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Comparing and contrast creation myths
Comparing and contrast creation myths
Comparing and contrast creation myths
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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. Failure to fulfill one’s duty on Earth could acquire drastic reprimands from the gods above. In The Gilgamesh Epic, the city of Shurippak …show more content…
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an example of how one man is able to preserve human and animal life. Gilgamesh built a six-story high boat and gathered every living creature before the flood hit Shurippak. Gilgamesh was the savior of the Mesopotamian people. Like Mesopotamians, the Aryan people had a savior as well. The source Victory Over Vritra explains how Indra “over all living men he rules as sovereign (44).” Indra gained the right to rule when he defeated the great dragon Vritra. Similar to Gilgamesh, Indra proved his strength when he overcame the perils which faced his people. In contrast to the latter, the Nile river was neither a god nor a human, yet the river was the savior of the Egyptians. The Nile “creates offerings without [divine] aid, making mankind for himself with multiform care (Hymn 22).” Egyptian livelihoods prospered and the people were able to live in great abundance of supplies thanks to the Nile. The Nile is similar to Gilgamesh because they both proved they can provide for the people without the interference of the divinities. Gilgamesh, Indra, and the Nile were the parts of creation stories that protected and provided for human …show more content…
After the gods ended the flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh used a dove and a swallow to search if the outside land was safe for the humans and the animals to exit the boat. As the days went by, nature kept Gilgamesh and his people safe when “… Mount Nisir held the ship fast, and did not let it slip away (13).” Nature held on to Gilgamesh and protected the contents of the boat. A natural feature allowed Gilgamesh and his people to feel secure, Gilgamesh’s presence was merely a glimpse of hope because of his hard work beforehand. Another natural feature that allowed people to be safe was Indra’s thunderbolts. The great dragon’s destruction was by a thunderbolt from Indra, the same natural element Indra continued to use to protect his people. If nature had not provided Indra with the thunderbolt, then the defeat of the dragon would have been more difficult of a task to complete for Indra. An obvious nature driven society is the Egyptians’ reliance of the Nile. The whole Egyptian society needed the Nile in order to survive. The Nile added prosperity to Egyptian lands and when the Nile would flood “all that exists is in anguish (Hymn 21).” The Egyptians relied on the Nile to not destroy their crops and their food supply by floods. Mount Nisir, thunderbolts, and the Nile are all parts of nature that define the fate of human
Conscious of the geographical region, Egyptians settled around the Nile, as the Nile provided substance (agriculture, irrigation, trading routes, etc.). The Egyptians noticed that the Nile would flood regularly, and exploited this natural flooding by building an irrigation system to support their agriculture, as well as their society. “Hymn to the Nile” depicts this prosperous age of agriculture, “Lord of the fish, during the inundation, no bird alights on the crops. You create the grain, you bring forth the barley, assuring perpetuity to the temples.” ("Ancient History Sourcebook: Hymn to the Nile, c. 2100 BCE."). However, the Nile might have contributed to the eventual collapse of ancient Old Kingdom Egyptian civilization. The Nile partially destroyed the society that it had once nurtured. A series of low or high floods over the course of a few years immensely impacted their agriculture, which in turn created epidemics of famine and civil unrest. The Egyptian civilization eventually prospered once more, only centuries later and with new social
The ancient Mesopotamian writing, The Epic of Gilgamesh, gives readers insight into the traditions and customs of the people who wrote it. Like all epics, The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of a heroic national figure: this epic gives the story of the life of Gilgamesh from his birth as two-thirds god, one-third man to his death. Throughout the epic the importance of loyalty is addressed. In The Epic of Gilgamesh readers see that loyalty is the most important aspect of a Mesopotamian relationship and that there are always consequences for violating trust.
The main character in the book The Epic of Gilgamesh, is Gilgamesh himself. In the beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his rights as king. He has sexual intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a god. Throughout the story, many things cause Gilgamesh to change. He gains a friend, he makes a name for himself by killing Humbaba, and he tries to become immortal because of the death of Enkidu. Through these main actions his personality changes and he becomes a better person.
