Ishtar was the ancient Sumero-Babylonian goddess of love and fertility. She is often described as the daughter of Anu, the god of the air. In most of the myths concerning her, she is described as an evil, heartless, women who destroyed her mates and lovers. Her greatest lover was the farm god Tammuz, who is similar to the Greek Adonis. After he died she went into the underworld to retrieve him but her efforts were vain and she returned to the living world alone.

Ishtar Later, in the great epic of Gilgamesh, she tried to make Gilgamesh her husband, but he refused her and reminded her of her former lovers, whom she mercilessly killed or left injured. She reported this to her father, Anu, and he gave her the mystical bull of heaven to avenge herself. Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu stopped and killed the mighty creature and threw its headless body at her feet. They also insulted her, and she responded by sending disease to kill Gilgamesh's best friend Enkidu.

Inanna is the most important goddess of the Sumerian pantheon in ancient Mesopotamia. She is a goddess of love, fertility, and war. Inanna figures prominently in various myths, such as 'Inanna's descent to the underworld'. In this particular myth she travels to the realm of the dead and claims its ruling. However, her sister Ereshkigal, who rules the place, sentences her to death. With Inanna's death, however, nature died with her and nothing would grow anymore. Through the intervention of the god Enki she could be reborn if another person took her place. She choose her beloved consort Dumuzi, who would from then on rule the underworld every half year.

The Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of the underworld, sister of the sky goddess Ishtar. Together with her consort Nergal she rules the underworld, also called 'the big land, from which no-one returns'. One day Nergal was sent to her from heaven with an offering of food. They fell in love with each other, and when he had to leave, she was in tears and threathened Anu that she would revive all the dead, over whom she ruled, and send them back to earth, 'so that they will outnumber the living', unless Nergal was send back to her, for ever, as a husband. Her minister Namtar had to go to heaven as her messenger, for Ereshkigal felt that she was already pregnant. At last Nergal came stroming down the stairs, broke down the seven gates and burst into the goddess' palace straight into her passionate embrace, 'to wipe her tears.'

Ereshkigal is dark and violent, befitting her role as goddess of the underworld. As ruler over the shades, Ereshkigal receives the mortuary offerings made to the dead. In the Sumerian cosmogony she was carried off to the underworld after the separation of heaven and earth.Ereshkigal was probably once a sky-goddess.

The dawn, the bride of the sun-god Shamash.

The Sumerian tutelary goddess of the city of Lagash, some 70 kilometers north of Ur, and patroness of the king. She is also a mother goddess and a goddess of healing. Baba is the daughter of the sky god Anu and consort of the fertility god Ningirsu. People often called her 'mother Baba', and she was identified with the goddess Gula.

The Sumerian goddess of the womb. The gods asked her to create mankind for them. She created men, so they could till the soils and dig canals, and she created women so that they could continue to bear men. Seven of each she created, so that after 600 years the people were already too numerous. The land became so noisy that Ellil could not sleep. The people were also sinful, eating their own children, so Ellil decided to wash them away with a great flood. She meant to keep the plan a secret from the people but the god Ea (Enki) told his protege Atrahasis what would happen and how he could save himself by means of a boat. The flood lasted seven days.

An Akkadian goddess and 'clerk' of the underworld. She holds the title of 'Queen of the Desert' and is the consort of Amurru, the god of nomads.

A Mesopotamian goddess, probably a denizen of the underworld. She is the sister of Dumuzi.

The Sumerian tutelary goddess of the city of Lagash, some 70 kilometers north of Ur, and patroness of the king. She is also a mother goddess and a goddess of healing. Baba is the daughter of the sky god Anu and consort of the fertility god Ningirsu. People often called her 'mother Baba', and she was identified with the goddess Gula.

Baba was incidentally bought twice to represent her dual nature...

The Mesopotamian mother-goddess, consort of the god Enki. She is often identified with the Sumerian earth-goddess Ninchursanga. Her Akkadian equivalent is Damkina (spouse of Ea).

Belial is the evil spirit of darkness and godlessness in the Jewish myth of old Palestine. In the Old Testament there is mentioning of Belial-men: they are those who oppose to law and order. Belial can also be compared with Satan.

An ancient Sumero-Babylonian goddess of heaven, earth, and air and in one aspect of the underworld. She is also a goddess of grain and is called 'queen wind'. She is the consort of Enlil, the 'lord wind'. She shows compassion to the unfortunate. She and Enlil were worshipped in Nippur.

The Mesopotamian goddess of the town of Umma.