diff --git a/lang/gg/gg.go b/lang/gg/gg.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cc4edd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/gg/gg.go
@@ -0,0 +1,314 @@
+// Package gg implements ginger graph creation, traversal, and (de)serialization
+package gg
+
+import (
+	"crypto/md5"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"fmt"
+	"hash"
+)
+
+// Identifier is implemented by any value which can return a unique string for
+// itself via an Identify method
+type Identifier interface {
+	Identify(hash.Hash)
+}
+
+func identify(i Identifier) string {
+	h := md5.New()
+	i.Identify(h)
+	return hex.EncodeToString(h.Sum(nil))
+}
+
+// VertexType enumerates the different possible vertex types
+type VertexType string
+
+const (
+	// Value is a Vertex which contains exactly one value and has at least one
+	// edge (either input or output)
+	Value VertexType = "value"
+
+	// Junction is a Vertex which contains two or more in edges and exactly one
+	// out edge
+	Junction VertexType = "junction"
+)
+
+// Edge is a uni-directional connection between two vertices with an attribute
+// value
+type Edge struct {
+	From  *Vertex
+	Value Identifier
+	To    *Vertex
+}
+
+// Vertex is a vertex in a Graph. No fields should be modified directly, only
+// through method calls
+type Vertex struct {
+	VertexType
+	Value   Identifier // Value is valid if-and-only-if VertexType is Value
+	In, Out []Edge
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+// HalfEdge is an un-realized Edge which can't be used for anything except
+// constructing graphs. It has no meaning on its own.
+type HalfEdge struct {
+	// fromV will be the source vertex as-if the vertex (and any sub-vertices of
+	// it) doesn't already exist in the graph. If it or it's sub-vertices does
+	// already that will need to be taken into account when persisting into the
+	// graph
+	fromV vertex
+	val   Identifier
+}
+
+// Identify implements the Identifier interface
+func (he HalfEdge) Identify(h hash.Hash) {
+	fmt.Fprintln(h, "halfEdge")
+	he.fromV.Identify(h)
+	he.val.Identify(h)
+}
+
+// vertex is a representation of a vertex in the graph. Each Graph contains a
+// set of all the Value vertex instances it knows about. Each of these contains
+// all the input HalfEdges which are known for it. So you can think of these
+// "top-level" Value vertex instances as root nodes in a tree, and each HalfEdge
+// as a branch.
+//
+// If a HalfEdge contains a fromV which is a Value that vertex won't have its in
+// slice populated no matter what. If fromV is a Junction it will be populated,
+// with any sub-Value's not being populated and so-on recursively
+//
+// When a view is constructed in makeView these Value instances are deduplicated
+// and the top-level one's in value is used to properly connect it.
+type vertex struct {
+	VertexType
+	val Identifier
+	in  []HalfEdge
+}
+
+// A Value vertex is unique by the value it contains
+// A Junction vertex is unique by its input edges
+func (v vertex) Identify(h hash.Hash) {
+	switch v.VertexType {
+	case Value:
+		fmt.Fprintln(h, "value")
+		v.val.Identify(h)
+	case Junction:
+		fmt.Fprintf(h, "junction:%d\n", len(v.in))
+		for _, in := range v.in {
+			in.Identify(h)
+		}
+	default:
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid VertexType:%#v", v))
+	}
+}
+
+func (v vertex) cp() vertex {
+	cp := v
+	cp.in = make([]HalfEdge, len(v.in))
+	copy(cp.in, v.in)
+	return cp
+}
+
+func (v vertex) hasHalfEdge(he HalfEdge) bool {
+	heID := identify(he)
+	for _, in := range v.in {
+		if identify(in) == heID {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// Graph is a wrapper around a set of connected Vertices
+type Graph struct {
+	vM   map[string]vertex // only contains value vertices
+	view map[string]*Vertex
+}
+
+// Null is the root empty graph, and is the base off which all graphs are built
+var Null = &Graph{
+	vM:   map[string]vertex{},
+	view: map[string]*Vertex{},
+}
+
+// this does _not_ copy the view, as it's assumed the only reason to copy a
+// graph is to modify it anyway
+func (g *Graph) cp() *Graph {
+	cp := &Graph{
+		vM: make(map[string]vertex, len(g.vM)),
+	}
+	for id, v := range g.vM {
+		cp.vM[id] = v
+	}
+	return cp
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Graph creation
+
+// ValueOut creates a HalfEdge which, when used to construct a Graph, represents
+// an edge (with edgeVal attached to it) leaving the Value Vertex containing
+// val.
