During my Analysis of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Ramayana, I have noticed that these two tales have been greatly influenced by religion. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, there are 5 main religious themes which are allusions to the Bible.
In the beginning of the epic, the gods were pleading with Anu, the supreme god, to deal with Gilgamesh, whom is causing a ruckus in Uruk (Tablet 1, Lines 55-79). Anu answered by giving the command, “Let them summon Aruru, the great one, She created the boundless human race. Let her create a partner for Gilgamesh, mighty in strength, Let them contend with each other, that Uruk may have peace.” (Tablet 1, Lines 82-85). Although Gilgamesh’s partner, Enkidu, was not made out of his own flesh and bones, it is an allusion
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to the Bible, where God created a helper for Adam (Genesis 2:21, NIV). Additionally, Enkidu caused problems for Gilgamesh when he killed the bull of heaven, and the goddess of Ishtar demanded for his death (Tablet 6, Lines 136-149). Even though the gods killed Enkidu as punishment for the death of the bull of heaven, this still caused problems for Gilgamesh. As Gilgamesh mourned for Enkidu, he went off on a journey through the steppe, then became afraid of dying himself. Therefore he set out to find Utanapishtim to learn the secret to eternal life. This is also an allusion to the Bible in that both Gilgamesh and Adam’s partners caused them trouble. As Enkidu caused Gilgamesh to journey to a new place, so did Eve. In Genesis chapter 3:6, Eve convinced Adam to also eat from the forbidden tree. This in turn caused Adam and Eve to be kicked out of the Garden of Eden, to work the land and bear children through pain. After Gilgamesh found the plant, that would grant him eternal life, he decided to take it back to Uruk first, so that a man might test it to make sure it was not poisoned. On the way back to Uruk, Gilgamesh made camp near a pond, and in lines 307-309, “He went down into it to bathe in the water. A snake caught the scent of the plant, Steathily it came up and carried the plant away.” Although slightly more obvious than the others, this is a great allusion to the fall of Adam and Eve. Again, in Genesis 3, the serpent tempted Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, saying, “You will not certainly die…” when Eve informed the serpent that they would die if they ate of it. The serpent cunningly told Eve, “…For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 4, NIV). As they ate of the fruit, God banished them from the Garden of Eden, thus taking away their eternal life, just as the snake stole Gilgamesh’s eternal life. The Epic of Gilgamesh also contains a flood story which is very similar to the Bible’s flood story. In Gilgamesh, Utanapishtim was chosen by the gods to survive the flood, “Forsake possessions and seek life, belongings reject and life save!” (Tablet 11, Lines 25-26). Additionally, he was given specific instructions on how to survive the flood, “The boat you shall build, let her dimensions be measured out: let her width and length be equal, roof her over like the watery depths.” (Tablet 11, Lines 29-31). On line 161 of tablet 11, Utanapishtim tells Gilgamesh that when the flood waters began to disappear, he landed near a mountain. Also, Utanapishtim began to give a sacrifice to the gods, thanking them for saving his life. Thus, the gods granted Utanapishtim and his wife eternal life, so that he would be “like us gods” (Tablet 11, Line 206). Although Noah was not granted eternal life, he was chosen by God, above all others, for him and his family to survive the flood saying, “…Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.” (Genesis 6:17-18, NIV). The final allusion to the bible that I wish to point out is the instructions given to the chosen one. In Gilgamesh, Utanapishtim was instructed, “Let her dimensions be measured out: Let her width and length be equal, Roof her over like the watery depths.” (Tablet 11, Lines 29-31). Although not as specific, this is still alluding to the instructions that God gave Noah to build his ark in Genesis 6:14-16, and 19-21, “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks…You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” (NIV). After comparing Gilgamesh to the Bible, there is ample evidence to show religion, specifically the bible and Christianity, influenced the writing of this epic. Although Ramayana does not allude to the bible, it does have certain allusions to Hinduism. In Ramayana, there are four main themes which lies closely to Hinduism: fidelity, filial duty, man and nature, and good vs.
