Lesson (4)
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Introduction to the Babylonian Mythology The Creation,
the Flood, and Gilgamesh
The epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest surviving literary work of ancient
Mesopotamia (located in what is now Iraq). Mesopotamia was home to a
series of important ancient cultures, including the Sumerian, the Babylonian,
and the Assyrian. These cultures played a role in the development and
preservation of this epic.
The epic of Gilgamesh is a series of separate tales that describe the exploits
of hero Gilgamesh. Although the epic projects Gilgamesh into the realm of
myth, he was an actual person who ruled the ancient Sumerian City of Uruk
around the year 2700 BC. Historians believe that Sumerians storytellers
began to convey tales of Gilgamesh’s adventures and accomplishments soon
after his death. The tales were recorded in Akkadian, the language of
Babylonian Empire, which succeeded the Sumerian Civilisation. Later, a
narrative describing a great flood was added to the cycle of Gilgamesh tales.
By the seventh century BC, the Assyrians dominated the region, and their
emperor, Ashurbanipal, had the tales recorded on clay tablets ad deposited
in the library of his palace in Nineveh. Lost for nearly 2,500 years, tablets
from the library were unearthed in the mid-1800s by a young English
amateur archaeologist named Austen Henry Layard. His discovery brought to
light one of the oldest and most important epics in all world literature. Since
then, many other tablets and fragments belonging to the Gilgamesh epic
have been discovered.
Topic Outline:
I. Babylonian Mythology, the Creation, the Flood, and Gilgamesh
II. II. The Death of Enkidu as translated by N.K. Sanders
Try This!
Heroes in myth and legend often go on long, dangerous journeys. Imagine
that you are this hero who is tasked to fulfil a journey into the unknown. List
down five reasons why a hero has to go on a journey. On another table, list
down five obstacles that a hero might face during his journey.
Reasons
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Obstacles/Road blocks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Think Ahead!
Analyzing events!
Pair Work: through a cellphone or Facebook Messenger, discuss with a
classmate/partner your answers to the task asked in the activity above. The
following questions will help you understand the about epic heroes and the
dangers they have to meet on their quest for glory.
1. What are the heroes goals in his journey to the unknown or unfamiliar
place?
2. What kinds of quest do they undertake?
3. What obstacles they have to overcome to complete their quests?
4. How do their values and principles contribute to their success in the
journey?
5. Can you be considered a hero if you fail in your quest?
Read and Ponder!
About Babylonian Mythology
Most records of Babylonian myths date from 700 B.C., when they were
transcribed in cuneiform on clay tablets and stored in the library of the
Assyrian King Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. However, the two major Babylonian
epics probably originated around 2000 B.C.. The Epic of Creation justifies
Marduk's rule over gods and men; and it reflects the political supremacy of
Babylon in Mesopotamia, since Marduk was the chief god of that city. The
Gilgamesh Epic shows the failure of man's quest to overcome death.
Generally Babylonian mythology lacks the transcendental quality of the myth
of Osiris. It is more earth-bound and more materialistic. Death puts an end to
the sensual pleasures of life, and the underworld of the dead is the most
dismal place imaginable. The Babylonian gods themselves indulge in
eroticism, feasting, and fighting. But if the values are coarser and more
masculine, the Babylonians produced a literary triumph in the Gilgamesh
Epic.
Major Babylonian Gods
Anu, the head of the gods, reigned in the uppermost part of heaven and had
an army of stars to destroy evildoers.
Enlil, god of the hurricane and deluge, was also the source of royal power
and dealt out good and evil to men.
Ea, a god of the waters, was a benefactor to nature and men by virtue of his
all-encompassing wisdom.
Marduk was a fertility god and the principal deity of Babylon. He established
lordship over all the other gods by killing the malevolent and chaotic Tiamat
and by creating the world out of Tiamat's body.
Sin, the moon god, was an enemy to the wicked, shining his nightly light
upon their deeds. His children were Shamash, the sun, and Ishtar, the planet
Venus.
Shamash was the sun god, a dispenser of light and justice to the world, but
also the god of prophecy.
Ishtar, one of the most popular Babylonian deities, was the goddess of
sexuality, a potent force among beasts and men. She sanctified temple
prostitution. Lustful herself, Ishtar had numerous lovers, most of whom had
dreadful fates.
