The ''

Epic of Gilgamesh The ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' () is an epic poetry, epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, and is regarded as the earliest surviving notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts. The literary history of Gilgamesh ...

'' has directly inspired many manifestations of literature, art, music, and popular culture, as identified by

Theodore Ziolkowski Theodore Ziolkowski (September 30, 1932 – December 5, 2020) was a scholar in the fields of German studies and comparative literature. He coined the term " fifth gospel genre". Early life Theodore J. Ziolkowski was born on September 30, 1932 i ...

in the book ''Gilgamesh Among Us: Modern Encounters With the Ancient Epic'' (2011). It was only during and after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

that the first reliable translations of the epic appeared that reached a wide audience, and it was only after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

that the epic of Gilgamesh began to make itself felt more broadly in a variety of genres. In the years following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Gilgamesh sux, , label=none , image = Hero lion Dur-Sharrukin Louvre AO19862.jpg , alt = , caption = Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assyr ...

, formerly an obscure figure known only by a few scholars, gradually became increasingly popular with modern audiences. The ''Epic of Gilgamesh''s existential themes made it particularly appealing to German authors in the years following the war. In his 1947

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

novel ''

Die Stadt hinter dem Strom ''Die Stadt hinter dem Strom'' (The city beyond the river) is a German language Existentialism, existentialist novel by Hermann Kasack, published in 1947 in Berlin. It is considered one of the most important novels written in Germany after World W ...

'', the German novelist

Hermann Kasack Hermann Robert Richard Eugen Kasack (24 July 1896 – 10 January 1966) was a German writer. He is best known for his novel '' Die Stadt hinter dem Strom'' (''The city beyond the river''). Kasack was a pioneer of using the medium broadcast for lit ...

adapted elements of the epic into a metaphor for the aftermath of the destruction of World War II in Germany, portraying the bombed-out city of

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

as resembling the frightening Underworld seen by

Enkidu Enkidu ( sux, ''EN.KI.DU10'') was a legendary figure in ancient Mesopotamian mythology, wartime comrade and friend of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Their exploits were composed in Sumerian poems and in the Akkadian ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', writte ...

in his dream. In

Hans Henny Jahnn Hans Henny Jahnn (born Hans Henny August Jahn'';'' 17 December 1894 – 29 November 1959) was a German playwright, novelist, and organ-builder. Personal life Hans Henny Jahn was born in 1894 in Stellingen, one of Hamburg's suburbs, and was the s ...

's ''

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

'' ''River Without Shores'' (1949–1950), the middle section of the trilogy centers around a composer whose twenty-year-long homoerotic relationship with a friend mirrors that of Gilgamesh with

and whose masterpiece turns out to be a symphony about Gilgamesh. ''The Quest of Gilgamesh'', a 1953 radio play by Douglas Geoffrey Bridson, helped popularize the epic in Britain. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Charles Olson Charles Olson (27 December 1910 – 10 January 1970) was a second generation modern American poet who was a link between earlier figures such as Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams and the New American poets, which includes the New York ...

praised the epic in his poems and essays and

Gregory Corso Gregory Nunzio Corso (March 26, 1930 – January 17, 2001) was an American poet and a key member of the Beat movement. He was the youngest of the inner circle of Beat Generation writers (with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burrough ...

believed that it contained ancient virtues capable of curing what he viewed as modern moral degeneracy. The 1966 postfigurative novel ''Gilgamesch'' by Guido Bachmann became a classic of German " queer literature" and set a decades-long international literary trend of portraying Gilgamesh and Enkidu as homosexual lovers. This trend proved so popular that the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' itself is included in ''The Columbia Anthology of Gay Literature'' (1998) as a major early work of that genre. In the 1970s and 1980s, feminist literary critics analyzed the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' as showing evidence for a transition from the original matriarchy of all humanity to modern

patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...

. As the

Green Movement Green politics, or ecopolitics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy. Wall 2010. p. 12-13. It be ...

expanded in Europe, Gilgamesh's story began to be seen through an environmentalist lens, with Enkidu's death symbolizing man's separation from nature. Gilagmesh

, a scholar of modern literature, states, that "unlike most other figures from myth, literature, and history, Gilgamesh has established himself as an autonomous entity or simply a name, often independent of the epic context in which he originally became known. (As analogous examples one might think, for instance, of the

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...

Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compares ...

.)" The ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' has been translated into many major world languages and has become a staple of American

world literature World literature is used to refer to the total of the world's national literature and the circulation of works into the wider world beyond their country of origin. In the past, it primarily referred to the masterpieces of Western European lit ...

classes. Many contemporary authors and novelists have drawn inspiration from it, including an American

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

theater collective called "The Gilgamesh Group" and Joan London in her novel ''

'' (2001). '' The Great American Novel'' (1973) by

Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...

features a character named "Gil Gamesh", who is the star

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

of a fictional 1930s

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

team called the "Patriot League". Believing that he can never lose, Gil Gamesh throws a violent temper tantrum when an

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

goes against him and he is subsequently banished from baseball. He flees to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, where he is trained as a spy against the United States. Gil Gamesh reappears late in the novel as one of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

's spies and gives what American literary historian

David Damrosch David Damrosch is an American literary historian, was born in Maine and raised there and in New York , currently the Ernest Bernbaum Professor at Harvard University and an Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Damrosch studied ...

calls "an eerily casual description of his interrogation training in Soviet Russia." In 2000, a modern statue of Gilgamesh by the

Assyrian Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire * Assyrian ...

sculptor Lewis Batros was unveiled at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Starting in the late twentieth century, the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' began to be read again in Iraq.

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...

, the former

President of Iraq The president of Iraq is the head of state of Iraq and "safeguards the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, the security of its territories in accordance with the provisions of the Con ...