+//
+// When constructing Graphs Value vertices are de-duplicated on their value. So
+// multiple ValueOut HalfEdges constructed with the same val will be leaving the
+// same Vertex instance in the constructed Graph.
+func ValueOut(val, edgeVal Identifier) HalfEdge {
+	return HalfEdge{
+		fromV: vertex{
+			VertexType: Value,
+			val:        val,
+		},
+		val: edgeVal,
+	}
+}
+
+// JunctionOut creates a HalfEdge which, when used to construct a Graph,
+// represents an edge (with edgeVal attached to it) leaving the Junction Vertex
+// comprised of the given ordered-set of input edges.
+//
+// When constructing Graphs Junction vertices are de-duplicated on their input
+// edges. So multiple Junction HalfEdges constructed with the same set of input
+// edges will be leaving the same Junction instance in the constructed Graph.
+func JunctionOut(in []HalfEdge, edgeVal Identifier) HalfEdge {
+	return HalfEdge{
+		fromV: vertex{
+			VertexType: Junction,
+			in:         in,
+		},
+		val: edgeVal,
+	}
+}
+
+// ValueIn takes a HalfEdge and connects it to the Value Vertex containing val,
+// and returns the new Graph which reflects that connection. Any Vertices
+// referenced within the HalfEdge which do not yet exist in the Graph will also
+// be created in this step.
+func (g *Graph) ValueIn(he HalfEdge, val Identifier) *Graph {
+	to := vertex{
+		VertexType: Value,
+		val:        val,
+	}
+	toID := identify(to)
+
+	// if to is already in the graph, pull it out, as it might have existing in
+	// edges we want to keep
+	if exTo, ok := g.vM[toID]; ok {
+		to = exTo
+	}
+
+	// if the incoming edge already exists in to then there's nothing to do
+	if to.hasHalfEdge(he) {
+		return g
+	}
+
+	to = to.cp()
+	to.in = append(to.in, he)
+	g = g.cp()
+
+	// starting with to (which we always overwrite) go through vM and
+	// recursively add in any vertices which aren't already there
+	var persist func(vertex)
+	persist = func(v vertex) {
+		vID := identify(v)
+		if v.VertexType == Value {
+			if _, ok := g.vM[vID]; !ok {
+				g.vM[vID] = v
+			}
+		}
+		for _, e := range v.in {
+			persist(e.fromV)
+		}
+	}
+	delete(g.vM, toID)
+	persist(to)
+
+	return g
+}
+
+// TODO Merge
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Graph traversal
+
+func (g *Graph) makeView() {
+	if g.view != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// view only contains value vertices, but we need to keep track of all
+	// vertices while constructing the view
+	g.view = make(map[string]*Vertex, len(g.vM))
+	all := map[string]*Vertex{}
+
+	var getV func(vertex, bool) *Vertex
+	getV = func(v vertex, top bool) *Vertex {
+		vID := identify(v)
+		V, ok := all[vID]
+		if !ok {
+			V = &Vertex{VertexType: v.VertexType, Value: v.val}
+			all[vID] = V
+		}
+
+		// we can be sure all Value vertices will be called with top==true at
+		// some point, so we only need to descend into the input edges if:
