It is difficult for us to correctly analyze a piece of literature from a time before the development of writing or language. This recorded piece truly identifies what it means to be a part of Sumerian culture and is not only daunting, but insightful. “For there is nothing eternal on Earth.” I perceive this quote spoken by Utnapishtim not as words recorded in history but inhabited in time.
In terms of Sumerian culture, it’s easy for our perception of their belief to be misinterpreted. Especially when we look at the way religion is so controversial to this day. Religion played a vital role in their culture as it does in modern society. In “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” we found a story primarily based around the establishment of the city of Erech; A city run by a tyrant that not only prayed to heaven, but also worshipped the gods. Heaven set Gilgamesh on his throne. This was a time when gods were perceived as human, and female goddesses were thought to have created the human race from clay. Death and Religion go hand-in-hand in this story because of the role the gods play. Only gods can escape death in a battle and in existence. We later find from Utnapishtim that, “When men draw up a contract they set a term. (…) Time and seasons are appointed for all.” In early Mesopotamia, it’s important to understand that civilization lived under prophecy, believed in faith, accepted hardship, and sought sanctity. These mortals live in a world where sacrifices are made and rituals are performed when they implore aid or support from the gods. For instance when a bull is sent down from heaven, that means a 7 year famine lies ahead on Earth. So, religion is not as controversial as today’s culture, but in retrospect it was just as important to remain h...
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...r the ocean of death. Food and clothing was to their use as well as ours today, and garments, crowns, and robes were available such that they were in the Renaissance Era. I also noticed that a festival was held where tinkling cymbals and flutes were played and the city of Erech was dressed in festive throngs, so it’s fair to make the assumption that the Sumerians did not all live like cavemen. There were just some more fortunate than others.
Overall, Sumerian culture seemed very medieval, but was also a time where we see cavemen transition to civilization. It seems to me that Mesopotamian literature, glorifies kings as servants of or descendants of the gods. Ultimately, the story describes the existential struggles of a Mesopotamian ruler who must conciliate himself to his mortality and find meaning in his life despite his awareness of the inevitability of death.
True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many people. To spend time with a special someone; the person one feels closest to; the so-called soul mate and to never have that high feeling of emotion end mentally and physically would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselves and realizes the important things in life and puts it all into perspective. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main character, Gilgamesh, is a powerful, arrogant king and part god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s partner, is animal-like but later takes on more humanistic traits such as his contemplation’s of death. The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a very powerful, loving friendship. Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s soul mate, not only acting as his friend but as a lover too. Enkidu’s presence in Gilgamesh’s life allows Gilgamesh to see what is truly good in life and to accept his mortality much easier.
As a natural phenomena that occurs frequently yet is still not completely understood, death has confounded and, to a certain degree, fascinated all of humanity. Since the dawn of our species, people have tried to rationalize death by means of creating various religions and even attempted to conquer death, leading to great works of literature such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Cannibal Spell For King Unis. Considered one of the earliest great pieces of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh tells an adventurous yet profound tale about the god-like king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and his quest to find immortality. While his name now lives on through the Epic, Gilgamesh did not attain eternal life as the plant of immortality was stolen from him by a snake.
Several different pieces of evidence of ancient Sumerian kings have managed to remain intact today. These inscriptions and pieces of art give an insight to how Sumerians viewed their kings and how kings viewed themselves. Two kings that have a remarkable amount of surviving information is Shulgi of the Ur III dynasty, and Gudea of the Lagash II Dynasty. The similar depiction of Gudea and Shulgi suggests that the primary role of kingship in ancient Sumer was a religious one based on the connection between the gods and the king.
The epic yarn Gilgamesh leaves me somewhat discouraged when I finished the book. This pessimistic ending is not the happy ending I was expecting to see considering the tragedies throughout of the rest of the story. The entire last part of the book, starting with Enkidu’s death, is nothing but more sorrow for Gilgamesh. The book seems to give Gilgamesh hope and then beat him down with more tragedy. It is almost as if the more he tries, the worse it gets for him.
Character is built in several different ways. Some may view character as how one handles a certain hectic situation or how well one person treats another. A true definition character contains these elements, but one’s character is built and developed mainly on how one picks and chooses his time to act and his time to wait. This definition refers to restraint and discipline. Gilgamesh and Homer’s The Odyssey uses many instances in which the main characters must use incredible restraint to protect not only themselves, but also the ones they care for and love. Although both stories use this theme of self-control and discipline to develop certain personalities, each one tells a different account of how these characters are viewed by their fellow men and women and the rewards that come from showing the traits of restraint and self-will. In Gilgamesh, the character that holds back and exhibits patience is viewed as a coward, as Gilgamesh believes, and is a sign of a lack of bravery and confidence. The way that patience is portrayed in Gilgamesh reflects how the society of the time feels about everything in their lives. The author of this story wants the reader to believe that one must not hesitate and must act decisively and quickly. Opposing this belief, Odysseus holds back emotions of rage and homesickness in order to complete the task at hand. Homer, living in Greek society, understood that his people thought more about the problem before coming to a quick conclusion and then acting on it impulsively. So, although both stories repeat the concepts of self-restraint and discipline as character building qualities, they differ in the way that these attributes build or weaken a personality.
