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The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the world’s earliest known works of narrative poetry and one of the most powerful epics ever written. It tells of the great Babylonian king Gilgamesh, part god and part man, who lives alone until the gods create the wild man Enkidu as his companion. The friends go on great quests, but in doing so they incur the wrath of the gods. When they punish Gilgamesh by slaying his friend, he is driven by grief and despair to seek the secret of immortality. The longevity of this 4,000-year-old poem is testament to its insight into humanity. As Andrew George says, ‘It is at once an adventure story, a critique of tyranny, a study of friendship, a meditation on death and, above all, an examination of one man’s emotional and spiritual development. For Gilgamesh is each one of us, his story an example of every human being’s path from youth to age.’
‘Who is there can rival his kingly standing,
and say like Gilgamesh, “It is I am the king”?
Gilgamesh was his name from the day he was born,
two-thirds of him god and one-third human.’
This is the most complete general edition available, presenting the standard Akkadian version alongside later Babylonian and Sumerian texts. Bold and dramatic illustrations by Francis Mosley evoke the Babylonian origins of the poem.
‘Who is there can rival his kingly standing,
and say like Gilgamesh, “It is I am the king”?
Gilgamesh was his name from the day he was born,
two-thirds of him god and one-third human.’
This is the most complete general edition available, presenting the standard Akkadian version alongside later Babylonian and Sumerian texts. Bold and dramatic illustrations by Francis Mosley evoke the Babylonian origins of the poem.
211 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1201
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,642 reviews
December 29, 2018
“I will reveal to you a mystery, I will tell you a secret of the gods.”
There is something very humbling about reading stories written more than 4,000 years ago. One of the most fascinating things about The Epic of Gilgamesh is how you can easily see the influence it has had on Homer and Judeo-Christian-Islamic mythology. And I get chills just thinking about how this narrative reaches across the millennia and takes us inside the minds of people who lived so long ago.
This is one of those cases where I really wish I could read and understand the original text. The translation is a little wooden, and the rather dramatic series of events reads almost like a textbook. I should point out that, though a little dry, it's not difficult to read at all - at least not in the English translation that I read - and can be read in a single sitting if you have a couple of hours to spare.
My favourite part is, not surprisingly, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. I definitely find myself leaning towards agreeing with the homoerotic interpretations of their relationship, and they almost certainly served as an inspiration for pairings such as Achilles and Patroclus, and Jonathan and David.
Whether they were lovers or not - and no one really knows how the Ancient Sumerians would have felt about a gay couple - the intensity of Gilgamesh's love for Enkidu, whom he loves "as a woman", is the driving force of the epic. This love leads him on a long and strange journey in the hope that he can find a way to defy death. An intriguing tale.
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August 26, 2025
Fun fact: The epic of Gilgamesh has the earliest known version of the phrase hold my beer.
Come on, you had to know it was only a matter of time before I went and ruined the oldest story we have.
There is more than one translation of this story, so just think of this as mine.
Gilgam-ish, we'll call it.
Now, the one I listened to by Stephen Mitchell was really good. He said his goal was to make the story complete and accessible to modern-day readers, so one thing he did was take Sîn-lēqi-unninni's Akkadian version and fill in the missing gaps with parts of the story that have been found in other languages such as Sumerian. He also smoothed over the rough edges, so to speak, so this isn't a direct translation. But very readable.
Ok, so here comes Gilgamesh. Swaggering.
Covered in muscles, 9 feet tall, able to fight monsters with his bare hands, so hot the panties just melt off the ladies as he walks by, and a king to boot.
Not too shabby, sir.
And what does he do?
Well, he gets too big for his britches and starts r@ping the women and abusing the men. Shockingly, it didn't go over well with his constituents.
So they start praying to the gods - oh, gods! help us! he's r@ping our young women and abusing our young men!
The gods hear their prayers and decide to fix Gilgamesh's little red wagon.
And how do they do this, you ask?
They create Enkidu, a doppelganger who can match Gilgamesh in every way - except he's a bit feral. He's like Tarzan, living in the wild with his animal friends.
Or at least he is at first!
A priestess of Ishtar gets hold of him and sexes the feral right out of him. Because that's what 7 days' worth of an erection will do for you, my friend. By the end of it, Enkidu could understand language and was eating his porridge at the dinner table like a man.
Moral of the story, sometimes you just need a professional sex worker to get the job done.
Fast forward a bit.
Gil is just about to deflower yet another young woman on her wedding night when Enkidu storms into town. The ensuing grapple between these two titans reads a lot like the classic superhero meet-cutes that we still see today.
Gilgamesh wins (but juuuust barely) and the two become instant best friends.
And let's face it, probably a lot more than "just friends" if all the hand holding and cuddling is any indication. Point is, these two hotties find real love. Like, the kind of love we all want that will carry us through till...well, till.
On the downside of this bromance, it was as though two frat boys realized they were soulmates and decided to go adventuring. And the decisions they made along the way come across as iffy at best.
Just about the time you think one of these guys has almost talked himself out of a stupid decision (kill a god's beloved forest monster so you can go down in history), the other one tells him not to let something silly like being reasonable get in the way of a good time.
Between poor choices in which monster to murder and insulting the goddess Ishtar by basically calling her a stinky fish taco, our heroes box themselves into a plot corner.
Unsurprisingly, Enkidu ends up cursed and dying due to a magic bull and the storyline's needs. But considering the tale is thousands of years old, this may not have been such a well-recognized trope back in the day. However, the modern-day reader will have seen it coming a mile away.
Gil was always giving off that main character energy and just needed something to get himself thinking about his own mortality - so Enkidu got the fridge treatment.
So what's a sad king to do?
Well, for starters he needs to put on some animal fur and run around wailing his grief. But that's not a long-term solution, is it?
No. No, it is not.
So he heads out to find the one guy in the whole history of humanity that the gods made immortal.
Utnapishtim. <--gesundheit!
After a bit more questing, he scares the shit out of a female tavernkeeper and gets directions to a ferryman that can take him across a river to the famous immortal and his wife. Where he very reasonably decides to fuck up the boatman's stone thingies for reasons known only to the god of Testosterone.
Of course, the stuff he destroyed was an integral part of what helped the ferryman get across the river. <--go figure.
Luckily, the guy decides that boys will be boys and finds a workaround to get them to the other side of the shore so Gilgamesh can meet his idol.
And here's where we get the famous flood story.
Utnapishtim (in the Babylonian version anyway) is saved from disaster by listening to the god who told him to build a boat and stuff his family, useful friends, and animals on it.
Boom! Flood!
The waters recede a bit, humanity is dead, and the gods have to cook their own food.
But is it safe to come out?
He tosses a dove out. It comes back.
He tosses a raven out. And after croaking out the word Nevermore, it flies off never to be heard from again.
Time to disembark the cruise ship, make some sacrifices to the gods, and gain a bit of immortality.
Sorry, Gilgamesh. This was a one-time deal - zero immortality for you. Besides, he can't even stay awake for a few days. If you can't beat regular sleep, you certainly can't beat the big sleep.
Don't worry, it all makes sense when you read it.
Ok, but Gilgamesh is such a charmer that Mrs. Utnapishtim feels bad that he came all this way for nothing. She smacks her husband upside the head and makes him give that nice boy something for coming to visit.
So, he tells Gilgamesh about this seaweed at the bottom of the ocean that will turn back the hands of time. Not immortality, but at least he can be young again.
Sweet!
He charters the ferryman, dives down to the bottom of the ocean, and snags the plant.
And like a dumbass he doesn't eat it right away.
Oh yeah. You guys know what's coming, right?
Exactly.
A fucking snake slithers up to where he LEFT IT SITTING on the ground while he took a little swim.
And eats it!
Because obviously.
Time to go home and look at your beautiful city, sir.
Now.
In all fairness, I may not have explained this exactly right. You'd do best to read or listen to this one for yourself and then let the author/translator guy give you the more "academic" lowdown on it.
Gilgamesh: A New English Version Audible Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Stephen Mitchell - translator (Author), George Guidall (Narrator)
Come on, you had to know it was only a matter of time before I went and ruined the oldest story we have.
There is more than one translation of this story, so just think of this as mine.
Gilgam-ish, we'll call it.
Now, the one I listened to by Stephen Mitchell was really good. He said his goal was to make the story complete and accessible to modern-day readers, so one thing he did was take Sîn-lēqi-unninni's Akkadian version and fill in the missing gaps with parts of the story that have been found in other languages such as Sumerian. He also smoothed over the rough edges, so to speak, so this isn't a direct translation. But very readable.
Ok, so here comes Gilgamesh. Swaggering.
Covered in muscles, 9 feet tall, able to fight monsters with his bare hands, so hot the panties just melt off the ladies as he walks by, and a king to boot.
Not too shabby, sir.
And what does he do?
Well, he gets too big for his britches and starts r@ping the women and abusing the men. Shockingly, it didn't go over well with his constituents.
So they start praying to the gods - oh, gods! help us! he's r@ping our young women and abusing our young men!
The gods hear their prayers and decide to fix Gilgamesh's little red wagon.
And how do they do this, you ask?
They create Enkidu, a doppelganger who can match Gilgamesh in every way - except he's a bit feral. He's like Tarzan, living in the wild with his animal friends.
Or at least he is at first!
A priestess of Ishtar gets hold of him and sexes the feral right out of him. Because that's what 7 days' worth of an erection will do for you, my friend. By the end of it, Enkidu could understand language and was eating his porridge at the dinner table like a man.
Moral of the story, sometimes you just need a professional sex worker to get the job done.
Fast forward a bit.
Gil is just about to deflower yet another young woman on her wedding night when Enkidu storms into town. The ensuing grapple between these two titans reads a lot like the classic superhero meet-cutes that we still see today.
Gilgamesh wins (but juuuust barely) and the two become instant best friends.
And let's face it, probably a lot more than "just friends" if all the hand holding and cuddling is any indication. Point is, these two hotties find real love. Like, the kind of love we all want that will carry us through till...well, till.
On the downside of this bromance, it was as though two frat boys realized they were soulmates and decided to go adventuring. And the decisions they made along the way come across as iffy at best.
Just about the time you think one of these guys has almost talked himself out of a stupid decision (kill a god's beloved forest monster so you can go down in history), the other one tells him not to let something silly like being reasonable get in the way of a good time.
Between poor choices in which monster to murder and insulting the goddess Ishtar by basically calling her a stinky fish taco, our heroes box themselves into a plot corner.
Unsurprisingly, Enkidu ends up cursed and dying due to a magic bull and the storyline's needs. But considering the tale is thousands of years old, this may not have been such a well-recognized trope back in the day. However, the modern-day reader will have seen it coming a mile away.
Gil was always giving off that main character energy and just needed something to get himself thinking about his own mortality - so Enkidu got the fridge treatment.
So what's a sad king to do?
Well, for starters he needs to put on some animal fur and run around wailing his grief. But that's not a long-term solution, is it?
No. No, it is not.
So he heads out to find the one guy in the whole history of humanity that the gods made immortal.
Utnapishtim. <--gesundheit!
After a bit more questing, he scares the shit out of a female tavernkeeper and gets directions to a ferryman that can take him across a river to the famous immortal and his wife. Where he very reasonably decides to fuck up the boatman's stone thingies for reasons known only to the god of Testosterone.
Of course, the stuff he destroyed was an integral part of what helped the ferryman get across the river. <--go figure.
Luckily, the guy decides that boys will be boys and finds a workaround to get them to the other side of the shore so Gilgamesh can meet his idol.
And here's where we get the famous flood story.
Utnapishtim (in the Babylonian version anyway) is saved from disaster by listening to the god who told him to build a boat and stuff his family, useful friends, and animals on it.
Boom! Flood!
The waters recede a bit, humanity is dead, and the gods have to cook their own food.
But is it safe to come out?
He tosses a dove out. It comes back.
He tosses a raven out. And after croaking out the word Nevermore, it flies off never to be heard from again.
Time to disembark the cruise ship, make some sacrifices to the gods, and gain a bit of immortality.
Sorry, Gilgamesh. This was a one-time deal - zero immortality for you. Besides, he can't even stay awake for a few days. If you can't beat regular sleep, you certainly can't beat the big sleep.
Don't worry, it all makes sense when you read it.
Ok, but Gilgamesh is such a charmer that Mrs. Utnapishtim feels bad that he came all this way for nothing. She smacks her husband upside the head and makes him give that nice boy something for coming to visit.
So, he tells Gilgamesh about this seaweed at the bottom of the ocean that will turn back the hands of time. Not immortality, but at least he can be young again.
Sweet!
He charters the ferryman, dives down to the bottom of the ocean, and snags the plant.
And like a dumbass he doesn't eat it right away.
Oh yeah. You guys know what's coming, right?
Exactly.
A fucking snake slithers up to where he LEFT IT SITTING on the ground while he took a little swim.
And eats it!
Because obviously.
Time to go home and look at your beautiful city, sir.
Now.
In all fairness, I may not have explained this exactly right. You'd do best to read or listen to this one for yourself and then let the author/translator guy give you the more "academic" lowdown on it.
Gilgamesh: A New English Version Audible Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Stephen Mitchell - translator (Author), George Guidall (Narrator)
May 26, 2025
"لأنه ليس من قدر الإنسان أن يحيا إلى الأبد ولكن لإنجازاته أن تخلد اسمه للأجيال اللاحقة"
"As for human beings, their days are numbered, and only their achievements that could establish their name to the latter generations."
The oldest discovered "truly literature" epic ever in history, the immortal outstanding Odyssey of Iraq.
Gilgamesh, the two-thirds god, symbol of Sumerian myth.
Origin of all stories and tales, which the old ancient civilizations quoted
Source of myths and superstition
You would be surprised by knowing the ancient assets of present, that the men just do developing rather than innovate from nothing
Unmatchable effort from the archaeologist "Taha Baker" to reintroduce the Arabic edition, furthermore the high-quality translation, he made great analysis and imagination to the missed parts of the mud tablets, and wrote margins to match the bible phrases to the one in THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH.
Penguin edition was twice long as the Arabic one, because it offered several texts of Babylonian and Sumerian tablets. so don't worry about any skip in the Arabic translation.
I think the following paintings are able to seduce you to read the EPIC
أقدم ملحمة أدبية "حقيقية" مكتشفة في التاريخ، "أوديسة" العراق الخالدة.
"جلجامش" ثلثي الإله، رمز الأسطورة السومرية،
أصل كل القصص والحكايات، ارتوت جميع الحضارات القديمة منها،
منبع كل الأساطير والخرافات.
لسوف يدهشك معرفة الأصول القديمة للحاضر، فالبشر فقط يطورون ولا يخترعون من العدم..
ومجهود عظيم من العالم "طه باقر" في الكتاب. طه باقر قدم ترجمة عظيمة وتخيلات للنصوص الناقصة من القصة، وهوامش عن الأجزاء التي اقتبستها التوراة منها.
دي صور للملحمة كفيلة بإنها تغري أي حد بقراءتها:
أول 8 لوحات بريشة الفنان العراقي رعد فليح
The first eight paintings by the Iraqi "Raad Felih"
1- "GILGAMESH meets SIDURI the god of beer and wine."
2- "GILGAMESH catches the horns of the holy bull."
3- "The monsters treated ENKIDU as a traitor after a prostitute seduces him."
4- "GILGAMESH and ENKIDU verse HUMBABA, the guardian of the Cedar Forest."
5- "GILGAMESH and ENKIDU on their own journey."
6- "ENKIDU after cutting the head of Holy bull sent by Ishtar's dad."
7- " "GILGAMESH crosses the death sea, to reach the flood hero UTNAPISHTIM.
