overview of the gilgamesh epic

7/27/2019 Overview of the Gilgamesh Epic

1/28

Epic of Gilgamesh

Overview of the Myth


2/28

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST


3/28

WHERE IS URUK?


4/28

GILGAMESH AND HIS EPIC


5/28

SETTING OF THE EPIC

The central setting of the epic is the ancient city-stateof Uruk in the land of Sumer. Uruk, the greatest city ofits day, was ruled by the tyrannical Gilgamesh, semi-divine by virtue of his mother, the goddess Ninsun, but

none the less mortal. He was one of the great figuresof legend. His enduring achievement was to rebuild thewall of Uruk on its ancient foundations, and his militaryfearlessness ended the single domination of power ofthe northern city-state of Kish. He appears as a god in

early lists of deities and in the later third millennium hebenefited from a cult. Later tradition made it hisfunction, as explained in one of the Sumerian poems,to govern the shades of the dead in the Netherworld.


6/28

Because we have actual records from kings whom theancients held to be his contemporaries, it is possible

that, as perhaps there was once a real King Arthur, sothere was once an actual King Gilgamesh. Certainly thenative historical tradition held this to be the case, forGilgamesh appears in the list of Sumerian kings as the

fifth ruler of the First Dynasty of Uruk. He would thushave flourished about 2750 BC, though some wouldplace him a century or so earlier. His reign, which thelist of kings holds to have lasted a mythical 126 years,falls in the shadowy period at the edge ofMesopotamian history, when, as in the Homeric epics,the gods took a personal interest in the affairs of menand often communicated with them directly.


7/28

Foremost among the gods was the supreme triad, whichcomprised the Sky God Anu, remote in his celestial palace, themore important Enlil, who presided over the affairs of gods

and men from his temple on earth, and the clever Ea, wholived in his freshwater ocean beneath the earth (the OceanBelow) and sent the Seven Sages to civilize mankind. Thenthere were the kindly Mother Goddess, Lady of the Gods, whofirst created men with Ea's help, the violent Adad, god of thestorm, and the Moon God, Sin, the majestic son of Enlil. TheMoon's children were Shamash, the Sun God, the patron oftravellers and Gilgamesh's special protector, and theBabylonian Venus, the impulsive Ishtar, whose responsibilitieswere sexual love and war, and whose appetite for both wasinexhaustible. Beneath Ea's watery domain, deep in the

Netherworld, the gloomy realm of the dead, lived its queen,the bitter Ereshkigal. There she lay prostrate in eternalmourning, attended by her minister, the gruesome Namtar,and the rest of her terrible household.


8/28

Men lived in cities and cultivated the land. Where irrigationcould not reach, the farmland gave way to rougher countryin which shepherds grazed their flocks, ever on the look-outfor wolves and lions. And further off still was the 'wild', theempty country prowled by hunters, outlaws and bandits,where legend had it there once roamed a strange wild manwhom the gazelles brought up as their own. Enkidu was hisname. Several months' journey across this wilderness, over

many ranges of mountains, there was a sacred Forest ofCedar, where some said the gods dwelt. It was guarded forthe gods by a fearsome ogre, the terrible Humbaba,cloaked for his protection in seven divine auras, radiant anddeadly. Somewhere at the edge of the world, patrolled by

monstrous sentries who were half man and half scorpion,were the twin mountains of Mashu where the sun rose andset.


9/28

Further still, at the other end of the Path of the Sun,was a fabulous Garden of Jewels, and nearby, in a

tavern by the great impassable ocean that surroundedthe earth, lived the mysterious goddess Shiduri, whodispensed wisdom from behind her veils. Across theocean were the lethal Waters of Death, and beyondthem, on a remote island where the rivers Euphrates

and Tigris welled up again from the deep, far outsidethe range of men and visited only by his ferryman Ur-shanabi, dwelt Uta-napishti the Distant, a primeval kingwho survived the great Deluge sent by Enlil early inhuman history and as a consequence was spared the

doom of mortals. Many other powers populated theBabylonian cosmos - deities, demons and demigods oflegend - but these are the principal characters of theBabylonian Gilgamesh epic.


10/28

LAYOUT OF THE GILGAMESH EPIC

Prologue

The coming of Enkidu

The forest journey

Ishtar and Gilgamesh and the death of Enkidu

The search for everlasting life

The story of the flood

The return

The death of Gilgamesh


11/28

THE COMING OF ENKIDU The lament of the men of Uruk (none can withstand Gilgamesh he takes their

sons and daughters).

Aruru, the goddess of creation, forms out of clay an equal to Gilgamesh who isnamed Enkidu. Enkidu is like none other; he lives with the wild animals and sharesa special bond with both animal and nature.

Enkidu stirs up fear in the heart of an animal trapper, who then seeks advice fromGilgamesh, seeing that Enkidu sets the animals free who are caught in his traps.

Gilgamesh sends a harlot with the trapper to seduce Enkidu.

After Enkidus encounter with the harlot his special bond with both animal andnature is broken.

The harlot tells Enkidu to return to Uruk with her to meet Gilgamesh. Enkiduagrees and boast challenging Gilgamesh. The harlot warns him that Gilgamesh ismuch stronger than him.

Gilgamesh has two dreams about Enkidu and how they would become friends.

The harlot takes Enkidu to live with shepards. Enkidu watches over the sheep atnight.

A man came and told the harlot that Gilgamesh is going to get married. WhenEnkidu heard of this he boldly proclaimed that he was going to Uruk to challengeGilgamesh.

When Enkidu arrived in Uruk he came upon Gilgamesh, who was on his way to hisbride, and challenged him. It was shown that Gilgamesh was stronger, where after

Enkidu and Gilgamesh sealed their friendship.