, had a lifelong fascination with Gilgamesh. Hussein's first novel '' Zabibah and the King'' (2000) is an allegory for the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

set in ancient Assyria that blends elements of the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' and the ''

One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

''. Like Gilgamesh, the king at the beginning of the novel is a brutal tyrant who misuses his power and oppresses his people, but, through the aid of a commoner woman named Zabibah, he grows into a more just ruler. When the United States pressured Hussein to step down in February 2003, Hussein gave a speech to a group of his generals posing the idea in a positive light by comparing himself to the epic hero.

Literature

* '' The City beyond the River'' (1947) by

. The epic becomes a metaphor for post-war Germany. * ''River without Shores'' (1949–50) by

. The middle section is an analogy to the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. *

wrote about the epic in his essay "The Gate and the Center" and in such poems as "La Chute" and "Bigmans" (1950s and 60s). *

, poems (1950s). * ''The Time Masters'' (1953/1971) and ''Time Bomb'' by Wilson Tucker. The protagonist, Gilbert Nash, has a mysterious past. * ''Gilgamesh: Romanzo'' (1959) by Gian Franco Gianfilippi. The first in a wave of historical novels based on the epic. A wave including works in Italian (Paola Capriola), English (

Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...

Stephan Grundy Stephan Scott Grundy (June 28, 1967 – September 29, 2021),
''The Wild Hunt'', October 5, 20 ...

), German (Harold Braem, Thomas Mielke), French (Jacques Cassabois), and Spanish (José Ortega). * ''Gilgamesch'' (1966) by Guido Bachmann. An early classic of a genre Germans called "queer literature", it would inspire other works that examined the idea of a possible homosexual relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Other works include: Denmark (

Henrik Bjelke Henrik Bjelke (13 January 1615 – 16 March 1683) was a Norwegian military officer who served as Admiral of the Realm of Denmark-Norway from 1662 to 1679. He was in command of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy from 1657 to 1679. Early life and ...

), Germany (Thomas Mielke,

Christian Kracht Christian Kracht (; born 29 December 1966) is a Swiss author. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Personal life Kracht was born in Saanen in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. He attended Schule Schloss Salem in Baden-Wür ...

), France (Jacques Cassabois), and England ( Edwin Morgan). * In '' The Great American Novel'' (1973), a novel by author

, the Gilgamesh myth is reworked into the tale of a fictional baseball player, Gil Gamesh, whose immortal aspirations are achieved by disappearing after his final game. * In ''Lucifer's Hammer'' by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, Gilgamesh is used to set the early timeline of events. * ''Ölümsüzlük Ardında Gılgamış'' (Gilgamesh in Search of Immortality) (1981), a poetry book by Turkish poet

Melih Cevdet Anday Melih Cevdet Anday (13 March 1915 – 28 November 2002) was a Turkish writer whose poetry stands outside the traditional literary movements. He also wrote in many other genres which, over six and a half decades, included eleven collections of p ...

. * ''

Gilgamesh the King ''Gilgamesh the King'' is a 1984 historical novel by American writer Robert Silverberg, presenting the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' as a novel. In the afterword the author wrote "at all times I have attempted to interpret the fanciful and fantastic even ...

'' (1984) and '' To the Land of the Living'' (1986) by

. Silverberg also contributed works of short fiction concerning Gilgamesh to the ''

Heroes in Hell ''Heroes in Hell'' is a series of shared world fantasy books, within the genre Bangsian fantasy, created and edited by Janet Morris and written by her, Chris Morris, C. J. Cherryh and others. The first 12 books in the series were published b ...

shared world A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...

series of

Bangsian fantasy Bangsian fantasy is a fantasy genre which concerns the use of the afterlife as the main setting within which its characters, who may be famous preexisting historical or fictional figures, act and interact. It is named for John Kendrick Bangs (1 ...

. * ''

Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * ...

'' (1985) by

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ext ...

. Chapter 22 is titled "Gilgamesh". It describes the efforts made by Hadden in his pursuit of immortality. * ''

In the Skin of a Lion ''In the Skin of a Lion'' is a novel by Canadian–Sri Lankan writer Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in 1987 by McClelland and Stewart. The novel fictionalizes the lives of the immigrants who played a large role in the building of the ci ...

'' (1987) by

Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...

. The title is a quote from Gilgamesh. *'' Timewyrm: Genesys'' (1991), by John Peel, is the first of the New Doctor Who Adventures published by Virgin. The book describes the Doctor meeting Gilgamesh, and relates the epic of Gilgamesh as a Doctor Who story. * "

Gilgamesh and the Homeboys sux, , label=none , image = Hero lion Dur-Sharrukin Louvre AO19862.jpg , alt = , caption = Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assyri ...

" (1991), by

Harry Turtledove Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed ...

, a time-displaced Gilgamesh meets Los Angeles street gangs. This short story was published in an obscure magazine and has never been reprinted as of 2018. * ''How Like a God'' (1997) by

Brenda Clough Brenda W. Clough (also credited as B.W. Clough) (pronounced ''Cluff'')">/nowiklinknowiki>/nowiki> *"The Indecorous Rescue of Clarinda Merwin", ''Aboriginal SF'', Mar/Apr 1989 *"Provisional Solution", ''Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Stat ...

is based on the epic. * In ''The Eternal Footman'' (1999) by

James K. Morrow James Morrow (born March 17, 1947) is an American novelist and short-story writer known for filtering large philosophical and theological questions through his satiric sensibility. Most of Morrow's oeuvre has been published as science fiction ...

, a traveling troupe enacts a play based on the Gilgamesh canon. * ''Gilgamesh'' (1999), historical fiction by

Stephan Grundy Stephan Scott Grundy (June 28, 1967 – September 29, 2021),
''The Wild Hunt'', October 5, 20 ...

which retells the legend. * ''ghIlghameS'' (2000), a translation into the

Klingon language The Klingon language ( tlh, tlhIngan Hol, links=no, '' '': , ) is the constructed language spoken by a fictional alien race called the Klingons, in the ''Star Trek'' universe. Described in the 1985 book ''The Klingon Dictionary'' by Marc Okra ...

