Gift Giving In Gilgamesh

1242 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects on development of self-esteem

Gift giving is a concept that not only occurs in the three disciplines but also in our everyday life. The gift economy works when a person gives a gift and then expects the other person to reciprocate the gift giving and do something nice for them. This is significant because the concepts of gift giving and reciprocation is an endless cycle. This cycle of gift giving is seen in the disciplines we study (literature, art, and music). Literal gift giving is the actual giving of a gift in hoping that the receiver will reciprocate the gift. Literal gifts are often seen in in the literature novels, such as Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Metaphoric gifts show the significance and symbolic ways of gift giving. Metaphoric gifts are often seen in art and music …show more content…

“Gilgamesh bowed to his mother, the goddess Ninsun, and said I must travel now to the cedar Forest, I must journey to meet the fierce monster Humbaba. I must walk a road that no man has traveled, I must face a combat that no man has known, Dear mother, great goddess, help me in this, give me your blessing before I leave so that I may comeback from the Cedar Forest victorious and see your face again” (Mitchell 98). Gilgamesh often prays to the Gods for guidance and protection. He appeared to be a little afraid and needed the Gods to grant him protection and other good things. I feel like the main point of praying to the Gods is to keep them happy. Keeping them happy will ensure good fortune during the gift giving process. The last example of literal gift giving in Gilgamesh is between Ishtar and Gilgamesh. Ishtar wants him to be her husband, and she offers him gifts of a chariot and a beautiful home. Ultimately Gilgamesh refuses her gifts since she has been with too many other men and have fallen out of love with all of them. If Gilgamesh accepted Ishtar’s gifts then he would have had to reciprocate and give her the gift of his love back. He knew thatthis would not have worked out …show more content…

Secular music has been a metaphoric gift of personal expression for me. I started playing piano and taking lessons when I was 10. I started off with learning the basics, and as I got more advanced, I would play more complexed pieces. My favorite piano piece is Primavera by Ludovico Einaudi. To me this is a minimalistic piece and it allows me to lose myself in the song when I need to get my mind off of things and disconnect from the world. Another good thing about playing the piano is by knowing chords, a person can compose any music piece that expresses how they are feeling. Another song that is quite popular now days that represents the metaphoric gift of personal expression is 1-800-273-8255 by Logic. This song is about a person who struggles with their sexuality and calls the suicide prevention hotline expressing how they want to die. The person offering the emotional support then beings saying that they do not have to die today, and by the end of the song the caller is determined to keep fighting. This song has given me the gift of personal expression when I am sad. It shows me that even though many people are sad or struggling, there is always so many resources that are there to help them. It also reminds me to never give up and to keep

Show More
Related

  • Divine Intervention In Gilgamesh Research Paper

    391 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Gods of the Epic of Gilgamesh repeatedly interfered with the lives of mortals in doing so they showed they had flaws. As if a signature move of the Gods, the flaws they had caused strife in the mortal world. The immaturity of the Gods is blatant often times ignoring the sensible thing to do and instead making Foolish decisions. Even with this flaw they showed their strength in helping the mortals forcing the direction of the hero on a whim.

    Read More

  • Lee Brice's Song 'Hard To Love'

    476 Words  | 1 Pages

    I think music has a way of explaining something or telling a story. Music can bring up happy times, it can also bring up sad times as well. Certain songs can remind someone of troubling issues from a past, can be the reminder of someone you have lost, it can also be a reminder of many happy times; such as weddings, high school dances, or even just hanging out with friends in the back

    Read More

  • The Theme of Knowledge in Gilgamesh and Genesis

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ancient world literature and early civilization stories are mostly centered on human’s relationship with higher beings. Ancient civilizations were extremely religious, holding the belief that their very lives were in the hands of their almighty god or goddess. This holds true for both the people of biblical times as well as those of the epic era. However, their stories have some differences according to cultural variation but the main structure, ideas, and themes are generally found correlative. It is hard to believe that one work did not affect the others. The first great heroic epic poem of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are parts of two cultures that are hundreds of years apart. Whereas Gilgamesh is a myth and the book of Genesis is the basis of many religions, they both have notably similar accounts of symbols, motifs, meaningful events according to the relationship between the divine and humans in literature.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Friendship In Gilgamesh