evil. Fidelity is shown by Sita when Ravana offers for her to take his hand and come live with him in Lanka. Sita refused his offer, saying “Oh demon-king! I have firmly resolved to follow Rama who is equal to the god of gods, who is mighty and charming, and who is devoted to righteousness.” (Page 1192). This shows that Sita is truly loyal to Rama, which alludes to the sacred Hindu text, The Laws of Manu, which states, “Let mutual fidelity continue until death” (Chapter 9, line 101). Another allusion toward thee sacred text is Rama’s filial duty toward his father. Although he was about to become king, his father banished him to 14 years in the woods. This left Rama with two decisions, disobey and become king, or obey his father and fulfill his duty. He chose the latter, saying “So be it! I shall immediately proceed to the forest to dwell there clad in bark and animal skin.” (Page 1177). And in Chapter 2, line 226, of The Laws of Manu, it is said, “The father is the physical form of the Lord of Creatures, the mother the physical form of the earth…The trouble that a mother and father endure in giving birth to human beings cannot be redeemed even in a hundred years. He should constantly do what pleases the two of them.” The third allusion toward Hinduism is the belief that man and nature should work together. In the story, Rama works alongside the vanaras, who send Hanuman over the great sea, to find Sita and defeat the demon king, Ravana. As Rama is working with the Vanaras, or monkey troops, he is working alongside the forces of nature to better the universe by eliminating evil. Speaking of evil, it is part of the final allusion. The aspect of good vs. evil in Ramayana not only alludes to Hinduism, but all religions. Every form of religion where you have a moral code, you have some form of spiritual warfare between good and evil. This is
represented by Rama vs. Ravana, with Rama being like the gods and Ravana being a demon king. By having Rama defeat Ravana, this is showing that good will overcome evil. While looking at Ramayana through the eyes of Hinduism, there is a clear illustration of Hindu values. As important as religion is in the daily lives of so many cultures and people of this world, it only makes sense that literature, which is written by those same people, be influenced by religion. When comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh and Ramayana with Biblical and Hindu values and stories, the similarities are brought to light. The Epic of Gilgamesh portrays stories and values from the Bible such as the creation of an equal partner, the trouble they caused, and a serpent stealing eternal life. Although Ramayana does not portray stories from the Hindu faith, it does allude to certain values such as filial duty, fidelity, man and nature working together, and good vs. evil. With this in mind, it is easy to see what kind of impact religion has had on literature.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, we see a significant transition or development of the main character as the story progresses. Throughout the epic, we see Gilgamesh act as a tyrant, fearless warrior, depressed man, a man filled with fear, and a man who has finally accepted his fate. The epic begins by describing Gilgamesh as a king who tyrannizes his people. “He will couple with the wife-to-be, he first of all, the bridegroom after” (pg 15). We see that Gilgamesh abuses his power as king and terrorizes the people. The people of Uruk plead the gods to ease Gilgamesh’s burden. The gods answered the prayers created an equal to match Gilgamesh. Enkidu a wild-born chimera, part animal and part man, would
The epic begins with the men of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an overly aggressive ruler. "'Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father; day and night his outrageousness continues unrestrained; And he is the shepherd of Uruk, the enclosure; He is their shepherd, and yet he oppresses them. Strong, handsome, and wise. . . Gilgamesh leaves no virgin to her lover.'"(p.18, Line 23-27) The citizens respect him, but they resent his sexual and physical aggression, so they plead to the gods to alleviate some of their burden. The gods resolve to create an equal for Gilgamesh to tame him and keep him in line. This equal, Enkidu, has an immediate impact on Gilgamesh. When they first meet, both having never before met a man equal in stature, they brawl. "They grappled with each other, Snorting like bulls; They shattered the doorpost, that the wall shook."(p.32, lines 15-18) In giving Gilgamesh a real battle, Enkidu instantly changes him; having this equal gives Gilgamesh a sense of respect for another man. These two men fighting each other creates a serious mess, but they both end up without animosity toward the other.
