Dumuzi (Dumu-zid, Dumuzid) and Geshtinanna are brother and sister deities in ancient Mesopotamia (today's Iraq). Dumuzi, a god of shepherds and fertility, is also a consort of Goddess Queen of Heaven Inanna or Ishtar.
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Goddess of love and war, Inanna is a sweetheart until her temper explodes. Look what happens to Dumuzi when he gets too conceited.
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Next thing he knows, he's dragged down into the Underworld, Kur, to be tortured by evil gallu (galla) demons. He soon regrets his misdeeds.
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Inanna has just come back from her own foray into the Underworld, where she was tricked by her older sister Ereshkigal, killed and hung on a hook for three days. She's been resurrected and made her escape with her rescuers, pursued by ferocious gallu all the way.
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When Inanna arrives back home she sees her servants, sukkal, friends and family weep for her and observe the proper mourning rites. Meanwhile her consort, Dumuzi, sits under a tree in glamorous robes, eating fruit from golden plates, attended by servants and entertained by musicians and dancing girls.
Inanna blows up like Santorini and calls the galla demons, who are trying to figure out who to take back to Underworld in Inanna's place. Ereshkigal dislikes them returning empty handed.
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They seize Dumuzi with cries of glee, tear off his royal robes and drag him screaming into the dark and dismal land of Kur to be tortured for all eternity. Satisfied, Inanna goes off to take a long hot bath.
In another version, Dumuzi flees and escapes the demons. They torture his sister Geshtinanna, but she won't tell them where he's hiding. The demons turn their attemtion to an unnamed friend, who blurts it out.
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The galla capture Dumuzid. Inanna's brother Utu (Shamash), god of the Sun, helps Dumuzi escape by turning him into a gazelle. Still he cannot outrun the galla. Ultimately they drag him down to Kur.
For many days Geshtinanna bewails her lost brother. Her mother Sirtur (Duttur) also laments to the earth and winds. Surrounded by splendor, Inanna begins to repent her actions. Dumuzi is her favorite consort and quite handsome. His later Greek equivalent is Adonis.
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Together the three goddesses mourn. Then, a fly buzzes in Inanna's ear, revealing the location of Dumuzi in the vast eternal wastelands of Kur. The goddesses find Dumuzi as the fly told Inanna.
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Ereshkigal won't let him leave, so the goddesses negotiate. To the disappointment of the gallu demons the torture decree is repealed.
Dumuzi must remain six months in the Underworld, dying a symbolic death on the summer solstice June 20 - 21. His resurrection occurs on the winter solstice, known as Nardoqan or Nardugan, on Dec 21 - 22. The celebration of the new sun follows on Dec 23.
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Then, Geshtinanna comes to take the place of Dumuzi for six months. When Geshtinanna is in Kur she resides in the royal palace as scribe or servant to Ereshkigal. In some areas Geshtinanna is equated to Belet-Seri, the underworld scribe goddess.
In his role as fertility god Dumuzid comes back to life as the sun warms the land. Flowers bloom and fields promise abundance. Depending on location, growing season for winter crops is c. October - May, and summer crops grow c. March - September. In areas of high aridity, due to drought summer crops have been banned in some parts of the near East.
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Ancient Mesopotamia observes two seasons - summer and winter. Summer includes the barley harvest in late May - early June. Winter occurs about the same time as today's fall/winter seasons. Each of the two seasons runs about six modern months.
Dumuzid is deity of agriculture for Bad Tibira in Sumer during a period of fertility and abundance. After a momentus flood, the region turns into an arid desert.
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This indicates to the people Dumuzid has died. In Lagash, one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, the month of Dumuzid is the sixth month of the year.
The summer month of Dumuzid is especially hot and dry. Mesopotamians mourn his death and share popular stories about his rule, for Dumu-zid is a king before he becomes a god.
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Name variants associated with Dumu-zid include Ama-ga (Mother Milk) and U-lu-lu (Multiplier of Pasture). As a pastoral god he has the ability to fulfill the needs of shepherds, such as cause grass to grow in the desert. With his benevolence healthy lambs are born and ewes have plenty of nourishing milk.
As time goes on, Dumuzid is placed from a pastoral deity into the broader spectrum of fertility and agriculture. Dumuzid is especially associated with dates and date palm trees.
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Date palms are a symbol of stability, as they can be harvested throughout the year even at the hottest times. The return of Dumuzi at the winter solstice brings a sense of celebration and relief at surviving the most difficult time of year.
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