. * In Jane Lindskold's Athanor novels (1998–9), Gilgamesh and Enkidu are immortals who inspire legends under other names, including

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

and Sir Bedivere, respectively. * ''1001 Nights of Bacchus'' (2000), a graphic novel by

Eddie Campbell Eddie Campbell (born 10 August 1955) is a British comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Chicago. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of ''From Hell'' (written by Alan Moore), Campbell is also the creator of the semi-au ...

, features a six-page collage story in which Gilgamesh is a Scottish-accented soccer hooligan near-incomprehensibly recounting the entire epic. The story also appeared, in color, on the back covers of issues 22–26 of Campbell's ''Bacchus'' magazine. *''Gilgamesh'' (2001) by Joan London, a postfiguration in which the epic becomes the structural key for a world torn by politics and betrayal (modern Armenia). *''

1979 (novel) ''1979'' is a 2001 novel by the Swiss writer Christian Kracht. It is set in 1979 and tells the story of a homosexual young man who travels to Tehran with his ex-boyfriend at the time of the Iranian Revolution, where his co-traveller dies during a d ...

'' (2001) by

, in which the epic provides the pattern for the homoerotic theme set against the background of the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

. *''

Fate/stay night ''Fate/stay night'' is a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon and originally released as an adult game for Windows on January 30, 2004. A version of ''Fate/stay night'' rated for ages 15 and up titled ''Fate/stay night Réalta ...

'' (2004), a Japanese visual novel written by

Kinoko Nasu is a Japanese author, best known for writing the light novel ''The Garden of Sinners'' and visual novels ''Tsukihime'' and ''Fate/stay night'', and a co-founder of Type-Moon. He graduated from Hosei University with a major in human science. ...

and developed by Type-Moon. *'' Fate/Zero'' (2006), a Light Novel authored by

Gen Urobuchi is a Japanese novelist, visual novel writer and anime screenwriter. He is known for being the co-creator of the highly acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', which earned him the Tokyo Anime Award for ...

, illustrated by

Takashi Takeuchi is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder of the visual novel, anime development and production enterprise Type-Moon, and for his illustrations on the visual novels, ''Tsukihime'' and ''Fate/stay night'', which were adapted into an ...

and written in collaboration with Type-Moon, features

as one of the summoned servants. * ''

Bartimaeus (book series) The ''Bartimaeus Sequence'' is a series of young adult novels of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It was written by British writer Jonathan Stroud and consists of a trilogy published from 2003 to 2005 and a prequel novel published in 2010. ...

'', the titular Djinn was a servant to Gilgamesh (his first master) and aided him alongside the wildman Enkidu in defeating the giant

Humbaba In Ancient Mesopotamian religion, Humbaba ( Assyrian spelling), also spelled Huwawa ( Sumerian spelling) and surnamed ''the Terrible'', was a monstrous giant of immemorial age raised by Utu, the Sun / justice / truth god. Humbaba was the guardia ...

in addition to also assisting the demi-God king in building the walls of Uruk, a feat originally attributed to Gilgamesh alone. * ''Stargate SG-1: Blood Ties'' (2007) by Sonny Whitelaw and Elizabeth Christensen has Doctor Daniel Jackson consult the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' for clues about the threat that the characters are currently facing. * ''Like Mayflies in a Stream'' (2009) by Shauna S. Roberts () is a novelization of the first half of the epic from the viewpoint of

Shamhat Shamhat ( akk, , Šamḫat; also called Shamkat in the old Babylonian version of Gilgamesh") is a female character who appears in Tablets I and II of the Epic of Gilgamesh and is mentioned in Tablet VII. She is a sacred prostitute who plays a signi ...

, who tamed Enkidu. * '' The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel'' (2009), a novel in

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel ''The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel'' is a series of six fantasy novels written by Irish author Michael Scott, completed in 2012. The first book in the series, '' The Alchemyst'', was released in 2007, and the sequels were released ...

series by Michael Scott (). Gilgamesh the King is described as a homeless man, immortal, and extraordinarily forgetful. He helps the twins, Sophie and Josh, to learn the magic of Water. * "Long Time" by Rick Norwood, ''

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...

'', Jan/Feb 2011, a retelling of the Gilgamesh legend by a cynical immortal soldier serving in Gilgamesh's army. * ''

Warm Bodies ''Warm Bodies'' is a novel by author Isaac Marion. The book was described as a "zombie romance" by the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' and makes allusions to William Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet''. The author, based in Seattle, originally wr ...

'' by

Isaac Marion Isaac Marion (born December 30, 1981) is an American writer. He is best known as the best-selling author of the "zombie romance" novel '' Warm Bodies'' and its series. Background Marion was born December 30, 1981 near Seattle and has mostly lived ...

2011. The Epic of Gilgamesh is mentioned as "one of the earliest known works of literature. Humanity's debut novel, you could say. Love, sex, blood and tears. A journey to find eternal life. To escape death." *'' Fate/strange fake'' (2015), a Light Novel written by

Ryōgo Narita is a Japanese light novelist and manga writer. He won the Gold Prize in the 9th Dengeki Novel Prize for ''Baccano!'', which was made into an anime television series in 2007. His series ''Durarara!!'' was also made into two anime television series ...

, illustrated by Morii Shizuki, a spin-off of both

Fate/stay Night ''Fate/stay night'' is a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon and originally released as an adult game for Windows on January 30, 2004. A version of ''Fate/stay night'' rated for ages 15 and up titled ''Fate/stay night Réalta ...

and Fate/Zero that originated as an April fool's joke in 2008 as ''Fate/states night''. * In ''

Children of Time (novel) ''Children of Time'' is a 2015 science fiction novel by author Adrian Tchaikovsky Adrian Czajkowski (spelled as Adrian Tchaikovsky for his books) is a British fantasy and science fiction author. He is known best for his series ''Shadows of th ...