The idealization of Gilgamesh success will help its ethical structure. However, in the beginning of the epic Gilgamesh was very arrogant by the gods and so the people of Uruk decide to teach him a lesson. They sent Enkidu. At first they were enemies and soon after they became friends during their dangerous journey. It has been a long time Gilgamesh needed a friend and we learned that in the epic they teach each other some lesson and their friendship grow stronger. They were now brothers and they both show some weaknesses but they teach each other how they can conquer it. During the whole journey Gilgamesh has truly changed for the better. So, the people of Uruk can learn from their ruler. They realize that the king has risked his life and that the people of Uruk ethical structure was created. They had specialized occupations and the most common work was architecture. They were the ones who build the strongest and tallest walls to make sure that the accomplishments of Gilgamesh will remain forever. The people of Uruk were also educated, they were the first city to ever discover literature and writing. Gilgamesh was amazed by his people and he was content with everything now since all he was worrying about was being immortal. Yet, his people and the creation they construct made Gilgamesh immortal. The structure of the community must also be equal since Gilgamesh is working hard for his people,
Foster, Benjamin R. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. Ed. Martin Puchner. 3rd ed. Vol. A. New York: Norton, 2012. 95-151. Print. 13 March 2014.
The epic yarn Gilgamesh leaves me somewhat discouraged when I finished the book. This pessimistic ending is not the happy ending I was expecting to see considering the tragedies throughout of the rest of the story. The entire last part of the book, starting with Enkidu’s death, is nothing but more sorrow for Gilgamesh. The book seems to give Gilgamesh hope and then beat him down with more tragedy. It is almost as if the more he tries, the worse it gets for him.
Ever since the beginning of time, man has learned to mature by trials and tribulations. In the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the protagonist Gilgamesh appears to be an arrogant person who only cares about himself. He abuses all his powers and takes advantage of people with his physical abilities. Basically in the beginning he thinks that no one on earth is better than him. However, just like all epic poems, the protagonist encounters many challenges that make him a better person. So as the story progresses Gilgamesh slowly starts to change his personality. Various events help transform this tyrant to a humble person.
True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many people. To spend time with a special someone; the person one feels closest to; the so-called soul mate and to never have that high feeling of emotion end mentally and physically would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselves and realizes the important things in life and puts it all into perspective. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character, Gilgamesh, is a powerful, arrogant king and part god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s partner, is animal-like but later takes on more humanistic traits such as his contemplation’s of death. The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a very powerful, loving friendship. Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s soul mate, not only acting as his friend but as a lover too. Enkidu’s presence in Gilgamesh’s life allows Gilgamesh to see what is truly good in life and to accept his mortality much easier.
Analysis of the Character of Gilgamesh In the epic Gilgamesh, there are many complex characters. Every character involved in the story has their own personality and traits. The main character in the novel is Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is a character who is very self-confident.
We learn about ancient civilizations through literature, artifacts, and stories passed down from generation to generation. The Mesopotamian civilization is one of earth's earliest civilizations, and it's also one we know very little about. We can gather information about these people's way life, beliefs, and geographical location. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary work from this time period, shows us several important pieces of information that helps us understand this ancient civilization. This epic shows us the Mesopotamian peoples belief system, their views on death, and their description of the after life.
Natural disasters: hurricanes, floods, earthquakes; these are normally seen as unstoppable forces resulting as an act of nature, but in ancient Mesopotamia, a natural disaster was the natural anger of the gods. The gods and Mesopotamian people worked together in a way for the gods to be pleased by things such as sacrifice in exchange for the lives of the people and good fortune in desired fields. As their supreme being, it was their duty to be looked up to while it being somewhat an unattainable role model. The meaning of life for the people of Mesopotamia in general was for them to live in harmony and accordance with the gods. Mesopotamian people not only viewed their gods as supreme but they also were strongly personified through their forming of
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.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a moving tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. Accepting ones own mortality is the overarching theme of the epic as Gilgamesh and Enkidu find their highest purpose in the pursuit of eternal life.
The Epic of Gilgamesh consist of two main character, the first is Gilgamesh who is two- third god and one – third human. He is described as a strong undefeated man with cruel and savage ways. Gilgamesh take boys from their families and make them warriors, and lust
Many themes are incorporated into the story line of Gilgamesh. These include three very important concepts: death is inevitable, immortality is unachievable, and friendship is a necessity.