One of Ishtar's lovers was the harvest god Tammuz. When he died of her
love Ishtar wailed bitterly. Thinking to retrieve Tammuz from the kingdom of
death, Ishtar entered the seven portals to the underworld. At each portal she
left one of her garments or pieces of jewelry until at last she stood naked
before Ereshkigal, the queen of the dead. Ereshkigal had Ishtar imprisoned
and assaulted her with sixty illnesses. During this incarceration the earth
withered and became desolate, and the gods of heaven mourned. Finally Ea,
the god of wisdom, took matters in hand and through his magical
intervention Ishtar was released. Allowed to leave, she gathered up her
garments and jewelry, accompanied by Tammuz, who was allowed to stand
guard at the gates of heaven. Upon Ishtar's return the earth changed from
winter to spring.
Summary of The Epic of Gilgamesh
Everything originated with water. From the mixture of sweet water, Apsu,
with salt water, Tiamat, the gods arose. Apsu and Tiamat gave birth to
Mummu, the tumult of the waves, and to Lakhmu and Lakhamu, a pair of
gigantic serpents. In turn these serpents produced Anshar, the heavens, and
Kishar, the earthly world. And from these two came the great gods, Anu,
Enlil, and Ea, as well as the other gods of the sky, earth, and the underworld.
Many of these new gods were noisy, which upset Apsu and Tiamat, since
they could not rest. These primordial goddesses then discussed whether they
should annihilate their progeny. When Ea, the all-knowing, learned of Apsu's
plan to destroy the gods he used his magic to capture her and Mummu.
Tiamat was furious and created a monstrous army of gods and freak
creatures to punish Ea and his cohorts.
Ea went to his father Anshar, and Anshar advised him to send Anu to fight
Tiamat. But both Anu and Ea were afraid of the goddess and her army. Then
Ea called Marduk forth. Marduk promised to conquer Tiamat if he were given
supreme authority over the gods. The gods agreed that he was to have
lordship and feasted in his honor. Marduk was invested with the scepter, the
throne, and an invincible weapon.
Armed with bow and arrows, lightning, the winds, a hurricane, and a special
net, Marduk rode forth to meet Tiamat in his chariot, which was a tempest,
drawn by four fearsome steeds. They clashed and Marduk caught Tiamat in
his net. When she opened her mouth to swallow him, Marduk let loose the
hurricane, which filled her jaws and belly, thereby stunning her. Then Marduk
shot an arrow into her belly and killed her. Tiamat's army fled in confusion at
her downfall, but Marduk caught them in his net, chained them, and cast
them into the underworld.
As he was cutting up Tiamat's body, Marduk conceived a plan. From one half
of her body he made the dome of the heavens, and with the other half he
made the earth. He established the dwelling of the gods, fixed the positions
of the stars, ordered the movements of the heavenly bodies, and set the
length of the year. Then to gladden the hearts of the gods Marduk created
men from the blood of Kingu, the general of Tiamat's army. Finally, he made
rivers, vegetation, and animals, which completed the creation. In recognition
of his triumphs the gods bestowed all of their titles and powers on Marduk,
making him the God of Gods.
Apparently the gods were displeased with the human race, for they held a
council in which it was agreed that mankind should be drowned. But Ea, the
god of wisdom, wished to spare human beings. So Ea told one man, Uta-
Napishtim, to build a ship for his family and all living creatures. Uta-
Napishtim worked diligently, and by the time the rains came his ship was
prepared. For six days and nights a foul rain flooded everything on earth,
and even the gods became fearful. By the seventh day the winds and rains
ceased. All but Uta-Napishtim and his family had become mud. The ship
came to rest upon Mount Nisir, and Uta-Napishtim sent forth birds to find out
whether the waters had subsided enough to disembark. When a raven failed
to return Uta-Napishtim left the ship and offered a sacrifice to the gods on
the mountain peak. Only Enlil, god of the tempest, was angered to see that
humanity had been spared. But Ea managed to placate Enlil with soft words,
and in token of his reconciliation Enlil gave Uta-Napishtim and his wife the
gift of immortality.
