Mesopotamian Mythology

The Ancient Gods of Sumer and Babylon...

GILGAMESH

Mesopotamian Hero God

Picture of the Mesopotamian Hero God Gilgamesh from our Mesopotamian mythology image library. Illustration by Chas Saunders.

Famous Sumerian and Akkadian hero

He was two thirds God, or was it one third?

His mum was Ninsun, a Cow Goddess, and his father (or fathers) was (or were) a demon (or demons) impersonating his father, who was the King of Uruk at the time.

Look, the Sumerians invented writing not mathematics, and it is the writing we are concerned with here — as Gilgamesh is the long-running epic superhero featured in the Akkadian Tablets. Get the full set. There are twelve of them. Not so much a case of ‘couldn’t put it down’, but ‘having immense difficulty in picking it up’.

It’s called The Epic Of Gilgamesh and, no, it’s not a murder mystery. In fact it’s a roller-coaster adventure with the Gods, containing fantasy, love, bloodshed and allegorical insights into the human condition.

It was first produced in clay tablet form — we had to wait several thousand years for the paperback edition. There’s also five Sumerian poems in case you’ve missed anything. These were all published in utmost antiquity 10,000,000,000 years ago (give or take a few billion years), but still top the mythological charts.

Laugh! at his best buddy Enkidu, the Tarzan-like savage!
Swoon! over Ishtar, the Goddess of Love. ‘He turned her down!’
Cringe! at Humbaba, the Worst Monster in the World!
Marvel! at the fantastic fight with The Bull of Heaven!

It’s a Shamash hit in the World of Uruk!

Gilgamesh Facts and Figures

Name: Gilgamesh
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names:

Gender: Male
Type: God
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role:
In charge of: Heroics
Area of expertise: Hero

Good/Evil Rating: NEUTRAL, may not care
Popularity index: 9950

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Article last revised on May 24, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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