GILGAMESH

1. GILGAMESH

2. What do you remember? • 1. What is the name of the woman that charms Enkidu? • 2. Whose idea was it to summon the woman for Enkidu? • 3. In which city does Gilgamesh live? • 4. What happens when Gilgamesh and Enkidu meet for the first time? • 5. What common occurrence prepared Gilgamesh for the arrival of Enkidu?

3. Shamath • Gilgamesh • Uruk • They wrestle • Dreams

4. How to Read for this Class • Biographical Criticism- Writer’s life to work • Moral/Philosophical Criticism- Does the work attempt to teach a moral or corrupt? • Historical Criticism- History of the day’s influence on the story • Genre Criticism- How well can it be defined by a category? • Psychological Criticism- Examines the mindset of both the author and the characters • Archetypal Criticism- A search for the connectivity of symbols across stories • Feminist Criticism- How are women treated in the story? • Reader response Criticism- What meaning does the reader take away from the story? • Formalism- Close reading limited to the text for meaning.

5. Major Questions • Keeping in mind that this is one the first stories in recorded history, what archetypes are presented in the story that have been continued today? • Conflicts • Characters • Settings • How does the change in culture and time period change the values of the characters? • How is the split between man and animal portrayed in this story?

6. WARNING • This is a dangerous book

7. Quick History • Gilgamesh is the oldest recorded text in the world • The Old Testament was completed in 400 BC. Gilgamesh was written about a king who may have actually ruled in 2700 BC. • The Garden of Eden of the Bible is based around the center of Sumerian culture (Gen 2: 10-14) • It was written by the people of Sumer, the first civilization in history in the city of Uruk, one the first cities in history- Importance and Revelations • Other Achievements • Built first pyramids called ziggurats • Built first cities • Wrote the first stories

8. Sumerian gods • Sumerians worshipped the forces that most controlled their future. • Ishtar- love, procreation, fertility, war- Connection?

9. Writing Style • The Old testament mimics much of the style of writing • Rhetorical questions “and this is the king, shepherd of his people? • Assumption that their landmarks will last forever- “Look at it still today…” • Use of both first and third person P.O.V. • “You made him, O Aruru; now create his equal” • Uses of three- “three days journey”

10. Gilgamesh • 2/3 god, 1/3 man • Becomes arrogant in his power- Biblical equivalent Samson • Steals their sons (thought to be more important for military purpose) and their brides on their wedding night

11. Creation of Equal • “now create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self; stormy heart for stormy heart. Let them contend together and leave Uruk in quiet.” • Similar to Adam and Eve • Necessity of an equal • Comfort • Balance of Power • Gilgamesh’s dreams equate his attraction for the objects as one desires a woman • Enkidu looked like a bridegroom when finally dressed in clothes.

12. Enkidu • Foil to Gilgamesh • His physical opposite in terms of appearance but equal to him in strength • “He was innocent of mankind; he knew nothing of the cultivated land.” • "I have come to change the old order”

13. Separation from Nature- Women • Go to Uruk, find Gilgamesh, extol the strength of this wild man. Ask him to give you a harlot, a wanton from the temple of love; return with her, and let her woman’s power overpower this man. When next he comes down to drink at the wells she will be there, stripped naked; and when he sees her beckoning he will embrace her, and then the wild beasts will reject him.’ • “Teach him” “Your woman’s art” • “So Enkidu ‘balances’ Gilgamesh by symbolizing Nature – the opposite of the city, and its civilization, which literally has a wall to keep Nature out. • “But it gets deeper still, this ‘balance.’ Because contrary to what we’d expect, ‘civilized’ Gilgamesh is not superior to ‘wild and natural’ Enkidu. We see that because Enkidu saves the other animals from the ‘civilized’ hunter’s traps. He’s compassionate, this natural man. And he’s innocent. Gilgamesh, though, is screwing the brides of every groom in town. The civilized king is glorious, yes – he built Uruk’s walls and is semi-divine, after all – but he’s also really flawed by his heartlessness. Enkidu ‘balances’ this, too. • “Finally,” he continued, “Enkidu ‘balances’ Gilgamesh in his physical strength. It’s like Achilles and Hector in the Iliad – perfectly matched superhero types. So that’s it: Aruru did a bang-up job of creating exactly what Anu ordered – a ‘balancing double’ to Gilgamesh.”