8- "GILGAMESH sends a prostitute to seduce ENKIDU "
ودي صور تانية لازم ولا بد تشوفها:
Another must seen paintings
"Discovering of two statuses to men with a body of winged Bull - اكتشاف تمثالين على جسد ثور مجنح"
"Comparing to lion body, this is how big is GILGAMESH - حجم جلجامش مقارنة بحجم أسد كبير"
"GILGAMESH with a whip - جلجامش وكرباج"
"GILGAMESH and his friend ENKIDU - جلجامش وصديقه إنكيدو"
"GILGAMESH sorrow after ENKIDU's death - حزن جلجامش بعد موت إنكيدو"
"GILGAMESH after a serpent robbed the eternity fruit - جلجامش بعد أن سلبته الحية ثمرة الخلود"
****
A short video about story line of the EPIC
ودا فيديو مترجم عربي يوضح ملخص القصة -فيه شوية اختلافات عن نسخه طه باقر-:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKhDp...
****
A song about the EPIC by KAZIM EL-SAHER, soon.
أغنية لكاظم الساهر بنفس الاسم بردوا.... قريباً
****
The EPIC as a carol in Arabic. should push you into the mood
ودي القصة مغناة على موسيقى وصوت جهوري ذو نغمة مميزة هيدخلك في المود
The EPIC as a carol - ملحمة جلجامش مغناة
March 4, 2020
گیلگمش
گیلگمش در ابتدای حماسه، وقتی همچون کودکی خردسال از جهان و معماهای جهان فارغ است، مردی است تنومند، دو سومش خدا و یک سومش انسان، با نشاط و سرشار از سلامتی و زورمندی، با کمربندهای مرصع و دستبندهای طلا و سهمی ثابت از نخستین شب هر دختری که در شهرش «اوروک» ازدواج میکرد. پادشاهی که از فرط استغنا به عشق ایزدبانوی عشق، عشتار، با تحقیر و استخفاف پاسخ رد میدهد، و وقتی ایزدبانو از خشم هیولای آسمان را در شهر اوروک رها میکند، بی آن که تشویشی به دل راه دهد دو شاخ هیولا را میگیرد و او را میکشد. مردی به تمام معنا کامروا.
همین گیلگمش را در انتهای حماسه، وقتی با یکی از معماهای جهان رو به رو میشود، ببین: موجودی خوار و بی مقدار، با چهرهای تکیده، مو و ریشی ژولیده، پوستی آفتاب سوخته، خسته و بی رمق از پیمودن بیابان از پس بیابان، که به التماس از نگهبانان دروازۀ ظلمات میخواهد او را راه دهند بلکه بتواند پاسخش را در آن سوی ظلمات بیابد، و نگهبانان فقط از سر رقّت و ترحم در را به رویش میگشایند. این همان گیلگمش است که در ساحت زندگی ناسوتی به همه چیز رسیده بود، و حالا در مقابل جهانی کمی وسیعتر از اوروک، این گونه سیلیخور خاک و باد شده است.
بانو «سابیتو» که باورش نمیشود این همان گیلگمش باشد، میگوید: «اگر تو گیلگمشی که هیولای آسمان را گرفته بشکستی، و هومببۀ اهریمن را به خون درکشیدی، و در گذرگاه کوهستان شیر بسیار به خاک افکندی، گونههایت چرا این چنین فروکاسته، رخسارت از این دست چرا فروهشته است؟ تشویش چرا از این سان در قعر جان توست؟»
دست آخر، وقتی آخرین امیدش برای گشودن معمای جهان نیز بر باد میرود، زاریکنان از سفر ناکامش به جهان ناشناختهها، به زادگاهش باز میگردد، و ترجیح میدهد در داخل دیوارهای امن اوروک زندگی کند و بمیرد، بی آن که دیگر سرِ پنجه در پنجه افکندن با معماهای هستی را داشته باشد.
انکیدو
نخستین لوحههای حماسۀ گیلگمش، کهن ترین حماسۀ یافته شدۀ بشری، نه به ماجرای گیلگمش، بلکه به ماجرای «اِنکیدو» اختصاص دارد که ایزدبانوی آفرینش او را از خاک رُس و بزاق خود میآفریند. انکیدو دور از شهرها و آدمیان، در دشت و با حیوانات زندگی میکند. با حیوانات غذا میخورد و با حیوانات آب مینوشد. آهوان را از دامهای شکارچیان دور میکند و نمیگذارد صیادان چیزی شکار کنند.
یکی از شکارچیان که از این وضع به تنگ آمده، حیلهای هولناک میاندیشد و دامی مرگبار برای انکیدو میگشاید. به شهر میرود و یکی از راهبههای ایزدبانوی عشق را همراه خود میآورد و به او میگوید از تمام جاذبههای خود استفاده کند و به هر نحو که شده، انکیدو را به عشق خود گرفتار کند. راهبه، انکیدو را به عشق خود گرفتار میکند. انکیدوی وحشی که دیدارش در دل هر بینندهای رعب میانگیخت، پس از هفت شبانهروز عشقورزی بی وقفه، رام و اهلی میشود. به فرمان راهبه لباس میپوشد و به شهر میرود تا با آدمیان حشر و نشر پیدا کند. گناهان فراوان مرتکب میشود و به مقدّسات بسیار بی حرمتی میکند. از نخستین گناه، یعنی پوشیدن لباس، تا گناهان عظیم چون کشتن نگهبان جنگل خدایان و طغیان علیه ایزدبانوی عشق، این فاصله را در عرض چند روز طی میکند. دیگر هیچ چیز جلودار او نیست. پس شبی در خواب میبیند که خدایان مجلسی ترتیب دادهاند و قصد دارند که او را به خاطر گناهانش به مرگ مجازات کنند.
انکیدو، پریشان و سرگشته شبانه از شهر میگریزد و دوباره به زادگاهش، دشت باز میگردد. حال به هر سو که میرود، حیوانات از او میرمند. حال دیگر او «دانا» شده. حال دیگر «متمدن» شده. و این یعنی دیگر چون حیوانات، این دوستان قدیمیاش، معصوم نیست. پس با ضجه و زاری عشق نخستینش را نفرین می کند که مسبّب «دانایی» او شده و از زندگی وحشیانه بیرونش آورده.
انکیدو نومید به شهر برمیگردد. دوازده روز در بستر بیماری میافتد. و بعد، میمیرد.
گیلگمش در ابتدای حماسه، وقتی همچون کودکی خردسال از جهان و معماهای جهان فارغ است، مردی است تنومند، دو سومش خدا و یک سومش انسان، با نشاط و سرشار از سلامتی و زورمندی، با کمربندهای مرصع و دستبندهای طلا و سهمی ثابت از نخستین شب هر دختری که در شهرش «اوروک» ازدواج میکرد. پادشاهی که از فرط استغنا به عشق ایزدبانوی عشق، عشتار، با تحقیر و استخفاف پاسخ رد میدهد، و وقتی ایزدبانو از خشم هیولای آسمان را در شهر اوروک رها میکند، بی آن که تشویشی به دل راه دهد دو شاخ هیولا را میگیرد و او را میکشد. مردی به تمام معنا کامروا.
همین گیلگمش را در انتهای حماسه، وقتی با یکی از معماهای جهان رو به رو میشود، ببین: موجودی خوار و بی مقدار، با چهرهای تکیده، مو و ریشی ژولیده، پوستی آفتاب سوخته، خسته و بی رمق از پیمودن بیابان از پس بیابان، که به التماس از نگهبانان دروازۀ ظلمات میخواهد او را راه دهند بلکه بتواند پاسخش را در آن سوی ظلمات بیابد، و نگهبانان فقط از سر رقّت و ترحم در را به رویش میگشایند. این همان گیلگمش است که در ساحت زندگی ناسوتی به همه چیز رسیده بود، و حالا در مقابل جهانی کمی وسیعتر از اوروک، این گونه سیلیخور خاک و باد شده است.
بانو «سابیتو» که باورش نمیشود این همان گیلگمش باشد، میگوید: «اگر تو گیلگمشی که هیولای آسمان را گرفته بشکستی، و هومببۀ اهریمن را به خون درکشیدی، و در گذرگاه کوهستان شیر بسیار به خاک افکندی، گونههایت چرا این چنین فروکاسته، رخسارت از این دست چرا فروهشته است؟ تشویش چرا از این سان در قعر جان توست؟»
دست آخر، وقتی آخرین امیدش برای گشودن معمای جهان نیز بر باد میرود، زاریکنان از سفر ناکامش به جهان ناشناختهها، به زادگاهش باز میگردد، و ترجیح میدهد در داخل دیوارهای امن اوروک زندگی کند و بمیرد، بی آن که دیگر سرِ پنجه در پنجه افکندن با معماهای هستی را داشته باشد.
انکیدو
نخستین لوحههای حماسۀ گیلگمش، کهن ترین حماسۀ یافته شدۀ بشری، نه به ماجرای گیلگمش، بلکه به ماجرای «اِنکیدو» اختصاص دارد که ایزدبانوی آفرینش او را از خاک رُس و بزاق خود میآفریند. انکیدو دور از شهرها و آدمیان، در دشت و با حیوانات زندگی میکند. با حیوانات غذا میخورد و با حیوانات آب مینوشد. آهوان را از دامهای شکارچیان دور میکند و نمیگذارد صیادان چیزی شکار کنند.
یکی از شکارچیان که از این وضع به تنگ آمده، حیلهای هولناک میاندیشد و دامی مرگبار برای انکیدو میگشاید. به شهر میرود و یکی از راهبههای ایزدبانوی عشق را همراه خود میآورد و به او میگوید از تمام جاذبههای خود استفاده کند و به هر نحو که شده، انکیدو را به عشق خود گرفتار کند. راهبه، انکیدو را به عشق خود گرفتار میکند. انکیدوی وحشی که دیدارش در دل هر بینندهای رعب میانگیخت، پس از هفت شبانهروز عشقورزی بی وقفه، رام و اهلی میشود. به فرمان راهبه لباس میپوشد و به شهر میرود تا با آدمیان حشر و نشر پیدا کند. گناهان فراوان مرتکب میشود و به مقدّسات بسیار بی حرمتی میکند. از نخستین گناه، یعنی پوشیدن لباس، تا گناهان عظیم چون کشتن نگهبان جنگل خدایان و طغیان علیه ایزدبانوی عشق، این فاصله را در عرض چند روز طی میکند. دیگر هیچ چیز جلودار او نیست. پس شبی در خواب میبیند که خدایان مجلسی ترتیب دادهاند و قصد دارند که او را به خاطر گناهانش به مرگ مجازات کنند.
انکیدو، پریشان و سرگشته شبانه از شهر میگریزد و دوباره به زادگاهش، دشت باز میگردد. حال به هر سو که میرود، حیوانات از او میرمند. حال دیگر او «دانا» شده. حال دیگر «متمدن» شده. و این یعنی دیگر چون حیوانات، این دوستان قدیمیاش، معصوم نیست. پس با ضجه و زاری عشق نخستینش را نفرین می کند که مسبّب «دانایی» او شده و از زندگی وحشیانه بیرونش آورده.
انکیدو نومید به شهر برمیگردد. دوازده روز در بستر بیماری میافتد. و بعد، میمیرد.
April 9, 2020
”The one who saw the abyss I will make the land know;
Of him who knew all, let me tell the whole story
...in the same way...
Is there a king like him anywhere?
Who like Gilgamesh can boast, ‘I am the king!’
From the day of his birth Gilgamesh was called by name.”
An exorcist priest named Sin-Leqi-Unninni is famous for being the scribe who recorded the best preserved version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. He lived in Mesopotamia between 1300-11oo BC. His name translates roughly as The Moon God is One Who Accepts my Prayers. The poem is thought to have existed as much as a 1000 years before Sin-Leqi-Unninni transcribed this version, which would make this story over 4000 years old.
It is remarkable that we have these clay tablets at all. We have pieces of the story in other forms, and any translator who takes on the task of looking with fresh eyes at these cuneiform shapes relies heavily on the other scattered pieces to fill in the gaps of the missing sections of clay or the parts that have been rubbed into obscurity.
Here is an example of what is readable out of the severely damaged tablet V column VI:
”...
...road…
...a second time…
...threw down…
...Enkidu
They cut off the head of Humbaba.”
It makes me think of when I was a kid watching a show, and the TV signal would start going on the fritz. The picture would start flipping and turning to static (probably a passing low flying UFO). I would be banging on the set (because that always helps) and frantically wiggling the ears until the rabbit is squawking. I’d get pieces of sound with distorted dialogue. Finally, the signal would be reacquired just in time for me to hear,
“That was amazing, Magnum.”
Fortunately, John Gardner and John Maier were able to resurrect the missing pieces from other sources, and they share that with us so we can see what we probably missed. It would have been wonderful to read how Sin-Leqi-Unninni would have interpreted that particular dynamic scene of Gilgamesh and Enkidu subduing Humbaba. One can only hope that more Gilgamesh pieces are still out there to be discovered and maybe, even possibly, another copy of this particular translation.
When I think of Gilgamesh, I also think of Beowulf. Both are epic, larger than life heroes whom I frequently, in my youth, mixed up. It wasn’t until I was at college, taking literature courses, that I managed to pry the two apart into two separate beings.
Gilgamesh VS Beowulf
Who would win? Well, Gilgamesh is two thirds celestial being and only one third human. When Enkidu is created as a counter balance to him by the Gods, it really isn’t a contest. Despite Enkidu being a powerful and great warrior, he is no match for Gilgamesh, so I’d have to say my head proclaims Gilgamesh would win against Beowulf, but my heart is always going to be with Beowulf.
Enkidu is raised by wolves, well basically the whole wildlife kingdom, and when it is time for him to give Gilgamesh his comeuppance, they decide the best way to bring Enkidu into the arms of civilization is to tempt him with the charms of a woman.
Here he is, courtesan; get ready to embrace him.
Open your legs, show him your beauty.
Do not hold back, take his wind away.
Seeing you, he will come near.
Strip off your clothes so he can mount you.
Make him know, this-man-as-he-was, what a woman is.
His beasts who grew up in his wilderness will turn from him.
He will press his body over your wildness.”
And man, did it ever work. It is like mainlining the poor bastard with some pure China White. He is hooked. ”Six days and seven nights Enkidu attacked, fucked the priestess.” Though this might resemble a honeymoon, never leave the hotel type situation, I doubt it was quite the same.
Enkido and Gilgamesh, after their property destroying epic battle, became best friends. Inseparable until death parts them. They kill the Bull of Heaven after the beast is sent for by the scorned goddess Ishtar.
You see, Gilgamesh turns her down.
”Which of your lovers have you loved forever?
Which of your little shepherds has continued to please you?
Come, let me name your lovers for you,”
which is actually very astute of Gilgamesh, who is really better known as a love them and leave them type. There is, in fact, a lot of grumbling about his Middle Ages type insistence that he has firsties with any new bride in the kingdom. I guess the rat bastard aristocracy of the Medieval period had read a copy of Gilgamesh, or maybe we can assume that men with absolute power have always been the same.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh
There must be a price paid for killing the Bull of Heaven, and the Gods are not going to strike down their golden boy, Gilgamesh, so that leaves his best friend, Enkido, to be the fall guy. When you are on an away mission with Gilgamesh, you always wear the red shirt.
The grief that Gilgamesh feels is actually poignant.
”Six days and seven nights I wept over him.
until a worm fell out of his nose.
Then I was afraid.”
I really think that maybe Gilgamesh hopes the gods will take pity on him and listen to his lamentations and restore life to Enkidu, but my rule has always been, when a worm falls out of a loved one’s nose, it is time to bury him or run like hell because Uncle Ted has just joined the Walking Dead.
Gilgamesh travels to the underworld looking for his friend. I love this line: ”His face was like that of one who travels a long road.” I can see his mental and physical pain etched into the lines of his face.
