Lady of Battles

Ishtar is the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility, the Babylonian equivalent of the Sumerian goddess Inana. She is the personification of the planet Venus. Her father is uncertain, sometimes claimed to be the daughter of Nanna, the moon god, or Anu, the sky god. She is also known as the "Lady of Battles" because she is known as a very violent deity. She is the creator and guardian of life. Her symbol is the eight-pointed star, and her holy city is Uruk (or Erech). Uruk is a town of sacred courtesans - part of her cult was devoted to prostitution.

Ishtar's sister is Ereshkigal, the goddess of the realm of the underworld. Ereshkihgal cursed her sister, and Ishtar died. With Ishtar dead, the earth withered and would not produce, and neither animals nor human beings would bear young. With great effort, the water god Ea used magic to revive Ishtar, and Ereshkigal was not pleased. She demanded to trade her sister for someone else, finally deciding that her husband Tammuz would replace Ishtar for six months out of the year.

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