14. Women • A different view of sex • Temple Prostitutes were looked up to- their life was a dedication to the principles of their god • Procreation was celebrated as one of the more miraculous feats of the day- Greater risk, military, social status of supporting the family • The unabridged version of Gilgamesh is MUCH more graphic than this version, again because the people of the day would not have thought of this as sinful. • They would have seen it as a priestess healing the sick • Even the Bible Eve was created shortly after Adam to give him a partner. It did not take them long to have children. What would men be without women? • Credits women with calming man, the blessings of their body, and the use of their wisdom- Shamhat teaches Enkidu • Sex with Shamhat must be different from base sex. All animals have sex, yet they deny Enkidu after he has sex. What changes? • Sex is now more than just procreation. The priestess/harlot is from Ishtar, goddess of love. After the contact Enkidu desires a friend. Adam after naming the animals desires a mate himself. (Gen 2:20-24)

15. The Poison Apple of Understanding • “And now the wild creatures had all fled away; Enkidu was grown weak , for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart” • Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil- realizes his nakedness, but is not ashamed • Samson’s Hair- but Shamath is good for him • Understands human language now

16. Education continues • Next Enkidu is instructed to eat bread and drink beer • Remember the archetypal importance of being able to eat a meal with others. It establishes one as part of a culture and leads to discussion • Furthermore, alcohol before cars was not as frowned upon. There were still deaths from fights and the still a danger of alcoholism, but there were few drunk driving deaths.- Venice

17. Battle • The shepherd versus the civilized • The Sumerians would have looked down on the shepherds, those that lived outside the walls. • However, the author recognized the loss of morals • Enkidu is defeated, but Gilgamesh is humbled

18. Punishment? • Note the differences between the reactions of the people in power and their reactions to sinners, as opposed to Old Testament- Put them to the sword. • To discipline Gilgamesh, Anu creates his equal to lessen his arrogance, but saves the man • Gilgamesh is asked for advice on how to deal with Enkidu- he sends him a harlot to bring him back to humanity, saving the man.

19. Punishment • Today our prison system is still debating which of the following ideas are the most effective • Do we lock killers up for years as punishment for their crime • OR do we keep them behind walls and give them the education and skills needed not to fall back into a life of crime

20. Yesterday in Review • The civilizing of man and the place of women • The following of ritual (relationship, clothes, meals) • Taming passions • The symbolism of each character and the wisdom they reach • Gilgamesh- the arrogant king becomes wise • Enkidu- the animal becomes civilized • The necessity of having a partner • Comfort and balance of power • The recognition of commonalities among ancient writings • Repetition, Dream Interpretation, Longevity, Rhetorical Questions • Punishment versus rehabilitation • The introduction to the epic hero, and the beginning of the “long journey”

21. But then he drew himself up, for his understanding had broadened. • "Eat the food, Enkidu, it is the way one lives. Drink the beer, as is the custom of the land.” • He splashed his shaggy body with water, and rubbed himself with oil, and turned into a human • Becoming aware of himself, he sought a friend. • and some kind of meteorite(?) of Anu fell next to me.      I tried to lift it but it was too mighty for me, • At the gate of my marital chamber there lay an axe, • Take and read out from the lapis lazuli tablethow Gilgamesh went through every hardship

22. Literary Criticisms • Historical Critique? • Moral Critique? • Feminist Critique? • Critique the story through one of these modes in three sentences. • What is the author’s purpose? • What methods (conflicts, characters, archetypes, etc) do they use to bring about their goal? • As a reader, what significant revelation should I reach through reading this story, and why is it important?

23. Example-Historical • The first stage of Gilgamesh is the tale of the taming of both Enkidu and Gilgamesh, a tale that represents the Sumerian pride of taming the wilderness while showing the journey of creating wise kings. The story of Gilgamesh represents the intellectual superiority of the Sumerian culture set against the unknowns of the wilderness and the ignorance of agrarian workers. However, the author is quick to acknowledge that despite their technological sophistication, the ancient passions of lust and greed are ever present and are still to be feared.