There is a long digression in the story while Sin-Leqi-Unninni relates THE FLOOD story, starring Utnapishtim as Noah. The rest of the starring characters, that would be us sinners, are drowned. We are merely bobbing nuisances in the water, as a backdrop to Utnapishtim’s celebratory high 5s with the giraffes, gorillas, and gazelles.
Though nonsensical for Sin-Leqi-Unninni to shove Gilgamesh off center stage, it is actually very interesting to read.
”When he orders bread at night, he (Shamash) will rain down wheat,
enter the boat and close the gate.”
My family raises a lot of wheat, so the whole image of raining down wheat to feed Utnapishtim and his family is something I have never heard of in connection with the Noah version, but I really like the visual of wheat cascading from heaven to fill up the deck of the boat.
On his journey, Gilgamesh finds a weed that will restore his vigor and youthfulness. He wants to take it back to Uruk and share it with others. I’m already thinking to myself, gobble it down man, save some for others, but gobble yours now.
Well, then a snake shows up, and …
This is a blast to read. The notes that Gardner and Maier provide are invaluable to help me better understand the story, so don’t just read Gilgamesh, allow yourself to be immersed in the whole experience. I would read the text from the tablet and then read the notes to find some, not so subtle, changes occurring to my own interpretation of the meaning. Use these experts to heighten not only your knowledge but also your overall enjoyment of reading one of the oldest known stories in existence.
John Gardner
I keep pondering the unexpected death of John Gardner in 1982. He died in a tragic motorcycle accident at the tender age of 49, before this book was published. I couldn’t help thinking of him because the notes are infused with his charismatic personality and his boyish enthusiasm. He had been drinking but was below the legal limit at the time. John Maier feels that he was overworked from too many projects and too little sleep. I first encountered Gardner when I read his wonderful, slender volume Grendel (1971), which I really need to reread so I can write a review for it. I didn’t know that he was already dead at the time that I read Grendel, but when I did find it out later, I felt that temporary displacement of learning bad news as if it had just happened. RIP John Gardner. May you be able to complete your tasks in the next life.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Of him who knew all, let me tell the whole story
...in the same way...
Is there a king like him anywhere?
Who like Gilgamesh can boast, ‘I am the king!’
From the day of his birth Gilgamesh was called by name.”
An exorcist priest named Sin-Leqi-Unninni is famous for being the scribe who recorded the best preserved version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. He lived in Mesopotamia between 1300-11oo BC. His name translates roughly as The Moon God is One Who Accepts my Prayers. The poem is thought to have existed as much as a 1000 years before Sin-Leqi-Unninni transcribed this version, which would make this story over 4000 years old.
It is remarkable that we have these clay tablets at all. We have pieces of the story in other forms, and any translator who takes on the task of looking with fresh eyes at these cuneiform shapes relies heavily on the other scattered pieces to fill in the gaps of the missing sections of clay or the parts that have been rubbed into obscurity.
Here is an example of what is readable out of the severely damaged tablet V column VI:
”...
...road…
...a second time…
...threw down…
...Enkidu
They cut off the head of Humbaba.”
It makes me think of when I was a kid watching a show, and the TV signal would start going on the fritz. The picture would start flipping and turning to static (probably a passing low flying UFO). I would be banging on the set (because that always helps) and frantically wiggling the ears until the rabbit is squawking. I’d get pieces of sound with distorted dialogue. Finally, the signal would be reacquired just in time for me to hear,
“That was amazing, Magnum.”
Fortunately, John Gardner and John Maier were able to resurrect the missing pieces from other sources, and they share that with us so we can see what we probably missed. It would have been wonderful to read how Sin-Leqi-Unninni would have interpreted that particular dynamic scene of Gilgamesh and Enkidu subduing Humbaba. One can only hope that more Gilgamesh pieces are still out there to be discovered and maybe, even possibly, another copy of this particular translation.
When I think of Gilgamesh, I also think of Beowulf. Both are epic, larger than life heroes whom I frequently, in my youth, mixed up. It wasn’t until I was at college, taking literature courses, that I managed to pry the two apart into two separate beings.
Gilgamesh VS Beowulf
Who would win? Well, Gilgamesh is two thirds celestial being and only one third human. When Enkidu is created as a counter balance to him by the Gods, it really isn’t a contest. Despite Enkidu being a powerful and great warrior, he is no match for Gilgamesh, so I’d have to say my head proclaims Gilgamesh would win against Beowulf, but my heart is always going to be with Beowulf.
Enkidu is raised by wolves, well basically the whole wildlife kingdom, and when it is time for him to give Gilgamesh his comeuppance, they decide the best way to bring Enkidu into the arms of civilization is to tempt him with the charms of a woman.
Here he is, courtesan; get ready to embrace him.
Open your legs, show him your beauty.
Do not hold back, take his wind away.
Seeing you, he will come near.
Strip off your clothes so he can mount you.
Make him know, this-man-as-he-was, what a woman is.
His beasts who grew up in his wilderness will turn from him.
He will press his body over your wildness.”
And man, did it ever work. It is like mainlining the poor bastard with some pure China White. He is hooked. ”Six days and seven nights Enkidu attacked, fucked the priestess.” Though this might resemble a honeymoon, never leave the hotel type situation, I doubt it was quite the same.
Enkido and Gilgamesh, after their property destroying epic battle, became best friends. Inseparable until death parts them. They kill the Bull of Heaven after the beast is sent for by the scorned goddess Ishtar.
You see, Gilgamesh turns her down.
”Which of your lovers have you loved forever?
Which of your little shepherds has continued to please you?
Come, let me name your lovers for you,”
which is actually very astute of Gilgamesh, who is really better known as a love them and leave them type. There is, in fact, a lot of grumbling about his Middle Ages type insistence that he has firsties with any new bride in the kingdom. I guess the rat bastard aristocracy of the Medieval period had read a copy of Gilgamesh, or maybe we can assume that men with absolute power have always been the same.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh
There must be a price paid for killing the Bull of Heaven, and the Gods are not going to strike down their golden boy, Gilgamesh, so that leaves his best friend, Enkido, to be the fall guy. When you are on an away mission with Gilgamesh, you always wear the red shirt.
The grief that Gilgamesh feels is actually poignant.
”Six days and seven nights I wept over him.
until a worm fell out of his nose.
Then I was afraid.”
I really think that maybe Gilgamesh hopes the gods will take pity on him and listen to his lamentations and restore life to Enkidu, but my rule has always been, when a worm falls out of a loved one’s nose, it is time to bury him or run like hell because Uncle Ted has just joined the Walking Dead.
Gilgamesh travels to the underworld looking for his friend. I love this line: ”His face was like that of one who travels a long road.” I can see his mental and physical pain etched into the lines of his face.
There is a long digression in the story while Sin-Leqi-Unninni relates THE FLOOD story, starring Utnapishtim as Noah. The rest of the starring characters, that would be us sinners, are drowned. We are merely bobbing nuisances in the water, as a backdrop to Utnapishtim’s celebratory high 5s with the giraffes, gorillas, and gazelles.
Though nonsensical for Sin-Leqi-Unninni to shove Gilgamesh off center stage, it is actually very interesting to read.
”When he orders bread at night, he (Shamash) will rain down wheat,
enter the boat and close the gate.”
My family raises a lot of wheat, so the whole image of raining down wheat to feed Utnapishtim and his family is something I have never heard of in connection with the Noah version, but I really like the visual of wheat cascading from heaven to fill up the deck of the boat.
On his journey, Gilgamesh finds a weed that will restore his vigor and youthfulness. He wants to take it back to Uruk and share it with others. I’m already thinking to myself, gobble it down man, save some for others, but gobble yours now.
Well, then a snake shows up, and …
This is a blast to read. The notes that Gardner and Maier provide are invaluable to help me better understand the story, so don’t just read Gilgamesh, allow yourself to be immersed in the whole experience. I would read the text from the tablet and then read the notes to find some, not so subtle, changes occurring to my own interpretation of the meaning. Use these experts to heighten not only your knowledge but also your overall enjoyment of reading one of the oldest known stories in existence.
John Gardner
I keep pondering the unexpected death of John Gardner in 1982. He died in a tragic motorcycle accident at the tender age of 49, before this book was published. I couldn’t help thinking of him because the notes are infused with his charismatic personality and his boyish enthusiasm. He had been drinking but was below the legal limit at the time. John Maier feels that he was overworked from too many projects and too little sleep. I first encountered Gardner when I read his wonderful, slender volume Grendel (1971), which I really need to reread so I can write a review for it. I didn’t know that he was already dead at the time that I read Grendel, but when I did find it out later, I felt that temporary displacement of learning bad news as if it had just happened. RIP John Gardner. May you be able to complete your tasks in the next life.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
March 17, 2011
5.0 stars. I thought this story was AMAZING. However, before I go any further I do want to point out that this review is solely for the version I read which was “Gilgamesh: A New English Version” by Stephen Mitchell. I say this because for a story written over 4000 years ago (approximately 2100 BC) about a King who lived over 4700 years ago (approximately 2750 BC) and was written in cuneiform in an extinct language (Akkadian), I imagine that the particular translation one reads may have a profound impact on the reading experience. I also note that the version I read has been criticized by others for being too subjective an interpretation. I will probably read an alternative translation at some point to compare the two but for now all I can say is that I LOVED STEPHEN MITCHELL’S VERSION. In addition to having the complete text of the epic poem, Mitchell includes about 75 pages worth on analysis and insight into the story that I thought enhanced the reading experience for me.
Rather then go into the details of the story which are adequately explained in the book description and are fairly well known, I will just give some thoughts about my impression of the story. This is an epic heroic story in the ancient sense of the word. Gilgamesh is a hero like the Greek gods, not necessarily “good” but rather smarter, stronger and more powerful than all those around him. Later when he meets his friend/brother Enkidu, the two embark on the first quest adventure ever written and their travels make for a wonderful story. While reading this, I kept finding myself thinking that I can’t believe this was written over 4000 years ago and is still so incredibly entertaining. I was also amazed that this story (again written over 4000 years ago) includes an almost verbatim version of the “Great Flood” story from the Old Testament down to the smallest details. There is a similar allusion to the loss of innocence through the machinations of an evil serpent that bear a striking example to the “Fall of Adam and Eve.” I thought this was fascinating on many levels.
Finally, and most importantly in my opinion, this story is about the journey of knowledge and self-discovery and about learning that the home you may have once run away from in order to look for greener pastures can turn out to be a pretty special place after all. From that perspective alone, this is a beautifully written and powerful story and one that I would strongly recommend.
One final note: I listened to the audio version narrated by George Guidall who did an absolutely superb job and added to my enjoyment of the narrative. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!!
Rather then go into the details of the story which are adequately explained in the book description and are fairly well known, I will just give some thoughts about my impression of the story. This is an epic heroic story in the ancient sense of the word. Gilgamesh is a hero like the Greek gods, not necessarily “good” but rather smarter, stronger and more powerful than all those around him. Later when he meets his friend/brother Enkidu, the two embark on the first quest adventure ever written and their travels make for a wonderful story. While reading this, I kept finding myself thinking that I can’t believe this was written over 4000 years ago and is still so incredibly entertaining. I was also amazed that this story (again written over 4000 years ago) includes an almost verbatim version of the “Great Flood” story from the Old Testament down to the smallest details. There is a similar allusion to the loss of innocence through the machinations of an evil serpent that bear a striking example to the “Fall of Adam and Eve.” I thought this was fascinating on many levels.
Finally, and most importantly in my opinion, this story is about the journey of knowledge and self-discovery and about learning that the home you may have once run away from in order to look for greener pastures can turn out to be a pretty special place after all. From that perspective alone, this is a beautifully written and powerful story and one that I would strongly recommend.
One final note: I listened to the audio version narrated by George Guidall who did an absolutely superb job and added to my enjoyment of the narrative. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!!
Read
July 26, 2019I thought it would be a good idea to brush on my (non-existent) knowledge of epics.
I cannot rate the Epic of Gilgamesh because I only listened to it as it was among the first piece of literature known to man and I was curios. Plus it was short. I am reading the Literature Book, an excellent history of the art of the written word and this was the first entry. The first category is called heroes and legends and covers titles from 3000 BCE to 1300 CE. I am planning to read some of the books mentioned there while I go through that tome so I will be mentioning TLB quite often in the following period.
Ok, back to the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was written on tablets in ancient Sumer, at around 2100 BCE and discovered in 1853. The fragments tell the story of King Gilgamesh of Uruk, an oppressive ruler of how he changes to a hero after he is taught a lesson by the gods. It is probably the first bildungsroman in history.
I cannot say I enjoyed listening to this Epic but I am glad I did. Since I am so confounded I decided not to give any rating.
My Epic adventure continues with The Iliad, which is definitely not short as this one, so it will probably takes some time. Wish me luck that I will enjoy the process.
I cannot rate the Epic of Gilgamesh because I only listened to it as it was among the first piece of literature known to man and I was curios. Plus it was short. I am reading the Literature Book, an excellent history of the art of the written word and this was the first entry. The first category is called heroes and legends and covers titles from 3000 BCE to 1300 CE. I am planning to read some of the books mentioned there while I go through that tome so I will be mentioning TLB quite often in the following period.
Ok, back to the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was written on tablets in ancient Sumer, at around 2100 BCE and discovered in 1853. The fragments tell the story of King Gilgamesh of Uruk, an oppressive ruler of how he changes to a hero after he is taught a lesson by the gods. It is probably the first bildungsroman in history.
I cannot say I enjoyed listening to this Epic but I am glad I did. Since I am so confounded I decided not to give any rating.
My Epic adventure continues with The Iliad, which is definitely not short as this one, so it will probably takes some time. Wish me luck that I will enjoy the process.
October 17, 2022
Gilgamesh
Escrita originalmente en Summeria hace más de 3500 años sobre tablillas de barro, es la pieza de literatura más antigua que haya llegado hasta nuestros días, mucho más antigua que “La Ilíada” o “La Odisea”. En esta gran epopeya, el rey (y semi-dios) de Uruk, Gilgamesh, va en busca de la inmortalidad tras la muerte de su, primero rival, y posteriormente, inseparable compañero Enkidu.
En la narración nos encontramos con relatos que, paradójicamente, se verán reflejados en la Biblia muchos siglos después (la creación del hombre, el diluvio universal, etc), así que los católicos ultraconservadores mejor que se abstengan de leerla!
Por desgracia, no se han recuperado todas las tablillas que se cree que se escribieron, ni el nombre del autor de semejante obra de arte, pero eso no hace que el relato deje de leerse con interés, y sobre todo, por su antigüedad, con devoción. Nos damos cuenta que, en realidad, la Humanidad sigue teniendo los mismos problemas y las mismas dudas filosóficas y morales que desde el principio de su existencia, o sea, que no hemos avanzado demasiado. Destacar también que la traducción de la obra al inglés parece bastante aceptable, o así, al menos, me ha parecido.
Escrita originalmente en Summeria hace más de 3500 años sobre tablillas de barro, es la pieza de literatura más antigua que haya llegado hasta nuestros días, mucho más antigua que “La Ilíada” o “La Odisea”. En esta gran epopeya, el rey (y semi-dios) de Uruk, Gilgamesh, va en busca de la inmortalidad tras la muerte de su, primero rival, y posteriormente, inseparable compañero Enkidu.
En la narración nos encontramos con relatos que, paradójicamente, se verán reflejados en la Biblia muchos siglos después (la creación del hombre, el diluvio universal, etc), así que los católicos ultraconservadores mejor que se abstengan de leerla!
Por desgracia, no se han recuperado todas las tablillas que se cree que se escribieron, ni el nombre del autor de semejante obra de arte, pero eso no hace que el relato deje de leerse con interés, y sobre todo, por su antigüedad, con devoción. Nos damos cuenta que, en realidad, la Humanidad sigue teniendo los mismos problemas y las mismas dudas filosóficas y morales que desde el principio de su existencia, o sea, que no hemos avanzado demasiado. Destacar también que la traducción de la obra al inglés parece bastante aceptable, o así, al menos, me ha parecido.