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    This journey in particular was a hard one for Gilgamesh, not only because he was without his best friend but because it was just a physically demanding journey in and of itself. At several points during the journey it is easy to tell that Gilgamesh is growing afraid of death, and is frantic of sorts to find immortality. He is faced with many tests along the way, but in the end reached Utanapishtim, the survivor of the flood, and is at the verge of finding immortality. However things just do not go his way. Utanapishtim challenges Gilgamesh to a week without sleeping in order to gain the coveted virtue of immortality, however Gilgamesh fails almost instantly. Gilgamesh will not become immortal that way, but there is one other way. There is a plant that Gilgamesh can find and gain immortality from if he is pricked by it. However, after Gilgamesh finds the plant, he goes for a swim and a snake steals his plant and gains the immortality instead of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is simply not cut out for immortality like he thought he was. Gilgamesh is heartbroken about not gaining immortality and letting his best friend down, so he returns to

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh: Key Role Of Religion In Ancient Near East Society

    264 Words  | 1 Pages

    From the story of Gilgamesh we see that religion plays a key role in ancient near east society. Interaction with the divine was routine.If any misfortune were to occur, the Gods were the first to be asked for help. These people prayed to their Gods on a daily basis and also offered up sacrifices in their names to keep them pleased. Society back then also claims that these Gods would interact back with them. For example the people of Uruk could not bear the actions of Gilgamesh any more so they pleaded to the Gods. The Gods responded by creating Enkidu, which would act as a balance for Gilgamesh. some key features that I noticed about their religion was that there was different

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Goodness In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ultimate reason for one to practice piety is to avoid divine retribution. By the nature of the higher power, bestowing suffering is always used as a leverage to teach what is good. Punishment can be categorized in to two: retribution for angering the gods and suffering for improving the relationship between man and god. For instance, Enkidu’s death was made as a punishment for Gilgamesh due to Ishtar’s anger. Gilgamesh proclaims, “My friend, whom I loved so dear / who with me went through every danger / my friend Enkidu, whom I loved so dear / who with me went through every danger / the doom of mortals overtook him.” (George 84, 235). Asides the original intent of Ishtar was not to teach Gilgamesh goodness; he learns compassion beyond materialism. However, the true punishment is Gilgamesh’s failed quest to find immortality. Enkidu’s death struck fear in Gilgamesh to the extent for Gilgamesh to search for something that separates man and god. His failure to do attain immortality shows that that is the one matter that the gods are not willing to help with. This was apparent to the lack of divine help during this journey and the inclusion of Utanapishti’s story. In the case of Gilgamesh, his intent for seeking immortality was for selfish reasons. He fears death out of loss of his wealth – and perhaps that is where the gods drew the line. Gilgamesh’s intentions were wrong and thus his quest failed. As opposed to Utanapishti who was granted immortality due to his sacrifices to the gods after the Deluge. Although a harsh reality, punishment and suffering is needed to enforce what is virtuous. A ‘bad’ person poses a threat in society as there is a chance that it will influence other to do the same. This then defies the will ordained by the divine to keep peace and order. Suffering, however, does not always have to be perceived as punishment for justice. Rumi’s Boil Nicely Now shows a

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh

    314 Words  | 1 Pages

    Gilgamesh thinks he has the right to rape young women on their wedding night. He "leaves no virgin to her husband." He violates those women's rights to their virginity. He also takes robs them of their dignity. They are supposed to lose their virginity to their husband's on the night of their marriage. These young women did not spend all of their lives saving their virginity to give to Gilgamesh, a terrible man with no remorse for the crimes he commits every day.

    Read More

  • The Journey Of Gilgamesh As A Hero's Journey

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    Myths have been a great example of the hero’s journey. Many heroes have journeys and trials to face throughout their life. Most of their journeys start out with their origin and end with the return. However, the hero’s role remains identical to every other hero. Most heroes like Gilgamesh has heroic traits because of the stages in the hero's journey. Gilgamesh is a man who can turn into a hero by changing himself, even when he has unusual circumstances surrounding his birth. Gilgamesh is viewed as a hero due to the stages of the hero's journey.

