Gilgamesh: A Captivating Guide to Gilgamesh the King and the Epic of Gilgamesh
()
About this ebook
Rarely does a name survive as many millennia as Gilgamesh has. World-renowned men of letters such as Carl Gustav Jung and Rainer Maria Rilke spoke nothing but the highest praise for the ancient Babylonian epic about the popular and much beloved Sumerian king.
Numerous works of literature have been either directly inspired by or openly mimic this epic, all from writers who have nothing but the utmost respect for this treasure written in cuneiform.
One has to wonder, how come something so old, so detached from this crazy modern world became so beloved, something which hundreds of researchers and creators worldwide would end up not just liking but being enamored with?
It can't have been its historical value—older and more crucial written texts of Ancient Mesopotamia were found and translated for modern audiences both before and after the Epic. It must be something else, then. It must be its contents, or, more particularly, the culture that created it.
The aim of this new captivating history book is to allow you to go on a remarkable journey into this magic part of Mesopotamian history so you can come to your own conclusion regarding the question above as well as discover the truth about Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh: A Captivating Guide to Gilgamesh the King and the Epic of Gilgamesh will reveal:
- The History of the Epic
- All Eleven Tablets
- Sumerian Poems About Gilgamesh
- And much, much more!
So if you want to learn more about Gilgamesh, click "buy now"!
Read more from Captivating History
The Ottoman Empire: A Captivating Guide to the Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire and Its Control Over Much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Maurya Empire: A Captivating Guide to the Most Expansive Empire in Ancient India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Gilgamesh
Related ebooks
Gilgamesh: The History and Mythology of the Sumerian King Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Epic of Gilgamish Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreek Mythology: The Complete Stories of Greek Gods, Heroes, Monsters, Adventures, Voyages, Tragedies & Wars Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZapotec Civilization: A Captivating Guide to the Pre-Columbian Cloud People Who Dominated the Valley of Oaxaca in Mesoamerica Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUr: A Captivating Guide to One of the Most Important Sumerian City-States in Ancient Mesopotamia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Argonautica Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOlmecs: A Captivating Guide to the Earliest Known Major Ancient Civilization in Mexico Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sumerians: History and Archaeology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEye of the Moon Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Salem Witch Hunt: A Captivating Guide to the Hunt and Trials of People Accused of Witchcraft in Colonial Massachusetts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dark Ages: A Captivating Guide to the Period Between the Fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSumerians: The Great Civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHarriet Tubman: A Captivating Guide to an American Abolitionist Who Became the Most Famous Conductor of the Underground Railroad Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Persians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHammurabi: A Captivating Guide to the Sixth King of the First Babylonian Dynasty, Including the Code of Hammurabi Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHittites: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Anatolian People Who Established the Hittite Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Demi-Gods of Greek Mythology - Mythology 4th Grade | Children's Greek & Roman Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSaturnalia: A Tale of Wickedness and Redemption in Ancient Rome Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Profound Black Queens Almost Lost in History Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5THE LOST DUTCHMAN’S TREASURE: THE STORY OF TRUTH Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAztec: A Captivating Guide to Aztec History and the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrehistoric Man: Researches into the Origin of Civilization in the Old and the New World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegends of the Ancient World: The Life and Legacy of Queen Nefertiti Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Adventurers & Explorers For You
When I Fell From the Sky Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Be Alone: an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Return to Earth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Uncertain Sea: Fear is everywhere. Embrace it. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wind, Sand And Stars Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Life Story Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Republic Of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJon Krakauer's Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Summary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Exotic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bird Woman (Sacajawea) the Guide of Lewis and Clark: Her Own Story Now First Given to the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After The Wind: Tragedy on Everest One Survivor's Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kon-Tiki Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Season Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5West with the Night Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Annapurna: The First Conquest of an 8,000-Meter Peak Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seven Pillars of Wisdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Voyage For Madmen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Aquanaut: The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Gilgamesh
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Gilgamesh - Captivating History
Gilgamesh
A Captivating Guide to Gilgamesh the King and the Epic of Gilgamesh
© Copyright 2018
All rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.
Disclaimer: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or transmitted by email without permission in writing from the publisher.
While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.
This book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.
Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including international, federal, state and local laws governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the US, Canada, UK or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader.
Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of the purchaser or reader of these materials. Any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The History of the Epic
Tablet 1: The Coming of Enkidu
Tablet 2: Gilgamesh vs. Enkidu
Tablet 3: Preparing for the Journey
Tablet 4: The Journey
Tablet 5: The Battle with Humbaba
Tablet 6: Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven
Tablet 7: The Death of Enkidu
Tablet 8: Enkidu’s Funeral
Tablet 9: Gilgamesh’s Wanderings
Tablet 10: The Edge of the World
Tablet 11: Gilgamesh’s Journey Ends: the Deluge, Immortality, and Return to Uruk
Conclusion
Bibliography and References
Notes on Images
Introduction
Rarely does a name survive as many millennia as Gilgamesh has. World-renowned men of letters such as Carl Gustav Jung and Rainer Maria Rilke spoke nothing but the highest praise for the ancient Babylonian epic about the popular and much beloved Sumerian king. Numerous works of literature have been either directly inspired by or openly mimic this epic, all from writers who have nothing but the utmost respect for this treasure written in cuneiform.
But as is often the case with ancient writing, there are still plenty of things left to discover about Gilgamesh and his exploits. The sources that give us the tale are broken, damaged, incomplete, and more often than not contradict each other in crucial places. The story of the king of Uruk was so popular that it went way past its original area of influence, that being the Sumerian city-states. Akkadians, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, and many other people groups of Ancient Asia Minor saw this hero as worthy of preserving in their own cultural milieus. The stories of his accomplishments were told and retold, taught and learned, and retaught and relearned over and over again. And what’s more, the tale of the hero of Uruk wasn’t content on just staying active in ancient times. Since its discovery in 1853 and subsequent first translation in the 1870s, it has reached an entirely new, entirely different, audience, one that would see the epic come to life after almost four millennia of utter obscurity. It’s impossible to count all of the research that has gone into the epic, and with new fragments being discovered every day, this interest keeps growing.
One has to wonder, how come something so old, so detached from this crazy modern world became so beloved, something which hundreds of researchers and creators worldwide would end up not just liking but being enamored with? It can’t have been its historical value—older and more crucial written texts of Ancient Mesopotamia were found and translated for modern audiences both before and after the Epic. It must be something else, then. It must be its contents, or, more particularly, the culture that created it.
Gilgamesh was a stepping stone in world literature, insofar as being the first real literary work that we know of. Indeed, it wasn’t the oldest written document, not even the oldest written creative literary piece. But it was the first piece of high art, of high literature, the first true instant classic. And as such, it has captured the imaginations of literary scholars and critics almost as much as, say, the Homeric epics or the works of William Shakespeare. And speaking of the bard, he is probably the best point of comparison to understand the importance of Gilgamesh. Most (bad) works contain within them stereotypes and non-relatable characters and situations. Only the skilled author can humanize something inherently silly or not to be taken seriously. It is the works of creators whose works stand out and in turn have built the backbone of world culture. With Shakespeare, people often say of his Hamlet—the character, not the play—that he is literature’s first modern man. In that regard, Gilgamesh, the hero-king of Uruk, is literature’s first man.
In case this last bit confuses you, dear reader, it will be made clear once you’ve read through the epic itself. But before moving on to the story, it’s essential to briefly cover the background of Gilgamesh.
The History of the Epic
The epic was first discovered in 1853 by the Assyriologist Hormuzd Rassan and a young British traveler Austen Henry Layard in the Library of Assyrian king Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. This version consisted of twelve tablets and was written by the scribe known as Sîn-lēqi-unninni. Because of its relative completeness compared to other sources, this became the so-called Standard version
of the epic, popularly known by the first ominous sounding verses He Who Saw the Deep.
Older versions of the epic were found throughout the ancient world, the most famous one of those being Surpassing All Other Kings.
There have been several fragments found as well that contain mere pieces of the story, some even written by student scribes, with wildly different, freer interpretations. Two tablets that make up Surpassing All Other Kings
are known as the Pennsylvania Tablet and the Yale Tablet, named after the museums they are still housed in. Other fragments also bore either the name of the college or the name of their excavation site, such as the Philadelphia fragment, the Nippur School tablet, the Tell Harmal tablets, the Ishchali tablet, the partial Baghdad tablet, and the tablet reportedly from Sippar. Most of these tablets served as supplementary material in reconstructing the entire epic.
Its first translation came in the 1870s, a few decades after its discovery. The first translator of the epic, George Smith, reportedly recognized the story of the Great Flood in the cuneiform writings of the epic and was so excited that, immediately after rushing out to tell everyone the good news, he began undressing himself. Before his efforts to translate the epic (later dubbed The Chaldean Account of the Genesis
), Rassan erroneously translated the god-king’s name as Izdubar.
The to-this-day unparalleled translation came from the world-renowned Assyriologist Andrew George in 2003, published by Penguin Books. Still incomplete, this translation gave the researchers a clearer, better scope of the epic and its development.