February 8, 2020
هیچکس مرگ را نمیبیند
هیچکس چهرهی مرگ را نمیبیند
هیچکس صدای مرگ را نمیشنود
مرگ وحشی فقط، انسان را بر زمین میکوبد
گاهی خانهای میسازیم، گاهی اشیانهای برپا میکنیم
سپس برادران آن را به ارث میبرند و میان خود تقسیم میکنند
گاهی خصومت بر زمین حاکم میشود
سپس رودها طغیان میکنند و سیل جاری میشود
سنجاقکها دستخوش جریان آب رودخانه میشوند
و چهره آنها به چهره خورشید ماننده است
سپس ناگهان هیچ چیز وجود ندارد
خوابیدن و مرگ درست مانند یکدیگرند
تصویر مرگ را نمیتوان کشید
_________________________________
دیشب خواب قشنگی دیدم. خواب دیدم مامانبزرگم بالای کوه پربرفی ایستاده بود و لالایی میخوند. با صدای لالاییش همه مُردهها بیدار شدن و از گورشون بیرون اومدن. من خیلی خوشحال بودم. به این فکر میکردم که حالا حتما مامان و خواهرم هم زنده شدن و دل دل میکردم زودتر ببینمشون. نمیدونم اونها هم خوشحال بودن که دوباره زنده شدن یا نه؟ حتما خوشحال بودن دیگه، چون دوباره میتونستیم دور هم جمع بشیم . هر پنج نفرمون
هیچکس چهرهی مرگ را نمیبیند
هیچکس صدای مرگ را نمیشنود
مرگ وحشی فقط، انسان را بر زمین میکوبد
گاهی خانهای میسازیم، گاهی اشیانهای برپا میکنیم
سپس برادران آن را به ارث میبرند و میان خود تقسیم میکنند
گاهی خصومت بر زمین حاکم میشود
سپس رودها طغیان میکنند و سیل جاری میشود
سنجاقکها دستخوش جریان آب رودخانه میشوند
و چهره آنها به چهره خورشید ماننده است
سپس ناگهان هیچ چیز وجود ندارد
خوابیدن و مرگ درست مانند یکدیگرند
تصویر مرگ را نمیتوان کشید
_________________________________
دیشب خواب قشنگی دیدم. خواب دیدم مامانبزرگم بالای کوه پربرفی ایستاده بود و لالایی میخوند. با صدای لالاییش همه مُردهها بیدار شدن و از گورشون بیرون اومدن. من خیلی خوشحال بودم. به این فکر میکردم که حالا حتما مامان و خواهرم هم زنده شدن و دل دل میکردم زودتر ببینمشون. نمیدونم اونها هم خوشحال بودن که دوباره زنده شدن یا نه؟ حتما خوشحال بودن دیگه، چون دوباره میتونستیم دور هم جمع بشیم . هر پنج نفرمون
September 29, 2017
He Who Saw The Deep: A Hymn to Survival
The Gilgamesh epic is one of the great masterpieces of world literature. One of the early translations so inspired the poet Rainer Maria Rilke in 1916 that he became almost intoxicated with pleasure and wonder, and repeated the story to all he met. 'Gilgamesh,' he declared, 'is stupendous!' For him the epic was first and foremost 'das Epos der Todesfurcht', the epic about the fear of death.
This universal theme does indeed tie together the various strands of the epic poem - it tells of one man's heroic struggle against death, for eternal life - first through immortal renown through glorious deeds, then for eternal life itself.
It then goes on to describe of his despair when confronted with the inevitable failure, and of his eventual realization that the only immortality he may expect is the enduring name afforded by leaving behind some lasting achievement.
The epic is also a work from which one is expected to learn from: the poet enjoins us in the prologue, to read about 'the travails of Gilgamesh, all that he went through!' The lesson is that maturity is gained as much through failure as success. Life, of necessity, is hard, but one is the wiser for it. Thus, it is also a story of one man's 'path to wisdom', of how he is formed by his successes and failures.
It also deals with profound debates on the proper duties of kingship, what a good king should do and should not do - in the end, Uta-napishti’s lesson to Gilgamesh is of the duties of kings and discourses on the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life.
The wisdom he received at the ends of the earth from the survivor of the Deluge, Uta-napishti, enabled Gilgamesh to restore civilization to its earlier splendor. The quest has taught Gilgamesh how to build his city back to its antediluvian glory.
The Flood: A Hymn to Survival
Through Uta-napishti’, the epic also artfully weaves into Gilgamesh's own story the traditional tale of the Deluge, the great flood that permeates most ancient myths.
Here, Gilgamesh brings home an important meaning of the ever-present flood myth. It allows us to see that the conquering of death is impossible but that preserving of life (and culture and civilization - ancient myths like to personify entire civilizations in its heroes) is the most important challenge. And it is achievable.
Gilgamesh has always been thought of as a life-affirming epic that asks us to live life and abandon the quest for avoiding death. But look once again at the advice of the flood-surviver, Uta-napishti:
Gilgamesh does not ask human kind to avoid the fruitless quest. It was in fact his quest for the unreachable that allowed Gilgamesh to find his way, to find himself and to restore life/civilization. The quest is as unavoidable as Enkidu’s death that prompted it.
As long as Enkidus die, Gilgameshs will try to soar beyond human capacity. This is the cause for great hope. Gilgamesh celebrates an hopeful view that even mighty floods and decay cannot completely wipe out human civilization. It comes mighty close and it takes a wise king like Gilgamesh, but it is possible to overcome, to prevail. That is the hope that Gilgamesh holds out to us.
******
Post Script: A Damaged Masterpiece
This edition is probably the most comprehensive and scholarly version of the epic yet published. It is not dumbed down for the general audience and is not easy reading. The translator has opted for the integrity of the text over the ease of the reader. The text presented in this translation is fragmentary at best and could be frustrating for the reader. It takes patience and imagination from the reader to work through passages such as this (…. indicate missing text) :
In spite of all the difficulties, it is worth persevering. For this translation is definitely more rewarding than the 'freer' translations such as Stephen Mitchell’s. However, a cautionary note for the reader (from the translator):
While there is a temptation for a modern editor to ignore the gaps, to gloss them over or to join up disconnected fragments of text, I believe that no adult reader is well served by such a procedure. The gaps are themselves important in number and size, for they remind us how much is still to be learned of the text. They prevent us from assuming that we have Gilgamesh entire. Whatever we say about the epic is provisional, for new discoveries of text may change our interpretation of whole passages. Nevertheless, the epic we have now is considerably fuller than that which fired the imagination of Rilke. Approach what lies ahead not as you might the poems of Homer but as a book part-eaten by termites or a scroll half-consumed by fire. Accept it for what it is, a damaged masterpiece.
The Gilgamesh epic is one of the great masterpieces of world literature. One of the early translations so inspired the poet Rainer Maria Rilke in 1916 that he became almost intoxicated with pleasure and wonder, and repeated the story to all he met. 'Gilgamesh,' he declared, 'is stupendous!' For him the epic was first and foremost 'das Epos der Todesfurcht', the epic about the fear of death.
This universal theme does indeed tie together the various strands of the epic poem - it tells of one man's heroic struggle against death, for eternal life - first through immortal renown through glorious deeds, then for eternal life itself.
It then goes on to describe of his despair when confronted with the inevitable failure, and of his eventual realization that the only immortality he may expect is the enduring name afforded by leaving behind some lasting achievement.
The epic is also a work from which one is expected to learn from: the poet enjoins us in the prologue, to read about 'the travails of Gilgamesh, all that he went through!' The lesson is that maturity is gained as much through failure as success. Life, of necessity, is hard, but one is the wiser for it. Thus, it is also a story of one man's 'path to wisdom', of how he is formed by his successes and failures.
It also deals with profound debates on the proper duties of kingship, what a good king should do and should not do - in the end, Uta-napishti’s lesson to Gilgamesh is of the duties of kings and discourses on the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life.
The wisdom he received at the ends of the earth from the survivor of the Deluge, Uta-napishti, enabled Gilgamesh to restore civilization to its earlier splendor. The quest has taught Gilgamesh how to build his city back to its antediluvian glory.
The Flood: A Hymn to Survival
Through Uta-napishti’, the epic also artfully weaves into Gilgamesh's own story the traditional tale of the Deluge, the great flood that permeates most ancient myths.
Here, Gilgamesh brings home an important meaning of the ever-present flood myth. It allows us to see that the conquering of death is impossible but that preserving of life (and culture and civilization - ancient myths like to personify entire civilizations in its heroes) is the most important challenge. And it is achievable.
Gilgamesh has always been thought of as a life-affirming epic that asks us to live life and abandon the quest for avoiding death. But look once again at the advice of the flood-surviver, Uta-napishti:
‘O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu,
demolish the house, and build a boat!
Abandon wealth, and seek survival!
Spurn property, save life!
Take on board the boat all living things' seed!’
***
‘No one at all sees Death,
no one at all sees the face [of Death,]
no one at all [hears] the voice of Death,
Death so savage, who hacks men down.’
***
'Ever do we build our households,
ever do we make our nests,
ever do brothers divide their inheritance,
ever do feuds arise in the land.'
***
'Ever the river has risen and brought us the flood,
the mayfly floating on the water.
On the face of the sun its countenance gazes,
then all of a sudden nothing is there!’
Gilgamesh does not ask human kind to avoid the fruitless quest. It was in fact his quest for the unreachable that allowed Gilgamesh to find his way, to find himself and to restore life/civilization. The quest is as unavoidable as Enkidu’s death that prompted it.
As long as Enkidus die, Gilgameshs will try to soar beyond human capacity. This is the cause for great hope. Gilgamesh celebrates an hopeful view that even mighty floods and decay cannot completely wipe out human civilization. It comes mighty close and it takes a wise king like Gilgamesh, but it is possible to overcome, to prevail. That is the hope that Gilgamesh holds out to us.
******
Post Script: A Damaged Masterpiece
This edition is probably the most comprehensive and scholarly version of the epic yet published. It is not dumbed down for the general audience and is not easy reading. The translator has opted for the integrity of the text over the ease of the reader. The text presented in this translation is fragmentary at best and could be frustrating for the reader. It takes patience and imagination from the reader to work through passages such as this (…. indicate missing text) :
In spite of all the difficulties, it is worth persevering. For this translation is definitely more rewarding than the 'freer' translations such as Stephen Mitchell’s. However, a cautionary note for the reader (from the translator):
While there is a temptation for a modern editor to ignore the gaps, to gloss them over or to join up disconnected fragments of text, I believe that no adult reader is well served by such a procedure. The gaps are themselves important in number and size, for they remind us how much is still to be learned of the text. They prevent us from assuming that we have Gilgamesh entire. Whatever we say about the epic is provisional, for new discoveries of text may change our interpretation of whole passages. Nevertheless, the epic we have now is considerably fuller than that which fired the imagination of Rilke. Approach what lies ahead not as you might the poems of Homer but as a book part-eaten by termites or a scroll half-consumed by fire. Accept it for what it is, a damaged masterpiece.
September 7, 2023
Am citit epopeea în două traduceri: una veche din perioada interbelică (Casa Școalelor, „Biblioteca istoriei religiunilor”, 1921, versiune realizată de Ioan Mihălcescu după traducerea germană a lui Arthur Ungnad, 1911), și alta în antologia cu titlul Gîndirea asiro-babiloniană în texte, publicată în vestita colecție a Editurii Științifice „Bibliotheca orientalis”, în 1975, pp.105-182. Autor: Athanase Negoiță.
De curînd, am aflat că există și o a treia traducere - realizată de Virginia Șerbănescu și Al. Dima -, am făcut în grabă o căutare în magazia Internetului și am găsit-o pe un site. Am citit-o acum și am văzut că e, mai degrabă, o repovestire și că doar unele fragmente sînt parafrazate.
Firește, la o simplă comparație traducerile diferă destul de mult între ele. A se vedea pasajele citate mai jos... Toate sînt aproximative, fiindcă nici una nu e după textul original (în cuneiforme akkadiene). Epopeea se întinde pe 12 tăblițe, unele rînduri, cuvinte, fragmente s-au pierdut pentru totdeauna. Tăblițele au făcut parte din vestita bibliotecă a regelui Assurbanipal, cel dintîi „bibliomaniac” din istoria omenirii. Așa a fost caracterizat cu simpatie, desigur, de istoricii cărții.
După moartea lui Enkidu, Ghilgameș caută planta care dă nemurirea, asemănătoare unui „trandafir cu spini”, un fel de iarbă țepoasă. Planta se găsește undeva în adîncul mării. Ghilgameș se scufundă și o rupe. E bucuros, va trăi pînă se va sătura, a cucerit veșnicia. Din păcate, e neglijent. N-a înțeles întru totul cît de prețioasă e cucerirea sa. Neglijența îi va fi imediat pedepsită. Eroul se spală într-un izvor cu apă rece. Dar „un șarpe adulmecă aroma plantei, / iese din apă și o fură” (tăblița a XI-a). Șarpele a fost mereu o făptură vicleană, știm din prima carte a Bibliei.
Să citim două fragmente cunoscute, de altfel (versiunea Negoiță):
Versiunea Șerbănescu-Dima: „O, Ghilgameș, unde rătăcești la voia întîmplării? Viața veșnică, pe care o urmărești, n-o vei afla. Cînd zeii au făurit omenirea, au hărăzit oamenilor moartea. Viața veșnică au păstrat-o pentru ei. Tu, Ghilgameș, deci, caută să-ți îndestulezi pîntecele, zi și noapte bucură-te și te veselește; fiece zi să fie o sărbătoare, zi și noapte, joacă și cîntă: pune-ți veșminte frumoase, împodobește-ți părul, spală-te bine cu apă; ia aminte la copilul care te ține de mînă, iubita să găsească la pieptul tău plăcere. Iată ce li se cuvine muritorilor!”.
Iată un sfat care în latinește a devenit mult repetatul „Carpe diem!”. Voi transcrie și finalul elegiac al poemului (tăblița a XII-a). Mai întîi, versiunea Negoiță:
Versiunea Șerbănescu-Dima: „Pe acel pe care moartea lui [o lacună], l-ai văzut? L-am văzut: stă întins pe un pat și bea apă rece, proaspătă. Pe acela care a căzut în încăierare l-ai văzut? L-am văzut: tatăl lui și mama sa îți țin capul și femeia lui se lipește de el... Pe acel al cărui suflet n-are pe nimeni care să-i facă slujbe l-ai văzut? L-am văzut: se hrănește cu resturile din ulcele și cu rămășițele din uliță”.
Mai trist și mai limpede de atît nu se poate... În treacăt fie spus, diferențele dintre traduceri sînt uriașe. Probabil că avem nevoie de o versiune mai apropiată de original...
De curînd, am aflat că există și o a treia traducere - realizată de Virginia Șerbănescu și Al. Dima -, am făcut în grabă o căutare în magazia Internetului și am găsit-o pe un site. Am citit-o acum și am văzut că e, mai degrabă, o repovestire și că doar unele fragmente sînt parafrazate.
Firește, la o simplă comparație traducerile diferă destul de mult între ele. A se vedea pasajele citate mai jos... Toate sînt aproximative, fiindcă nici una nu e după textul original (în cuneiforme akkadiene). Epopeea se întinde pe 12 tăblițe, unele rînduri, cuvinte, fragmente s-au pierdut pentru totdeauna. Tăblițele au făcut parte din vestita bibliotecă a regelui Assurbanipal, cel dintîi „bibliomaniac” din istoria omenirii. Așa a fost caracterizat cu simpatie, desigur, de istoricii cărții.