'' (2015), a science fiction novel written by

Adrian Tchaikovsky Adrian Czajkowski (spelled as Adrian Tchaikovsky for his books) is a British fantasy and science fiction author. He is known best for his series ''Shadows of the Apt'', and for his novel '' Children of Time''. ''Children of Time'' was awarded t ...

, the main characters travel across space in a ship named the Gilgamesh. * ''Fearless Inanna'', by Jonathan Schork (2015), is loosely structured after the original Epic in twelve "books" and borrows translated passages in chapter 10. ''The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh'', by Simo Parpola (Eisenbrauns, 1997), is listed in the bibliography. * '' Thick as Thieves'' (2017) by Megan Whalen Turner features a main character from a fictionalized version of the Persian empire who, throughout the course of the novel, recites from an ancient poem loosely based on the Epic of Gilgamesh. The two characters in the novel come to represent the main characters of the epic, known as Immakuk and Ennikar (Gilgamesh and Enkidu). * "Enkidu", the opening story of '' Even This Wildest Hope'' (2019) by Seyward Goodhand, is a modern retelling of the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' from the point of view of Enkidu. *"Smokepit Fairytales" (2016) a science fiction novel by Tripp Ainsworth. A Marine and a Sailor accidentally stumble upon Utnapishtim's garden while deployed to Iraq and inadvertently become immortal. The novel pulled heavily from Gilgamesh as inspiration. *''City of the Plague God'' (2021) a fantasy novel by Sarwat Chadda under the

Rick Riordan Presents Rick Riordan Presents is a book imprint of Disney-Hyperion (Disney Publishing Worldwide) that was launched in 2018 and is led by Stephanie Owens Lurie. The line publishes books that utilize the mythology of various cultures and countries in its s ...

imprint, features protagonist Sikander "Sik" Aziz meeting Gilgamesh in the present day where Gilgamesh reveals that he really did become immortal, but had lied in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' and faked his death in order to keep other people from discovering the secret of immortality. Gilgamesh has become a pacifist dedicated to gardening and helps Sik create a cure for the plague spread by the Mesopotamian deity

Nergal Nergal ( Sumerian: d''KIŠ.UNU'' or ; ; Aramaic: ܢܸܪܓܲܠ; la, Nirgal) was a Mesopotamian god worshiped through all periods of Mesopotamian history, from Early Dynastic to Neo-Babylonian times, with a few attestations under indicating hi ...

. Using his powers as the

demigod A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...

son of

Ninsun Ninsun (also called Ninsumun, cuneiform: dNIN.SUMUN2; Sumerian: ''Nin-sumun(ak)'' "lady of the wild cows") was a Mesopotamian goddess. She is best known as the mother of the hero Gilgamesh and wife of deified legendary king Lugalbanda, and appea ...

, Gilgamesh generates a hurricane over Manhattan for Sik to spread the cure in the form of rain. He later sends Sik his royal seal as a gift.

Classical music

* ''

The Epic of Gilgamesh (Martinů) ''The Epic of Gilgamesh'' (Czech: ''Epos o Gilgamešovi'') is an oratorio for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinů composed in 1954–1955 near Nice in France, and premiered in 1958 in Basel, Switzerland, with a title and text i ...

'', 1955 choral work by the Czech composer

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He bec ...

* ''

Gilgamesh (Kodallı opera) ''Gılgamış'' is a 1964 Turkish-language opera by Nevit Kodallı. Simultaneously with Kodallı, Ahmed Adnan Saygun was also working around 1964 on a Gilgamesh project, which he completed as his Op.65 ''Gilgamesh (Saygun opera), Gılgameş''.Ah ...

,'' 1962–64

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

in Turkish * ''

Gilgamesh (Saygun opera) ''Gılgameş'' ( Op. 65) is an opera in three acts and twelve scenes composed by Ahmed Adnan Saygun to a Turkish-language libretto by . The opera, based on the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' was composed from 1964 to 1983, but premiered in an early version ...

,'' 1964–70 Op.65 opera in Turkish * ''

Gilgamesh (Nørgård opera) ''Gilgamesh'' is a 1972 opera by Per Nørgård. First performed in Århus on 4 May 1973, the opera received the Nordic Council Music Prize in 1974.Hannu Annala, Heiki Matlik - Handbook of Guitar and Lute Composers 2010 - Page 111 1609743539 " In t ...

,'' 1971–72 opera in Danish by

Per Nørgård Per Nørgård (; born 13 July 1932) is a Danish composer and music theorist. Though his style has varied considerably throughout his career, his music has often included repeatedly evolving melodies—such as the infinity series—in the vein o ...

* ''

Gilgamesh (Brucci opera) ''Gilgameš'' (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: Гилгамеш) is an opera in three acts by Rudolf Brucci. The libretto by Arsenije Arsa Milošević is based on the Mesopotamian ''Epic of Gilgamesh''. It premiered on November 2, 198 ...

,'' 1986 opera in Serbian by

Rudolf Brucci Rudolf Brucci (Bruči) (March 30, 1917 – October 30, 2002), was a composer of Croatian and Italian origin, born in Zagreb. He was married to Yugoslavian opera singer, . He began his artistic life playing viola in various orchestras, ranging from ...

* ''Gilgamesh (Battiato opera),'' 1992 opera in Italian by

Franco Battiato Francesco "Franco" Battiato (; 23 March 1945 – 18 May 2021) was an Italian musician, singer, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes, a ...

*''Bilgamesh (Gilgamesh) (opera–ballet),'' 2009-12 opera in

Sumerian Sumerian or Sumerians may refer to: *Sumer, an ancient civilization **Sumerian language **Sumerian art **Sumerian architecture **Sumerian literature **Cuneiform script, used in Sumerian writing *Sumerian Records, an American record label based in ...

and

Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to: * Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire * Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language * Akkadian literature, literature in this language * Akkadian cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo- syllabi ...

