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Summary of the epic gilgamesh
An essay on the different religions of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt
Gilgamesh as an epic
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In Ancient Mesopotamia, religion was the unifying code of city-states. Within the Sumerian society, people believed and worshiped more than one god, also known as polytheism. Although gods were worshipped everywhere within the city, due to social hierarchy, only the King was given divine power from the gods. As shown in The Epic Of Gilgamesh, the King had two main roles; to be a direct representative of the gods and protect the people of Uruk. The prologue introduced Gilgamesh, the King of the city Uruk, as semi divine by his mother, the goddess Ninsun, but none the less mortal (XXXI). In tablet one he was accredited for creating the city of Uruk itself, opening passages through mountains, and sleeping with brides before their husbands.
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.
The Epic of Gilgamesh by George Andrew is based on Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk. Gilgamesh is one-third a man and two-thirds a god. He built beautiful temple towers and surrounded his city with a wall. King Gilgamesh was strong, wise and beautiful. Though he has all the beauty, he was a cruel man. He raped the women that he liked even though the women had husbands or were daughters of noblemen. He also loathed over his servants. He relied on forced labor to build his projects, and the people complained of the endless oppression. The gods heard the pleas of the people and created a wild man by the name Enkidu, who was meant to keep Gilgamesh in check. Enkidu and Gilgamesh became great friends. The gods inflicted Enkidu with a strange illness
Mesopotamian and Egyptian religions shared two key similarities: polytheism and priestly authority. The religions in Mesopotamia and Egypt were both polytheistic. Their religions were polytheistic because Mesopotamians and Egyptians could not explain many things in that occurred in their lives. Therefore, they assumed that there are different gods for everything. This means that the religion had many gods for different things. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, priests were part of the upper class and were very important in the daily lives of civilians. Priests were part of the upper class because they were thought to have the ability to communicate with the gods. In Mesopotamia, the priests held the highest authority in the religious structure. Egyptian priests were not as powerful in government as Mesopotamian priests were, but they still had significant power. Egypt’s highest religious and military leader was encapsulated in the position of pharaoh. The pharaoh was at the top of all social classes and was considered to be a god-like figure.
N.K. Sanders, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is one of the most well-known stories in literature. The story beings with Gilgamesh, one-third human and two-thirds God. He ruled the greatest city with strong walls in Urnk to save his people from dangerous attacks. He is described as the most beautiful, strong, and wise ruler of Mesopotamia. He then goes on a quest with Enkidu. When they arrive at Ceder Forest Enkidu dreams that killing the Bull of Heaven had some consequences. Either Enkidu or Gilgamesh must die. Enkidu was chosen and suffered a severe illness. Enkidu did not make it, he was deeply sadden and decide to continue his quest to find immortality. He showed fear towards death because of his friend and now risking everything in hopes that Utnapishtim
From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.
Being the king of somewhere or half-god, does not give you the right to take other people's rights away. It doesn't make it okay to violate people against their will. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh takes his power of office a few steps too far. He does have specific and special rights, different from regular civilians, however he doesn't have rights that allow him to violate and harm other people. Gilgamesh has been accused of violating the morals of the young and abusing power of office. He has been rightfully accused on both charges and both charges are accurate.
The beginning of his birth starts the origin of the hero's journey. Because of his unusual birth, it meant that he's still human and will eventually face death. But, Gilgamesh knowing that he can die any moment won’t stop him from going on adventures and completing his quests. Along with Gilgamesh being two-thirds god, it meant that the gods were always on his side. Whether it was making decisions for Uruk or helping Gilgamesh throughout his journey the gods were always there for him. As a result, Gilgamesh's birth is an aspect of him becoming a hero. The text states, “Gilgamesh was the renowned king of the city of Uruk. To his people, Gilgamesh was a tyrant who became a great hero” (175). In other words, Gilgamesh is known to become the king of Uruk. For that reason, the people of Uruk would praise him as a hero. Gilgamesh that was born to be a king was unusual for Gilgamesh
The king of Uruk, who lived around 2600 B.C.E, Gilgamesh, was one-third man and two-thirds god (Gilgamesh, 61). Known as present day Iraq, Mesopotamia was where the ancient sto-ry “The Epic of Gilgamesh” was originated. The story talked about Gilgamesh’s relationship be-tween his close companions. Meeting the immortal flood survivor and giving him eternal life was Gilgamesh's long journey. The Epic of Gilgamesh teaches about the Sumarian society.
