An Epic Archetype
The epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest epic work that pre-dates Homer's writing by around 1500 years according to ancient.eu. While this epic pre-dates Homer's writings, it shares many similarities and archetypes with his writings. Did Homer draw ideas from The Epic of Gilgamesh? One of the main things that stuck out to me is in the relation and loss of Enkidu to Gilgamesh seems to parallel to that of Achilles and Patroclus. I agree with Sophia in her comment on Zelda's post about the relationship of the two, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, is lost in translation. The epic uses strong language, which to modern day young adults, seems to show a more of a sexual relation than just a strong friendship. The same language is used in the english translation of The Iliad on the relation of Achilles and Patroclus. Moving on from the lover aspect both of these pairs have a deep connection on some kind of level. In each epic there is a big loss that sets the other companion into an angered frenzy. In The epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh loses Enkidu and "he began to rage like a lion...he paced around the bed, he tore out his hair...he dragged off his splendid robes" (95). Gilgamesh loses his mind and afterwords he sets off to search for everlasting life. In the Iliad, Achilles has much of the same reaction when he loses Patroclus, "a dark cloud of grief enveloped Achilles...he defiled his handsome face...and with his own hands he defiled his hair, tearing at it." (Alexander, 391-392). So it's clear that both epic's share similarities even though they are roughly 1500 years apart. Is this just coincidence? Did Homer plagiarize? Am I reading too far into this? All the way around through all epics share some similarities to classify them as epics. Just to me the parallel of the relationship in The epic of Gilgamesh to that of The Iliad is extremely similar for the gap that exists between each work.
P.s I commented on Zelda's and AnnaKate's post
P.s I commented on Zelda's and AnnaKate's post
I agree completely with your analysis of the similarities with Homer's writings. It is strikingly familiar in the motivations of the main characters as well as the nearly symmetric events in the plots. It leads me to speculate whether this was the common or perhaps most popular form of storytelling, and possibly theorizing that Gilgamesh may have inspired many of the later works recorded after this time period.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of previous works inspiring Homer is an intriguing and highly probable theory -- so much so that it would it seem implausible that it didn't happen. Each culture's stories always seem to reflect ideas that relate to ideas of mortality, kindness, etc., essentially things necessary to be a well-rounded human being. Gilgamesh's story is one that probably inspired and influenced many popular epics of the Greek era, and possible many more lost to time, as even today we can seek works inspiring many books and stories we tell today, so Gilgamesh probably had a big impact on works that came later.
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