După moartea lui Enkidu, Ghilgameș caută planta care dă nemurirea, asemănătoare unui „trandafir cu spini”, un fel de iarbă țepoasă. Planta se găsește undeva în adîncul mării. Ghilgameș se scufundă și o rupe. E bucuros, va trăi pînă se va sătura, a cucerit veșnicia. Din păcate, e neglijent. N-a înțeles întru totul cît de prețioasă e cucerirea sa. Neglijența îi va fi imediat pedepsită. Eroul se spală într-un izvor cu apă rece. Dar „un șarpe adulmecă aroma plantei, / iese din apă și o fură” (tăblița a XI-a). Șarpele a fost mereu o făptură vicleană, știm din prima carte a Bibliei.
Să citim două fragmente cunoscute, de altfel (versiunea Negoiță):
„Hangița zise către el, către Ghilgameș:
Ghilgameș, încotro alergi tu?
Viața [veșnică] pe care o urmărești tu nu se găsește.
Cînd zeii au plăsmuit omenirea,
Moartea au destinat-o ei pentru lume,
Viața [veșnică] și-au păstrat-o doar pentru ei.
Tu, Ghilgameș, satură-ți pîntecele
Fii vesel ziua și noaptea.
În fiecare zi fă o sărbătoare de petrecere,
În fiecare noapte cîntă și joacă!” (tăblița a X-a).
Versiunea Șerbănescu-Dima: „O, Ghilgameș, unde rătăcești la voia întîmplării? Viața veșnică, pe care o urmărești, n-o vei afla. Cînd zeii au făurit omenirea, au hărăzit oamenilor moartea. Viața veșnică au păstrat-o pentru ei. Tu, Ghilgameș, deci, caută să-ți îndestulezi pîntecele, zi și noapte bucură-te și te veselește; fiece zi să fie o sărbătoare, zi și noapte, joacă și cîntă: pune-ți veșminte frumoase, împodobește-ți părul, spală-te bine cu apă; ia aminte la copilul care te ține de mînă, iubita să găsească la pieptul tău plăcere. Iată ce li se cuvine muritorilor!”.
Iată un sfat care în latinește a devenit mult repetatul „Carpe diem!”. Voi transcrie și finalul elegiac al poemului (tăblița a XII-a). Mai întîi, versiunea Negoiță:
„Pe cel care a căzut de pe catarg l-ai văzut? L-am văzut.
Abia i-au fost scoase cuiele...
Pe cel care a murit de moarte năprasnică l-ai văzut? L-am văzut.
El stă pe culcuș de noapte și bea apă curată.
Pe cel care a fost ucis în luptă l-ai văzut? L-am văzut.
Tatăl său și mama sa i-au ridicat capul, iar soția lui a plîns pentru el, a plîns pentru el...
Pe cel al cărui suflet n-are pe nimeni să se îngrijească l-ai văzut? L-am văzut.
El mănîncă resturile oalei, firimituri de pîine ce se-aruncă în stradă...”.
Versiunea Șerbănescu-Dima: „Pe acel pe care moartea lui [o lacună], l-ai văzut? L-am văzut: stă întins pe un pat și bea apă rece, proaspătă. Pe acela care a căzut în încăierare l-ai văzut? L-am văzut: tatăl lui și mama sa îți țin capul și femeia lui se lipește de el... Pe acel al cărui suflet n-are pe nimeni care să-i facă slujbe l-ai văzut? L-am văzut: se hrănește cu resturile din ulcele și cu rămășițele din uliță”.
Mai trist și mai limpede de atît nu se poate... În treacăt fie spus, diferențele dintre traduceri sînt uriașe. Probabil că avem nevoie de o versiune mai apropiată de original...
March 10, 2024
Here is the oldest story of humanity! Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk. He is also oppressive, brutal, and selfish—his epic is filled with quests, challenges, and battles. But, in search of immortality to be legal of the gods, he will eventually learn wisdom. It is a fascinating text that we would benefit from studying to understand the origins of our civilization; when reading it, we realize in particular that the holy books of monotheisms are only repeats of myths that existed in Mesopotamia before the Bible.
December 10, 2021
**2021 UPDATE This text's antiquity prevents me from saying anything critical about the writing, except as regards the translation of same and how it reads. The Norton Critical Edition I reviewed below wasn't, erm, easy on the eyes shall we say. This Contra Mundum translation is HUGELY superior and vastly more fun to read.
BkC2) THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH: Not sorry I read it, but what a slog.
The Book Report: Evil King Gilgamesh is hatefully cruel to the citizens of Uruk, his kingdom. The gods, hearing the cries of his oppressed people, send Gilgamesh a companion, Enkidu. (Yes, that's right, a man.) Gilgamesh falls so in love with Enkidu, and has such big fun playing around and exploring the world and generally raising hell with Enkidu that his people are left alone to get on with...whatever it was that they weren't allowed to do before. And there was much rejoicing *yay*
No one is allowed to be too happy for too long. Gilgamesh learns this when he royally screws up by refusing to screw goddess Ishtar because he's busy having fun with Enkidu. It is **NEVER** a good idea to turn down nookie from a goddess. She gets her knickers in a twist and decides that, if he's gonna be *that* way about it, he's not gonna have his boy-toy either! THEN the boys do the colossally stupid thing of stealing Ishtar's bull, and it's lights out for Enkidu.
Gilgamesh's grief, to his peoples' relief, sends him on a quest for immortality. Which, frankly, makes not one whit of sense. Grief, in my extensive experience, makes one want oblivion, not eternity. Well, whatever, not me writin' the story, so off goes Gilgamesh to have more adventures.
My Review: A whole bunch of the Old Testament is lifted from this book. Amazingly whole and entire, too. Methuselah, Noah...all here first.
It's a slog to read, like the Bible, but it's fascinating if kept to smaller doses. I had no faith for it to rock, but it might rock a religious person's sacred book fantasy pretty hard. Highly instructive is the treatment of a strong love between men as perfectly boringly ordinary. No sexual component is implied in their relationship, but go find me a more loving relationship in sacred literature. Their closeness was so complete that it threatened the gods. But, crucially, it was the *CLOSENESS* that threatened the gods, not any inherent evil. The men loved each other so completely that there was no room for gods, which pisses gods off somethin' fierce.
Food for thought, homophobes who think Leviticus is right on *this* count.
BkC2) THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH: Not sorry I read it, but what a slog.
The Book Report: Evil King Gilgamesh is hatefully cruel to the citizens of Uruk, his kingdom. The gods, hearing the cries of his oppressed people, send Gilgamesh a companion, Enkidu. (Yes, that's right, a man.) Gilgamesh falls so in love with Enkidu, and has such big fun playing around and exploring the world and generally raising hell with Enkidu that his people are left alone to get on with...whatever it was that they weren't allowed to do before. And there was much rejoicing *yay*
No one is allowed to be too happy for too long. Gilgamesh learns this when he royally screws up by refusing to screw goddess Ishtar because he's busy having fun with Enkidu. It is **NEVER** a good idea to turn down nookie from a goddess. She gets her knickers in a twist and decides that, if he's gonna be *that* way about it, he's not gonna have his boy-toy either! THEN the boys do the colossally stupid thing of stealing Ishtar's bull, and it's lights out for Enkidu.
Gilgamesh's grief, to his peoples' relief, sends him on a quest for immortality. Which, frankly, makes not one whit of sense. Grief, in my extensive experience, makes one want oblivion, not eternity. Well, whatever, not me writin' the story, so off goes Gilgamesh to have more adventures.
My Review: A whole bunch of the Old Testament is lifted from this book. Amazingly whole and entire, too. Methuselah, Noah...all here first.
It's a slog to read, like the Bible, but it's fascinating if kept to smaller doses. I had no faith for it to rock, but it might rock a religious person's sacred book fantasy pretty hard. Highly instructive is the treatment of a strong love between men as perfectly boringly ordinary. No sexual component is implied in their relationship, but go find me a more loving relationship in sacred literature. Their closeness was so complete that it threatened the gods. But, crucially, it was the *CLOSENESS* that threatened the gods, not any inherent evil. The men loved each other so completely that there was no room for gods, which pisses gods off somethin' fierce.
Food for thought, homophobes who think Leviticus is right on *this* count.
March 23, 2017
Why is it that I should feel a pit in my stomach when I think of the Library of Alexandria wreathed in fire? Cotton's Library, too, when we nearly lost Beowulf and The Pearl. Who knows what we did lose?
A copy of an unknown work of Archimedes was found to have been scraped clean, cut in half, and made into a Bible. To think: a unique book of knowledge--one that outlined Calculus 1800 years before its time--was turned into a copy of the most common book in the world.
As a young man, Tolkien once gave a speech equating the linguistic shift brought on by the Normans as a sort of genocide, overlaying original languages with endless permutations of Rome. It is remarkable that, between accidents and purposeful destruction, some of our remote history has survived intact. Tolkien's own fictional Middle Earth is better documented than the entirety of the Dark Ages.
Gilgamesh escaped total annihilation, though certainly did not survive unscathed. Buried beneath the desert sands for three thousand years, it was finally unearthed, opening a new world to us, a new history, a deeper root of literary tradition.
The peculiarities of the writing and the culture are remarkable and enlightening. Far more remarkable are the similarities. The work is comprehensible, the character motivations sympathetic, and the philosophical explorations recognizable.
If all the sciences are philosophy, all bent on exploring a vision of our world, then Gilgamesh is valuable to us because of the fundamental human similarities it depicts. However, we cannot say how much is fundamental similarity and how much is the influence of Gilgamesh on later works.
It is either an influence on early stories of The Bible, or both books share a common ancestor. It may also have been an influence on the Greek epic tradition.
There are many works and historical figures that are mentioned or referenced by other texts, but which no longer exist for us. To have one transformed suddenly from rumor to legendary tale is rare to say the least.
To think that now, in the land of Uruk--once a garden, now a desert--American combat boots pound the sand, American bombs level ancient temples, and American soldiers fill sandbags with ceramic fragments. We do not need Gilgamesh to show us how little things change with mankind. We can see for ourselves that ignorance, war, and profit still can take precedence over history, humanity, and culture.
As in his mortal fury Gilgamesh smashes the unknown stone things, we must seek to snatch up the unknown before the sword takes it. We cannot save what is already gone, but at least we can treasure what we find.
I had the pleasure of reading N.K. Sandars' translation (the Penguin edition), which is actually his reworking (for the non-academic) of of several direct translations. Her introduction is informative, though as usual, I thirsted for more footnotes.
A copy of an unknown work of Archimedes was found to have been scraped clean, cut in half, and made into a Bible. To think: a unique book of knowledge--one that outlined Calculus 1800 years before its time--was turned into a copy of the most common book in the world.
As a young man, Tolkien once gave a speech equating the linguistic shift brought on by the Normans as a sort of genocide, overlaying original languages with endless permutations of Rome. It is remarkable that, between accidents and purposeful destruction, some of our remote history has survived intact. Tolkien's own fictional Middle Earth is better documented than the entirety of the Dark Ages.
Gilgamesh escaped total annihilation, though certainly did not survive unscathed. Buried beneath the desert sands for three thousand years, it was finally unearthed, opening a new world to us, a new history, a deeper root of literary tradition.
The peculiarities of the writing and the culture are remarkable and enlightening. Far more remarkable are the similarities. The work is comprehensible, the character motivations sympathetic, and the philosophical explorations recognizable.
If all the sciences are philosophy, all bent on exploring a vision of our world, then Gilgamesh is valuable to us because of the fundamental human similarities it depicts. However, we cannot say how much is fundamental similarity and how much is the influence of Gilgamesh on later works.
It is either an influence on early stories of The Bible, or both books share a common ancestor. It may also have been an influence on the Greek epic tradition.
There are many works and historical figures that are mentioned or referenced by other texts, but which no longer exist for us. To have one transformed suddenly from rumor to legendary tale is rare to say the least.
To think that now, in the land of Uruk--once a garden, now a desert--American combat boots pound the sand, American bombs level ancient temples, and American soldiers fill sandbags with ceramic fragments. We do not need Gilgamesh to show us how little things change with mankind. We can see for ourselves that ignorance, war, and profit still can take precedence over history, humanity, and culture.
As in his mortal fury Gilgamesh smashes the unknown stone things, we must seek to snatch up the unknown before the sword takes it. We cannot save what is already gone, but at least we can treasure what we find.
I had the pleasure of reading N.K. Sandars' translation (the Penguin edition), which is actually his reworking (for the non-academic) of of several direct translations. Her introduction is informative, though as usual, I thirsted for more footnotes.
May 9, 2021
3 ⭐
’The Epic of Gilgamesh’ OR ’A Mesopotamian Bromance’ is an incomplete and fragmentary tale of a King’s tyranny, an unrivalled friendship, the wrath of the Gods and one man’s search for immortality. It is at times hilarious in its absurdity and unexpectedly cavalier in its retelling of events. With elements of the story dating back as far as 2000 BC, I am awed by its historical significance but a lack of any real profundity and heavy verbatim repetition made this a middle-of-the-road experience for me.
My edition is the Penguin Classic��s Andrew George translation. Usually, I would advise against trusting anyone with two first names but in this case, I’ll make an exception as he includes an incredibly comprehensive introduction regarding the nature of the text and the difficulties in translating both Mesopotamian and Akkadian tablets. Be aware that it’s completely spoiler-filled, if spoilers are even a thing for 4000-year-old texts, as George pretty much explains the presumed significance of the various chapters in the intro.
This edition includes ’The Standard Version of the Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: ‘He who saw the Deep’ , which George explains is the work of a scholar by the name of Sin-leqi-unninni who, most likely, lived sometime between the 13th and 11th century BC but was certainly not the original author, just a redactor. As the reconstruction of this epic still has considerable gaps, it is supplemented in places by older Akkadian material or even the Hittite version of the text and verified by comparison to old Babylonian tablets written in the early 18th century. In addition, we also get ’The Sumerian Poems of Gilgamesh’, ’Fragments of Old Versions of the Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic’ and ’Miscellaneous Babylonian Fragments’.
There is an insane amount of repetition! So much so, the story could be half, maybe a third the length without it and you wouldn’t bat an eye. The first time I came across a repeated paragraph I thought I’d just gone back to the top of the page instead of flicking to the next but the more I read, the more regularly such verbatim repetition occurred. One example (of the many) is when Enkidu is trying to convince Gilgamesh not to battle Humbaba in the Forest of Cedar:
Enkidu: ”Humbaba, his voice is the Deluge,
His speech is fire, his breath is death,
He hears the forest murmur at sixty leagues’ distance.
Who is there would venture into his forest?
Adad ranks first, Humbaba second.
Who is there would oppose him among the Igigi?
So to keep safe the cedars,
Enlil made his lot to terrify man;
If you penetrate the forest you are seized by the tremors.”
In the space of 3 pages, this whole passage is repeated 3 times as Enkidu beseeches the town elders to dissuade Gilgamesh from fighting and then the Elders repeat Enkidu’s sentiment verbatim. And, after all that, GMesh just ignores them anyway! Even worse is a huge passage explaining the ritual GMesh and Enkidu would perform every 3 nights on the way to the forest to provoke a dream. The same passage is repeated 5 times with just the explanation of the 5 dreams (often fragmentary due to missing or broken tablets) separating it. You learn pretty quickly to skim over such mind-numbing repetition.
Gilgamesh himself is a real piece of work. He’s a tyrannical King born to a human father, Lugalbanda and the Goddess Ninsun (aka: Lady Wild Cow), making him 1/3 human and 2/3 God (Don’t ask, just roll with it!) He’s a Royal Rapist making a nuisance of himself at wedding banquets:
’He will couple with the wife-to-be,
He first of all, the bridegroom after.
By divine consent it is so ordained:
When his navel-cord was cut, for him she was destined.’
As I’ve since found out, this is referred to as Droit du seigneur ('lord's right') and was also common in medieval times. Call it what you will, he was still a rapist.
