The Epic of GilgameshThe Epic of Gilgamesh

..so what is an epic?..so what is an epic?

A long narrative poem about a hero A long narrative poem about a hero and his companionsand his companions

It is set in the “ideal” past, a past It is set in the “ideal” past, a past imagined as greater than the presentimagined as greater than the present

The hero often has superhuman The hero often has superhuman divine traitsdivine traits

The style is elevated to the greatness The style is elevated to the greatness of the deedsof the deeds

The poem is oralThe poem is oral

The epic is divided into 2 speciesThe epic is divided into 2 species

The primary epic is a stately The primary epic is a stately narrative about nobility and recited narrative about nobility and recited to nobility.to nobility.

It is spoken by a bard who speaks It is spoken by a bard who speaks impersonally as the voice of the impersonally as the voice of the communitycommunity

The Iliad, the Odyssey, BeowulfThe Iliad, the Odyssey, Beowulf

..(cont)..(cont)

The poet of the secondary epic has The poet of the secondary epic has more individualitymore individuality

Virgil’s Virgil’s AeneidAeneid Milton’s Milton’s Paradise LostParadise Lost

Ed.Barnet, Berman, Burto, “The Dictionary of Literary Terms. Boston: Little Brown Ed.Barnet, Berman, Burto, “The Dictionary of Literary Terms. Boston: Little Brown and company, 1960and company, 1960

Elements of an EpicElements of an Epic((you will need to know this for the rest of your life)you will need to know this for the rest of your life)

Journey of a heroJourney of a hero Battles/monstersBattles/monsters BlazonBlazon PageantryPageantry Oratory/rhetoricOratory/rhetoric catalogingcataloging Honor/loyaltyHonor/loyalty DestinyDestiny Assembly scenesAssembly scenes PerseverancePerseverance Common senseCommon sense Tragic wasteTragic waste

RepetitionRepetition SymbolismSymbolism Long involved Long involved

sentencessentences ParallelismsParallelisms HyperboleHyperbole LitotesLitotes Sung by bards to Sung by bards to

illiteratesilliterates Heroic leaders on both Heroic leaders on both

sidessides

An epic simileAn epic simile

An extended comparisonAn extended comparison A subject is compared to something A subject is compared to something

that is presented in such detail that that is presented in such detail that the subject is sometimes lostthe subject is sometimes lost

BackgroundBackground GilgameshGilgamesh was written on was written on

12 or so tablets hundreds 12 or so tablets hundreds of years before foundof years before found

Gilgamesh Gilgamesh would have would have been known in 2000 bce.been known in 2000 bce.

Found in the Hittite Found in the Hittite imperial capital at imperial capital at Boghazkoy in Anatolia, Boghazkoy in Anatolia, written in Semetic written in Semetic AkkadainAkkadain

Sumerians were the first Sumerians were the first literate inhabitants of literate inhabitants of MesopotamiaMesopotamia

GilgameshGilgamesh influenced influenced Rome/EuropeRome/Europe

The Sumerians did not The Sumerians did not unify the material into one unify the material into one single narrativesingle narrative

The epic was lost and The epic was lost and rediscovered in 1839 by 2 rediscovered in 1839 by 2 Englishmen in Ninevah, the Englishmen in Ninevah, the once capital of ancient once capital of ancient Assyrian empireAssyrian empire

First published in 2 First published in 2 volumes in 1884-1891 by volumes in 1884-1891 by Paul HauptPaul Haupt

Do we have all the poems?Do we have all the poems?

5 poems relating to Gilgamesh 5 poems relating to Gilgamesh survivedsurvived

Of these 2 are used and are Of these 2 are used and are combined with later material in this combined with later material in this version of the epicversion of the epic

……but wait there’s morebut wait there’s more

It’s an adventure storyIt’s an adventure story 2 men want fame and fun2 men want fame and fun Alone, but armed, 2 friends will take Alone, but armed, 2 friends will take

on the scary forest and its guardian on the scary forest and its guardian in a not-so-ordinary worldin a not-so-ordinary world

Good vs evilGood vs evil FriendsFriends Not so happy ending like fairy talesNot so happy ending like fairy tales

gods and all their complicationsgods and all their complications

Anu father of godsAnu father of gods Ishtar goddess of love and Ishtar goddess of love and

war(should sound familiar)war(should sound familiar) Ea goddess of wisdpmEa goddess of wisdpm Enlil god of storm and windEnlil god of storm and wind Shamash, kindly, just sungodShamash, kindly, just sungod Utu Sumerian underworldUtu Sumerian underworld Kur mountain and foreign landKur mountain and foreign land

Why is the Why is the GilgameshGilgamesh so so important?important?

……because it dates back to because it dates back to 2000 bce.2000 bce.

It is older than the Bible and It is older than the Bible and the Homeric Epics by at least the Homeric Epics by at least a millennium and a halfa millennium and a half

Facts

5 poems relate to the historical ruler of Ur: Gilgamesh

A King Gilgamesh lived and reigned in the first half of 3000 bce

Gilgamesh is 5th in line from the first dynasty of Uruk (after the great flood)

He reigned 126 years (his son probably reigned 30 years)

First tragic hero in oral tradition

Sumerians

First literate inhabitants of Mesopotamia They were wealthy so their land was

tempting to the wild Semitic tribes of Arabia

Conquerors from the North and East arrived around 4000bce

They were equal in influence on their neighbors as Rome was to Europe

Fiction: Gilgamesh the king

Hero 2 parts god one part man His mother was a goddess, but an obscure

one Father: lillu, a fool or demon of vampire

kind He is superior to all men No one compares to him in love or war We meet him in his mature manhood

when he is wearing out his subjects so they pray to the gods for help

Enkidu

He is the foil to Gilgamesh: the natural man

He loses his innocence He never looks back…until his

deathbed He is taken to Uruk..the city..and is

lost in it

Episodes

1.Meeting of friends 2.Forest journey 3.Flouting of fickle goddess 4.Death of companion 5.Search of ancestral wisdom and or

immortality

Main Message?

• How Can I live my life when Enkindo, who I loved dearer than anyone, is now dust.

• Is that all there is?• Will I be dust as well?• How should I feel about all this?