Gilgamesh

Examples of Gilgamesh in the following topics:

• Babylonian Culture

  • One of the most famous of these was the Epic of Gilgamesh, in twelve books, translated from the original Sumerian by a certain Sin-liqi-unninni, and arranged upon an astronomical principle.
  • Each division contains the story of a single adventure in the career of King Gilgamesh.

• The Sumerians

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh mentions several leaders, including Gilgamesh himself, who were likely historical kings.

• The Mythical Period

  • While these events are mythological, at their root there may be ancient memories of very early kings and rulers who emerged among the prehistoric Chinese, similar to the tales of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia.

• Akkadian Government, Culture, and Economy

  • Previously a ruler could, like the legendary Gilgamesh, become divine after death but the Akkadian kings, from Naram-Sin onward, were considered gods on earth in their lifetimes.

• Harappan Culture

  • This may be a reference to the Sumerian myth of a monster created by Aruru, the Sumerian earth and fertility goddess, to fight Gilgamesh, the hero of an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem.