In the Epic of Gilgamesh, who is Gilgamesh’s father?

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s father is Lugalbanda. Lugalbanda is presented in Mesopotamian tradition as an earlier king of Uruk and a divine or semi-divine figure.

Gilgamesh’s parentage helps explain his unusual status. The epic describes Gilgamesh as two-thirds god and one-third human, while his mother is the goddess Ninsun. His human father, Lugalbanda, connects him to the royal line of Uruk.

Lugalbanda also appears in separate Sumerian literary works, including stories about his adventures and kingship. Those texts helped preserve a broader legendary tradition surrounding the rulers of Uruk.

Readers sometimes confuse Lugalbanda with Anu, the sky god, because Anu is one of the powerful deities involved in the epic’s world. Anu is not Gilgamesh’s father in the poem. Gilgamesh’s divine mother is Ninsun, while Lugalbanda supplies his human royal ancestry.