+		// * top is true
+		// * this is a junction's first time being gotten
+		if !top && (ok || v.VertexType != Junction) {
+			return V
+		}
+
+		V.In = make([]Edge, 0, len(v.in))
+		for i := range v.in {
+			fromV := getV(v.in[i].fromV, false)
+			e := Edge{From: fromV, Value: v.in[i].val, To: V}
+			fromV.Out = append(fromV.Out, e)
+			V.In = append(V.In, e)
+		}
+
+		if v.VertexType == Value {
+			g.view[identify(v.val)] = V
+		}
+
+		return V
+	}
+
+	for _, v := range g.vM {
+		getV(v, true)
+	}
+}
+
+// Value returns the Value Vertex for the given value. If the Graph doesn't
+// contain a vertex for the value then nil is returned
+func (g *Graph) Value(val Identifier) *Vertex {
+	g.makeView()
+	return g.view[identify(val)]
+}
+
+// Equal returns whether or not the two Graphs are equivalent in value
+func Equal(g1, g2 *Graph) bool {
+	if len(g1.vM) != len(g2.vM) {
+		return false
+	}
+	for v1ID, v1 := range g1.vM {
+		v2, ok := g2.vM[v1ID]
+		if !ok {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		// since the vertices are values we must make sure their input sets are
+		// the same (which is tricky since they're unordered, unlike a
+		// junction's)
+		if len(v1.in) != len(v2.in) {
+			return false
+		}
+		for _, in := range v1.in {
+			if !v2.hasHalfEdge(in) {
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/lang/gg/gg_test.go b/lang/gg/gg_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..668e11b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/gg/gg_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,310 @@
+package gg
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"hash"
+	. "testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+type idAny struct {
+	i interface{}
+}
+
+func (i idAny) Identify(h hash.Hash) {
+	fmt.Fprintln(h, i)
+}
+
+func id(i interface{}) Identifier {
+	return idAny{i: i}
+}
+
+func edge(val string, from *Vertex) Edge {
+	return Edge{Value: id(val), From: from}
+}
+
+func value(val string, in ...Edge) *Vertex {
+	return &Vertex{
+		VertexType: Value,
+		Value:      id(val),
+		In:         in,
+	}
+}
+
+func junction(val string, in ...Edge) Edge {
+	return Edge{
+		From: &Vertex{
+			VertexType: Junction,
+			In:         in,
+		},
+		Value: id(val),
+	}
+}
+
+func assertVertexEqual(t *T, exp, got *Vertex, msgAndArgs ...interface{}) bool {
+	var assertInner func(*Vertex, *Vertex, map[*Vertex]bool) bool
+	assertInner = func(exp, got *Vertex, m map[*Vertex]bool) bool {
+		// if got is already in m then we've already looked at it
+		if m[got] {
+			return true
+		}
+		m[got] = true
+
+		assert.Equal(t, exp.VertexType, got.VertexType, msgAndArgs...)
+		assert.Equal(t, exp.Value, got.Value, msgAndArgs...)
+		if !assert.Len(t, got.In, len(exp.In), msgAndArgs...) {
+			return false
+		}
+		for i := range exp.In {
+			assertInner(exp.In[i].From, got.In[i].From, m)
+			assert.Equal(t, exp.In[i].Value, got.In[i].Value, msgAndArgs...)
