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The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh. A Survey of perhaps the oldest story in Ancient World Literature. What is an Epic?. An Epic is… . Full-scale epics do more than tell a story in poetic language Often center on the founding or defense of a city and its society Contains extensive battle scenes

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The Epic of Gilgamesh

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  1. The Epic of Gilgamesh A Survey of perhaps the oldest story in Ancient World Literature

  2. What is an Epic?

  3. An Epic is… • Full-scale epics do more than tell a story in poetic language • Often center on the founding or defense of a city and its society • Contains extensive battle scenes • A great hero attempts to overcome heavy odds (often human opponents and divine antagonism) • Often deal with a voyage of travel, exploration, or escape • Written in an elevated, grand style “I will reveal to you a thing that is hidden, a secret of the gods I will tell you.”

  4. Who is Gilgamesh?

  5. Bilgames was the King that became Gilgamesh • King of Uruk in Southern Mesopotamia • Ruled around 2750 B.C.E. • Known for building a great wall • Posthumously, He became honored as judge of the underworld by cult following

  6. From Legend to Epic Poem • 2000-1600 B.C.E songs were sung/poems were written about the late King Bilgames • Poems were written in Akkadian • Around 1200 B.C.E., Babylonian priest, Sin-liqe-unninni (SEEN-LEE-kay-ooh-NEE-nee), compiled poems into The Epic of Gilgamesh • The poem was lost for two thousand years • In the 1850s, an Iraqi Archaeologist discovered the tablets while excavating A 7th century Assyrian kings library. • In the 19th century, readers debated whether the epic was fact or fiction

  7. Connections To Gilgamesh • Acclaimed to have been written 1000 years before the Greeks or Hebrews learned to write • Genesis The Garden of Eden and flood account • Odysseus • Thousand and One Nights What are some modern day connections?

  8. Common Themes, Motifs and Archetypes • The quest for eternal life • Pondering mortality • Epic heroes • How does society define civilization? • Recurring dreams/visions • War • Dreams • Miracles • serpents

  9. Censorship • What is censorship? • SOPAS & the internet protest • What you missed in your censored books?

  10. The goddess, Ishtar loves Gilgamesh but… So…

  11. The gods have the demon Humbaba guarding the forests and they send a bull from heaven to terrorize the land… • Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill both then…

  12. Gilgamesh Ponders his death “Over his friend, Enkidu, Gilgamesh cried bitterly, roaming the wilderness. “I am going to die!- am I not like Enkidu?! Deep sadness penetrates my core, I fear death, and now roam the wilderness- I will set out to the region of Utanapishtim…” (Tablet 9, Lines 1-5)

  13. Read about the Quest for Eternal Life Tablet 10, lines 38-64, 175-192 & Tablet 11, lines 202-210

  14. The Flood -Noah’s arc (Genesis 6-9) Compare and Contrast the Two Accounts

  15. Fountain of Youth? Forever Young? • Plant that caused old to be young again • Serpent snatched the plant Conclusion King Gilgamesh’s Accomplishments/ legacy

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