Eski Mezopotamya’da Öteki Dünya Algısının Yeraltı Tanrıçası Ereškigal Bağlamında Değerlendirilmesi
Evaluation of the Perception of the Other World in Ancient Mesopotamia in the Context of the Goddess of the Underworld Ereški̇gal

Summary/Abstract: For ancient Mesopotamian societies as with all other cultures, the subject of death and reincarnation after death is complex and ambiguous. Beginning with the Sumerian tradition and continuing with Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian, the surviving written documents of ancient Mesopotamia depict a realm under the earth as a dark shadow of existence on earth. In order to comprehend the perception of the afterlife in ancient Mesopotamian societies within the context of the goddess who presided over this realm, it is essential to first acquaint oneself with the Mesopotamians' views on the universe. This study aims to document the goddess's descent to the underworld and to substantiate her the perspective in the cosmos as envisioned by the ancient Mesopotamian people, thereby elucidating the issue at hand. The most frequently mentioned mythological stories in which Ereškigal, the goddess of the underworld, is featured are the Sumerian “Inanna's Descent into the Land of the Dead”, the Akkadian version of “Ishtar Descends into the Land of the Dead” and the Babylonian myths of “Nergal and Ereškigal”. The analysis of these texts reveals that the goddess, endowed with power to destroy deities yet lacking in worldly pleasures, occupies a pivotal role in the cosmic order.Within the dichotomy of life and death, the myths featuring the goddess of the underworld offer insights into the concept of an afterlife. The present study aims to analyse the meaning attributed to the underworld by ancient Mesopotamians in the context of the universe and the perception of balance within it. This analysis will be informed by two myths concerning the goddess Ereškigal and the world she rules.

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