+			assert.Equal(t, got, got.In[i].To)
+			assert.Contains(t, got.In[i].From.Out, got.In[i])
+		}
+		return true
+
+	}
+	return assertInner(exp, got, map[*Vertex]bool{})
+}
+
+type graphTest struct {
+	name string
+	out  func() *Graph
+	exp  []*Vertex
+}
+
+func mkTest(name string, out func() *Graph, exp ...*Vertex) graphTest {
+	return graphTest{name: name, out: out, exp: exp}
+}
+
+func TestGraph(t *T) {
+	tests := []graphTest{
+		mkTest(
+			"values-basic",
+			func() *Graph {
+				return Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v1"))
+			},
+			value("v0"),
+			value("v1", edge("e0", value("v0"))),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"values-2edges",
+			func() *Graph {
+				g0 := Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v2"))
+				return g0.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1")), id("v2"))
+			},
+			value("v0"),
+			value("v1"),
+			value("v2",
+				edge("e0", value("v0")),
+				edge("e1", value("v1")),
+			),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"values-separate",
+			func() *Graph {
+				g0 := Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v1"))
+				return g0.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v2"), id("e2")), id("v3"))
+			},
+			value("v0"),
+			value("v1", edge("e0", value("v0"))),
+			value("v2"),
+			value("v3", edge("e2", value("v2"))),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"values-circular",
+			func() *Graph {
+				return Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e")), id("v0"))
+			},
+			value("v0", edge("e", value("v0"))),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"values-circular2",
+			func() *Graph {
+				g0 := Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v1"))
+				return g0.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1")), id("v0"))
+			},
+			value("v0", edge("e1", value("v1", edge("e0", value("v0"))))),
+			value("v1", edge("e0", value("v0", edge("e1", value("v1"))))),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"values-circular3",
+			func() *Graph {
+				g0 := Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v1"))
+				g1 := g0.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1")), id("v2"))
+				return g1.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v2"), id("e2")), id("v1"))
+			},
+			value("v0"),
+			value("v1",
+				edge("e0", value("v0")),
+				edge("e2", value("v2", edge("e1", value("v1")))),
+			),
+			value("v2", edge("e1", value("v1",
+				edge("e0", value("v0")),
+				edge("e2", value("v2")),
+			))),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"junction-basic",
+			func() *Graph {
+				e0 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0"))
+				e1 := ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1"))
+				ej0 := JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{e0, e1}, id("ej0"))
+				return Null.ValueIn(ej0, id("v2"))
+			},
+			value("v0"), value("v1"),
+			value("v2", junction("ej0",
+				edge("e0", value("v0")),
+				edge("e1", value("v1")),
+			)),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"junction-basic2",
+			func() *Graph {
+				e00 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e00"))
+				e10 := ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e10"))
+				ej0 := JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{e00, e10}, id("ej0"))
+				e01 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e01"))
+				e11 := ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e11"))
+				ej1 := JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{e01, e11}, id("ej1"))
+				ej2 := JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{ej0, ej1}, id("ej2"))
+				return Null.ValueIn(ej2, id("v2"))
+			},
+			value("v0"), value("v1"),
+			value("v2", junction("ej2",
+				junction("ej0",
+					edge("e00", value("v0")),
+					edge("e10", value("v1")),
+				),
+				junction("ej1",
+					edge("e01", value("v0")),
+					edge("e11", value("v1")),
+				),
+			)),
+		),
+
+		mkTest(
+			"junction-circular",
+			func() *Graph {
+				e0 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0"))
+				e1 := ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1"))
+				ej0 := JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{e0, e1}, id("ej0"))
+				g0 := Null.ValueIn(ej0, id("v2"))
+				e20 := ValueOut(id("v2"), id("e20"))
+				g1 := g0.ValueIn(e20, id("v0"))
+				e21 := ValueOut(id("v2"), id("e21"))
+				return g1.ValueIn(e21, id("v1"))
+			},
+			value("v0", edge("e20", value("v2", junction("ej0",
+				edge("e0", value("v0")),
+				edge("e1", value("v1", edge("e21", value("v2")))),
+			)))),
+			value("v1", edge("e21", value("v2", junction("ej0",
+				edge("e0", value("v0", edge("e20", value("v2")))),
+				edge("e1", value("v1")),
+			)))),
+			value("v2", junction("ej0",
+				edge("e0", value("v0", edge("e20", value("v2")))),
+				edge("e1", value("v1", edge("e21", value("v2")))),
+			)),
+		),
+	}
+
+	for i := range tests {
+		out := tests[i].out()
+		for j, exp := range tests[i].exp {
+			msgAndArgs := []interface{}{
+				"tests[%d].name:%q exp[%d].val:%q",
+				i, tests[i].name, j, exp.Value.(idAny).i,
+			}
+			v := out.Value(exp.Value)
+			if !assert.NotNil(t, v, msgAndArgs...) {
+				continue
+			}
+			assertVertexEqual(t, exp, v, msgAndArgs...)