12/28

THE FOREST JOURNEY: WHAT

HAPPENED IN THE FOREST?


13/28


14/28


15/28


16/28

Enkidu became sick and in his sickness he cursed the city walls ofUruk and the harlot who braught him there. Shamash howeverspoke to him from heaven telling him to not curse the harlot

because if it was not for her he would never have knownGilgamesh. Enkidu then withdrew his curse.

Enkidu had another dream, wherein a sombre-faced man-birdtransformed his arms into wings and took him to the place of theQueen of Darkness where those who enters never returns. ThereEnkidu saw many kings, rulers and kings who once wore kingly

crowns and ruled the world in the days of old. Enkidu shared his dream with Gilgamesh, and as he becames sicker

Gilgamesh wept over Enkidu.

Enkidu died and Gilgamesh mourned him for seven days and nights.Gilgamesh commanded that the whole Uruk weep for his friend and

commissioned that a statue should be made of his friend.


17/28


18/28


19/28

THE SEARCH FOR EVERLASTING LIFE

Gilgamesh mourned the death of Enkidu, but because he was afraid ofdeath he went in search of Utnapishtim, who was the only one whoreceived everlasting life from the gods.

Gilgamesh decided to go to the land of Dilmun, the garden of paradise,,where Utnapishtim lived, but at night he reached the mountain passwhere lions roamed. Gilgamesh prayed to the moon god Sin to protect

him, and he overpowered the lions with his axe and his sword. Then Gilgamesh came to the great mountains of Mashu, which guards the

rising and the setting sun. Its twin peaks are as high as the wall of heavenand it reached down to the underworld. The Scorpions stand guard at itsgates, half man and half dragon.

Gilgamesh asks the scorpions if he may enter, even if no one has entered

before, because he is on his way to see Utnapishtim, to ask him abaout lifeand death. The scorpions grant him permission to enter into the darknessof the mountain.


20/28

Gilgamesh entered the mountain and travelled a very longdistance in the darkness before the light of dawn appeared.

Gilgamesh reached the great sea and he met the woman ofthe vine, the maker of wine, called Siduri. Siduri could notbelieve that it was Gilgamesh, because he looked so weary,but then he told her about Enkidu and his plans to obtaineverlasting life.

Siduri told Gilgamesh that he had to cross the sea to findthe land of Dilmun where Utnapishtim lives. Gilgamesh saidwho but Shamash could cross the great sea. Siduri howevertold him that he could ask Urshanabi, the ferryman ofUtnapishtim to help him.

Urshanabi told Gilgamesh to go and chop wood in theforest to build a boat. After Gilgamesh built the boat he andUrshanabi sailed for a month and fifteen days until theyreached Dilmun where Utnapishtim lived, the only manthat received everlasting life from the gods.


21/28

When Gilgamesh reached Dilmun, Utnapishtim saw himfrom a distance and wondered who this man was.Gilgamesh introduced himself as Gilgamesh from Uruk, butUtnapishtim could not believe that it could be Gilgamesh,because he looked so weary. Gilgamesh then explained tohim that Enkidu has died, and he mourned for him sevendays and seven nights, and that he has travelled a very fardistance to reach Dilmun.

Gilgamesh told Utnapishtim that he came to ask him aboutlife and death and how to gain everlasting life, wherebyUtnapishtim told him that Anunnaki, the judge andMammetun, the mother of destinies, decides the fates ofmen.

Utnapishtim however said that he would tell Gilgameshhow he came into the precence of the gods and how theygranted then everlasting life.


22/28


23/28


24/28

THE STORY OF THE FLOOD: WHAT

HAPPENED?


25/28

THE RETURN

Utnapishtim said to Gilgamesh who will assemble the gods foryour sake, so that you may find that life for which you aresearching?

Thereafter he said to Gilgamesh that he should stay awake for sixdays and seven nights, but soon sleep overtook Gilgamesh and he

fell asleep. Utnapishtims wife baked one loaf of bread a day and placed it next

to Gilgamesh and made a mark on the wall where he lay to numberthe days he has been asleep.

Gilgamesh slept for six days where after Utnapishtim woke him.

Utnapishtim spoke angrily to the ferryman, Urshanabi, who broughtGilgamesh to him, saying it is not for you the crossing of this sea.

Utnapishtim ordered the ferryman to take Gilgamesh to bathe andgave him clothing that would not show any sign of aging until hereturned to his own land.


26/28

After Gilgamesh has bathed, he and Urshanabi launced the boat totravel hack to their country.

Utnapishtims wife however said to him to give Gilgamesh

something that would to regain his strength, because he was veryweary.

Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh about a plant growing deep beneaththe ocean, he said that the plant was full of thorns, but if Gilgameshcould succeed in taking the plant he would regain his youthfulness.

Gilgamesh then tied heavy stones to his feet and was ragged don tothe water-bed where he retrieved the plant. When he reached theshore he vowed that he would give of it to each old man in Urukand lastly he would eat of it too.

Gilgamesh and the ferryman then started their journey back toUruk. After a long distance they stopped to rest and Gilgamesh was

a well of cool water and decided to bathe in it. A serpent was however lying in the cool water and when it saw that

Gilgamesh had the magic plant it snatched it from him and went onits way at a great speed.


27/28

In a month Gilgamesh and the ferryman travelledthe distance that would normally take a month

and fifteen days, and then they reached Uruk. Gilgamesh then told Urshanabi to look at the

wonderful city of Uruk.

This too was the work of Gilgamesh, the king,who knew the countries of the world. He waswise, he saw mysteries and knew secret things,he brought us a tale of the days before the flood.

He went a long journey, was weary, worn outwith labour, and returning engraved on a stonethe whole story.


28/28

THE DEATH OF GILGAMESH: WHAT

HAPPENED?

overview of the gilgamesh epic

Documents