Of the Sleep of ISHTAR

Yet ISHTAR

Queen of Heaven

Bright Light of Nights

Mistress of the Gods

Set her mind in that direction

From Above she set her mind

From the Heavens she set forth

To the Abyss

Out of the Gates of the Living

To enter the Gates of Death

Out of the Lands we know

Into the Lands we know not

To the Land of No Return

To the Land of Queen ERESHKIGAL

ISHTAR, Queen of Heavens, she set her mind

ISHTAR, Daughter of SIN, she set forth

To the Black Earth, the Land of CUTHA, She set forth

To the House of No Return she set her foot

Upon the Road whence None Return She set her foot

To the Cave, forever unlit

Where bowls of clay are heaped upon the altar

Where bowls of dust are the food

Of residents clothed only in wings

To ABSU ISHTAR set forth.

Where sleeps the dread CUTHALU

ISHTAR set forth.

The Watcher

Stood fast.

The Watcher

NINNGHIZHIDDA

Stood fast.

And ISHTAR spoke unto him

NINNGHIZHIDDA! Serpent of the Deep!

NINNGHIZHIDDA! Horned Serpent of the Deep!

NINNGHIZHIDDA! Plumed Serpent of the Deep!

Open!

Open the Door that I may enter!

NINNGHIZHIDDA! Spirit of the Deep, Watcher of the Gate, Remember!

In the Name of our Father before the Flight, ENKI, Lord and Master of

Magicians

Open the Door that I may enter!

Open!

Lest I attack the Door

Lest I break apart its bars

Lest I attack the Barrier

Lest I take its walls by force

Open the Door

Open wide the Gate

Lest I cause the Dead to rise!

I will raise up the Dead!

I will cause the Dead to rise and devour the Living!

Open the Dorr

Lest I cause the Dead to outnumber the Living!

NINNGHIZHIDDA, Spirit of the Deep, watcher of the Gate, Open!

NINNGHIZHIDDA

The Great Serpent

Coiled back on itself

And answered

ISHTAR

Lady

Queen among the Gods

I go before my Mistress, ERESHKIGAL

Before the Queen of Death

I will announce Thee.

And NINNGHIZHIDDA

Horned Serpent

Approach the Lady ERESHKIGAL And said:

Behold, ISHTAR, Thy Sister

Queen among the Gods

Stands before the Gate!

Daughter of SIN, Mistress of ENKI

She waits.

Go, Watcher of the Gate.

Go, NINNGHIZHIDDA, Watcher of the Gate,

Open the Door to ISHTAR

And treat Her as it is written

In the Ancient Covenant.

And NINNGHIZHIDDA loosed the bolt from the hatch

And Darkness fell upon ISHTAR

The Dark Waters rose and carried the Goddess of Light

To the Realm of the Night.

And the Serpent Spoke:

Enter

Queen of Heaven of the Great Above

That KUR may rejoice

That CUTHA may give praise

That KUTU may smile.

Enter

That KUTULU may be pleased at Thy presence.

And ISHTAR Entered.

AND there are Seven Gates and Seven decrees.

At the First Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Crown

The Great Crown of Her head he took away.

And ISHTAR asked

Why, Serpent, has thou removed my First Jewel?

And the Serpent answered

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Rules of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the First Gate

At the Second Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Wand

The Wand of Lapis Lazuli he took away.

And ISHTAR asked

Why, NETI, has thou removed my Second Jewel?

And NETI answered

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Decrees of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the Second Gate

At the Third Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels

The Jewels around her neck he took away.

And ISHTAR asked

Why, Gatekeeper, has thou removed my Third Jewel?

And the Gatekeeper answered

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Decrees of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the Third Gate

At the Fourth Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels

The Jewels on her breast he took away.

And ISHTAR asked

Why, Guardian of the Outer, has thou removed my Fourth Jewel?

And the Guardian answered

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Rules of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the Fourth Gate

At the Fifth Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels

The Belt of Jewels around her hips he took away.

And ISHTAR asked

Why, Watcher of the Forbidden Entrance, hast thou removed my Jewel?

And Watcher answered

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Rules of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the Fifth Gate

At the Sixth Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels

The Jewels around her wrists

And the Jewels around her ankles he took away.

And ISHTAR asked

Why, NINNKIGAL, has thou removed my Sixth Jewel?

And NINNKIGAL answered

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Decrees of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the Sixth Gate

At the Seventh Gate

NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels

The Jeweled Robes of ISHTAR he took away.

ISHTAR, without protection, without safety,

ISHTAR, without talisman or amulet, asked

Why, Messenger of the Ancient Ones, hast thou removed my Seventh Jewel?

And Messenger of the Ancient Ones replied

Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time,

The Rules of the Lady of KUTU

Enter the Seventh Gate and behold the Nether World

ISHTAR has descended to the Land of KUR

To the Depths of CUTHA she went down.

Having lost her Seven Talismans of the Upper Worlds

Having lost her Seven Powers of the Land of the Living

Without Food of Life or water of Life

She appeared before ERESHKIGAL, Mistress of Death.

ERESHKIGAL screamed at Her presence.

ISHTAR raised up Her arm.

ERESHKIGAL summoned NAMMTAR

The Magician NAMMTAR

Saying these words she spoke to him

Go! Imprison her!

Bind her in Darkness!

Chain her in the Sea belov the Seas!

Release against her the Seven ANNUNNAKI!

Release against her the Sixty Demons!

Against her eyes, the demons of the eyes!

Against her sides, the demons of the sides!

Against her heart, the demons of the heart!

Against her feet, the demons of the feet!

Against her head, the demons of the head!

Against her entire body, the demons of KUR!

