Bull of Heaven

E766754

The Bull of Heaven is a monstrous divine creature in Mesopotamian mythology, sent by the goddess Ishtar to punish Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Bull of Heaven canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf character in the Epic of Gilgamesh ⓘ
divine being ⓘ
figure in Mesopotamian mythology ⓘ
monster ⓘ
mythological creature ⓘ
appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh ⓘ
associatedWith Anu ⓘ
Inanna ⓘ
Ishtar ⓘ
linked to: Inanna
belongsTo heavenly realm ⓘ
bodyPartUsedAsTrophy horns ⓘ
causeOf destruction in Uruk ⓘ
famine in Uruk ⓘ
consequenceOfDeath decree of Enkidu’s death ⓘ
divine anger against Enkidu ⓘ
culture Mesopotamian ⓘ
domain heaven ⓘ
form bull ⓘ
gender male ⓘ
genre mythic epic ⓘ
hornsDedicatedTo Shamash ⓘ
killedBy Enkidu ⓘ
Gilgamesh ⓘ
killedWith weapons of Gilgamesh and Enkidu ⓘ
languageOfPrimarySources Akkadian ⓘ
medium cuneiform literature ⓘ
mythology Mesopotamian mythology ⓘ
narrativeFunction catalyst for Enkidu’s fate ⓘ
test of Gilgamesh’s heroism ⓘ
notableScene battle outside the walls of Uruk ⓘ
opponentOf Enkidu ⓘ
Gilgamesh ⓘ
opposedByDeity Shamash ⓘ
originRegion ancient Mesopotamia ⓘ
linked to: Mesopotamia
purpose to avenge the rejection of Ishtar ⓘ
to punish Gilgamesh ⓘ
relatedDeity Shamash ⓘ
relatedWork Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh ⓘ
linked to: Epic of Gilgamesh
requestedFrom Anu ⓘ
roleInNarrative instrument of divine punishment ⓘ
sentBy Inanna ⓘ
Ishtar ⓘ
linked to: Inanna
symbolOf cosmic power ⓘ
divine wrath ⓘ
royal might ⓘ
timePeriodOfMyth Bronze Age Mesopotamia ⓘ
worshipContext Mesopotamian temple mythology ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

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

Gilgamesh → opponent → Bull of Heaven ⓘ
Gugalanna → title → Bull of Heaven ⓘ