The Hymn (Praise of God & King)
To name a god's powers in order was itself an act of worship — praise as the binding of heaven and earth.
Also: hymn · praise poem · zami · tigi · adab · balbale · hymn to a god · royal hymn
Praise — of gods, temples, and kings — is one of the largest genres in Mesopotamian literature. Hymns pile up a deity's titles, recount their cosmic powers, and exalt the temple as the navel of the world; royal hymns do the same for the king, presenting him as the gods' chosen and a paragon of strength, wisdom, and justice. Sumerian hymns came in many named sub-types (tigi, adab, balbale, shir-gida), each tied to its melody and cultic use. To praise rightly was itself an act of piety, binding the worshipper, the god, and the singing community together.
In short
The large genre of Mesopotamian praise-poetry addressed to a deity, a temple, or a king, elaborating the honoree's powers, epithets, and deeds.
Where it’s found
The Ur III/Isin royal hymns (Šulgi A etc., ETCSL 2.4.2.*, in corpus); 'A hymn to Ninurta' (ETCSL 4.27.03); 'Enlil in the E-kur' (ETCSL 4.05.1), all in corpus
How the idea developed across Sumer, Babylon & Assyria
Sumerian hymnody is highly differentiated by performance-type (tigi, adab, balbale, šir-gida, šir-namšub…); Akkadian hymnody (e.g. the Great Hymn to Šamaš, hymns to Ištar) is somewhat less rubric-bound. Royal hymns flourish especially under Ur III and Isin kings.