Lugalbanda is a character found in Sumerian mythology and
literature. His name is composed of two Sumerian words meaning
"young king" (lugal: king; banda: young, junior; small).
Lugalbanda is listed in the postdiluvian period of the Sumerian
king list as the second king of Uruk, saying he ruled for 1,200
years, and providing him with the epithet of the Shepherd.
Whether a king Lugalbanda ever historically ruled over Uruk, and
if so, at what time, is quite uncertain. Attempts to date him in
the ED II period are based on an amalgamation of data from the
epic traditions of the 2nd Millennium with unclear
archaeological observations. Lugalbanda prominently features as
the hero of two Sumerian stories dated to the Ur III period
(21st century BCE), called by scholars Lugalbanda I (or
Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave) and Lugalbanda II (or
Lugalbanda and the Anzu Bird). Both are known only in later
versions, although there is an Ur III fragment that is quite
different than either 18th century version These tales are