This was EPIC
Like most legends, the Epic of Gilgamesh gives a deeper look into the lives, values, and concerns of those for whom it was composed and to whom it was told over the centuries. Historians, of course, can’t help but consider ways in which it may have shaped some of the stories in the Book of Genesis. The question becomes whether or not the possible influence of the former in any way negates or reduces the spiritual importance or power of the latter. It
shouldn’t, but people always tend to hang their faith on the weirdest details. Aside of all spiritual talk, the tales of Gilgamesh and Enkidu echo every superhero movie and/ or story composed since. People who study such things love debating to what extent such common themes reoccur endlessly because of the ways culture diffuses over time and place, or whether it’s simply a matter of human wants, needs, and experiences, which then takes a lead to the telling of repeated basic myths. Mostly, it’s just plain cool because it’s so freaking old, and allows us to reach back thousands of years in time and in some small way brush up against our own humanity, our own wants and fears and thrills. Violence and friendship play a role in describing this "hero quest." The good guys don’t always win, but neither do they ever quite give up. Surely there’s some comfort in knowing that ideal hasn’t changed much.
P.S. I commented on Zane's and Anna Kate's
shouldn’t, but people always tend to hang their faith on the weirdest details. Aside of all spiritual talk, the tales of Gilgamesh and Enkidu echo every superhero movie and/ or story composed since. People who study such things love debating to what extent such common themes reoccur endlessly because of the ways culture diffuses over time and place, or whether it’s simply a matter of human wants, needs, and experiences, which then takes a lead to the telling of repeated basic myths. Mostly, it’s just plain cool because it’s so freaking old, and allows us to reach back thousands of years in time and in some small way brush up against our own humanity, our own wants and fears and thrills. Violence and friendship play a role in describing this "hero quest." The good guys don’t always win, but neither do they ever quite give up. Surely there’s some comfort in knowing that ideal hasn’t changed much.
P.S. I commented on Zane's and Anna Kate's
It's crazy to think about just how old this story is. We tend to have three categories when thinking about history. There's modern-ish history, from somewhere around 1700 to the present. Then there's the old stuff, which is the medieval period. And then there's the really old stuff, which lumps together all of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian history. What we rarely think about is that The Epic of Gilgamesh was already thousands of years old when the Romans were conquering the Mediterranean world. This story should really be categorized as really really really old. Despite it's age, it is still relevant today. We can see it's effects in modern stories. But, most of all, we can identify with the characters. Though separated by so much time, we can identify with Gilgamesh's desire for friendship or his wish to be remembered. We like to talk about how much we've advanced in the last few hundred years, but, looking at this story, we can see that humanity hasn't actually changed all that much. We still sin; we still have wants and desires. It's just who we are.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison to today's entertainment world in the aspect of superheroes and how you made this epic a relevant topic in today's world. I think you did a great job of bringing to light how we can use this epic as a historical piece to compare our everyday life to.
ReplyDeleteThere truly is so much to draw from within the few pages of Gilgamesh's journey. Like Eliza said. we really can identify with all of these strong characters and their numerous characteristics! I also love your thought about heros "never quite giving up." Because even though Gil faced so many challenges, he ultimately ended up happy and satisfied.
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