He’s a Sacred Cedar-Smiter, smiting the Cedar trees of the Guardian Humbaba’s Ancient Forest after beheading the poor bugger with the encouragement of his step-bro Enkidu who was supposed to have been created as a companion to GMesh. An equal in strength but superior in moral fibre, designed to guide the King away from his tyrannical ways. He originally advised against going to the forest but once there he totally got caught up in the moment pretty much peer-pressuring GMesh into lopping the dude’s head off and then desecrating the sacred forest.
A spurner of Goddesses, he’s approached by the beautiful but petulant Goddess Ishtar who wishes to be his wife. She comes on hot and heavy in the same way she did with Ishullanu:
"O my Ishullanu, let us taste your vigour. Put out your hand and stroke my quim!"
But Gmesh wasn’t having a bar of the Gorgeous Goddess, being in the midst of a totally bro-tastic bromance and all, leading to persecution from the Pantheon!
The story jumps from episode to episode but ultimately culminates, due to the unfortunate series of events following the spurning of Ishtar, in Gilgamesh’s reflection on mortality, fear of death and subsequent Journey in search of immortality. You can squint your eyes as tightly as possible or poke and prod the text looking for something profound but it’s not there, in my opinion. If anything, it reads like a guide for Kings on how not to act when in power and a reminder of the importance of funerary rites and proper worshipping of the Gods. On top of this, it encourages one to accept their lot in life and enjoy it to the fullest, relinquishing vanity and taking pleasure in the company of family. Having said that, Gilgamesh was a demi-god and a powerful King, sort after by a beautiful Goddess, doesn’t seem that hard a life to accept! I’m also hesitant to accept that he learned any lesson by the end of his journey other than that the search for immortality is futile. A positive to take away is the great degree of re-readability of the text given the regular discovery of new manuscripts (the number has doubled over the past 70 years). Maybe I’ll come back to it in a couple of decades.
Special Mentions:
1. The one who Gilgamesh seeks answers to the question of immortality from, Uta-Napishti , is essentially the Mesopotamian Noah (as in Noah’s Ark). This was written long before Noah was even a thought in anyone’s mind. How cool is that!
”The deluge came but Uta-Napishti survived, safe aboard the ark with his family, his treasure and representatives of each craft and species of animal”.
2. Can we just take a moment to admire Enkidu’s sexual prowess (as well as that of Shamhat the Harlot)?!
”For seven days and seven nights
Enkidu was erect and coupled with Shamkatum (Shamhat)”.
*Stands and applauds* Bravo guys, Bravo! Btw, they went for another week after deciding to leave for Uruk. Surely friction burn becomes a concern!
3. Shiduri, Goddess of Wisdom and Ale. I’m always telling my fiancé the two go hand in hand! Of the many pearls of wisdom that I’ve offered up over the years, I’ve always felt my best came after a couple of pints, cheers!
’The Epic of Gilgamesh’ OR ’A Mesopotamian Bromance’ is an incomplete and fragmentary tale of a King’s tyranny, an unrivalled friendship, the wrath of the Gods and one man’s search for immortality. It is at times hilarious in its absurdity and unexpectedly cavalier in its retelling of events. With elements of the story dating back as far as 2000 BC, I am awed by its historical significance but a lack of any real profundity and heavy verbatim repetition made this a middle-of-the-road experience for me.
My edition is the Penguin Classic��s Andrew George translation. Usually, I would advise against trusting anyone with two first names but in this case, I’ll make an exception as he includes an incredibly comprehensive introduction regarding the nature of the text and the difficulties in translating both Mesopotamian and Akkadian tablets. Be aware that it’s completely spoiler-filled, if spoilers are even a thing for 4000-year-old texts, as George pretty much explains the presumed significance of the various chapters in the intro.
This edition includes ’The Standard Version of the Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: ‘He who saw the Deep’ , which George explains is the work of a scholar by the name of Sin-leqi-unninni who, most likely, lived sometime between the 13th and 11th century BC but was certainly not the original author, just a redactor. As the reconstruction of this epic still has considerable gaps, it is supplemented in places by older Akkadian material or even the Hittite version of the text and verified by comparison to old Babylonian tablets written in the early 18th century. In addition, we also get ’The Sumerian Poems of Gilgamesh’, ’Fragments of Old Versions of the Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic’ and ’Miscellaneous Babylonian Fragments’.
There is an insane amount of repetition! So much so, the story could be half, maybe a third the length without it and you wouldn’t bat an eye. The first time I came across a repeated paragraph I thought I’d just gone back to the top of the page instead of flicking to the next but the more I read, the more regularly such verbatim repetition occurred. One example (of the many) is when Enkidu is trying to convince Gilgamesh not to battle Humbaba in the Forest of Cedar:
Enkidu: ”Humbaba, his voice is the Deluge,
His speech is fire, his breath is death,
He hears the forest murmur at sixty leagues’ distance.
Who is there would venture into his forest?
Adad ranks first, Humbaba second.
Who is there would oppose him among the Igigi?
So to keep safe the cedars,
Enlil made his lot to terrify man;
If you penetrate the forest you are seized by the tremors.”
In the space of 3 pages, this whole passage is repeated 3 times as Enkidu beseeches the town elders to dissuade Gilgamesh from fighting and then the Elders repeat Enkidu’s sentiment verbatim. And, after all that, GMesh just ignores them anyway! Even worse is a huge passage explaining the ritual GMesh and Enkidu would perform every 3 nights on the way to the forest to provoke a dream. The same passage is repeated 5 times with just the explanation of the 5 dreams (often fragmentary due to missing or broken tablets) separating it. You learn pretty quickly to skim over such mind-numbing repetition.
Gilgamesh himself is a real piece of work. He’s a tyrannical King born to a human father, Lugalbanda and the Goddess Ninsun (aka: Lady Wild Cow), making him 1/3 human and 2/3 God (Don’t ask, just roll with it!) He’s a Royal Rapist making a nuisance of himself at wedding banquets:
’He will couple with the wife-to-be,
He first of all, the bridegroom after.
By divine consent it is so ordained:
When his navel-cord was cut, for him she was destined.’
As I’ve since found out, this is referred to as Droit du seigneur ('lord's right') and was also common in medieval times. Call it what you will, he was still a rapist.
He’s a Sacred Cedar-Smiter, smiting the Cedar trees of the Guardian Humbaba’s Ancient Forest after beheading the poor bugger with the encouragement of his step-bro Enkidu who was supposed to have been created as a companion to GMesh. An equal in strength but superior in moral fibre, designed to guide the King away from his tyrannical ways. He originally advised against going to the forest but once there he totally got caught up in the moment pretty much peer-pressuring GMesh into lopping the dude’s head off and then desecrating the sacred forest.
A spurner of Goddesses, he’s approached by the beautiful but petulant Goddess Ishtar who wishes to be his wife. She comes on hot and heavy in the same way she did with Ishullanu:
"O my Ishullanu, let us taste your vigour. Put out your hand and stroke my quim!"
But Gmesh wasn’t having a bar of the Gorgeous Goddess, being in the midst of a totally bro-tastic bromance and all, leading to persecution from the Pantheon!
The story jumps from episode to episode but ultimately culminates, due to the unfortunate series of events following the spurning of Ishtar, in Gilgamesh’s reflection on mortality, fear of death and subsequent Journey in search of immortality. You can squint your eyes as tightly as possible or poke and prod the text looking for something profound but it’s not there, in my opinion. If anything, it reads like a guide for Kings on how not to act when in power and a reminder of the importance of funerary rites and proper worshipping of the Gods. On top of this, it encourages one to accept their lot in life and enjoy it to the fullest, relinquishing vanity and taking pleasure in the company of family. Having said that, Gilgamesh was a demi-god and a powerful King, sort after by a beautiful Goddess, doesn’t seem that hard a life to accept! I’m also hesitant to accept that he learned any lesson by the end of his journey other than that the search for immortality is futile. A positive to take away is the great degree of re-readability of the text given the regular discovery of new manuscripts (the number has doubled over the past 70 years). Maybe I’ll come back to it in a couple of decades.
Special Mentions:
1. The one who Gilgamesh seeks answers to the question of immortality from, Uta-Napishti , is essentially the Mesopotamian Noah (as in Noah’s Ark). This was written long before Noah was even a thought in anyone’s mind. How cool is that!
”The deluge came but Uta-Napishti survived, safe aboard the ark with his family, his treasure and representatives of each craft and species of animal”.
2. Can we just take a moment to admire Enkidu’s sexual prowess (as well as that of Shamhat the Harlot)?!
”For seven days and seven nights
Enkidu was erect and coupled with Shamkatum (Shamhat)”.
*Stands and applauds* Bravo guys, Bravo! Btw, they went for another week after deciding to leave for Uruk. Surely friction burn becomes a concern!
3. Shiduri, Goddess of Wisdom and Ale. I’m always telling my fiancé the two go hand in hand! Of the many pearls of wisdom that I’ve offered up over the years, I’ve always felt my best came after a couple of pints, cheers!
June 5, 2022
" متى بنينا بيتا يقوم إلى الأبد؟
متى ختمنا عقدا يدوم إلى الأبد؟
لم يكن دوام وخلود منذ القدم "
جلجامش ملحمة شعرية باللغة الأكادية مدونة بالخط المسماري على 12 لوح من الطين
تم اكتشافها في موقع أثري في خزانة الكتب الخاصة بالملك الآشوري آشور بانيبال
ملحمة أسطورية عن البطل جلجامش ملك مدينة أوروك السومرية
تتناول فكرة أساسية وهي حتمية الموت.. بجانب الصداقة والبطولة
وإمكانية تحقيق الخلود بالعمل في الحياة, قبل الموت الذي لا مفر منه
أجمل الفصول كان رحلة جلجامش للبحث عن سر الخلود والأبدية
هوامش ومقدمة طه باقر مفيدة وترجمته للملحمة بسيطة وسلسة
متى ختمنا عقدا يدوم إلى الأبد؟
لم يكن دوام وخلود منذ القدم "
جلجامش ملحمة شعرية باللغة الأكادية مدونة بالخط المسماري على 12 لوح من الطين
تم اكتشافها في موقع أثري في خزانة الكتب الخاصة بالملك الآشوري آشور بانيبال
ملحمة أسطورية عن البطل جلجامش ملك مدينة أوروك السومرية
تتناول فكرة أساسية وهي حتمية الموت.. بجانب الصداقة والبطولة
وإمكانية تحقيق الخلود بالعمل في الحياة, قبل الموت الذي لا مفر منه
أجمل الفصول كان رحلة جلجامش للبحث عن سر الخلود والأبدية
هوامش ومقدمة طه باقر مفيدة وترجمته للملحمة بسيطة وسلسة
February 6, 2022
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known writing in Old English.
This is masterfully written and a joy to read. I recommend it to all.
This is masterfully written and a joy to read. I recommend it to all.
June 3, 2025
I did not expect 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' to be so beautiful, profound and timeless. Today, in the 21st century, people are as mortal as they were 4,000 years ago. The main theme of the epic is Gilgamesh’s confrontation with his mortality, first, through his friend Enkidu's death.
We witness Gilgamesh’s transformation - from a proud, near-divine king to a grief-stricken wanderer haunted by death. This transformation is driven by his traumatic realization that no one, not even heroes or kings, can escape demise.
The story of Gilgamesh's life which is not just a heroic journey, his friendship with Enkidu, his loss and grief, his pursuit of immortality and exploring the limits of human power resonates with every modern reader of this story. As it does with me.
'The life of man is short. What he accomplishes is but the wind.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'The gods gave death to man and kept life for themselves.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'Must I die too? Must Gilgamesh be like that?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'I have seen death face to face, and my heart is shattered.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart.'
We witness Gilgamesh’s transformation - from a proud, near-divine king to a grief-stricken wanderer haunted by death. This transformation is driven by his traumatic realization that no one, not even heroes or kings, can escape demise.
The story of Gilgamesh's life which is not just a heroic journey, his friendship with Enkidu, his loss and grief, his pursuit of immortality and exploring the limits of human power resonates with every modern reader of this story. As it does with me.
'The life of man is short. What he accomplishes is but the wind.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'The gods gave death to man and kept life for themselves.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'Must I die too? Must Gilgamesh be like that?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'I have seen death face to face, and my heart is shattered.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
'How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart.'
September 7, 2023
گیلگمش کهن ترین حماسه و داستان بشر.
حماسه گیلگمش سده هفتم پیش از میلاد مسیح پیدا شد، این داستان در کتابخانه پادشاه آشور (آشوربانیپال) کشف شد. اما خود داستان قدیمی تر از آن است و ۲۸۰۰ سال پیش از میلاد مسیح نگارش شده است.
این داستان ها بصورت لوح هایی در کتابخانه ای کشف شد و در هزاره دوم پیش از میلاد، فردی تمام این لوح ها را گرد آورد و روایتی متحد ساخت، از هویت این شخص اطلاعاتی در دست نیست ولی بعضا ذکر شده نام وی سین لیق اونینی بوده است که روی کتبیه ها حک شده.
حماسه گیلگمش داستانی راجع به فردی نیمه خدا و نیمه انسان است(دو سوم خدا و یک سوم انسان) او پادشاهی شهوتران ، ظالم و زورمند است که هیچکس توانایی مقابله با وی را ندارد پس مردمان به درگاه خدایان دعا کرده که موجودی بیافرینید تا بتواند با گیلگمش برابری کند تا بلکه این شور و قدرت از سر وی فرو افتد، پس خدایان «انکیدو» را خلق نمودند که نیمه حیوان و نیمه انسان است، او با حیوانان میخورد و میخوابد، چوپانی از او آگاه شده و از شهر زنی زیبا برای او آورده که زن با وی چندین شبانه روز همخوابگی میکند و خوی انسانی و کام زندگی بر او میچشاند و «انکیدو» رو به «اوروک» شهرِ گیلگمشِ پادشاه میبرد، «انکیدو» به محض ورودش به شهر با گیلگمش کشتی میگیرد و در این جدال گیلگمش پیروز میشود، اما انکیدو را برادر خود میشمرد و در این قسمت این داستان زیبا شاهد ایجاد اولین دوستی عمیق بین پسران (bromance) در تاریخ ادبیات هستیم.
آنها ماجراجویی هایی زیادی از سر میگذرانند تا روزی انکیدو را مرگ میبلعد و گیلگمش نیز در میابد که روزی مرگ به سراغ وی نیز خواهد آمد، پس به دنبال جاودانگی میگردد.
خب داستان از اینجا به کل تغییرات جالبی رو پیدا میکنه، سفر به دنیای مردگان، دیدار با شخصیتی به اسم اوت نپیشتیم (که این شخص داستانی مشابه نوح داره و نکته حائز اهمیت این هست که خیلی قبل تر از عهد عتیق این داستان روایت شده)
سفر به دنیای مرگ و عبور از اون هم به طور مکرر در سده های بعدی دیدیم از داستان و حماسه های یونانی گرفته تا کمدی الهی اثر دانته و تا به امروز شاهد این موضوع در ادبیات به طور واضح هستیم.
گیلگمش که راز جاودانگی را به طور قطع پیدا نمیکند به این پی میبرد که از طریق هنر میتواند ابدی باشد که دیوار عظیم اوروک را بنا میکند تا به نوعی جاودان باشد.
همچنین برای اولین بار در ادبیات با توصیفات باغ های بهشت و سفر به آنها مواجه هستیم که این موضوع را نیز در «سفر پیدایش» (عهد عتیق) میبینیم.
همچنین شخصیت صیاد و چوپان را میبینیم که از جهاتی داستانی به مانند هابیل و قابیل دارند. ( از نظر ارتباط و واسطه میان دنیای حیوانات و طبیعت و دنیای شهرنشینی)
همچنین بخشی از روایت که گیلگمش از رود مرگ میگذرد نیز بارها در طی سده های بعدی در داستان ها و منظوم های مختلف میبینیم که بهترین مثال ها برای آن: منظومه »انئید» اثر «ویرژیل» و «کمدی الهی» اثر «دانته» میباشند.