People of the ancient world often had questions about their existence and how life and people came to be on earth. Most ancient people answered these questions through religion. The Sumerians were the first important group of people to inhabit Mesopotamia and they were known to practice a form of worship called polytheism, which is the worship of several gods. Mesopotamians associated different gods with natural events, emotions, and other occurrences. Their main deities included An (the god of the heavens), Enlil (Lord Storm), Enki (god of wisdom), and Nihursaga (the mother of all living things)(p.22). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods controlled all of the events and occurrences in life. An ancient text called “Creation of Man by the Mother Goddess” (p.34) helps us understand how the M...
Religion was a major part of Ancient Egyptians’ lives. Their faith was so engrained in them that it was more of a lifestyle than a set of beliefs. The Egyptians practiced polytheism, or the worship of many gods, and they believed that their pharaoh was a god on Earth (Doc 3). The people worshipped the pharaoh and gave him all respect and power. They believed that their two main goals in life were to keep the pharaoh and the other gods happy and to live a good life so that they may enjoy a happy life after death. Their shared faith strengthened their society because everyone was working toward the same goal. Groups were not divided based on what god they worshipped. Instead, the fact that every person lived to please the same gods and wished to go to the same afterlife gave them something in common and brought them together as a community. Sumerians also practiced polytheism and believed that their priests were connected to the gods. The people thought it was their responsibility to keep the gods happy, and believed that if the gods were pleased, they would allow their people to be content as well (Doc 6). Because of their desire to please the gods, Sumerians performed every task to the best of their ability. For example, they invested lots of time and money into their ziggurats, or temples, because they only wanted to give their best to the gods. The Sumerians’ devotion to every task ensured that everything was done well and helped their civilization
The stories of the hunt for immortality gathered in the Epic of Gilgamesh depict the conflict felt in ancient Sumer. As urbanization swept Mesopotamia, the social status shifted from a nomadic hunting society to that of a static agricultural gathering society. In the midst of this ancient "renaissance", man found his relationship with the sacred uncertain and precarious. The Epic portrays the strife created between ontological nostalgia for a simpler time and the dawn of civilization breaking in the Near East. In this Epic, Gilgamesh is seen trying to achieve immortality through the methods of both the old and the new. His journeys through the sacred and the profane in many ways characterize the confusion arising from the unstable social climate. Therefore, the society, by writing the story of Gilgamesh, guarantees not only his immortality, but the immortality of the new order being established.
The people thought of all the gods to be wise and would seek their guidance in certain situations. Their religious beliefs brought this respect, and in some ways fear, to honor the gods so they would be gracious in return. “Religious beliefs instilled fear of the gods, who could alter the landscape, and desire to appease them” (Bulliet, 19). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods were human like in form, but that if they were to be unhappy by something the people did, they could alter anything in their lives, and in some cases even kill
The religion of the ancient Sumerians has left its mark on the entire middle east. Each city holds a temple that was the seat of a major god, the gods controlled the powerful forces which often controlled a human's fate. The city leaders had to please the town's patron deity, not only for the good will of that god or goddess, but also for the good will of the other deities in the council of gods. There were monthly feasts and annual, New Year celebrations. Although the gods preferred justice and mercy, they had also created evil and bad luck. Their family god or city god might intrude, but that would accordingly happen. After all, man was created as a broken, labor saving, tool for the use of the gods and at the end of everyone's life.
In the ancient civilization of the Sumerians religion was an important part of both the lives of the citizens and the administration of government. People felt very distant from their rulers and this feeling was reflected in their religion. The great gods of the day were unconcerned with human welfare. They were in control of the forces of nature and were the source of authority for the rulers. Both inspired fear and veneration in the populace and the people created lesser gods as guardian intercessors to assuage the insecurity of their world. Although the Sumerians developed systems of writing and mathematics, the use of these arts was restricted to an elite upper class while the majority of the people were enslaved by ignorance and fear. This structure of subservience to a higher power was established in their religion and played out in their government.
Throughout time, people of all cultures have told stories of heroes and kings. The most ancient story we have on record is the tale of King Gilgamesh. This story is an account of the King's journeys and accomplishments. Although it was written over four thousand years ago, many comparisons can be made between the society in which the story was written and our own modern society. In this essay, differences and similarities between the two societies will be examined.