The Epic of Gilgamesh and Sumerian Culture Essay - 792 Words

The Epic of Gilgamesh and Sumerian Culture 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 Sumerians 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. Gilgamesh is introduced as knowing all things and countries including mysteries and secrets that†¦show more content†¦This is proof of the Sumerian architectural abilities. The architecture in Mesopotamia are considered to have been contemporary with the founding of the Sumerian cities, but there was some complexity in the architectural design during this Protoliterate period (c. 3400-c. 2900 BC). This is shown in the design of many religious buildings. Typical temples of the Protoliterate period--both the platform type and the type built at ground level--are, however, much more elaborate both in planning and ornament. The interior was decorated with cones sunk into the wall, covered in bronze. Most cities were simple in structure, but the ziggurat was one of the worlds first complex architectural structures. The Sumerian temples, called ziggurats was a small brick house that the god was supposed to visit periodically. This house, however, was set on a brick platform, whi ch became larger and taller as time progressed. Along with showing many types of Sumerian craftsmanship, the epic shows the strong belief in many gods. All through out the story Gilgamesh comes in contact with many gods. But even before the contact with the gods, there was talk about Gilgamesh being created by them. When the Gods created him they gave him a perfect body...Shamash...endowed him with beauty, Adad endowed him withShow MoreRelatedReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1301 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout history and in many different cultures. All quest stories follow the same pattern and have the same archetypes. The first stage in a quest is the call to adventure or the protagonist s separation from his or her daily life. The next stage is the , threshold stage. After threshold is initiation or loss and the final stages are, the ultimate boon and return. Within every quest, there is also some lesson to be learned by the protagonist. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story writte n thousands of yearsRead MoreComparing The Epic Of Gilgamesh1476 Words   |  6 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is a Sumerian epic of the great king Gilgamesh and his deeds on Earth in ancient mesopotamia and in the city of Uruk. It is an important historical text because it is one of the oldest western epics and because it explains much about how the ancient Sumerians viewed the Gods (Mark). The epic contains the tells of Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Utnapishtim, and many Gods and Goddesses of ancient Sumeria specifically Ishtar, the Goddess of love. In the tale Gilgamesh is created by the GodsRead MoreRole Of Civilization In The Epic Of Gilgamesh1194 Words   |  5 PagesWhile many believe inhabitants of early civilizations, like the Sumerians, were at peace with their environment and community, The Epic of Gilgamesh has challenged that idea and suggests that whether or not a Sumerian was civilized or not, determined their relationship with the environment and community. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, representation of the best and worst of humanity is presented through the characters, Enkidu and King Gilgamesh. From the beginning, Enkidu is portrayed as an uncivilized, wildRead MoreGilgamesh And Death821 Words   |  3 Pagestheme in the The Epic of Gilgamesh. Being that this epic largely represented the Sumerian and Mesopotamians idea I believe the feeling of Gilgamesh himself on death and it s aftermath would be very much the same for most of the society in the time that it was written. Gilgamesh was largely afraid of dying and did everything he could to avoid this inevitable fate. The first major sign we have of Gilgamesh s fear of dying comes when his friend Enkidu dies. At first Gilgamesh cannot even acceptRead MoreImagery and Themes in the Epic of Gilgamesh1139 Words   |  5 PagesContext - Imagery and Themes Rosenberg notes that Gilgamesh is probably the worlds first human hero in literature (27). The Epic of Gilgamesh is based on the life of a probably real Sumerian king named Gilgamesh, who ruled about 2600 B.C.E. We learned of the Gilgamesh myth when several clay tablets written in cuneiform were discovered beginning in 1845 during the excavation of Nineveh (26). We get our most complete version of Gilgamesh from the hands of an Akkadian priest, Sin-liqui-unninniRead MoreEssay about Comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh with The Odyssey1262 Words   |  6 Pages The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even th e information on the author and the archetypes used. However, TheRead MoreAncient Civilization And Modern Day Iraq And Kuwait Essay1279 Words   |  6 PagesAncient Sumerian Civilization The ancient civilization of Sumer was located in modern-day Iraq and Kuwait, and is believed to have begun around 6000 B.C. It is considered ‘The cradle of civilization’ by most historians, because it’s where the first elaborate urban societies appeared. Sumerians were polytheistic, and had a pantheon consisting of many gods and goddesses, who were anthropomorphic superhumans. The Sumerians held a unique view of creation, the afterlife, and worship. They contributedRead More A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures1302 Words   |  6 Pages A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans areRead MoreEssay on Gilgamesh vs. Genesis1436 Words   |  6 PagesGilgamesh vs. Genesis In our society, which is overwhelmingly Judeo-Christian, students often find it difficult to compare Bible stories with tales from other cultures, because our own belief system is wrapped up in the prior, and it is hard for many of us to go against our traditional faith to evaluate them objectively. But in a comparison of the Biblical book of Genesis with the ancient Sumerian text, Epic of Gilgamesh, many parallels suggest that the same type of spiritualRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Goddess Aruru, The Temple Prostitute, And The Unnamed Bride1206 Words   |  5 PagesThere are three important women in the epic of Gilgamesh: the goddess Aruru, the temple prostitute Shamhat, and the unnamed bride. Each of these individuals give unique insight into the culture of the Sumerians in the time of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The goddess Aruru exemplifies that, despite being a deity, all women were subjected to certain constraints based solely on their gender and societal norms. Shamhat demonstrates that women held various functional roles in society, including roles within