Epic of GilgameshEpic of Gilgamesh

One of the World’s Oldest One of the World’s Oldest EpicsEpics

Author: UnknownAuthor: Unknown

What is the Epic?What is the Epic?

One of the oldest works of One of the oldest works of literatureliterature

Earliest version dates back 4,000 Earliest version dates back 4,000 yearsyears

Addresses concerns dealt with Addresses concerns dealt with today such as friendship, heroism, today such as friendship, heroism, mortality and the desire to control mortality and the desire to control one’s destinyone’s destiny

GilgameshGilgamesh

Two parts god and one part humanTwo parts god and one part human King of UrukKing of Uruk Hero of this epic storyHero of this epic story ArrogantArrogant BoastfulBoastful SelfishSelfish DestructiveDestructive

The Epic in Two PartsThe Epic in Two Parts

Part One, godlike Part One, godlike sideside

Uses Uses superhuman superhuman powerspowers

Performs Performs amazing featsamazing feats

Defies godsDefies gods

Part Two, human Part Two, human sideside

Faces Faces unexpected unexpected limitationslimitations

Shows human Shows human weaknessweakness

Develops human Develops human strengthsstrengths

Spiritual BeginningsSpiritual Beginnings

When Gilgamesh learns about When Gilgamesh learns about death and the afterlife, he death and the afterlife, he journeys to the realm of the gods journeys to the realm of the gods to get answers about his destiny.to get answers about his destiny.

What is an Epic?What is an Epic? A long story in poem form.A long story in poem form. An epic has a hero.An epic has a hero. The epic is the story of the hero's travels The epic is the story of the hero's travels

and his fights with monsters, gods, and bad and his fights with monsters, gods, and bad guysguys

Epics contain information about the culture Epics contain information about the culture that created them: religion, dress & that created them: religion, dress & ornaments, homes, weapons and war, roles ornaments, homes, weapons and war, roles of men and women, values, moral of men and women, values, moral standards.standards.

Epics often contain clues to what the Epics often contain clues to what the people who created them feared or did not people who created them feared or did not understand: natural disasters, natural understand: natural disasters, natural features (like boiling springs and water red features (like boiling springs and water red with rust), death, the heavens, storms.with rust), death, the heavens, storms.

Literary Analysis: Literary Analysis: Quest StoryQuest Story What is a quest story?What is a quest story?

Kind of story that is common to Kind of story that is common to many cultures, where a hero goes many cultures, where a hero goes on a journey and tries to achieve on a journey and tries to achieve a goal.a goal.

What is a quest hero?What is a quest hero?

Has special powers or special Has special powers or special friends that help (or hinder) him friends that help (or hinder) him or her on their journeyor her on their journey

Gilgamesh is a quest heroGilgamesh is a quest hero

Characters/Places to Characters/Places to knowknow

Gilgamesh

• The king of Uruk and the hero of this epic.

EnkiduEnkidu

Gilgamesh’s friend; Gilgamesh’s friend; molded by Aruru, molded by Aruru, goddess of creation, out goddess of creation, out of clay, he is wild or of clay, he is wild or natural man.natural man.

UtnapishtiUtnapishtimm

Friend of the god Ea, with Friend of the god Ea, with whose help he survives the whose help he survives the flood, together with his family flood, together with his family and with “the seed of all and with “the seed of all living creatures.” He and his living creatures.” He and his wife are the only mortals to wife are the only mortals to be granted the gift of eternal be granted the gift of eternal life.life.

AnuAnu

Father of the gods, who had an Father of the gods, who had an important temple in Uruk.important temple in Uruk.

AnunnakiAnunnaki

Gods who judge the dead and Gods who judge the dead and control destiniescontrol destinies

Belit-SheriBelit-Sheri

Scribe and recorder of the Scribe and recorder of the underworld godsunderworld gods

DilmunDilmun

A paradise in the world of the A paradise in the world of the gods.gods.

EaEa

God of waters and of wisdom, and God of waters and of wisdom, and one of the creators of mankind, one of the creators of mankind, toward whom he is usually well-toward whom he is usually well-disposed.disposed.

EnlilEnlil

God of earth, wind and spirit; God of earth, wind and spirit; carries out tasks for Anu.carries out tasks for Anu.

Ereshkigal/IrkallaEreshkigal/Irkalla

The queen of the underworld.The queen of the underworld.

IshtarIshtar

Goddess of love, fertility and war, Goddess of love, fertility and war, called the Queen of Heaven.called the Queen of Heaven.

NergalNergal

Husband of Ereshkigal and co-Husband of Ereshkigal and co-ruler of the underworld.ruler of the underworld.

NinurtaNinurta

A warrior and god of war, wells, A warrior and god of war, wells, and irrigation.and irrigation.

ShamashShamash

The sun god, judge and giver of The sun god, judge and giver of laws.laws.

SiduriSiduri

The divine winemaker and The divine winemaker and brewer, who lives on the shore of brewer, who lives on the shore of the sea in the garden of the sun.the sea in the garden of the sun.

UrshanabiUrshanabi

The boatman of Utnapishtim who The boatman of Utnapishtim who ferries daily across the waters of ferries daily across the waters of death that divide the garden of death that divide the garden of the sun from the paradise the sun from the paradise Utnapishtim lives in.Utnapishtim lives in.

UrukUruk

Biblical Erech, modern Warka, in Biblical Erech, modern Warka, in southern Babylonia between Fara southern Babylonia between Fara and Ur. Shown by excavation to and Ur. Shown by excavation to have been an important city from have been an important city from very early times, with great very early times, with great temples to the gods Anu and temples to the gods Anu and Ishtar.Ishtar.