Over the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk there once ruled a wise and powerful
but tyrannical king named Gilgamesh. He was two-thirds a god and one-third
a mortal, famed for his exploits in war and for his prowess as an unbeatable
wrestler. Gilgamesh was also lustful and he would abduct any woman who
took his fancy whether she was single or married. The people of Uruk were
greatly distressed at this, for no one could overcome Gilgamesh. So they
prayed to the goddess Aruru to fashion a man who could overpower
Gilgamesh in order that he would leave their women in peace.
Aruru then created the mighty Enkidu, a hairy man with legs like a bull.
Enkidu roamed with the wild beasts and enabled them to escape the traps of
hunters. On hearing of Enkidu's strength, Gilgamesh sent a courtesan out to
Enkidu's watering place to entice him. When she saw Enkidu the courtesan
disrobed, exposing her breasts, and Enkidu went to lie with her. After this his
animal companions shunned him because Enkidu had lost his natural
innocence. Enkidu then had nothing to do but follow the courtesan's advice
and return with her to Uruk.
Back in his palace Gilgamesh dreamed of struggling with a powerful man
who could master him. When he told the dream to his mother, Ninsun, she
said it meant that he and Enkidu would become close companions. And after
an awesome wrestling match Gilgamesh and Enkidu sat down together as
friends. Enkidu was invited to live in the palace and share the honors with
Gilgamesh.
One night Enkidu had a nightmare in which he was snatched up by a strange,
terrible creature with eagle claws who cast him into the underworld of death.
When Gilgamesh heard of the dream he offered a sacrifice to Shamash, the
sun god, who advised him to go and fight Khumbaba the Strong, the king of
the Cedar Mountain. When they learned of his plan to go to the Cedar
Mountain, Enkidu, Ninsun, and the people of Uruk tried to dissuade
Gilgamesh, to no avail. Gilgamesh was determined to make the long,
arduous journey and battle Khumbaba, so Enkidu joined his friend and the
two set forth.
They traveled northwest, leaving their fertile land behind, crossing a vast
desert, reaching the Amanus Mountains, and finally arriving at the
resplendent Cedar Mountain and the stockade of the monster Khumbaba.
Enkidu's heart quailed within him, but Gilgamesh issued a challenge to
Khumbaba. No answer came, so they made a sacrifice to the gods and
settled down for the night. During the night Gilgamesh had a dream of
victory. In the morning Khumbaba charged them, and after a terrific fight
Gilgamesh was able to knock Khumbaba to the ground, where Enkidu cut his
head off. With the monster dead, Gilgamesh was able to cut down the sacred
cedars for the temples of Uruk.
The two heroes bathed, dressed, and made offerings to the gods. Then Ishtar
appeared to Gilgamesh and tried to seduce him, but he spurned her, saying
that her lovers usually had dire fates. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu returned
to Uruk with the cedars Ishtar had her vengeance planned. With the help of
Anu she loosed the Bull of Heaven against Uruk. In the course of wrecking
the city the bull was caught and slaughtered by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Then
in an act of utter rashness Enkidu threw the bull's hide in Ishtar's face, telling
her he'd do the same to her if he could. The goddess Ishtar then laid a mortal
curse upon Enkidu and after twelve days of sickness he died.
Gilgamesh was inconsolable over the death of his friend, for he realized that
he must die one day as well. Determined to find the secret of immortality,
Gilgamesh went forth in search of UtaNapishtim, the man on whom Enlil had
conferred life everlasting. He traveled west to the far-off Mount Mashu, which
was guarded by Scorpion-Men. With a trembling heart Gilgamesh
approached the chief Scorpion-Man, who permitted him passage into the
mountain. After a long time in a tunnel he stepped out into the garden of a
goddess. The goddess advised Gilgamesh to return home, enjoy life, and
accept death gracefully; but Gilgamesh was insistent on finding
UtaNapishtim, so the goddess directed him to Uta-Napishtim's boatman. The
boatman warned of the turbulent waters of death that surrounded Uta-
Napishtim's dwelling. However, Gilgamesh would not be put off, and with the
boatman's help he managed to cross the perilous waters. At last Gilgamesh
arrived at the home of the immortal man.
