The Epic of Gilgamesh | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Adad - The storm god who endows Gilgamesh with courage at his birth.

Antum - Wife of Anu, the sky god or god of the heavens, and mother of Ishtar.

Anu - God of the firmament, the patron god of Uruk, husband of Antun, and father of Ishtar.

Anunnaki - Gods of the underworld or the seven judges of hell. Their sacred dwellings are in the Forest of Cedars guarded by Humbaba.

Apsu - The fresh or sweet waters beneath the earth, governed by Ea.

Bull of Heaven - A legendary beast, the...
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