Studia Koszalińsko-Kołobrzeskie

This article presents the ideas of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia about the Netherworld in selected myths in the Sumerian language (Descent of Inana into the Netherworld) and Akkadian (Descent of Ishtar into the Netherworld; Nergal and Ereshkigal and The Dream of Prince Kumma). The image of the land of the dead contained in the Sumerian scriptures was taken over and developed in the Akkadian tradition. According to the beliefs of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, the place where the dead went after death was located below the surface of the earth and the ancient ocean. It resembled an ancient Sumerian city, which reflected the urban mentality of Mesopotamia. People after death lead a passive existence often compared to sleep. The same social structures as on earth were present in the land of the dead. Kings, notables, priests kept their position and their condition was slightly better than that of ordinary dead. The fate of man after death could be improved by a dignified burial and regular sacrifices. Death was an eternal condition, the only contact with the dawn of the living ensured the practice of necromancy and the fact of haunting loved ones in the event of neglect of victims. The underworld was inhabited by a huge pantheon of deities and hybrid beings, headed by a dark couple, the goddess Ereshkigal and the god Nergal. The gods of heaven and earth did not have power over this part of the cosmos, and they were also bound by the strict laws of the land of the dead.