Ashot Ariyan Ashot Ariyan ( hy, Աշոտ Արիյան, russian: Ашот Размикович Ариян; born April 3, 1973) is a Canadian-Armenian composer and pianist. He is the author of more than 25 compositions including an opera-ballet, two symphonies, ...

Pop music

Girugamesh is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2003. Their name is sometimes stylized with a metal umlaut as girugämesh and is derived from the ''Final Fantasy'' character. They disbanded on July 10, 2016, although announced a new song, to celebrate labe ...

, name of Japanese rock band is a

transliteration Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

of Gilgamesh, some of their song names allude to the epic as well. * "

The Mesopotamians ''The Else'' is the twelfth studio album by rock group They Might Be Giants, released by Idlewild Records in 2007. The album was produced in part by The Dust Brothers, along with Pat Dillett and the band. ''The Else'' was first available for ...

", a song by

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a d ...

, features Gilgamesh, along with Sargon,

Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian: ; ) was the sixth Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire, reigning from to BC. He was preceded by his father, Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. During his reign, he conquered Elam and the city-states ...

, and

Ashurbanipal Ashurbanipal (Neo-Assyrian language, Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , meaning "Ashur (god), Ashur is the creator of the heir") was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 669 BCE to his death in 631. He is generally remembered as the last great king o ...

(other rulers of Mesopotamia). * ''He Who Saw the Deep'', an album by

iLiKETRAiNS I Like Trains (previously styled as iLiKETRAiNS) is an English alternative/post-rock band, formed in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It draws its inspiration from historical failings and a pessimistic world view. I Like Trains has had its music used in ...

, takes its title from an original styling of ''The Epic of Gilgamesh''. * "Gilgamesh", from the album ''Rapconteur'' by rap artist

Baba Brinkman Dirk Murray Brinkman (born October 22, 1978) is a Canadian rapper and playwright best known for recordings and performances that combine hip hop music with literature, theatre, and science. Early life and education Born in the remote communit ...

is a modern retelling of the epic in hip hop form. * ''Gilgamesh'', 2010 album from Australian alternative pop duo Gypsy & The Cat. * ''Gilgamesh'', 2015 album based on the epic by the Iraqi heavy metal band

Acrassicauda Acrassicauda is an Iraqi thrash metal band formed in 2001 in Baghdad and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. It is often credited as the first heavy metal group to emerge from Iraq. The original band consisted of four members and played concer ...

. * "Gilgameš", from the album ''Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού'' by extreme metal band

Rotting Christ Rotting Christ is a Greek black metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene. They are also responsible for creati ...

. * "Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy" from the album ''

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

'' by

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...

's band

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...

mentions Gilgamesh. *

, name of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

band in the 1970s. *"The Edge of the World", from the album ''

Reaching into Infinity ''Reaching into Infinity'' is the seventh studio album by British power metal band DragonForce, released on 19 May 2017. It is the band's first studio album to feature drummer Gee Anzalone and the last to feature longtime keyboardist Vadim Pruzh ...

'' by English power metal band

DragonForce DragonForce are a British power metal band from London, England. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, and are known for their long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-themed lyrics and retro video game-influenced ...

. *"Gilgamesh", from the 2020 album '' Ascension'' by American singer

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomi ...

. * '' Lost in the Cedar Wood'', the 2021 album by British singer-songwriter

Johnny Flynn John Patrick Vivian Flynn (born 14 March 1983) is a British actor and singer-songwriter. He has starred as Dylan Witter in the Channel 4 and Netflix television sitcom '' Lovesick'', and portrayed David Bowie in the film '' Stardust''. Flynn i ...

and British nature writer Robert Macfarlane, is loosely based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, aiming to compare the themes of the ancient work with the modern world in the context of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

Theatre

* 1988 ''Girugameshu'', a play by the Japanese scholar

Takeshi Umehara was born in Miyagi Prefecture in Tōhoku and graduated from the philosophical faculty of Kyoto University in 1948. He taught philosophy at Ritsumeikan University and was subsequently appointed president of the Kyoto City University of Arts. He ...

. That play inspirated the

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...

's 1997 anime epic ''

Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu. The film stars the voices of Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida ...

''. * 1989 '' Turn left at Gilgamesh'', a play by New York playwright Rory Winston. * 2007 (September/October). ''Gilgamesh in Uruk: GI in Iraq'', adapted by Blake Bowden. Directed by Regina Pugh, with original music composed by

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

-nominee, Steve Goers, and original puppetry by Aretta Baumgartner. * 2007 (July). ''Chronicles – the custom of lamenting'', based on the adaptation and completed Polish translation of ''Gilgamesh'' by

Robert Stiller Robert Reuven Stiller (25 January 1928 – 10 December 2016) was a Polish polyglot, writer, poet, translator, and editor. Life Robert Stiller was born in Warsaw, Poland, to Polish parents and spent his early childhood in what is now Belarus. His f ...

. Directed by Grzegorz Brai with original music based on Albanian and Greek polyphonic laments. Produced by Song of the Goat Theatre in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

. * 2007 (April). ''Gilgamesh'', adapted by

Yusef Komunyakaa Yusef Komunyakaa (born James William Brown; April 29, 1941) is an American poet who teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for ''Neo ...

and Chad Gracia. Original music composed and performed by Billy Atwell. This project was a part of the

New York Institute for the Humanities The New York Institute for the Humanities (NYIH) is an academic organization founded by Richard Sennett in 1976 to promote the exchange of ideas between academics, writers, and the general public. The NYIH regularly holds seminars open to the publi ...

"War Music Festival." Produced by the

Classical Theatre of Harlem The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) is an off-broadway professional theatre company founded in 1999 at the Harlem School for the Arts. Producing on average 2-3 productions a year as well as implementing extensive educational programming, CTH remai ...

