Inanna’s Descent
Inanna, goddess of love and war, descends to the underworld to face her sister Ereshkigal. Stripped at seven gates and killed, she is revived and escapes—only by sending another (ultimately her husband Dumuzi) to take her place.
Story beats
- 1) Inanna prepares with instructions and a set of me (powers), descending through seven gates, surrendering an item at each.
- 2) Ereshkigal strikes her dead; she hangs on a hook for three days and nights.
- 3) Enki sends mourners with life-giving food and water; Inanna revives and must find a substitute.
- 4) Her husband Dumuzi, found on her throne, is chosen; his sister Geshtinanna alternates time below, creating seasonal cycles.
Context & symbolism
The descent explores power stripped to vulnerability, death as passage, and the cost of return. Inanna’s surrender of adornments at each gate symbolizes shedding status; her exchange for Dumuzi reflects reciprocity in cosmic balance.
Seasonal alternation echoes agricultural cycles; the tale is one of the oldest underworld journeys, influencing later myths.
Motifs
- Seven gates and stripped regalia
- Hanging corpse revived by life-water
- Substitute demanded for escape
- Seasonal alternation of underworld stay
Use it in play
- Underworld descent with tolls at each gate—discard gear or status to proceed.
- Revive a fallen ally with secret gifts from a distant god.
- Negotiate who must take a place below to free a captive; explore ethics of substitution.
- Mark seasons by shared time in different realms, affecting crops or magic.