The Epic of Gilgamesh 2

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a remarkable text which literary investigates the human search for an eternal living. The King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and Enkidu, his friend are the sole heroes who have continually existed from the old Babylonian texts. Their commemoration in this epic story goes way back to the third millennium BC. The two travel together to the Spring of Youth where they defeat the “Bull of Heaven” and kill the monster Humbaba. Upon the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh is sorrowful and frightened compelling him to undertake the quest “for eternal living.” Initially, the Epic of Gilgamesh was an old Sumerian Sumerian poem written about 700-1000 years after the historical kingdom reign in Cuneiform script. It’s wholesome variant was discovered in Akkadian language on twelve stone tablets located at the Ashurbanipal library in 1849 at Nineveh by Austen Henry Layard, a British traveler. This is a timeless narrative of drama, morality, and real adventure which was translated from Arabic by Sumaya Shabandar. It is illustrated by Rakan Dabdoub, an Iraqi visual artist born in Mosul in 1930. He is a graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts (Baghdad) and the Academy of Fine Arts (Rome). Many of his artworks have been auctioned, including the “Untitled” which was sold for $21,250 in 2014 at Dubai’s “Modern & Contemporary Arab, Iranian &Turkish Art.” This paper summarizes the contents of this epic story through a description of the setting, period, the principal characters, and a brief description of the events that occurred.

The main protagonist in the epic is the Uruk traditional ruler (Gilgamesh), who felled huge trees with his ally Enkidu so as to establish secure city gates and to travel far for a discovery of the immortality secret from Utanapishtim the prophet. The King was a third man and two-thirds god, who built magnificent temples, used high walls to surround his city, and had fields and orchards laid out. Physically, he was unyielding, beautiful, and wise and had started his reigns as a cruel despot who lorded over all his subjects. He raped any lady that struck his admiration no matter who she was, employed forced labor to achieve his construction goals, and his subjects were continually oppressed. As a response to the cries of the subjects, the gods created Enkidu, a wild man just as magnificent as him to keep him in check and teaching him to be humble.
They would grow to be the best of friends, and when Enkidu died of a disease inflicted by the gods, he was deeply saddened. This happened after the Cedar Forest struggle where Humbaba the demon was beaten and the Bull of Heaven, which was seen as an abuse to Inanna-Ishtar, a goddess. The gods decided that someone had to pay for those arrogant deeds, and Enkidu was the one to bear the brunt. Gilgamesh learned that he too would have to die sometime and this thought kept torturing him. He would travel to the edge of the world where he got to learn on the prior days to the deluge and the gods’ secrets which he would record on stone tablets. Although he had the capability to perform extraordinary things, he would not avoid death and live eternally, which was his wish. Having crossed the “Waters of Death and Land of Night”, he discovered Utanapishtim, an old man who was the sole survivor of a flood and who had been given eternal life. He is advised by Utanapishtim that he would gain immortality if he could stay awake for the next six days, something he, however, fails in. He does not attain immortality and adventures back home to Uruk assisted by Urshanabi, a ferryman, where can document his experience.
The epic is indeed a reflection of the ever-existing struggle in a person to establish some sense in their existence. It is a reflection on the inevitability of death, the greatest lesson learned by Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh feels bitter that the gods have the capability to live forever, and they tell each that life is but brief on their way to Cedar Forest deadly confrontation. Enkidu finally bows to fate, and Gilgamesh is suddenly terrified by this thought were it to happen to him. The account of Utanipishtim reveals how death is woven inextricably into the creation fabric, and even though human beings would die, humanity would continue to live.
The epic is an interesting piece depicting the pride of the youth, the frailness of the old, instability, mystery, mortality, love, loyalty, and the ultimate desire for life. Platonic love is the motivating factor for a change in the epic, where Gilgamesh makes Enkidu change from his wild activities to become a remarkable person. This friendship transforms Gilgamesh into an astounding king and hero from being a tyrant and bully who lorded over his subjects in controversial ways. Gilgamesh is made to identify and appreciate the interests of his people. When Enkidu passes on, Gilgamesh is terrified and grieved, impelling him to his unending immortality quest. The epic is intriguing and full of myths, with a superb introduction identifying the plot of the narrative. It is a highly enjoyable read with twists and turns of an interesting adventure, applicable to history and old myth lovers.