. * 2007 (March/April). ''Gilgamesh'', adapted by

Stephen Sachs Stephen Sachs (born August 14, 1959) is an American stage director and playwright. He is the co-artistic director of the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, which he co-founded in 1990. Biography Sachs was born in San Francisco and grew up in Los ...

. Directed by Sachs and Jessica Kubzansky. Produced by The Theatre @ Boston Court in

Pasadena, CA Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

. * 2017 (October). ''Gilgamesh'', adapted by Piers Beckley. Directed by

Ray Shell Ray Shell (born 22 September 1951) is an American film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, singer, director and producer. He is known for creating the roles of Nomax in ''Five Guys Named Moe'' (1990) and Rusty in ''Starlight Express'' (1984 ...

. Produced by

White Bear Theatre The White Bear Theatre is a fringe theatre founded in 1988 at the White Bear pub in Kennington, London, and run by Artistic Director and founder Michael Kingsbury. It is one of London's leading pub theatres, as well as one of the longest establi ...

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between the ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. * 2017 (October). ''Broken Stones'', by Fin Kennedy. Directed by Seth Rozin. Produced by

Interact Theatre Company InterAct Theatre Company is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A founding member of the National New Play Network. History InterAct Theatre was begun in 1988 by four graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. Artistic Director Seth Rozin, ...

Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Inspired by a true story, this meta-theatrical play follows a former U.S. Army Reservist who broke military protocol to safeguard the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities ( the Iraq Museum) from being looted during the Iraq War. This museum houses Gilgamesh tablets, and the story references Gilgamesh. As the ex-soldier tells his harrowing saga to a Hollywood ghost writer, his story is manipulated into a more palatable narrative.

Film

* ''

The Epic of Gilgamesh, or This Unnameable Little Broom ''Little Songs of the Chief Officer of Hunar Louse, or This Unnameable Little Broom, Being a Largely Disguised Reduction of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Tableau II (aka This Unnameable Little Broom)'' is a 1985 stop motion short film by The Brothers Q ...

'' (1985) by the Quay Brothers is an animated short based on the Epic of Gilgamesh. * In the film adaptation of the '' Unlimited Blade Works'' route of ''

Fate/Stay Night ''Fate/stay night'' is a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon and originally released as an adult game for Windows on January 30, 2004. A version of ''Fate/stay night'' rated for ages 15 and up titled ''Fate/stay night Réalta ...

'', Gilgamesh is the main antagonist who, with Kirei Kotomine, attempts a ritual to bring the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

into existence. This route has also been adapted as an

anime series is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening ...

* In the '' Heaven's Feel'' route of ''

'', Gilgamesh is a minor character as a servant in the Holy Grail War in which he is easily defeated by

Angra Mainyu Angra Mainyu (; Avestan: 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 ''Aŋra Mainiiu'') is the Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of th ...

who is possessing the heroine Sakura Matou. He is a main character in the other two routes, which have been adapted as

two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

and a

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

. * The

's 1997 anime film ''

'' is partially based on the

Cedar Forest The Cedar Forest ( Sumerian: 𒄑𒂞𒄑 𒌁giš eren giš tir) is the glorious realm of the gods of Mesopotamian mythology. It is guarded by the demigod Humbaba and was once entered by the hero Gilgamesh who dared cut down trees from its vi ...

episode of ''The Epic of Gilgamesh''. * ''

'', upcoming Argentinean animated film.

Television

* Gilgamesh is referenced in both the prologue and epilogue of the 1964 episode of ''The Outer Limits'', "

Demon With a Glass Hand "Demon with a Glass Hand" is an episode of the American television series '' The Outer Limits'', the second to be based on a script by Harlan Ellison, which Ellison wrote specifically with actor Robert Culp in mind for the lead role. It originally ...

". * "

Darmok "Darmok" is the 102nd episode of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', the second episode of the fifth season. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the ...

", episode 2 of season 5 of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', is a self-referential adaptation of Gilgamesh in a science fiction setting.

Jean-Luc Picard Jean-Luc Picard is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, most often seen as the captain of the Federation starship . Played by Patrick Stewart, Picard has appeared in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''T ...

references the epic directly as he attempts to communicate with a member of an alien species whose language consists entirely of allegory which references mythological and historical people and events from his culture. * ''Gilgamesh'' anime, directed by Masahiko Murata. * The Epic is seen in ''

The Secret Saturdays ''The Secret Saturdays'' is an American animated television series created by Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens for Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 3, 2008 in the United States. The series follows the adventures of the Saturdays, a family of ...

'', though with some alterations. Instead of telling the story of Gilgamesh's quest for immortality, it depicts his battle against an ancient

Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. It is one of the cradles of c ...

ian

cryptid Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but are not believed to exist by mainstream science. Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience, which primarily looks at anecdotal stories, and other claims rejected by ...

known as

Kur The ancient Mesopotamian underworld, most often known in Sumerian as Kur, Irkalla, Kukku, Arali, or Kigal and in Akkadian as Erṣetu, although it had many names in both languages, was a dark, dreary cavern located deep below the ground, where ...

. * Gilgamesh is one of the Servants in the Holy Grail War of the '' Fate/Zero'', ''

'' and the '' Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works'' anime, in all three of which, he serves as a final antagonist who has an obsession with

Saber A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

; he merely desires to possess Saber and the Holy Grail (for the sake of it being a treasure) in the former two while he wants to destroy the world using the Holy Grail to rule over those who survive the cataclysm in the latter. He also appears in '' Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia'' as the king of

Uruk Uruk, also known as Warka or Warkah, was an ancient city of Sumer (and later of Babylonia) situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates River on the dried-up ancient channel of the Euphrates east of modern Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Harm ...

and a main character of the story. * A child version of Gilgamesh appears in the anime series Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya * Gilgamesh is comically referenced in ''

Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...

