King of Kish in the early third millennium BC who can be found on the Sumerian King’s List. He is described as “he who stabilized all the lands”. He is the first ruler to have his deeds recorded, even if briefly. He is also said to have been one of the few who ascended to heaven.

According to legend, Etana was a good, pious king who was cursed by childlessness and so had no one to carry on his name. This caused Etana to seek out “the plant of birth”, which was located far from mortal reach, in heaven. On his quest, the king came upon an eagle who was stuck in a pit. A serpent had put it there because the eagle had betrayed his friendship and eaten the snake’s young. The eagle is rescued by Etana and in return takes the king up to heaven upon its wings.

We know, however, that Etana did not stay in heaven - he did not truly ascend. There is a funeral dirge, as well as evidence in the Epic of Gilgamesh, which tells us of Etana dwelling in the netherworld - for no mortal, no matter how great (except, of course Ziusudra) could escape his fate and descend. But all the legendary tales of this king only help to demonstrate that he was indeed a great and powerful man whose life’s deeds caught and held the imagination of the ancients.

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