Epic of Gilgamesh

E37113

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem, among the earliest surviving works of literature, that recounts the heroic adventures and existential quests of King Gilgamesh of Uruk.

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All labels observed (13)

Statements (69)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Mesopotamian literature
epic poem
mythological narrative
work of literature
approximateDateOfComposition second millennium BCE
basedOn Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh
containsMyth flood myth
culture Mesopotamian
currentLocationOfMajorTablets British Museum
discoveredAt Nineveh
discoveredIn Library of Ashurbanipal
earliestVersionDate Old Babylonian Empire
surface form: Old Babylonian period
featuresEvent building of the walls of Uruk
creation of Enkidu
death of Enkidu
defeat of Humbaba
great flood narrative
journey to Utnapishtim
killing of the Bull of Heaven
loss of the plant of life
genre heroic epic
hasAdaptation films
graphic novels
modern novels
operas
plays
poetic translations
hasMotive fear of death
search for meaning in life
hasSetting Cedar Forest
Dilmun
Mesopotamia
Uruk
hasTheme civilization versus nature
fame and legacy
friendship
human condition
kingship
mortality
quest for immortality
influenced biblical flood narrative traditions
later Near Eastern literature
modern literature
languageFamily Semitic
literaryForm poetry
mainCharacter Enkidu
Gilgamesh
Humbaba
Inanna
surface form: Ishtar

Ninsun
Shamhat
Siduri
Urshanabi
Utnapishtim
originalLanguage Akkadian
originatesFrom Mesopotamia
surface form: Ancient Mesopotamia
period Bronze Age
recognizedAs masterpiece of ancient literature
one of the earliest surviving works of literature
scholarlyField Assyriology
standardVersionDate first millennium BCE
standardVersionEditor Sin-leqi-unninni
structure series of tablets
studiedIn ancient history
comparative literature
religious studies
title Epic of Gilgamesh self-link
writingSystem cuneiform
writtenOn clay tablets

Referenced by (43)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mesopotamia producedWork Epic of Gilgamesh
Akkadian notableText Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Epic of Gilgamesh (Akkadian version)
Sumer producedWork Epic of Gilgamesh
Inanna appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Uruk associatedWith Epic of Gilgamesh
Uruk mentionedIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Anu appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh title Epic of Gilgamesh self-link
Babylonian polytheism centralMyth Epic of Gilgamesh
Utnapishtim appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Babylonians notableWork Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Epic of Gilgamesh (Babylonian version)
Sumerian language usedIn Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumerian versions)
Inanna and the Huluppu Tree relatedWork Epic of Gilgamesh
Sumerian literature notableWork Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumerian poems)
Ea appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Sumerian religion hasText Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: The Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumerian versions)
Utu appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh associatedWith Epic of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh
Uruk archaeological site associatedWith Epic of Gilgamesh
Anunnaki mentionedIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Enkidu appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Shamhat appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Shamhat textualTradition Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Standard Babylonian version of Epic of Gilgamesh
Siduri appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Siduri textualTradition Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Humbaba appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Ninsun appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Ninsun appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Sumerian Gilgamesh poems
Urshanabi appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Urshanabi appearsInSectionOfWork Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: tablet X of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Cedar Forest describedIn Epic of Gilgamesh
Cedar Forest relatedWork Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Dilmun mentionedIn Epic of Gilgamesh
defeat of Humbaba partOf Epic of Gilgamesh
defeat of Humbaba textualWitness Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh
defeat of Humbaba textualWitness Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Old Babylonian versions of the Gilgamesh tradition
worship of Ishtar associatedText Epic of Gilgamesh
Library of Ashurbanipal containsWork Epic of Gilgamesh
Sin-leqi-unninni associatedWith Epic of Gilgamesh
Sin-leqi-unninni textualTradition Epic of Gilgamesh
this entity surface form: Standard Babylonian version of Gilgamesh
Mesopotamian religion coreMyth Epic of Gilgamesh
Cedars of God forest mentionedIn Epic of Gilgamesh
subject surface form: Cedars of God