'' season 7 episode 18 titled "

The Inhuman Torch "The Inhuman Torch" is the eighteenth episode in the Futurama (season 7), seventh List of Futurama episodes, season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 132nd episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Come ...

". Bender is compared to Gilgamesh after saving the earth from an evil personified flame. * In '' Batman: The Animated Series'', reference is made to Project Gilgamesh, from which the character Bane is born. (Season 3, Episode 1) * Gilgamesh is referenced during a street play based on his story, in the Indian television series ''

Bharat Ek Khoj ''Bharat Ek Khoj'' () is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book ''The Discovery of India'' (1946) by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers a 5,000-year history of India from its beginnings to independence from the British in 1947. The dr ...

'' episode 2, based on Indus Valley Civilization. *The Smiths must rescue Steve after he is kidnapped and taken to the North Pole, which is revealed to be the frozen over remains of the

. There, Santa Claus is using children to mine for precious stones from the Epic of Gilgamesh that he needs to perform an ancient ritual to revive

and claim his powers. ''

American Dad ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...

'' (season 12, episode 7) *In ''

The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 Arcade game, arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the ...

'' anime, the king of Babylim and the first person to climb the tower was named Gilgamesh.

Comics

* ''

Gilgamesh II James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, and ...

'', a satirical graphic novel by

Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, and ...

in which an infant (the last of his doomed race) is rocketed to Earth

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

-fashion, but whose life follows the trajectory of the Gilgamesh legends.

ASIN Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She beg ...

B00071S7T8 * ''The Epic of Gilgamesh'' (2018), is a graphic novel covering the full Gilgamesh epic; rendered by Kent H. Dixon and illustrated by his son, Kevin H. Dixon. * In the final issue of '' Mage II: The Hero Defined'' (1999),

Matt Wagner Matt Wagner (born October 9, 1961) is an American comics artist and writer who is best known as the creator of the series ''Mage'' and ''Grendel (comics), Grendel''. Career Matt Wagner's first published comic book work was ''Comico Primer'' #2 ( ...

uses the Epic of Gilgamesh as a parallel to the life of Kevin Matchstick, who was previously compared to

. * The Argentine comic book ''

Gilgamesh the Immortal sux, , label=none , image = Hero lion Dur-Sharrukin Louvre AO19862.jpg , alt = , caption = Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assyri ...

'' turns Gilgamesh into an immortal whose life spans across all human history and a post-apocalyptic future. * In Marvel Comics

is one of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings that live on

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

and have been mistaken for

Gods A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

over the millennia. Gilgamesh has performed many heroic feats, and has been mistaken for other heroes, such as

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

. He is known as the Forgotten One after

Zuras Zuras is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Eternals who is the uncle of Thanos and Starfox. Publication history Zuras first appeared in ''The Eterna ...

, the Leader of the Eternals, caused everybody on Earth to forget about him. * The webcomic ''Abominable Charles Cristopher'' by

Karl Kerschl Karl Kerschl is a Canadian comic book artist, best known for his work on DC Comics books, including '' Adventures of Superman'', '' Majestic'', ''All-Flash'', '' Teen Titans: Year One'' and ''Gotham Academy''. Early life Kerschl was born in Toron ...

features Gilgamesh as an adventurous king, who is initially trying to slay the unwitting protagonist when he approaches Gilgamesh's kingdom. Later their relationship evolves.Gilgamesh at his castle
in Abominable Charles Cristopher. * ''

The Unwritten ''The Unwritten'' is an American comic book written by Mike Carey with art by Peter Gross. Published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, the book follows Tom Taylor, who was the inspiration for a series of hugely successful children's fantasy ...

'' by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, issue 32.5 (Feb 2012), retells part of the Epic in a way that fits the series' examination of story-telling in human history. * ''

Archer and Armstrong ''Archer & Armstrong'' is a superhero duo in the Valiant Comics universe. The two were originally created by writer and artist Barry Windsor-Smith and introduced in their own self-titled comic book series in 1992. After Acclaim Entertainment bough ...

'' #0, written by Fred Van Lente and published by

Valiant Comics Valiant Comics is an American comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim Entertainment ...

features a retelling of the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' from the point of view of one of the principal characters of the series, the immortal Aram Anni-Padda.

Video games

* In

Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...

action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki fr ...

'', Gilgamesh is known as Gil and is the main hero who must ascend the floors of Druaga's

tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

to rescue Ki. The game spawned the ''

Babylonian Castle Saga The is a Japanese role-playing video game franchise developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco, for arcades and home video game platforms. Beginning in 1984 with the arcade title ''The Tower of Druaga'', the series wo ...

'' franchise. * The pre-designed game packaged with

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...

' ''

Adventure Construction Set An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme sp ...

'', ''Rivers of Light'', follows the Epic of Gilgamesh. * In '' Serious Sam: The Second Encounter'', the eighth level was named as "Courtyards of Gilgamesh". * The ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...

'' series of video games includes, in some of its installments, a boss enemy named

and his "faithful sidekick" Enkidu. There are actually several variants of Gilgamesh in ''Final Fantasy'', as the series has no shared in-universe continuity, though there is usually some reference to him being a fierce warrior who collects swords and many iterations of him have as many as six arms. * Gilgamesh is the leader of the Sumerian civilization in the ''

Civilization III ''Sid Meier's Civilization III'' is the third installment of the ''Sid Meier's Civilization'' turn-based strategy video game series. It was released in 2001, and followed by ''Civilization IV''. Unlike the original game, ''Civilization III'' was n ...

Conquests'' expansion pack, ''

Civilization IV ''Civilization IV'' (also known as ''Sid Meier's Civilization IV'') is a 4X turn-based strategy computer game and the fourth installment of the ''Civilization'' series, and designed by Soren Johnson under the direction of Sid Meier and his vid ...