And the demons tore at her, from every side.

And the ANNUNNAKI, Dread Judges

Seven Lords of the Underworld

Drew Around Her

Faceless Gods of ABSU

They stared

Fixed her with the Eye of Death

With the Glance of Death

They killed her

And hung her corpse from a stake

The sixty demons tearing her limbs from her sides

Her eyes from the head

Her ears from her skull.

ERESHKIGAL rejoiced.

Blind AZAG-THOTH rejoiced

IAK SAKKAK rejoiced

ISHNIGGARAB rejoiced

KUTULU rejoiced

The MASKIM gave praise to the Queen of Death

The GIGIM gave praise to ERESHKIGAL, Queen of Death

And the Elder Ones were rent with fear.

Our Father ENKi

Lord of Magick

Receiving word by NINSHUBUR

ISHTAR's servant NINSHUBUR

He hears of ISHTAR's Sleep

In the House of Death

He hears how GANZIR has been Opened

How the Face of the Abyss

Opened wide its mouth

And swallowed the Queen of Heaven

Queen of the Rising of Sun.

And ENKI summoned forth clay

And ENKI summoned forth wind

And from the clay and from the wind

ENKI fashioned two Elementals

He fashioned the KURGARRU, spirit of the Earth,

He fashioned the KALATURRU, spirit of the Seas,

To the KURGARRU he gave the Food of Life

To the KALATURRU he gave the Water of Life

And to these images he spoke aloud

Arise, KURGARRU, Spirit of the Earth

Arise, KALATURRU,m Spirit of the Seas

Arise, and set thy feet to the Gate GANZIR

To the Gate of the Underworld

To the Land of No Return

Set thine eyes

The Seven Gates shall open for thee

No spell shall keep thee out

For my Number is upon you.

Take the bag of the Food of Life

Take the bag of the Water of Life

And ERESHKIGAL shall not harm you

ERESHKIGAL shall not raise her arm against you

ERESHKIGAL SHALL HAVE NO POWER OVER YOU.

Fine the corpse of INANNA

Find the corpse of ISHTAR our Queen

And sprinkle the Food of Life, Sixty Times

And sprinkle the Water of Life, Sixty Times

Sixty Times the Food of life and the Water of Life Sprinkle upon her body

And truly ISHTAR will rise.

With giant wings.

And scales like serpents

The two elementals flew to the Gate

Invisible

NINNGIZIDDA saw them not

Invisible

They passed the Seven Watchers

With haste they entered the Palace of Death

And they beheld several terrible sights.

The demons of the Abyss lay there

Dead but Dreaming, they clung to the walls

Of the House of Death

Faceless and terrible

The ANNUNNAKI stared out

Blind and Mad AZAG-THOTH reared up

The EYE on the Throne opened

The Dark Waters stirred

The Gates of Lapis Lazuli glistened

In the darkness

Unseen Monsters

Spawed at the Dawn of Ages

Spawned in the Battle of MARDUK and TIAMAT

Spawned by HUBUR

With the Sign of HUBUR

Lead by KINGU...

With haste they fled

Through the Palace of Death

Stopping only at the corpse of ISHTAR

The Beautiful Queen

Mistress of the Gods

Lady of all the Harlots of UR

Bright Shining One of the Heavens

Beloved of ENKI

Lay hung and bleeding

From a thousand fatal wounds.

ERESHKIGAL

Sensing their presence

Cried out.

KURGARRU

Armed with Fire

Looked upon the Queen of Corpses

with the Ray of Fire

KALATURRU

Armed with Flame

Looked upon the Queen of the Graves

With the Rays of Flame.

And ERESHKIGAL

Mighty in CUTHA

Turned her face

Upon the corpse of INANNA

Sixty times they sprinkled

The Water of Life of ENKI

Upon the corpse of ISHTAR

Sixty times they sprinkled

The Food of Life of ENKI

Upon the corpse

Hung from a stake

They directed the Spirit of Life

INANNA AROSE.

The Dark Waters trembled and roiled.

AZAG-THOTH screamed upon his throne

CUTHALU lurched forth from his sleep

ISHNIGARRAB fled the Palace od Death

IAK SAKKAK trembled in fear and hate

Tha ANNUNNAKI fled their thrones

The Eye upon the Throne took flight

ERESHKIGAL roared and summoned NAMMTAR

The Magician NAMMTAR she called

But not for pursuit

But for protection.

INANNA ascended from the Underworld.

With the winged elementals she fled the Gates

Of GANZIR and NETI she fled

And verily

The Dead fled ahead of her.

When through the First Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her jeweled robes.

When through the Second Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her jeweled bracelets.

When through the Third Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her jeweled belt.

When through the Fourth Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her jeweled necklace.

When through the Fifth Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her Belt of Jewels.

When through the Sixth Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her Wand of Lapis.

When through the Seventh Gate they fled

ISHTAR took back her jeweled Crown.

And the Demons rose

And Spirits of the Dead

And went with her out of the Gates

Looking neither right nor Left

Walking in front and behind

They went with ISHTAR from the Gate of GANZIR

Out of the Netherworld they accompanied her

And ERESHKIGAL

Scorned Queen of the Abyss Wherein All Are Drowned

Pronounced a Curse

Solemn and Powerful

Against the Queen of the Rising of the Sun

And NAMMTAR gave it form.

When the Lover of ISHTAR

Beloved of the Queen of Heaven

Goes down before me

Goes through the Gate of GANZIR

To the House of Death

When with him the wailing people come

The weeping woman and the wailing man

When DUMUZI is slain and buried

MAY THE DEAD RISE AND SMELL THE INCENSE!