In the Sumerian myth Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld, the underworld gatekeeper is Neti.
Neti stands at the entrance to the realm ruled by Ereshkigal, Inanna’s sister. When Inanna arrives, Neti follows the underworld’s instructions and admits her through seven gates, removing one item of clothing or insignia at each gate.
The seven gates are central to the myth’s structure. By the time Inanna reaches Ereshkigal, she has been stripped of the symbols of her authority, leaving her vulnerable before the queen of the dead. The episode is one of the best-known accounts of Mesopotamian underworld geography and ritual symbolism.
Neti is sometimes confused with Namtar, another underworld figure who serves Ereshkigal as a divine minister or messenger. Ninshubur, meanwhile, is Inanna’s loyal attendant who seeks help for her after the descent.