موضوع قابل توجه دیگه هم مطرح کردن عالم رویا هست که این موضوع نیز در تاریخ ادبیات اولین بار در حماسه گیلگمش مطرح شده است که به کرات در سایر کتاب ها نیز دیده میشود.
تجربه خوبی بود👌
حماسه گیلگمش سده هفتم پیش از میلاد مسیح پیدا شد، این داستان در کتابخانه پادشاه آشور (آشوربانیپال) کشف شد. اما خود داستان قدیمی تر از آن است و ۲۸۰۰ سال پیش از میلاد مسیح نگارش شده است.
این داستان ها بصورت لوح هایی در کتابخانه ای کشف شد و در هزاره دوم پیش از میلاد، فردی تمام این لوح ها را گرد آورد و روایتی متحد ساخت، از هویت این شخص اطلاعاتی در دست نیست ولی بعضا ذکر شده نام وی سین لیق اونینی بوده است که روی کتبیه ها حک شده.
حماسه گیلگمش داستانی راجع به فردی نیمه خدا و نیمه انسان است(دو سوم خدا و یک سوم انسان) او پادشاهی شهوتران ، ظالم و زورمند است که هیچکس توانایی مقابله با وی را ندارد پس مردمان به درگاه خدایان دعا کرده که موجودی بیافرینید تا بتواند با گیلگمش برابری کند تا بلکه این شور و قدرت از سر وی فرو افتد، پس خدایان «انکیدو» را خلق نمودند که نیمه حیوان و نیمه انسان است، او با حیوانان میخورد و میخوابد، چوپانی از او آگاه شده و از شهر زنی زیبا برای او آورده که زن با وی چندین شبانه روز همخوابگی میکند و خوی انسانی و کام زندگی بر او میچشاند و «انکیدو» رو به «اوروک» شهرِ گیلگمشِ پادشاه میبرد، «انکیدو» به محض ورودش به شهر با گیلگمش کشتی میگیرد و در این جدال گیلگمش پیروز میشود، اما انکیدو را برادر خود میشمرد و در این قسمت این داستان زیبا شاهد ایجاد اولین دوستی عمیق بین پسران (bromance) در تاریخ ادبیات هستیم.
آنها ماجراجویی هایی زیادی از سر میگذرانند تا روزی انکیدو را مرگ میبلعد و گیلگمش نیز در میابد که روزی مرگ به سراغ وی نیز خواهد آمد، پس به دنبال جاودانگی میگردد.
خب داستان از اینجا به کل تغییرات جالبی رو پیدا میکنه، سفر به دنیای مردگان، دیدار با شخصیتی به اسم اوت نپیشتیم (که این شخص داستانی مشابه نوح داره و نکته حائز اهمیت این هست که خیلی قبل تر از عهد عتیق این داستان روایت شده)
سفر به دنیای مرگ و عبور از اون هم به طور مکرر در سده های بعدی دیدیم از داستان و حماسه های یونانی گرفته تا کمدی الهی اثر دانته و تا به امروز شاهد این موضوع در ادبیات به طور واضح هستیم.
گیلگمش که راز جاودانگی را به طور قطع پیدا نمیکند به این پی میبرد که از طریق هنر میتواند ابدی باشد که دیوار عظیم اوروک را بنا میکند تا به نوعی جاودان باشد.
همچنین برای اولین بار در ادبیات با توصیفات باغ های بهشت و سفر به آنها مواجه هستیم که این موضوع را نیز در «سفر پیدایش» (عهد عتیق) میبینیم.
همچنین شخصیت صیاد و چوپان را میبینیم که از جهاتی داستانی به مانند هابیل و قابیل دارند. ( از نظر ارتباط و واسطه میان دنیای حیوانات و طبیعت و دنیای شهرنشینی)
همچنین بخشی از روایت که گیلگمش از رود مرگ میگذرد نیز بارها در طی سده های بعدی در داستان ها و منظوم های مختلف میبینیم که بهترین مثال ها برای آن: منظومه »انئید» اثر «ویرژیل» و «کمدی الهی» اثر «دانته» میباشند.
موضوع قابل توجه دیگه هم مطرح کردن عالم رویا هست که این موضوع نیز در تاریخ ادبیات اولین بار در حماسه گیلگمش مطرح شده است که به کرات در سایر کتاب ها نیز دیده میشود.
تجربه خوبی بود👌
December 9, 2016
Here's the first book in the world, written around let’s say 2000 BC in Uruk, which is now Iraq, so when I set out to read all of the books in order a while back this was the first one I read. So it's nice that it's very good.
It’s about this king, Gilgamesh, who’s a dick. He’s a terrible king, a total tyrant. His best buddy Enkidu, on the other hand, is your archetypical noble savage guy, an innocent wild man. Enkidu gets civilized via the traditional method of having a sex priestess fuck him for a week straight, which totally works. And then they have adventures!
There are lots of things in Gilgamesh that will pop up in books later. There are a lot of weird echoes of it in the Bible. The flood myth is here, as it is in most cultures, and actually kindof a better version than the Bible’s. There’s a journey to the underworld, which will show up again in Homer and in Dante. There’s a monster to fight, and - as in Beowulf - there’s some ambiguity about how monstrous Humbaba is. He’s just trying to do his thing, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu have to go hunt him down because they’re such badasses. This arrogance will have terrible consequences for them.
The influence on later literature isn't direct: we lost this poem for most of history. It was only found again in the late 1800s. So it's influence by way of echoes, if anything, although the Biblical references are hard to deny.
There's an additional tablet XII, probably added later, that makes explicit the gay subtext running through the poem. Here's the translation from Stephen Mitchell:
This, yes, amounts to history's first slashfic, but you're likely to think the poem is gay enough without it; Gilgamesh and Enkidu are constantly kissing and holding hands. More on that here.
Gilgamesh is more complicated than I expected it to be. It’s dark, haunting, unsettling. The poet Rilke called it “The epic of the fear of death.” The ending is not happy. It’s weird and it’s pretty wonderful. It’s not terribly long, so it's not a huge commitment. I like Stephen Mitchell’s version.
It’s about this king, Gilgamesh, who’s a dick. He’s a terrible king, a total tyrant. His best buddy Enkidu, on the other hand, is your archetypical noble savage guy, an innocent wild man. Enkidu gets civilized via the traditional method of having a sex priestess fuck him for a week straight, which totally works. And then they have adventures!
There are lots of things in Gilgamesh that will pop up in books later. There are a lot of weird echoes of it in the Bible. The flood myth is here, as it is in most cultures, and actually kindof a better version than the Bible’s. There’s a journey to the underworld, which will show up again in Homer and in Dante. There’s a monster to fight, and - as in Beowulf - there’s some ambiguity about how monstrous Humbaba is. He’s just trying to do his thing, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu have to go hunt him down because they’re such badasses. This arrogance will have terrible consequences for them.
The influence on later literature isn't direct: we lost this poem for most of history. It was only found again in the late 1800s. So it's influence by way of echoes, if anything, although the Biblical references are hard to deny.
There's an additional tablet XII, probably added later, that makes explicit the gay subtext running through the poem. Here's the translation from Stephen Mitchell:
“[My friend, the] penis that you touched so your heart rejoiced,
grubs devour [(it) … like an] old garment.
[My friend, the crotch that you] touched so your heart rejoiced,
it is filled with dust [like a crack in the ground.]”
This, yes, amounts to history's first slashfic, but you're likely to think the poem is gay enough without it; Gilgamesh and Enkidu are constantly kissing and holding hands. More on that here.
Gilgamesh is more complicated than I expected it to be. It’s dark, haunting, unsettling. The poet Rilke called it “The epic of the fear of death.” The ending is not happy. It’s weird and it’s pretty wonderful. It’s not terribly long, so it's not a huge commitment. I like Stephen Mitchell’s version.
March 17, 2021
Αν θέλει κάποιος να δει από που προέρχονται κάποιες από τις βασικές επιρροές της Παλαιάς Διαθήκης, των Ομηρικών Επών ακόμα και των ιστοριών του Τόλκιν δεν έχει παρά να διαβάσει το Έπος του Γκιλγκαμές.
Το συγκεκριμένο ποίημα είναι ουσιαστικά το παλαιότερο διασωθέν "λογοτεχνικό" έργο και αποτέλεσε τη βάση για πολλούς μύθους και θρύλους της Ανατολής αλλά και της Ευρώπης. Πρόκειται για μια σειρά ιστοριών με βασικό ήρωα τον βασιλιά Γκιλγκαμές, ο οποίος παρουσιάζεται ως 2/3 θεός και 1/3 άνθρωπος (κάτι σαν ημίθεος ή όπως θα το συναντούσαμε στη δική μας μυθολογία) και μπλέκει σε διάφορες περιπέτειες. Οι ιστορίες αυτές βρέθηκαν σκαλισμένες σε πινακίδες σε διάφορες χρονολογικές περιόδους. Το βασικό έπος ξεκινάει με τη γέννηση του Εκιντού που είναι το αντίπαλο δέος του πανίσχυρου βασιλιά που στέλνεται από τους θεούς για να φέρει ισορροπία στον κόσμο. Τελικά, οι 2 ήρωες γίνονται αχώριστοι φίλοι και μαζί ταξιδεύουν σε άγνωστα μέρη για να κάνουν ηρωικές πράξεις και εν τέλει να μάθουν το μυστικό της αθανασίας.
Το έπος τελειώνει με την κάθοδο του Γκιλγκαμές στον κάτω κόσμο, τη γνωριμία του με τον Θεό Ουτναπίστιμ, ο οποίος του εξιστορεί πως επέζησε ενός μεγάλου κατακλυσμού και πως κέρδισε αυτός και η γυναίκα του το δώρο της αθανασίας από τους θεούς.
Η συγκεκριμένη έκδοση περιλαμβάνει όλες τις διασωθείσες ιστορίες σχετικά με τον Γκιλγκαμές, η μεταφράστρια παραθέτει αρκετές πληροφορίες που είναι χρήσιμες στον αναγνώστη ενώ υπάρχει και μια πολύ κατατοπιστική εισαγωγή με ιστορικά στοιχεία και επεξηγήσεις.
Στη βάση του το έργο είναι απλό και διαβάζεται εύκολα. Μπορούμε όμως να διακρίνουμε από τα πάθη και τις επιθυμίες των ηρώων πως ακόμα και πριν 5000 χρόνια, ο άνθρωπος αναζητούσε τα ίδια πράγματα όπως και σήμερα και κυρίως τον προβλημάτιζαν ό,τι και εμάς τους σύγχρονους homo sapiens. Ο φόβος για τον θάνατο, η μοίρα, οι φιλία, οι θεϊκές παρεμβάσεις, το πάθος για εξουσία και φυσικά τα σεξουαλικά ένστικτα.
Σίγουρα, κάποιος ειδικός στις μυθολογίες και την ιστορία της Μεσοποταμίας θα μπορέσει να εμβαθύνει πολύ περισσότερο στο έργο, όμως πραγματικά πιστεύω πως και ο απλός αναγνώστης σαν κι εμένα μπορεί να αποκομίσει πολλά πράγματα διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο και κυρίως να ταξιδέψει σε μια άλλη εποχή μακρινή και γιατί όχι μαγική!
Δεν ξέρω αν το έργο είναι αριστούργημα ή όχι. Είμαι όμως πεπεισμένος όμως πως για κάθε βιβλιόφιλο και υποψιασμένο αναγνώστη το συγκεκριμένο έπος είναι απαραίτητο ανάγνωσμα.
Τέλος, να πω πως προσωπικά δε με ενδιαφέρει να κάνω συγκρίσεις με άλλα έπη ή ιστορίες ακυρώνοντας ή αμφισβητώντας άλλους δημιουργούς. Κάθε έργο μετά το Έπος του Γκιλγκαμές στέκεται μόνο του παρ' όλες τις επιρροές διότι έτσι πρέπει να είναι. Στην τέχνη δεν υπάρχει παρθενογένεση και χαίρομαι που διαπιστώνω πως το έπος λειτούργησε σαν έμπνευση για να δημιουργηθούν κολοσσιαία αριστουργήματα!
Το συγκεκριμένο ποίημα είναι ουσιαστικά το παλαιότερο διασωθέν "λογοτεχνικό" έργο και αποτέλεσε τη βάση για πολλούς μύθους και θρύλους της Ανατολής αλλά και της Ευρώπης. Πρόκειται για μια σειρά ιστοριών με βασικό ήρωα τον βασιλιά Γκιλγκαμές, ο οποίος παρουσιάζεται ως 2/3 θεός και 1/3 άνθρωπος (κάτι σαν ημίθεος ή όπως θα το συναντούσαμε στη δική μας μυθολογία) και μπλέκει σε διάφορες περιπέτειες. Οι ιστορίες αυτές βρέθηκαν σκαλισμένες σε πινακίδες σε διάφορες χρονολογικές περιόδους. Το βασικό έπος ξεκινάει με τη γέννηση του Εκιντού που είναι το αντίπαλο δέος του πανίσχυρου βασιλιά που στέλνεται από τους θεούς για να φέρει ισορροπία στον κόσμο. Τελικά, οι 2 ήρωες γίνονται αχώριστοι φίλοι και μαζί ταξιδεύουν σε άγνωστα μέρη για να κάνουν ηρωικές πράξεις και εν τέλει να μάθουν το μυστικό της αθανασίας.
Το έπος τελειώνει με την κάθοδο του Γκιλγκαμές στον κάτω κόσμο, τη γνωριμία του με τον Θεό Ουτναπίστιμ, ο οποίος του εξιστορεί πως επέζησε ενός μεγάλου κατακλυσμού και πως κέρδισε αυτός και η γυναίκα του το δώρο της αθανασίας από τους θεούς.
Η συγκεκριμένη έκδοση περιλαμβάνει όλες τις διασωθείσες ιστορίες σχετικά με τον Γκιλγκαμές, η μεταφράστρια παραθέτει αρκετές πληροφορίες που είναι χρήσιμες στον αναγνώστη ενώ υπάρχει και μια πολύ κατατοπιστική εισαγωγή με ιστορικά στοιχεία και επεξηγήσεις.
Στη βάση του το έργο είναι απλό και διαβάζεται εύκολα. Μπορούμε όμως να διακρίνουμε από τα πάθη και τις επιθυμίες των ηρώων πως ακόμα και πριν 5000 χρόνια, ο άνθρωπος αναζητούσε τα ίδια πράγματα όπως και σήμερα και κυρίως τον προβλημάτιζαν ό,τι και εμάς τους σύγχρονους homo sapiens. Ο φόβος για τον θάνατο, η μοίρα, οι φιλία, οι θεϊκές παρεμβάσεις, το πάθος για εξουσία και φυσικά τα σεξουαλικά ένστικτα.
Σίγουρα, κάποιος ειδικός στις μυθολογίες και την ιστορία της Μεσοποταμίας θα μπορέσει να εμβαθύνει πολύ περισσότερο στο έργο, όμως πραγματικά πιστεύω πως και ο απλός αναγνώστης σαν κι εμένα μπορεί να αποκομίσει πολλά πράγματα διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο και κυρίως να ταξιδέψει σε μια άλλη εποχή μακρινή και γιατί όχι μαγική!
Δεν ξέρω αν το έργο είναι αριστούργημα ή όχι. Είμαι όμως πεπεισμένος όμως πως για κάθε βιβλιόφιλο και υποψιασμένο αναγνώστη το συγκεκριμένο έπος είναι απαραίτητο ανάγνωσμα.