+		}
+
+		// sanity check that graphs are equal to themselves
+		assert.True(t, Equal(out, out))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGraphImmutability(t *T) {
+	e0 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0"))
+	g0 := Null.ValueIn(e0, id("v1"))
+	assert.Nil(t, Null.Value(id("v0")))
+	assert.Nil(t, Null.Value(id("v1")))
+	assert.NotNil(t, g0.Value(id("v0")))
+	assert.NotNil(t, g0.Value(id("v1")))
+
+	// half-edges should be re-usable
+	e1 := ValueOut(id("v2"), id("e1"))
+	g1a := g0.ValueIn(e1, id("v3a"))
+	g1b := g0.ValueIn(e1, id("v3b"))
+	assertVertexEqual(t, value("v3a", edge("e1", value("v2"))), g1a.Value(id("v3a")))
+	assert.Nil(t, g1a.Value(id("v3b")))
+	assertVertexEqual(t, value("v3b", edge("e1", value("v2"))), g1b.Value(id("v3b")))
+	assert.Nil(t, g1b.Value(id("v3a")))
+
+	// ... even re-usable twice in succession
+	g2 := g0.ValueIn(e1, id("v3")).ValueIn(e1, id("v4"))
+	assert.Nil(t, g2.Value(id("v3b")))
+	assert.Nil(t, g2.Value(id("v3a")))
+	assertVertexEqual(t, value("v3", edge("e1", value("v2"))), g2.Value(id("v3")))
+	assertVertexEqual(t, value("v4", edge("e1", value("v2"))), g2.Value(id("v4")))
+}
+
+func TestGraphEqual(t *T) {
+	assertEqual := func(g1, g2 *Graph) {
+		assert.True(t, Equal(g1, g2))
+		assert.True(t, Equal(g2, g1))
+	}
+
+	assertNotEqual := func(g1, g2 *Graph) {
+		assert.False(t, Equal(g1, g2))
+		assert.False(t, Equal(g2, g1))
+	}
+
+	assertEqual(Null, Null) // duh
+
+	{
+		// graph is equal to itself, not to null
+		e0 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0"))
+		g0 := Null.ValueIn(e0, id("v1"))
+		assertNotEqual(g0, Null)
+		assertEqual(g0, g0)
+
+		// adding the an existing edge again shouldn't do anything
+		assertEqual(g0, g0.ValueIn(e0, id("v1")))
+
+		// g1a and g1b have the same vertices, but the edges are different
+		g1a := g0.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e1a")), id("v2"))
+		g1b := g0.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e1b")), id("v2"))
+		assertNotEqual(g1a, g1b)
+	}
+
+	{ // equal construction should yield equality, even if out of order
+		ga := Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v1"))
+		ga = ga.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1")), id("v2"))
+		gb := Null.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1")), id("v2"))
+		gb = gb.ValueIn(ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0")), id("v1"))
+		assertEqual(ga, gb)
+	}
+
+	{ // junction basic test
+		e0 := ValueOut(id("v0"), id("e0"))
+		e1 := ValueOut(id("v1"), id("e1"))
+		ga := Null.ValueIn(JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{e0, e1}, id("ej")), id("v2"))
+		gb := Null.ValueIn(JunctionOut([]HalfEdge{e1, e0}, id("ej")), id("v2"))
+		assertEqual(ga, ga)
+		assertNotEqual(ga, gb)
+	}
+}