24. Sentence combining • 91 word essay

25. Humbaba

26. Quiz • What is the name of the monster that Gilgamesh sets out to defeat? • What does this monster protect? • What is Gilgamesh’s reason for journeying to fight the creature? • What characteristic of her son does Gilgamesh’s mother, Ninsun, regret that the gods gave him? • What does Ninsun do for Enkidu before he departs with Gilgamesh? • What aid does Gilgamesh’s patron god, Shamash, give him in his battle with Humbaba? • What does Enkidu talk Gilgamesh into doing with Humbaba once they have him pinned down? • Gilgamesh angers what goddess by teasing her about her failed relationships? • What does the above goddess ask for from her father as revenge on Gilgamesh? • What kills Enkidu?

27. Should I Stay or Should I Go • When asked if he would join Gilgamesh on a quest to fight Humbaba, Enkidu originally says no. • Enkidu claims it is morally wrong to challenge a god. Traditional view. • Gilgamesh responds by calling him a coward, claiming no one lives forever, so they should do something that allows them to be remembered forever. • We are not gods, we cannot ascendto heaven. No, we are mortal men.Only the gods live forever. Our daysare few in number, and whatever we achieveis a puff of wind. Why be afraid then,since sooner or later death must come? • In fact throughout the tale, Gilgamesh has to repeatedly remind Enkidu to be brave

28. Hyperbole • Their axes each weighed 200 pounds • They traveled 50 leagues in a day = 150 miles • Harnessed the power of storms to fight Humbaba • No danger of proving their story as this was not considered as coming from the mouth of God.

29. Humbaba • Now that Enkidu is removed from nature, Humbaba becomes its new champion in the story. • He is perceived as evil. YET, he only protects the cedar forest from invaders looking to cut down its tree. • Gilgamesh proclaims he will cut down the tallest one. • Now it should be noted in a polytheistic religion that Humbaba can be considered both sacred and evil at the same time.

30. Ritual vs. Taboo • Gilgamesh defies on set of the gods by attacking Humbaba • Breaks from ritualistic behavior • Is this a heroic breaking from a restricting worldview, or an arrogant overstepping of his bounds? • In either case, the first story in history has a man break from tradition of the gods to follow his free will.

31. HUMBABA • Humbaba’s head is placed at the edge of the mountain as an apotropaic symbol (a symbol meant to ward off evil spirits) • One can see the same idea in the Greek story of Perseus and the gorgon Medusa • The questions becomes, as a former symbol of nature, why does Enkidu want Humbaba dead so badly?

32. The Question of Enkidu’s Decision • “I have never known a mother, no, nor a father who reared me. I was born of the mountain, he reared me, and Enlil made me the keeper of this forest. Let me go free, Gilgamesh, and I will be your servant, you shall be my lord; all the trees of the forest that I tended on the mountain shall be yours. I will cut them down and build you a palace.” – Humbaba • Sound familiar? Why no mercy especially from Enkidu?

33. Cont • Enkidu claims that Humbaba will double cross them • Humbaba calls that response fear and jealousy. • Who is right?

34. Imbalance- Arrogance? • Originally Enkidu served as symbol of nature and Gilgamesh as a symbol of civilization. • Civilization wins the wrestling match. • Now, it is not enough for Gilgamesh to remain behind his walls. He must conquer further. • Sumerian expansion comes at a price. • These people who would have once worshipped the trees and forest find they must cut it down to build their houses, so they make its protector evil. • In this story, the gods try to protect nature from man. Mixed message on the benefits of civilization

35. Death in the Garden of Eden • The cedar forest was one of the last bastions of undisturbed nature for the Sumerians • That made it both dangerous and mysterious • Gilgamesh seems to know that killing Humbaba will result in instant and long lasting consequences. • “If we touch him the blaze and the glory of light will be put out in confusion, the glory and glamour will vanish, its rays will be quenched.” • In the first epic tale of our culture’s history, we have evidence of man knowing they are ruining the sanctity of nature, and doing it anyway.

36. Ishtar, The Bull of Heaven, and a Dash of Hypocrisy

37. Ishtar • Gilgamesh further shows his arrogance and lack of wisdom in dealing with Ishtar. • He has already infuriated Enlil by killing his servant Humbaba and displaying his head. • Now he recounts the number failed relationships Ishtar has after she flirts with him. • Similar to many Greek myths, as powerful attempt to defy the gods at their own peril. • Also similar, the gods disagree and bargain with one another about the lives of people.

38. Hypocrisy • First, Gilgamesh harasses Ishtar for her failed relationship- the same man that raped countless virgins • Second, it was the temple of Ishtar that Gilgamesh went to for help with Enkidu • Why is Gilgamesh so spiteful?