Beyond the Sword'' expansion pack, and ''

Civilization VI ''Sid Meier's Civilization VI'' is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games, published by 2K Games, and distributed by Take-Two Interactive. The mobile port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the ''Civiliza ...

''. * In

's video game ''

Tales of Phantasia is an action role-playing game originally developed by Wolf Team. It is the first title in Namco's ''Tales (video game series), Tales'' series. Initially released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Famicom in December 1995, it was ...

'', one of Cress Albaine's titles is Gilgamesh, which can be obtained finding particular objects. * In

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

's video game ''

Devil May Cry 4 is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows platforms. It is the fourth installment in the ''Devil May Cry'' series and is written by Bingo Morihashi a ...

'' Gilgamesh is a pair of boots and gauntlets that are worn and used by second protagonist Dante, possibly in reference to a similar weapon featured in earlier games in the series, named after ''

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

'', another epic poem. * In the

Sir-Tech Sir-Tech Software, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher based in the United States and Canada. History In fall 1979, Sirotech Software was founded by Norman Sirotek, Robert Sirotek and Robert Woodhead. Sirotech Software published ''Info ...

game ''

Wizardry ''Wizardry'' is a series of role-playing video games, developed by Sir-Tech, that were highly influential in the evolution of modern role-playing video games. The original ''Wizardry'' was a significant influence on early console role-playing g ...

: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord'', players construct their adventure party at Gilgamesh's Tavern. * In the Type-Moon

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

game ''

'', Gilgamesh is one of the antagonists of the series. He also appears in the sequel game, ''

Fate/hollow ataraxia is a 2005 PC visual novel video game developed by Type-Moon, and the sequel to ''Fate/stay night''. The word "ataraxia" in the title is a Greek term for "tranquility", giving the title the combined meaning of "empty (or false) tranquility". ...

'', as both his main self and as a child version of himself; and in "

Fate/Extra CCC ''Fate/Extra'' (stylized as ''Fate/EXTRA'') is a dungeon crawler role-playing game developed by Type-Moon and Imageepoch and published by Marvelous Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. The game takes place in a parallel univer ...

" and '' Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star'' as a playable character. * In the Japanese collectible card game ''

Shadowverse ''Shadowverse'' is a digital collectible card game developed and published by Cygames. It was released free-to-play for iOS and Android devices in June 2016. macOS and Windows versions were released in October 2016. ''Shadowverse'' employs an an ...

'', Gilgamesh is an uncommon playable card. * In the WonderPlanet inc. mobile-game ''

Crash Fever Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

'', Gilgamesh is an obtainable unit in an ultimate wizard quest. * In the mobile game ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and ...

'', Gilgamesh appears as a summonable servant in three different variants: as a child, in his Fate/Stay Night form prior to meeting Enkidu, and a wiser version from his time as king after the conclusion of ''The Epic''. He is one of the main protagonists in the game's Seventh Singularity, which takes place in Ancient Mesopotamia, the arcade version of the game also has a babylonian singularity, in which Gilgamesh is cloned and Nebuchadnezzar II is summoned into his clone's body by the Beast of 666. * In '' Assassin's Creed: Origins'' (2017), a sword originated from Mesopotamia known as "Humbaba's Fang" was carved by Gilgamesh from the tooth of

. * In ''

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

'' (2020), the fourth aspect of the Twin Fists of Malphon is the Aspect of Gilgamesh. * In ''

Smite ''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...

in the story.

Children's literature

* ''Gilgamesh''. (1967). Written and illustrated by

Bernarda Bryson Bernarda Bryson Shahn (March 7, 1903 – December 12, 2004) was an American painter and lithographer. She also wrote and illustrated children's books including ''The Zoo of Zeus'' and ''Gilgamesh.'' The artist Ben Shahn was her "life companion ...

. Henry Holt & Co. . 1st edition is out of print. * ''Gilgamesh: Man's First Story'' (2005). Written and illustrated by

Bernarda Bryson Shahn Bernarda Bryson Shahn (March 7, 1903 – December 12, 2004) was an American painter and lithographer. She also wrote and illustrated children's books including ''The Zoo of Zeus'' and ''Gilgamesh.'' The artist Ben Shahn was her "life companion ...

. Whole Spirit Press , 2nd edition reissue. * ''Gilgamesh the King'' (1991). Written and illustrated by

Ludmila Zeman Ludmila Zeman (born 23 April 1947) is a Czech Canadians, Czech–Canadian artist, animator, and creator of children's books. She is the daughter of filmmaker Karel Zeman. Zeman was born in the Moravian Czech city of Zlín (renamed Gottwaldov in ...

. Tundra Books. (0-88776-283-2). * ''The Revenge of Ishtar'' (1993). Written and illustrated by

. Tundra Books. (0-88776-315-4). * ''The Last Quest of Gilgamesh'' (1995). Written and illustrated by

. Tundra Books. (0-88776-328-6). * ''Gilgamesh the Hero'' (2003). Retold by

Geraldine McCaughrean Geraldine McCaughrean ( ; born 6 June 1951) is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including ''Peter Pan in Scarlet'' (2004), the official sequel to ''Peter Pan'' commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, t ...

, illustrated by

David Parkins David Alan Parkins (born 2 November 1955) is a British cartoonist and illustrator who has worked for D.C. Thomson, publisher of ''The Beano'' and ''The Dandy''. Now based in Canada, he illustrates children's picture books. Parkins was born in ...

. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. . * ''Lugalbanda: The Boy who got Caught up in a War'' (2006). by Kathy Henderson, illustrated by

Jane Ray Jane Ray (born 11 June 1960) is an English illustrator of more than 70 children's books. The first book Jane illustrated ''A Balloon for Grandad'' written by Nigel Gray (author), Nigel Gray, is included in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read ...

. Candlewick. .

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Epic of Gilgamesh Mythology in popular culture Works based on the Epic of Gilgamesh Ancient Mesopotamia in popular culture