through the fifth gate and removed the girdle of birth-stones from her waist. “Why, O gatekeeper, why did you remove the girdle of birth-stones from my waist?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the netherworld.” He led her through the sixth gate and removed her bracelets and anklets. “Why, O gatekeeper, did you remove my bracelets and anklets?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the netherworld.” He led her through the seventh gate and removed the sumptuous garment from her body. “Why, O gatekeeper, why did you remove the sumptuous garment from my body?” - “Enter, my Lady, such are the rites of the mistress of the Nether World.”

Source (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Descent of Ištar to the Netherworld 39-62

Bibliography

Reiner 1985, 39-40Reiner, Erica. Your Thwarts in Pieces, Your Mooring Rope Cut. Poetry from Babylonia and Assyria. Michigan Studies in the Humanities 5. Ann Arbor: Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan 1985.

Amar Annus


URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0000554.php

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