The Mesopotamian Roller Coaster

The Epic of Gilgamesh is so numerous in plot twists, suspense, and action that it rivals the intensity of the modern day Michael Bay film. For example, Gilgamesh was born as a mortal who was two thirds of a god ( so much for humble beginnings), and in response Enkidu, or more commonly known as my imagination of the modern day Bigfoot, entered the world as a wild man who was meant to match Gilgamesh in his might. Even more interesting, my expectations of the fight of the century were put to death when the two burly men bonded over roughhousing. The intensity became greater as Gilgamesh struggled over whether to slay the giant or have mercy on him, and I'll admit that I did not expect Enkidu to persuade him to kill the giant so quickly. And last but surely not least, the death of Enkidu reminded me of the brutality of the Mesopotamians. As if I was playing a made up board game with my little cousin, the tables turned on a heartbeat and Enkidu was sentenced to a dramatic death. In the cruel culture of the Mesopotamians, this was likely expected or even preferred over other outcomes. Suspense, foreshadowing, deceit, and action were constant throughout the first few tablets and reminded me of action/adventure movies containing plots that followed the blueprints of a roller coaster.  If I may be excused, I will need time to grow my hair and mourn over Enkidu, my favorite image of Bigfoot ever to cross my mind. He reminded me of myself, definitely not in my strength, but in my ability to make obvious failures and suffer the repercussions.

P. S. My favorite Quote of the Year and possibly my life:"Cow Babies"-Dr. Downs


P.S.S. I commented on Anna Kate's and Dakota's posts.