The Epic of Gilgamesh

Lore & Background

The first part of the story discusses Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to stop Gilgamesh from oppressing his people. After Enkidu becomes civilized through sexual initiation with Shamhat, he travels to Uruk, where he challenges Gilgamesh to a test of strength. Gilgamesh wins the contest; nonetheless, the two become friends. Together, they make a six-day journey to the legendary Cedar Forest, where they ultimately slay its guardian, Humbaba, and cut down the sacred cedar. The goddess Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh for spurning her advances. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill it, insulting Ishtar in the process. The gods decide to sentence Enkidu to death by giving him a fatal illness.

Reader's Guide

The Epic of Gilgamesh is regarded as a foundational work in religion and the tradition of heroic sagas, with Gilgamesh forming the prototype for later heroes such as Heracles (Hercules) and the epic itself serving as an influence for Homeric epics. It has been translated into many languages and is featured in several works of popular fiction. The epic was rediscovered in the 19th century through fragments from the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. The discovery of artifacts (c. Recent developments in the use of artificial intelligence software have vastly accelerated the process of uncovering new fragments of the epic dispersed in museums around the world.

Did You Know?

• The central character was initially reintroduced to the world as 'Izdubar' before the cuneiform logographs in his name could be pronounced accurately.
• In 1998, American Assyriologist Theodore Kwasman discovered a fragment believed to have contained the first lines of the epic in the storeroom of the British Museum.