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"Gilgameš insults me," Holy Inanna weeps before Great An. "Unleash the Bull of Heaven."
Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, goes forth to fight. Gilgameš strikes his head. Enkidu strikes his side. Gugalanna falters, he falters and falls. On the walls of Uruk, Holy Inanna and all the qadištu of the city set up a cry, on the walls of the city they mourn.
Gilgameš slices away the pizzle of Gugalanna, Enkidu flings it in Holy Inanna's face.
"May that be your only joy of marriage with me," Gilgameš laughs.
In her heart, as she outwardly weeps, Holy Inanna laughs also.
*
Loyal Ninšubur comes before Holy Inanna.
"Lady, the Assembly of the Gods have convened, the Assembly of the Gods have spoken. For insulting you, Enkidu will die. Ninsun of the Herds spoke on behalf of Gilgameš, that he be spared. Do you wish to contend with her?"
"Let her have joy of her son," Holy Inanna says. "It is no matter. Speak with me, Ninšubur, open your heart, the red gown or the gold? I must go to comfort my sister after the death of her husband, and cannot be shown up."
Loyal Ninšubur finds no words in her heart.
*
"Here the path leads two ways, here the path leads to Heaven and to Irkalla. Ninšubur, my feet lead me downwards, my feet lead me to Irkalla. Am I not the Queen of Heaven? Should I not be the Queen of the Underworld also?"
Loyal Ninšubur loosens her hair and tears her clothes.
"Lady, on that path there is no returning. On that path there is no hope. Stay in Heaven and be happy, I beg you."
"Nonsense. Should I not comfort my widowed sister? If I do not return promptly, send help."
Holy Inanna turns down into the dark.
*
Holy Inanna stands at the first gate of Irkalla.
"Open the gate!" she cries. "I am come, let me in!"
Gatewarder Neti says, "Why are you come, you from Above?"
"I am come to mourn my brother-in-law, I come to weep for my sister's husband."
Gatewarder Neti approaches the Queen of the Great Land, he bows before Ereškigal.
"Holy Inanna your sister is come, come to mourn Gugalanna."
Great Ereškigal regards him. He bows down to the ground. Her gaze is upon him. He covers his face.
Great Ereškigal leans forward. She raises up her voice.
"Let the bitch in."
*
At each gate Gatekeeper Neti snatches one of the mes from Holy Inanna's body.
"What is this?" she says.
"The laws of Irkalla cannot be broken."
At the final door Holy Inanna is naked and powerless. She enters the throne-room.
"I am Inanna, the Nugig of Heaven, I am Inanna, wrapped in splendour."
"You," Great Ereškigal says, "have always been a greedy, selfish child. Shall I be bereft of my subjects? Of those who sit in darkness and dust? Do you think I know not why you are here?"
"I am Queen of Heaven," Inanna whispers.
"I am Queen here."
*
The judges of Irkalla surround Holy Inanna, the judges of Irkalla proclaim her Murderer and Usurper. Great Ereškigal sits forward upon her throne and pronounces her righteous sentence.
"Die."
Holy Inanna is turned into a corpse, and the guards hang her on a hook, like a joint ready for the spit. Her beauty is gone, her power is gone, the Queen of Heaven is gone.
The judges of the Irkalla look in fear to Great Ereškigal, who sits back in weariness and tears at her clothing.
"Now," she says, "I may mourn my husband, now I may weep for Gugalanna."
*
Holy Inanna is dead, there is no laughter in the world. The Queen of Heaven is dead, there is no fecundity in the world. The Lady of the Qadištu is dead, there is no pleasure in the world.
Loyal Ninšubur waits three days, then runs to the Great Temples of the Land. She will ask the Great Gods for help, she will ask the Great Gods for aid. They will send the Hosts of Heaven, they will stop the stars in their courses. They will move the foundations of the earth to bring Holy Inanna back from Irkalla.
They must.
*
Loyal Ninšubur comes before Enlil of the Winds. She enters the pure city of Nippur.
"Father Enlil! Holy Inanna is gone to Irkalla, the Queen of Heaven to the Underworld. Save her, let not her light be extinguished from the world."
"There is no pleasure in the world," he says, "there is no fecundity in the land. Humans will decrease, their numbers will lessen."
"You are wise, Father Enlil," Loyal Ninšubur says.
Enlil of the Winds waves her away. "At last the humans will be quiet. It will save the bother of another Flood. Let Inanna rot."
Loyal Ninšubur leaves.
