Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100
This article introduces Rank 85: Gugalanna from the “Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100”, which ranks the gods, monsters, and heroes of world mythology, religion, and legend in order of strength.
If you want to see the full TOP100 list and the criteria behind the rankings, check out the overview article below.
Rank 85: Gugalanna (Mesopotamian Mythology / Sumerian Mythology)
Overview
Gugalanna, also known as the Bull of Heaven, is a divine beast-like creature maintained by Anu, the supreme god of Mesopotamian mythology.
When Ishtar (or Inanna) was spurned by Gilgamesh despite her advances, Gugalanna was sent after him as punishment. (Anu was reluctant, but Ishtar pressed him so forcefully that he complied.)
Gugalanna was an immensely powerful divine beast whose every footstep caused massive earthquakes, and the chasms torn open by those earthquakes swallowed humans by the hundreds.
In response, Gilgamesh and his best friend Enkidu fought it together. Enkidu seized Gugalanna by the horns to immobilize it while Gilgamesh struck its vital point, and together they succeeded in defeating it.
Why This Ranking
The combat depictions of Gugalanna suggest that no ordinary gathering of humans could do anything against it — and the evaluation of Gilgamesh and Enkidu rises in tandem, as it took them both to bring it down.
From this battle, it can also be inferred that Gilgamesh alone probably could not have won — it was a two-man victory.
On the other hand, while Gugalanna certainly possesses great power, it was restrained by a human-level hero and killed by a decisive strike to a vital point. Compared to monsters from other mythologies, its raw power and immortality both feel somewhat lacking.
For this reason, Gugalanna ranks above Gilgamesh in this ranking, but I evaluated its strength as being within the same general bracket as the hero tier.
About the Book
I wrote a book that compiles this entire ranking! The reasoning behind each placement is grounded in the actual lore and episodes from each mythology, so I think it makes for a fairly convincing read.
The book also contains many columns and extras not published on this blog, so if you are interested, please check it out below.
📚 Series: Mythology Power Ranking (Individual Characters) (16/100)
