Remember the Name and Not Much Else
While the story of Gilgamesh’s and Enkidu’s exploits is
quite interesting, what caught my attention in this week’s reading was one
phrase from the prologue. On page 61, the story is prefaced by an account of
how epic Gilgamesh is and all that he accomplished. It references the ziggurat
he built at Uruk and tells us that we can, “Look at it still today.” What fascinated
me about this phrase was that it is true. Even though it has been thousands of
years since this was written, we can still look at the ziggurat in Uruk today.
It may not look the same now as it did back then, but it is still there. Given
the themes of mortality and legacy in the epic, I find this fact
interesting. During the first half of the story, Gilgamesh repeatedly talks of how
he and Enkidu must do something to make sure that they are not forgotten when
they die. His focus on legacy makes the words of the prologue stand out all the
more. He wants to make sure that he is not forgotten. Now, thousands of
years later, we still read this story and see his buildings. He seems to have succeeded
in accomplishing works “the fame of which will never die” (78).
While I cannot deny that we
remember the name of Gilgamesh, I would call his success into question.
Gilgamesh wished to live forever but had to settle for doing things that would allow
him to live on in name only. Does that actually accomplish anything? In Ecclesiastes,
The Preacher seems to think that it does not. He writes, “I considered all that
my hands had done and the toil I had expanded in doing it, and behold, all was vanity
and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun”
(Ecc. 2:11 ESV). Building these great
temples gains him nothing. He might be remembered for a few thousand years,
but, in the light of eternity, that is not long enough to talk about. Indeed,
The Preacher goes on to write, “there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that
in the days to come all will have been long forgotten” (Ecc. 2:16). Gilgamesh
may be remembered in his story and his ziggurat, but that is all. A few facts,
a probably fictitious story, and a ruined ziggurat are all that is left of this
great king. This is nothing compared to the actual person. His thoughts,
feelings, and personality were forgotten long ago. We know the name of Gilgamesh, but
that is about it. Is that a sufficient remembrance? Has Gilgamesh achieved his
goal?
P.S. I commented on Breanna's and Will's posts
P.S. I commented on Breanna's and Will's posts
I think you made a good point about Gilgamesh`s achievements in the end being very little. But would it really be better even if he had his name written across the history books accrediting him for a lot of deeds, as well as having tons of people point out how instrumental Gilgamesh was in changing history? People would still not know the person and just the name. Even then they would quickly move on with their lives and only remember it if it showed up in a crossword puzzle. Ultimately all that will last for eternity is what we accomplish for the glory of God.
ReplyDeleteI would say that he did accomplish his goal. Sure he's a fictitious character, but he's one of the oldest fictitious characters in the known history of mankind. We not only know his name, but also his goal in life, his habits, his best friend, his family, his temperament, his likes, his dislikes, his strengths, his weaknesses, what makes him laugh, what makes him cry, etc.. I would argue that we do know a lot about the person of Gilgamesh. In a sense, it wasn't just his name that was passed down through millennium, but also himself, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI would say, as far as remembering his name, he accomplished this goal. But, I agree with Katie. We remember his story and what we have recorded. However, he did not achieve much to be remembered by his goals. We remember names such as Alexander the Great, because he conquered the known world; or Adolf Hitler, because his impact he made on people. I don't think Gilgamesh made history this way. Rather, we know his life as the king, we know about his relationship with Enkindu. But as far as records for the history book, there's not much there.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you explain the seemingly impossible journey of Gilgamesh in his pursuit of immortality and his ability to only live on by his name. It creates a great contrast between what we wish for and what we receive!
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