Gilgamesh: Pages 83-End

In this last bit, what I first have to ask is, what happened to continuity? No word is said as to what happened after Gilgamesh's return, so we smust assume this is shortly after when no notable events have occured. But oddly it would seem that Enkidu died twice, as he would have to be living to descend into the nether world to then die from the cry of the dead. Is there an adeventure missing in which Enkidu is brought back? I believe it happene that Enkidu felt Gilgameshes need and had he gone along with the king's instructions he could've lived, maybe removed himself from the nether world to rejoin his beloved Gilgamesh. Another interesting tidbit is the role and importance given to sons in respect a man's life and after life. The more he has and the more faithful they are the better life and afterlife their father has, making me more important and therefore contrasting with the strong roles they give goddesses like the embodiment of bitter and angry love, Ishtar, more lust than romance and also goddess of war or the dark Queen of the Nether World Ereshkigal.

Gilgamesh: Pages 65-82

In this entry I have two quick things to say and two longer ones. The first is to wonder what did the city do to displease Enlil so he would drown it. What did the Mesopotamians detest? As it is not sex, (Tkaing into account the roles of the prostitute and Ishtar) I find it likely to be crime and deception, and as the city was fortunate, greed for all that could be found there. The other quick note is the brief explaination by the Mesopotamians of why the snake sheds its skin, living longer and stronger. Some snakes continue growing the course of their entire lives, something probably observed by the mesopotamians who also saw them shed. Ea said to Utnapishtim "As for the city...in the morning dawning, abundance will then rain down: a flood of bounty" (p. 67) Afterwards Utnapishtim begins to build his boat and he feeds those that help him as if it were New Year's and then when see the flood of bounty his generousity in his payment of them. Ea was wisest of the gods meaning he knew this and saw what was to come. Perhaps he even knew that Utnapishtim would be granted immortality and be forever singing his praises as wise and kind and the sensible opposite to angry Enlil. The last point is likely my favorite. We can all se the similarities between Utnapishtim and Noah. Last year there was another I believe hindu myth that is also very similar. Could it be possible that in that area a large flood did happena nd someone like Noah/Utnapishtim escape in an Ark with animal species of the region and set loose brids todetermine if the Earth was safe to return to. Perhaps all of these are slightly altered versions of the same story that was passed on and accepted by all as a divine act. Mesopotamia was acradle of civilizations and we find our roots there. The roots to our story may be there as well, corrupted by the ages and adopted by different people and changed, so we could no longer see but the one true version of what happened in the great flood.

Gilgamesh: Pages 48-64

In this post I have two issues I wish to discuss. The first is the shorter one of the two, pertaining to Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship. Before I begin I would like to state that I read the Persian Boy and other such texts meaning I do have an idea what I'm talking about, this is based on facts not on the whim of an impressionable school girl. First off, Gilgamesh and Enkidu were not real brothers, evn though inter-family relationships were common in the time period. So it is possible that Enkidu andGilgamesh were in a relationship of romantic terms, again not uncommon in the time period and easily accepted. Kings kept harems of women and eunuchs for their use, Gilgamesh would not be a stranger to the situation and his grief over his "companion" was more appropriate for that of lover. Also the requests for an equal to Gilgamesh resulted Enkidu, however the requests were never for a brother or friend, leaving open the possibility of a lover. The second issue is the meaning of the pitch black mountain passage Gilgamesh faces. A place with no sunlight or vitality. A black hole, like the one those in deep pain describe themselves in. Could it be this place is a metaphor for Gilgamesh's grief and susbsequent depression? The depression is of course canon as Gilgamesh really does becomes depressed, abandoning his duties and roaming in animal skins and feeling hopeless, wandering without purpose. His loss and loneliness are clearly represented in the passage, as he cries and attempts to regain the courage he had when Enkidu was at his side. He tries to repeat the heartening phrase they spoke to each other but cannot bear to utter his beloved words and later the Wind licks at his face with a "rough" tongue. Is this a metaphor for heartbreak, or the cruelty/rejection he feels comes from the world/society he lives in? Or is it foreshadowing to what he must now face? Or a sign that the worst is past and the sunshine ahead? I chose foreshadowing, as even though he reaches the sun shortly afterward his troubles and trials and perils continue. He must continue on in his dangerous and painful journey, to face danger in the sea.

Gilgamesh: Pages 37-47

The main thing that drew me in these pages is the very human way in which Enkidu dies. He falls ill and passes through the stages we now recognize as the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) and so do his loved ones, which grieve in the ways we do and suffer the way we have, rendering a truly human pigment to the characters.
To better explain the 5 stages here are Enkidu's reactions.
1 Denial: Asking Gilgamesh what the dream meant, ven though throughout he had shown himslef to be the expert at dream divination.
2 Anger: Cursing others that he believes led him to his current state.
3 Bargaining: Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu offer things to the god's in exchange for Enkidu's life.
4 Depression: Demonstrated in Enkidu's silence near his end.
5 Acceptance: His comment to Gilgamesh showed he was near accpetance but perhaps he died before he reached it.
I liked these pages mostly because they make the brothers so human, because the psychological principles today apply to them, finally giving them a human quality rather than the demi-gods they have been throughout the text. This makes them more relatable and enjoyable to read, creating a sense of kinship with Gilgamesh, as we too have lost loved ones and understand his pain and his wish to run from his grief, we understand that near insane period immediately after death. For this I believe these have been my favorite pages of Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh: Pages 21-36

I have to points to talk about in this entry. The first (and shortest) point is, why is it called the epic of Gilgamesh is Enkidu, is just as (even more) important? The second is a reflexion on Ishtar goddess of love. She is a darker kind of love than what usually jumps to our mind. She is scorned quickly and punishes her lovers. She falls in and out of love with incredible ease and has no mind towards the feelings of her lovers and many times she turns a blind eye to the repercussions of her actions. Why would the persians make this goddess such a voilent persona, so consumed with herself? Why in this male dominated society would they assign her so much power, so much independence and manipulative prowess? Women's roles in Gilgamesh so far have been few and far between, but the few that have made an impact have been strong, and the others mentioned often and in passing are the prostitutes. Why were they so important? I have already pinpointed my shock and attitude towards them, first because as a woman I am appalled by the very idea of selling my body, and second because of our society's attitude towards prostitutes creates the giant contradiction (in my mind) the a prostitute can be something holy or sacred or working for a religious entity, as my religious entity condenms them and propells them to the outer rim of society.

Gilgamesh: Pages 1-20

The main thing I focused on and would like to discuss is Enkidu's achievement of consiousness, of "humanhood" in the form of "enlightenment", without considering he couldve been better off as an animal, a gazelle in the plains. Instead he was converted into a man by some of man's most basic temptatons, which continue to be basic today: Sex and Alcohol. They made him turn against his beloved animals, to now attack and defend against the creatures he lived and thrived with. In the text, his humanity was a step up, a conversion to a greater life form, but there are those that could argue that his life was better and easier in the plains. That his contentment was fuller as a gazelle.

Introduction

This blog is essentially for 9th grade pre-ap english and many entries will be reading related, being with tomorrow's post on the first chapters of the epic of Gilgamesh. The readers will be Mr. Tangen and my other classmates, who will also be commenting on the reading and other assignments. Thank you and happy reading.