Ereshkigal is the "queen of darkness" in Sumerian folklore...
In Sumerian cosmogony, she is originally a sky goddess, who was carried off by force to the Sumerian Underworld by the dragon, Kur, and there enthroned as its lady...
Her world is a place of shadows and dust, a place where the the spirits of of the dead huddle in the darkness...
Ereshkigal rules over the magical arts, secret knowledge, and oracles. She was also the sister of the well known goddess, Inanna...
Ereshkigal was carried away to the underworld when heaven and earth separated. Although sisters, Ereshkigal and Ishtar were enemies, this representing the conflict of life versus death.
A conflict escalatd between the two sisters. This animosity caused the famous legend where Ereshkigal catches Inanna in the underworld, not releasing her until she sacrifices her husband Tammuz.
In another version of this legend, Tammuz rests with Ereshkigal half the year, the other half he is together with Inanna/Ishtar...
In early legends, her husband is Ninazu, later it is Nergal. Her son was Namtar, the demon (or god) of death.
Ereshkigal forced Nergal to become her consort, threatening to kill all life on earth if he didn't agree. Together, the two ruled the underworld...
It is written in the ancient Sumerian scripts that:
The pure Ereshkigal herself upon her throne,
The Annunake, the seven judges, pronounced judges, pronounce judgment before her,
They fastened their eyes upon her, they eyes of death.
At their word, the word which tortures the spirit...
The sick woman was turned into a corpse,
The corpse was hung from a stake…
More:
See Inanna:
See Damuzi:
Post Image adapted from: http://bit.ly/10okOO6