39. The Bull of Heaven and Enkidu’s mistake • After the Bull of Heaven kills 600 people, Enkidu traps its horns, as it throws spit and feces at him. • Gilgamesh stabs it in the neck, tears out its heart, and offers it to Shamash • When Ishtar curses at them, Enkidu throws the leg of the Bull at her and says he wished it was her. • The Problem- Gilgamesh is almost a god himself. Enkidu is not. • it should also be noted that the duo defeat the Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, without divine help. • Have they become too powerful?

40. A Quick Word on Gender Differences • It is notable whom is called when the Bull dies • Ishtar calls the dancing and singing girls and courtesans • Gilgamesh calls the artisans and smiths • Each calls to the professions of their gender • It could be said that Gilgamesh’s character continues to show he is not a friend to women.

41. Politics • Enkidu finds himself as a bargaining chip of the gods caught in their game. • Enlil and Ishtar are mad at Shamash that his men killed their playthings. • Shamash explains he told them to do it, and it was all to honor him. • Enlil demands that one of them must die, and Enkidu is chosen.

42. Enkidu’s final thoughts • Regrets going to the Cedar Wood for something as simple as door. • If I had known that this was all the good that would come of it, I would have raised the axe and split you into little pieces and set up here a gate of wattle instead. Ah, if only some future king had brought you here, or some god- had fashioned you. Let him obliterate my name and write his own, and the curse fall on him instead of on Enkidu.’ • Briefly curses harlots for civilizing him at all, but takes it back for the friendship he had with Gilgamesh • Gives moral to fighting men- believes he dies in shame by dying on a sick bed and not in battle

43. Final Thoughts • Does Enkidu regret his life at the end? • Does Gilgamesh regret the part he had in bringing his life to an end? • Is sorrow the only path to wisdom?

44. Short Answer Question • Due Monday • In what way is Gilgamesh like Ozymandias? • Use ARC format • Embed Text support from both • Your conclusion must explain why the answer to the question is important. What is the uniting theme the authors were trying to emphasize? • Read the rest of the Gilgamesh over the weekend. • Quiz on Monday

45. Rhyme Scheme • Theme of the poem • Text Evidence for theme • What destroys the kingdom of Ozymandias? • What does the statue reveal about his character?

46. The Search for Everlasting LifeBirth/Death and Rebirth“Through pain and suffering the character overcomes feelings of despair, and through a process of self-realization is reborn”

47. Quiz 2 • What does Gilgamesh attack before entering the underworld cave? • How many days is Gilgamesh under the mountain? • Why did Utnapishtim receive eternal life? • Why could Urshanabi, the ferryman, not transport Gilgamesh across the underwater ocean? • What surprises Gilgamesh about the appearance of Utnapishtim? • How did Utnapishtim protect himself from the impending destruction from the gods? • What did mankind do that made Enlil want to destroy them? • What test did Utnapishtim develop to see if Gilgamesh could handle everlasting life? • How did Utnapishtim show him that he failed? • What happened to the flower of youth?

48. Woman as the TemptressAt one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which as with the Meeting with the Goddess does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. For Campbell, however, this step is about the revulsion that the usually male hero may feel about his own fleshy/earthy nature, and the subsequent attachment or projection of that revulsion to women. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey.

49. Archetypes • The Journey – The journey sends the hero in search for some truth of information necessary to restore fertility, justice, and/or harmony to the kingdom. The journey includes the series of trials and tribulations the hero faces along the way. Usually the hero descends into a real or psychological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his faults. Once the hero is at this lowest level, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the living. • Death and Rebirth – The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. It refers to those situations in which someone or something, concrete and/or metaphysical dies, yet is accompanied by some sign of birth or rebirth.

50. What is Left Gilgamesh • In his misery he abandons his kingdom and roams as a hunter. This would be a digression for a civilized man • Gilgamesh leaves the safety of Uruk for the wisdom in the wilderness • Admits that he believed the gods would give him back- he would not give up the body until the worms appeared • Admits that he fears death • He visits the only man to be given everlasting life Utnapishtim • Travels through the dark cave- mimics his soul • Jonah and the whale • Travels 12 leagues through absolute darkness (note the importance of the number 12) • Why kill the lions?