    Read More

  • Relationship Between Greek Gods And Humans

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Danae and the shower of gold, The epic of Gilgamesh and The Wandering of Io, the gods illustrated their support for human kind with basic actions. Some more directly than others, like the epic of Gilgamesh they send a physical creature to help whereas for Danae the gods indirectly helped her get off safely to the shore. Ultimately, gods were able to send some sort of help or hope for the people and in doing so, portrayed how Greek mythology gods are seen as supporters to human

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: How Music Changed My Life

    1333 Words  | 3 Pages

    Music is one of the most fantastical forms of entertainment. Its history stretches all the way from the primitive polyrhythmic drums in Africa to our modern day pop music we listen to on our phones. It has the ability to amaze us, to capture our attention and leave us in awe. It soothes the hearts of billions, and it is so deeply rooted in my life that it has touched my heart as well. Everyday I walk to the beat of the song stuck in my head and hum along to the melody. For me, to listen to music be lifted into the air by the hands of your imagination and float around for a while. You forget about your worries, your troubles and find peace within the sound. Every chapter in my life is attached with a song. Every time I listen to a certain song, thoughts of my past come flooding back

    Read More

  • How Music Has Influenced Me

    319 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout my life, music has always been a major influence. It has the power to change my mood when I'm feeling down, but the thing I find most intriguing about music is that it doesn't always end up improving your mood: like all forms of art, it imitates life, which is not always portrayed in a positive light. The musicians that I admire most have the versatility to induce several different emotional responses in the same piece. This quality is present in most of the wide variety of music I listen to, from Russian composer Dmiti Shostakovich, to Chicago jazz band Tortoise, to California pop/rock sextet Mr. Bungle.

    Read More

  • Free Epic of Gilgamesh Essays: Themes of Gilgamesh

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    One of the main themes in the epic is that death is inevitable, which is shown through Enkidu's death. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh becomes very worried, because he realizes for the first time that everyone is going to die at some point in time. The fact that Enkidu is a close friend makes it even more visible to Gilgamesh that everyone is mortal. Then, along with this realization, comes the theme of denial. Gilgamesh does not want to accept the fact that he will die.  He denies the truth, because he does not want to think about the truth or cope with the tragedy that has struck him. "And he-he does not lift his head. 'I touched his heart, it does not beat'" (Tablet VIII, Column II, 15-16). "'Me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was come into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishtim, offspring of Ubaratutu. I approach the entrance of the mountain at night. Lions I see, and I am terrified. I lift my head to pray to the mood god Sin: For...a dream I go to the gods in prayer: ...preserve me!'" (Tablet IX, Column I, 3-12).

    Read More

  • The Art of Reciprocity in The Gift by Marcel Maus

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    The holidays, that begin promptly after Thanksgiving Day is over, are a time for gift-giving and displaying affection for others through material objects. For my family, Christmas gifts are a way to communicate thoughtfulness and overall love for one another. My identical twin sister, Samantha, shares this sentiment and spent an extended period of time looking for a present that would perfectly convey her sisterly love for me, and the fact that she actually purchased items that I would use and like exemplified her intentions. However, I did not go through this materialistic process this past holiday, and I inadvertently interrupted what Marcel Mauss describes as reciprocation. He claims that giving a gift is not simply giving over an object to another person, but actually giving up part of the ownership and handing over a component of the essence of the person. For me to not give a gift to my sister in return this past Christmas, it essentially broke down the reciprocity of the process and rejected my sister and her offer to share part of herself with me. Mauss and his thoughts explain exactly why my sister was angry with me throughout the holidays, a reason I had yet to grasp until understanding Mauss’s concepts. He also describes the purpose of the gift, which is not an entirely economic action.

    Read More

  • A Gift Does Not Delineate The Nature Of A Relationship

    214 Words  | 1 Pages

    Gifts may convey a wide range of symbolic messages such as "the status of a relationship, a promise of future interaction, or a statement of love, concern or domination" (Poe, 1977). Gifts may represent symbols of a relationship: "A gift is a ritual offering that is a sign of involvement in and connectedness to another" (Cheal 1987, p. 152). Specific gifts may further delineate the nature of the relationship. For example, money may communicate a variety of negative messages, such as thoughtlessness (Webley et al. 1983

    Read More

  • Personal Journal: My Passions and Hobbies

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    Music, a form of art, made up of unique and special sounds containing elements of pitch and rhythm can powerfully soothe one’s soul. Firstly, there are different types of music, and each has its own features. These sounds and features are what I admire in music because to me it creates a new form of communication to one’s consciousness. It stimulates our mind and gives it a sense of harmony and peace through the hardships that life poses for us. As a kid, I would always listen to music from any genre, deciding which genre would complement me the most as I grew older. In middle school, I remember going on the computer and finding a website/program where I could make my own beats. From that day on, I spent countless of hours each day making sure the tune sounded proper and pleasurable for my ears. At first, it wasn’t good, but eventua...

    Read More

More about Gift Giving In Gilgamesh

Open Document