The Epic of Gilgamesh A Survey of perhaps the oldest story in Ancient World Literature

What is an Epic?

An Epic is… Full-scale epics do more than tell a story in poetic language Often center on the founding or defense of a city and its society Contains extensive battle scenes A great hero attempts to overcome heavy odds (often human opponents and divine antagonism) Often deal with a voyage of travel, exploration, or escape Written in an elevated, grand style “I will reveal to you a thing that is hidden, a secret of the gods I will tell you.”

Who is Gilgamesh?

Bilgames was the King that became Gilgamesh King of Uruk in Southern Mesopotamia Ruled around 2750 B.C.E. Known for building a great wall Posthumously, He became honored as judge of the underworld by cult following

From Legend to Epic Poem B.C.E songs were sung/poems were written about the late King Bilgames Poems were written in Akkadian Around 1200 B.C.E., Babylonian priest, Sin- liqe-unninni (SEEN-LEE-kay-ooh-NEE-nee), compiled poems into The Epic of Gilgamesh The poem was lost for two thousand years In the 1850s, an Iraqi Archaeologist discovered the tablets while excavating A 7th century Assyrian kings library. In the 19th century, readers debated whether the epic was fact or fiction

Connections To Gilgamesh Acclaimed to have been written 1000 years before the Greeks or Hebrews learned to write Genesis The Garden of Eden and flood account Odysseus Thousand and One Nights What are some modern day connections?

Common Themes, Motifs and Archetypes The quest for eternal life Pondering mortality Epic heroes How does society define civilization? Recurring dreams/visions War Dreams Miracles serpents

Censorship What is censorship? SOPAS & the internet protest What you missed in your censored books?

The goddess, Ishtar loves Gilgamesh but… So…

The gods have the demon Humbaba guarding the forests and they send a bull from heaven to terrorize the land… Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill both then…

Gilgamesh Ponders his death “Over his friend, Enkidu, Gilgamesh cried bitterly, roaming the wilderness. “I am going to die!- am I not like Enkidu?! Deep sadness penetrates my core, I fear death, and now roam the wilderness- I will set out to the region of Utanapishtim…” (Tablet 9, Lines 1-5)

Read about the Quest for Eternal Life Tablet 10, lines 38-64, & Tablet 11, lines

The Flood -Noah’s arc (Genesis 6-9) Compare and Contrast the Two Accounts

Fountain of Youth? Forever Young? Plant that caused old to be young again Serpent snatched the plant Conclusion King Gilgamesh’s Accomplishments/ legacy