Ereškigal & Nergal, Rulers of the Dead
The grim queen of the dead and the god of plague who came to defy her — and stayed as her king.
Also: Ereshkigal · Ereškigal · Nergal · queen of the netherworld · god of plague · god of death · Mars
The netherworld had its own sovereigns. Ereshkigal, the formidable queen of the dead, ruled the dark land below — it is she who strikes down her sister Inana/Ishtar when the goddess dares to descend. Nergal, a fierce god of war, plague, and sudden death, becomes her husband and co-ruler in the myth of 'Nergal and Ereshkigal,' which tells how he came down, defied her, and ended by sharing her throne. Together they govern the realm from which there is no return, embodying the powers — death, disease, and war — that send mortals down to them.
In short
Ereškigal, dread queen of the netherworld, and Nergal, god of war, plague, and death who becomes her consort and co-ruler of the land of the dead.
Where it’s found
Ereškigal in 'Inana's descent' (ETCSL 1.4.1, in corpus); 'Nergal and Ereškigal' (akkadian-pending; Dalley)
How the idea developed across Sumer, Babylon & Assyria
Ereškigal is constant as netherworld queen; Nergal (war/plague, also the planet Mars) is joined to her in the Akkadian 'Nergal and Ereškigal.' Earlier Sumerian tradition gives Ereškigal other associations (the bull-god Gugalana). Keep the strata distinct.