According to the Sumerian mythology Inanna and Ereshkigal were to sisters who hated each other. Inanna ruled the land of the living while Ereshkigal ruled the land of dead. Inanna decided to visit the land of dead for her brother-in-law's funeral but apparently she planned to take over the land of dead. Before she left she instructed her minister Ninshubur to take the help of the gods Enlil, Nanna, and Enki to save her if anything went wrong. She dressed elaborately, her garments unsuitable for a funeral making Ereshkigal suspicious. She instructed her gatekeeper to ask Inanna to shed a piece of clothing while passing through the gates saying that it is the rule of the underworld. Inanna obliged and passed through seven gates shedding a clothing each time. By the time she reached her sister she was naked and totally powerless. Ereshkigal turned her into a corpse and hung her on a hook. Three days passed and when Inanna didn't return back her minister went to take the help of the gods. Enki agreed to help him and created to beings that were neither male nor female and asked them to please Ereshkigal and ask for the corpse as a reward. They did as said and got the corpse as a reward. They revived Inanna with food and water and tried to take her out but Ereshkigal kept a condition that she could only go back if someone would take her place. Her minister offered himself but Inanna refused because he had helped her. She saw that her husband was enjoying himself in her absence and asked Ereshkigal's demons to take him. He pleaded a lot with them and then Ereshkigal finally decided that he would spend half the year in the land of deas and other half with Inanna