Ancient Babylonia - Myths

The Babylonians told many legends and stories of many types. Some of these myths had morals. A myth of this type was the epic of Gilgamesh. It is a tale of a king's quest to gain immortality and his frustration when he realizes it is beyond his grasp.

Other myths were purely stories. An example of this would be the Tale of Adapa. Adapa quarrels with the south wind and is sent for judgment by the gods but because of the misdirection by his patron, Ea, he misses out on gaining immortality.

Some Babylonian myths concerned the gods. These were numerous and told of not only the quarrels of the gods with other sprits but were also used to explain various aspects of life. For instance, there is a myth of creation, which tells how they believed the world was made.