*
Loyal Ninšubur comes before Nanna of the Silver Moon. The great city of Ur she enters.
"Father Nanna! Holy Inanna is gone to Irkalla, the Queen of Heaven to the Underworld. Save her, let not her light be extinguished from the world."
"She is headstrong," he says. "Let her fate be upon her."
"Father Nanna, did not your own great mother save you from being trapped in Irkalla? Can you deny your own daughter?"
"Was I not the eldest son? Is Inanna not a younger daughter?" Nanna of the Silver Moon says. "Get out of my shrine."
Loyal Ninšubur leaves.
*
Loyal Ninšubur comes before Earthlord Enki, the beautiful city of Eridu she enters. Her heart is low, her tears water the ground.
"Father Enki! Holy Inanna is gone to Irkalla, the Queen of Heaven to the Underworld. Save her, let not her light be extinguished from the world."
Earthlord Enki throws dust on his head, cobwebs on his hair.
"Alas, my granddaughter!" he cries. "I am distressed! Alas, Holy Inanna of the Qadištu! I am distressed! Ninšubur, I must save her!"
Loyal Ninšubur clings to his feet in gratitude, touches her head to the earth before him, weeping in relief.
*
Earthlord Enki makes two beings not seen before in the world, two persons not seen before in the land. He makes them without sex, he makes them without gender. Kurgarra and galatur he names them. Not since he drank beer with Midwife Ninmah have such wonderful persons been made.
"Go to Irkalla," he says. "Bring there the food and water of life. You will find Ereškigal mourning. Mourn with her, in her grief share. She will reward you, a gift she will give you. Request Inanna's body. Bring my granddaughter back along the path from which none return."
They leave.
*
Irkalla cannot see kurgarra and galatur. They creep in, enter unseen. In the throne-room they see Ereškigal, naked with dust on her head, mourning and weeping.
"Ah, my insides!" she cries.
"Ah, your insides," they weep, and gash their flesh.
"Ah, my outsides!"
"Ah, your outsides!"
"Ah, my heart and liver!"
"Ah, your heart and liver!"
Ereškigal sits up, she wipes her eyes.
"Who are you, that mourn with me? Who are you, that weep with the Queen of Irkalla?"
"We are kurgarra and galatur, and we saw one who needed fellow mourners."
Ereškigal does a rare thing. She smiles.
*
A gift Ereškigal gives, a reward she offers. Kurgarra and galatur ask for the meat hanging on the wall, for the corpse on the hook they petition. The water of life they sprinkle on it, the food of life they place between the cold lips.
Holy Inanna arises, the Queen of Heaven stands up.
"Awake, are you?" Ereškigal says. "Go home, and don't come back."
Holy Inanna walks up the path. The captain of the guard stops her.
"None leaves without replacement. We will come and take another of like status in your place."
Holy Inanna shrugs.
"Fine with me."
*
Holy Inanna reaches the world in a cloud of demons, in a squad of soldiers of Irkalla she enters the land.
"Let us seize the first god we see," the captain says. "It is bright and hot here, it is too light and warm. Let us do our duty and return."
Loyal Ninšubur rushes up, tears of relief on her face.
"Lady!" she cries, "Ah, rejoice, joy has come back to the world!"
"Take her," the captain says.
"You shall not take Ninšubur, my most loyal servant from me," Holy Inanna says.
All the demons and the gods walk on.
*
Holy Inanna denies all attempts to seize the deities of Sumer, all the demons' endeavours she rejects.
"We must take someone," the captain says. "It is the law."
"All the gods so far have mourned me," says Holy Inanna. "Let us go to see the grief of my husband, the Shepherd Dumuzi."
Dumuzi is dressed in fine linen. New wine he is drinking, strong beer he quaffs. Maidservants lie in his lap, young women at his side. Harpists play new songs. There was no joy in the land but there was joy here.
"Take him!" Holy Inanna shrieks. "Take him!"
* * * * *
Postscript
Shining Utu comes to Uruk, to Holy Inanna's residence.
"Inanna, it is not good for you to be alone."
"What do you want?" Holy Inanna says.
"Dumuzi your husband regrets his weakness."
"Let him serve Ereškigal for ever."
"He is my friend! Forgive! Is not his sister Geštinanna willing to take his place as scribe in Irkalla?"
Holy Inanna wonders at brothers and sisters, she takes Shining Utu's hand.
"For part of the year only, brother. He is beautiful, but a fool. Why should Geštinanna suffer?"
In her heart she wonders if Dumuzi can tell of weaknesses in Irkalla's defences.