In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal (^DERE?.KI.GAL, lit. "great lady under earth") was the goddess of Irkalla, the land of the dead or underworld. Sometimes her name is given as Irkalla, similar to way the name Hades was used in Greek mythology for both the underworld and its ruler. Ereshkigal was the only one who could pass judgement and give laws in her kingdom. The main temple dedicated to her was located in Cuthah."Ereshkigal", Encyclopedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, 2003. The goddess Ishtar refers to Ereshkigal as her older sister in the Sumerian hymn "The Descent of Ishtar" (which was also in later Babylonian myth still called "The Descent of Ishtar"). Inanna/Ishtar's trip and return to the underworld is the most familiar of the myths concerning Ereshkigal. Source myths She is known chiefly through two myths, believed to symbolize the changing of the sea