Gilgamesh was born two thirds divine and one third human. He is described as perfection, his body created by the lady of birth and fine-tuned by the god of wisdom. He was handsome, strong, and wise. He ruled over Uruk like a “wild bull” (Puchner 60) and would harass the young men of is kingdom. Every day and night he would be out on a rampage raping all kinds of women and forcing people to build his city. Gilgamesh begins his story as a ruthless tyrant whose subjects do not like at all. Due to the cries of his people the Gods decide to intervene by creating and sending Enkidu to distract Gilgamesh so that there will be peace in Uruk. Enkidu is just as beautiful as Gilgamesh and is courageous and strong and he and Gilgamesh become quick
Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.
The epic hero’s journeys hold the hopes for future of ordinary people’s lives. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in approximately 2000 B.C.E which is highly enriched with Ancient Mesopotamian religions, and The Ramayana was written by ancient Indians in around 1800 B.C.E. The stories were written in two different parts of the world. However, these two stories etched great evidence that show people from generation to generation that different cultures and religions are interconnected; they share ideas with each other. Both Gilgamesh and Rama traveled long journeys in these tales. These epic journeys played a role in the creation of different archetypes. We can clearly see that these two tales share similarities between these archetypes. Although
As Stephen Mitchell stated, “(Gilgamesh is) the oldest story in the world, a thousand years older than the Iliad or the Bible” (Mitchell, 1). Gilgamesh is the oldest text we have from the B.C./B.C.E times. Majority of scholars believe that the main theme of the book is Immortality. Therefore, it is arguable that other themes are much more important. Gilgamesh is by far the oldest known text in today’s age. Through analyzation, we know one of the main themes of the story is immortality; however, that is not the only theme nor is it the most important.The book stands the test of time because of a topical and relatable theme to today’s society. Numerous characters display that human growth is achieved through loss and journeys.
Every culture has a different story of their origin. Each story varies in setting, main characters, and religious aspects. Although the stories are different, the sole purpose is the same for each – to explain how each civilization came to be. In order for a civilization to fully understand their past, they must critically break down the components of their origin story. Creation stories establish appropriate relationships within society by the revelation of the punishment laid out by the gods on unsatisfactory vassals, the importance of a hero figure, and the exposure of human survival based on nature.
Gilgamesh was two thirds of a god who possessed beauty, a gorgeous body, and great amounts of courage and strength that surpassed all other humans. His greatness was established through the wonderful walls he built around Uruk, a rampart, and a temple for Anu and Ishtar (Gilgamesh & Sandars, 61). Enkidu on the other hand was initially an uncivilized man created by the goddess of creation, Aruru. His appearance was strictly barbaric with his long hair and hairy body, whose innocent mind knew nothing of a civilized human culture (Gilgamesh et al., 62). He ate grass and lived among the other animals in the woods until a trapper spotted him while trying to catch his game and noted to his father that he “was the strongest man in the world [and] is like an immortal from heaven” (Gilgamesh et al., 62). The trapper indicated his feeling of inferiority to Enkidu in the woods as he says he is afraid of him. One could say that Enkidu rules the woods of the uncivilized just as Gilgamesh rules over the city of Uruk; over the civilized. Both men are characterized as powerful, strong men in their domain yet Gilgamesh is in fact stronger and more powerful than his brother, Enkidu whom he calls his servant, fore he is the king of Uruk and is two thirds god. Enkidu also dies halfway through the adventure the two have while Gilgamesh, who is afraid of death, goes on to find a way to live immortally. Though inferior to his king brother, Enkidu completes the other half of Gilgamesh: while Gilgamesh knows the ins and outs of the city he rules, he is not familiar with the woods or nature in the ways that Enkidu is. Though they are different from each other, they both hold parallels with one another by bringing out the best in each other, thus reasonabl...