When Gilgamesh told Uta-Napishtim of his quest for eternal life, Uta-
Napishtim laughed at his foolishness and told his own story of how he had
won immortality. Then Uta-Napishtim challenged Gilgamesh to stay awake,
as he himself had done, for six days and seven nights. But the exhausted
Gilgamesh had already fallen asleep.
The wife of Uta-Napishtim took pity on the sleeping hero and persuaded her
husband to reveal the secret of immortality. They awoke Gilgamesh and told
him of a prickly plant that lay at the bottom of the sea. Gilgamesh set off at
once to find the plant, and when he came to the ocean edge he tied boulders
to his feet and plunged in. He sank to the bottom, found and plucked the
prickly plant, untied the boulders and swam to the surface with the precious
plant. Gilgamesh went homeward with a high heart, for now he could confer
everlasting life on himself and the people of Uruk. He crossed the waters of
death, the garden of the goddess; he went through Mount Mashu and
traveled eastward.
Within a few day's journey of home Gilgamesh laid the plant on a rock and
dove into a small lake to bathe. And while he was swimming a snake
approached the plant and ate it. Gilgamesh wept long and bitterly to think he
had wasted his enormous effort to gain eternal life. The snakes would live
forever, but human beings must die. Gilgamesh returned to Uruk with a
broken heart. He knew what a miserable existence the dead lived in the
netherworld, for Enkidu had revealed it to him. His only consolation was that
the walls of Uruk would outlast him as monuments to Gilgamesh's reign.
Understanding more of the epic
Babylonian myths appear more dynamic and masculine than those of Egypt.
The prominent gods are male except for Ishtar. In the creation myth it is the
male Marduk who slays the monstergoddess Tiamat and orders the cosmos.
And Uta-Napishtim is a patriarch much like the biblical Noah. But beyond this
Gilgamesh is a more imposing figure than Osiris. Isis is the dominant figure
of the myth of Osiris, but Gilgamesh towers over others in his own legend.
Whereas Osiris is idealized and static, Gilgamesh is drawn as a real man
capable of development. If Gilgamesh is lecherous and headstrong, he is also
manly, courageous, a true friend, a superb fighter, and a king who tries to
give his people immortality. He suffers as we do, and he is obliged to face
death as each of us must.
Furthermore, Gilgamesh grows in maturity as the story progresses. At first
he's a self-centered despot who cares only for fighting and women. Then he
makes a friend of Enkidu and the two of them act partly for the benefit of
Uruk in killing the monster Khumbaba, bringing home the cedars and slaying
the celestial Bull. Finally, Gilgamesh goes off to procure immortality for
himself and his people, sparing himself nothing in the attempt. If his story
has many legendary elements we recognize an authentic hero in Gilgamesh.
See if you can do this!
Assessment 1: Individual Recitation
To check student’s comprehension, the teacher will call a student through a
cellphone or Facebook chat. Students have to read The Death of Enkidu from
the Epic of Gilgamesh. The excerpt is taken from Glencoe Literature: The
Readers’s Choice (2002).
The text on the Death of Enkidu was taken from this link
https://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/eog/eog09.htm
The following are guide questions for the individual recitation:
1. Where does Enkidu travel in his dream?
2. Which three characters try to persuade Gilgamesh to give up his journey?
What argument does each present?
3. Why did the gods want to destroy humankind? How did Utnapishtim
escape death?
4. Why does Utnapishtim challenge Gilgamesh to undergo a test?
5. What secret does Utnapishtim reveal to Gilgamesh as a parting gift?
6. How does Enid’s dream foreshadow, or provide clues to his fate?
7. In your opinion, why does Gilgamesh refuse to give up his journey to find
Utnapishtim?
8. What human qualities do the gods display in the flood narrative?
9. What might sleep symbolise, or represent, in Utnapishtim’s challenge to
Gilgamesh? What might the ability to stay awake represent?
10. Irony is a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens.
What is ironic about the outcome of Utnapishtim’s gift to Gilgamesh?
11. Based on the portrayal of Gilgamesh, what qualities would you say the
Sumerians admired in their leaders?
Assessment II:
Creative Writing
You are a producer who wants to persuade a film studio to make a movie of
the Epic of Gilgamesh. Write a one-page letter explaining why it would make
a good movie, what type of audience would enjoy the movie, and which
actors might play major roles.