There were many ways that the Ancient Egyptian society and the Mesopotamian society were similar yet at the same time they were very different. Egyptians and Sumerians agreed on religion in a sense that both cultures were polytheistic. However, the relationships between the gods and goddesses were different between the Sumerians and Egyptians. This essay will discuss those differences in culture, religion and the viewpoints on death and afterlife.
5. Mesopotamian deities required humanity to worship and praise them. Basically, they were to be their servants.
Sumeria is one of the ancient civilizations in historical regions in Mesopotamia, which is now modern day Iraq. Historians believe that the area called Sumer was first permanently settled by non -Semitic people who spoke the Sumerian language. The Sumerian civilization took form in the Uruk period (4th millennium BCE). The Sumerian city of Eridu was the world’s first city, where three separate cultures merged – the peasant farmers, nomadic Semitic pastoralists and fisher folks who were the ancestors of the Sumerians. Based on research, historians believe before the Sumerians there was no other known civilization as advanced as the Sumerians. Sumerians were advanced in their technologies, knowledge and development of a society. Sumerians developed and cataloged the brightest stars, and outline zodiacal constellations.
Many themes are incorporated into the story line of Gilgamesh. These include three very important concepts: death is inevitable, immortality is unachievable, and friendship is a necessity.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is generally regarded as the greatest literature about tales of a great king. The Epic of Gilgamesh served to show us a lot of things. The time period of BCE is very blurry, and this story attempts to describe many different things in not only Sumerian beliefs, but also Sumerian's culture as a whole. Like many stories from BCE the truth itself is questionable, even though a lot of the information is fact. The factual information that Gilgamesh teaches us about Sumerian Civilization is that had had many craftsman and artistic skills, and also a strong belief in Gods.
We learn about ancient civilizations through literature, artifacts, and stories passed down from generation to generation. The Mesopotamian civilization is one of earth's earliest civilizations, and it's also one we know very little about. We can gather information about these people's way life, beliefs, and geographical location. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary work from this time period, shows us several important pieces of information that helps us understand this ancient civilization. This epic shows us the Mesopotamian peoples belief system, their views on death, and their description of the after life.
Throughout the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is described as being a hero, “who knew the most of all men” (Gilgamesh, pg. 3). He is described as “two-thirds a god” (Gilgamesh, pg. 4) and “the strongest one of all, the perfect, the terror” (Gilgamesh, pg. 4). Due to Gilgamesh’s great recognition, he lacks a peer, someone who is able to challenge him. However, Enkidu is formed to test Gilgamesh’s abilities. Gilgamesh and Enkidu eventually grow a strong companionship. The bond between the two characters is the most important aspect in Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Enkidu act as each other’s counterparts throughout the novel.
People of the ancient world often had questions about their existence and how life and people came to be on earth. Most ancient people answered these questions through religion. The Sumerians were the first important group of people to inhabit Mesopotamia and they were known to practice a form of worship called polytheism, which is the worship of several gods. Mesopotamians associated different gods with natural events, emotions, and other occurrences. Their main deities included An (the god of the heavens), Enlil (Lord Storm), Enki (god of wisdom), and Nihursaga (the mother of all living things)(p.22). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods controlled all of the events and occurrences in life. An ancient text called “Creation of Man by the Mother Goddess” (p.34) helps us understand how the M...
Located in the city of Uruk in Sumeria, the epic of Gilgamesh was an old describing king Gilgamesh’s reign around 26000 B.C.E. By oral tradition, the story was passed down through generations. In 750 B.C.E, finally written in cuneiform, the story talked about the monarchial government structure within an urbanized city. Many gods were worshipped in temples in this well-recognized polytheistic city. In order to protect its enemies during times of war and citizens from attacks, Uruk also had walls surrounding the city. As their main sources of crop, the society survived on wheat and grain agriculture. Known as the Fertile Crescent, the land was productive and fertile at that time. Due to the overall leadership that king Gilgamesh offered, the city did well for itself.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a moving tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, the demigod king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. Accepting ones own mortality is the overarching theme of the epic as Gilgamesh and Enkidu find their highest purpose in the pursuit of eternal life.