Enkidu and Gilgamesh were the main characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the city of Uruk, King Gilgamesh was a merciless ruler, a strong man, and had long, beautiful hair. Under Gilgamesh’s rule, the people asked the gods to generate their tyrannical king’s competitor. To cease Gilgamesh from dominating people, Enkidu was developed. Enkidu was a hairy-bodied man raised by animals. He was prepared to accept the challenge. The two men were almost iden-tical in their courage and physical abilities. Gilgamesh had a vision ...
In order to lessen the fear of that power being used for crude purposes, Gilgamesh enacts a civilizing campaign of Enkidu. The prostitute sent to seduce Enkidu is done with the intent that “the wild beasts that shared his life in the hills will reject him” (Gilgamesh 64). Though meaning the literal animals of the forest Enkidu originally lived with, this line may also serve a metaphorical purpose as well. The “wild beasts” or thoughts of pure animal reason also are assumed to leave Enkidu’s mind and Enkidu realizes “wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart” (Gilgamesh 65). Gilgamesh’s own creation appears to have been done with civilizing intent. After all, Gilgamesh is decidedly two-thirds god and one-third man (Gilgamesh 61). However, Gilgamesh’s motivations lead him to take actions to the detriment of his people. This is particularly true in regards to leadership. Previous to discovering Enkidu, it appears Gilgamesh’s actions are thoughtless towards his own people including enforcing the doctrine of prima nocta (Gilgamesh 68). After learning that everlasting life is not his destiny, Gilgamesh takes his own self-aggrandizing actions and reverses them. These motivations direct him to enact his great building projects. As the civilizing of Enkidu was defined in the parameters of participating in social
The beginning of the Epic finds Gilgamesh hunting immortality through the ways of old. He is trying to achieve everlasting life through the fertility of young virgins promised to another. This action by Gilgamesh caused the people of Uruk to call for the gods to restore the order which the traveler from abroad had destroyed (pg.62). From the sacred order of the goddess Aruru's mind Enkidu emerges from the profane wilderness (pg. 63). It is told that a trapper came "face to face" with the chaotic ways of Enkidu and was "frozen with fear". It is only through the love of one woman that order is brought to the life of Enkidu. He is then declared wise enough to challenge Gilgamesh and restore the order to "strong walled Uruk" (pg.65). So, when Gilgamesh is headed to the bridal bed to partake...
Enkidu was created to be Gilgamesh’s equal and his soul mate. ‘“You made him… now create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self, stormy heart for stormy heart’” (14). So the goddess of creation, Aruru “dipped her hands in water and pinched off clay, she let it fall in the wilderness” and created Enkidu (14). Before Gilgamesh had met Enkidu he loved him; ‘“… I bent down, deeply drawn towards… [Enkidu]… I loved it like a woman and wore it at my side”’ (16). Enkidu had “virtue in him” (14). He was also “innocent of mankind” (14). After Enkidu was civilized the wild animals would not be near him. He felt ...
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.
Although there are differences between this ancient culture and ours, one similar idea found in the story is that of the worship of deity. There are many gods represented in the story of Gilgamesh. This reflects the tendency of the people of that time to cling to religious ideals to explain the unknown.
The epic begins with Gilgamesh terrorizing the people of Uruk. They call out to the sky god Anu for help. In response Anu tells the goddess of creation, Aruru, to make an equal for Gilgamesh. Thus Aruru created Enkidu, a brute with the strength of dozens of wild animals. After being seduced by a harlot from the temple of love in Uruk, Enkidu loses his strength and wildness yet gains wisdom and understanding. The harlot offers to take him into Uruk where Gilgamesh lives, the only man worthy of Enkidu's friendship. After a brief brawl the two become devoted friends.