Τέλος, να πω πως προσωπικά δε με ενδιαφέρει να κάνω συγκρίσεις με άλλα έπη ή ιστορίες ακυρώνοντας ή αμφισβητώντας άλλους δημιουργούς. Κάθε έργο μετά το Έπος του Γκιλγκαμές στέκεται μόνο του παρ' όλες τις επιρροές διότι έτσι πρέπει να είναι. Στην τέχνη δεν υπάρχει παρθενογένεση και χαίρομαι που διαπιστώνω πως το έπος λειτούργησε σαν έμπνευση για να δημιουργηθούν κολοσσιαία αριστουργήματα!
June 7, 2023
I’ve always had a curiosity about The Epic of Gilgamesh, purely on the basis that it’s the great-grandaddy of all stories, or at least the oldest to have come down to us. I listened to the audio version, which seemed appropriate, as this story was originally meant to be listened to rather than read.
A word on this “new translation”. I haven’t read any others with which to compare, but it seemed to me the translator has made some good choices. The language is modern and easy to follow, but there is half a nod to an older style of English, so the text uses expressions like “Gilgamesh spoke these words unto Enkidu”. For me that lends it a gravitas that I thinks fits with such an ancient story.
The book is divided into 11 chapters, each corresponding to one of the tablets that have been found. There is also “Tablet 12”, which the author explains is not thought to have been part of the original story, and which is added as an appendix. Listening to Tablet 12, it’s fairly clear that it stands apart. There is a lack of continuity with the main story, and a different “feel” to it. A second Appendix contains “The Death of Gilgamesh”, a Sumerian poem not directly linked to the Epic. The translator adds that this version of the Epic is an amalgam of the Sumerian and Akkadian versions.
When the Epic was first translated it caused a sensation because one tablet has a description of the Great Flood which very closely matches the one in the Bible, but considerably predates it. There’s also a reference to a 7-year famine. At another point Gilgamesh tells his companion Enkidu, “Should I fall, I shall leave behind me a name that will ever be remembered by men.” That has an obvious similarity with the story of Achilles in The Iliad, though it could just be coincidence.
In the story itself, Gilgamesh, a demigod and king of the city of Uruk in Mesopotamia, travels with Enkidu to the great cedar forest of Mount Lebanon to do battle with the demigod Humbaba, guardian of the cedars.
Later the two friends must face “The Bull of Heaven” sent to Earth by the Goddess Ishtar, whom Gilgamesh has offended. After this Gilgamesh becomes morose over the prospect of death, and goes on a quest to try and find the secret of eternal life, or at least the secrets of the afterlife. This was obviously a subject of deep interest to the Sumerians and Akkadians, as it has been to most of humanity ever since.
Parts of the book are a bit raunchy. In common with other ancient cultures, the Sumerians seem to have had “sacred prostitutes”, referred to in this text more prosaically as “temple harlots”. During certain religious festivals they were required to have sex with the King, or High Priest, etc. I wouldn’t want to overstate this element – the book isn’t what you would call explicit - but there are quite a few references to “uncovering of loins”.
There’s a great deal of repetition in the tale. I imagine this derives from the fact that the poem would originally have been sung or chanted, rather than spoken.
The rating reflects my personal enjoyment only. I don’t think I would recommend reading Gilgamesh for literary merit. I would recommend it if, like me, you want to satisfy your curiosity, or if you want a glimpse into the way the ancients saw the world.
A word on this “new translation”. I haven’t read any others with which to compare, but it seemed to me the translator has made some good choices. The language is modern and easy to follow, but there is half a nod to an older style of English, so the text uses expressions like “Gilgamesh spoke these words unto Enkidu”. For me that lends it a gravitas that I thinks fits with such an ancient story.
The book is divided into 11 chapters, each corresponding to one of the tablets that have been found. There is also “Tablet 12”, which the author explains is not thought to have been part of the original story, and which is added as an appendix. Listening to Tablet 12, it’s fairly clear that it stands apart. There is a lack of continuity with the main story, and a different “feel” to it. A second Appendix contains “The Death of Gilgamesh”, a Sumerian poem not directly linked to the Epic. The translator adds that this version of the Epic is an amalgam of the Sumerian and Akkadian versions.
When the Epic was first translated it caused a sensation because one tablet has a description of the Great Flood which very closely matches the one in the Bible, but considerably predates it. There’s also a reference to a 7-year famine. At another point Gilgamesh tells his companion Enkidu, “Should I fall, I shall leave behind me a name that will ever be remembered by men.” That has an obvious similarity with the story of Achilles in The Iliad, though it could just be coincidence.
In the story itself, Gilgamesh, a demigod and king of the city of Uruk in Mesopotamia, travels with Enkidu to the great cedar forest of Mount Lebanon to do battle with the demigod Humbaba, guardian of the cedars.
Later the two friends must face “The Bull of Heaven” sent to Earth by the Goddess Ishtar, whom Gilgamesh has offended. After this Gilgamesh becomes morose over the prospect of death, and goes on a quest to try and find the secret of eternal life, or at least the secrets of the afterlife. This was obviously a subject of deep interest to the Sumerians and Akkadians, as it has been to most of humanity ever since.
Parts of the book are a bit raunchy. In common with other ancient cultures, the Sumerians seem to have had “sacred prostitutes”, referred to in this text more prosaically as “temple harlots”. During certain religious festivals they were required to have sex with the King, or High Priest, etc. I wouldn’t want to overstate this element – the book isn’t what you would call explicit - but there are quite a few references to “uncovering of loins”.
There’s a great deal of repetition in the tale. I imagine this derives from the fact that the poem would originally have been sung or chanted, rather than spoken.
The rating reflects my personal enjoyment only. I don’t think I would recommend reading Gilgamesh for literary merit. I would recommend it if, like me, you want to satisfy your curiosity, or if you want a glimpse into the way the ancients saw the world.
August 26, 2025
إنها قطعة أدبية بديعة
ملحمة أرض الرافدين الخالدة
إنها ملحمة الصداقة الخالدة
ملحمة الإنسان في سعيه الدؤوب للخلود وهزيمة الموت والفناء
حين مات أنكيدو، لم يمت وحده. ماتت السكينة في قلب جلجامش، فزع من المصير الذي لا مفر منه
واندفع، بكل ما أوتي من عزيمة، في رحلة مضنية عبر الصحارى والجبال والبحار، باحثًا عن أوتنابشتم، ذلك الناجي من الطوفان، والمبارك بسر الخلود
خاض جلجامش الصراع ضد الوحوش، والظلمات، واليأس، وحين وصل أخيرًا إلى حافة الحكمة، وقارب أن يقبض على سر الحياة الأبدية، ضاعت الفرصة من بين يديه كما يتسرب الماء بين الأصابع
عاد جلجامش إلى أوروك، لا بخلود الجسد، بل بوعيٍ جديد، أن المجد الحقيقي لا يُنال بالهرب من الموت، بل بترك أثر خالد في الحياة
ملحمة أرض الرافدين الخالدة
إنها ملحمة الصداقة الخالدة
ملحمة الإنسان في سعيه الدؤوب للخلود وهزيمة الموت والفناء
حين مات أنكيدو، لم يمت وحده. ماتت السكينة في قلب جلجامش، فزع من المصير الذي لا مفر منه
واندفع، بكل ما أوتي من عزيمة، في رحلة مضنية عبر الصحارى والجبال والبحار، باحثًا عن أوتنابشتم، ذلك الناجي من الطوفان، والمبارك بسر الخلود
خاض جلجامش الصراع ضد الوحوش، والظلمات، واليأس، وحين وصل أخيرًا إلى حافة الحكمة، وقارب أن يقبض على سر الحياة الأبدية، ضاعت الفرصة من بين يديه كما يتسرب الماء بين الأصابع
عاد جلجامش إلى أوروك، لا بخلود الجسد، بل بوعيٍ جديد، أن المجد الحقيقي لا يُنال بالهرب من الموت، بل بترك أثر خالد في الحياة
February 2, 2017
دوستانِ گرانقدر، سفارش میکنم که این داستانِ بسیار زیبا و خواندنی را بخوانید و در این افسانه اندیشه کنید
با خواندن افسانۀ «گیلگمش» به نکاتِ زیادی پی برده و متوجه میشوید که بسیاری از داستان هایِ خیالی پیامبران و یهودیان خرافاتی و تازیان، از این افسانۀ اسطوره ای برگرفته شده است
متولد شدن «انکیدو» پهلوانِ بزرگ، از خاک و آبِ دهانِ خداوند... شبیه به داستان موهومِ «آدم و حوا» میباشد.. و باز هم نشان میدهد که تمامی ادیان بر اساس افسانه هایِ ایرانیان نوشته شده است
سفرِ «گیلگمش» به همراه «انکیدو» ما را به یادِ سفرِ "موسی" و "هارون" می اندازد... در آن داستان "یهوو" خدای یهودیان به آنها فرمان میدهد و در این افسانه «شمش» خدایِ آفتاب به «گیلگمش» و «انکیدو» فرمان داده و آنها را هدایت میکند... و جالب این است که تازیانِ بیابانی واژهٔ "شمس" به معنای خورشید را از خدای آفتاب "شمش" وام گرفته و تقلید کرده اند
اما نکتۀ جالب در این افسانهٔ خواندنی و زیبا، این است که: خداوند هیچ قدرتی بر روی زمین ندارد.. و وقتی در می یابد که "هومبه به" (خون بابا) در جنگل مقدسِ سدر، گناه و ستم میکند، مانندِ خدای مسلمانها و تازیان "اللهِ اکبر" عذاب نازل نمیکند.. بلکه به «گیلگمش» و «انکیدو» فرمان میدهد تا به جنگ او رفته و او را هلاک سازند... خودش هیچ دخالتی ندارد
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امیدوارم از خواندنِ این افسانهٔ بسیار قدیمی و باستانی، لذت ببرید
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
با خواندن افسانۀ «گیلگمش» به نکاتِ زیادی پی برده و متوجه میشوید که بسیاری از داستان هایِ خیالی پیامبران و یهودیان خرافاتی و تازیان، از این افسانۀ اسطوره ای برگرفته شده است
متولد شدن «انکیدو» پهلوانِ بزرگ، از خاک و آبِ دهانِ خداوند... شبیه به داستان موهومِ «آدم و حوا» میباشد.. و باز هم نشان میدهد که تمامی ادیان بر اساس افسانه هایِ ایرانیان نوشته شده است
سفرِ «گیلگمش» به همراه «انکیدو» ما را به یادِ سفرِ "موسی" و "هارون" می اندازد... در آن داستان "یهوو" خدای یهودیان به آنها فرمان میدهد و در این افسانه «شمش» خدایِ آفتاب به «گیلگمش» و «انکیدو» فرمان داده و آنها را هدایت میکند... و جالب این است که تازیانِ بیابانی واژهٔ "شمس" به معنای خورشید را از خدای آفتاب "شمش" وام گرفته و تقلید کرده اند
اما نکتۀ جالب در این افسانهٔ خواندنی و زیبا، این است که: خداوند هیچ قدرتی بر روی زمین ندارد.. و وقتی در می یابد که "هومبه به" (خون بابا) در جنگل مقدسِ سدر، گناه و ستم میکند، مانندِ خدای مسلمانها و تازیان "اللهِ اکبر" عذاب نازل نمیکند.. بلکه به «گیلگمش» و «انکیدو» فرمان میدهد تا به جنگ او رفته و او را هلاک سازند... خودش هیچ دخالتی ندارد
*****************************************************
امیدوارم از خواندنِ این افسانهٔ بسیار قدیمی و باستانی، لذت ببرید
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
March 9, 2021
It is an old storyThe Epic of Gilgamesh is the world’s oldest work of literature, dating back at least to 2,000 B.C. It is the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, who becomes best friends with Enkidu. They travel to the Cedar Forest and kill a monster named Humbaba, and soon thereafter also kill the Bull of Heaven to protect Uruk. But when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is so distraught that he crosses the Waters of Death to try to find the secret to eternal life to bring back Enkidu.
But one that can still be told
About a man who loved
And lost a friend to death
And learned he lacked the power
To bring him back to life.
It is the story of Gilgamesh
And his friend Enkidu.
— Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative
But what may make this story unique—even among ancient works of literature—is that there is no single, complete copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh. Instead, the tale has been pieced together by scholars from a variety of fragments of clay tablets found throughout the Middle East since the 1800s. There are several formal translations that attempt to translate every word from the overlapping sources, and to note all of the breaks and gaps. Even these translations vary significantly, depending not just on stylistic differences of the various translators, but on which source they use as their primary text.
For the formal version of The Epic of Gilgamesh, I read the Andrew George translation. The story is there, but it is not an easy read. Some of that difficulty is due to the gaps and the scholarly asides that pull the reader out of the story. But the formal translation also feels like an ancient story. It’s a bit clunky and quite repetitive in lots of places. There are lots of descriptions of rituals throughout that seem unnecessarily long. And the emotions displayed often feel less genuine and more performative, such as this quotation from shortly after Enkidu’s death: “O Enkidu, may the paths [of] the Forest of Cedar mourn you [without pause,] by day and by night!” It’s an emotional story told in a rather emotionless way, at least to a modern reader.
In addition to the formal version, I also read Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. Unlike the formal translations, this book attempts to capture the core story without being beholden to every repetition or gap. It reads more like one of the modern retellings of Beowulf. With many of the repetitions and scenes of rituals stripped away, there’s a much greater focus on Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh’s grief, and his feelings of loss and loneliness. There may be some poetic license taken in the verse narrative, but the core of the story not only remains, but is greatly enhanced by being much more personal and emotional:
It is that inner atmosphere that hasThe Epic of Gilgamesh is a foundational work of literature. It may be a source or inspiration for numerous biblical stories, from Noah and the great flood to the idea of treacherous snakes. It’s a tale about friendship, death, grief, and living after loss—fundamental experiences of being alive. I’d recommend reading Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative first or alongside The Epic of Gilgamesh to get the fullest emotional punch from the story. Recommended.
An unfamiliar gravity or none at all
Where words are flung out in the air but stay
Motionless without an answer,
Hovering about one’s lips
Or arguing back to haunt
The memory with what one failed to say,
Until one learns acceptance of the silence
Amidst the new debris
Or turns again to grief
As the only source of privacy,
Alone with someone loved.
The Epic of Gilgamesh: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
March 28, 2020
Le poème de Gilgamesh, composé, dans ses premières versions connues, il a 3 500 ans, bien longtemps avant Homère, est sans doute l’un des plus anciens témoignages de l’activité poétique et littéraire de nos lointains ancêtres de Mésopotamie, à l’aube même de l’Histoire. Cette épopée, comme chacun sait, relate le récit du roi d’Uruk, sa rencontre avec le sauvage Enkidu, l’affrontement du monstre Humbaba dans la forêt de résineux, la querelle avec Ishtar et le massacre du Taureau Céleste, la descente d’Enkidu aux Enfers, puis le voyage de Gilgamesh chez les dieux pour rechercher — en vain — la vie éternelle.
On ne peut manquer d’être touché par le caractère à la fois vénérable et étrange de ce récit, qui ne nous parle pas seulement d’exploits héroïques, mais plus essentiellement de la sortie de la steppe et de l’entrée dans la civilisation, de l’amitié entre deux hommes ; enfin et surtout de notre finitude et de notre condition mortelle, de ce qui fait de nous des humains.
Cette édition de la NRF est admirablement traduite et présentée par l’exégète biblique et assyriologue Jean Bottéro, de manière suffisamment savante pour que nous percevions comment ce texte a été, à grand-peine, reconstitué, mais aussi suffisamment claire pour que nous ressentions la beauté du poème. L’aspect le plus émouvant, sans doute, dans cette édition, est qu’elle fait sentir de manière très nette combien cette Épopée de Gilgamesh, consignée sur d’antiques tablettes cunéiformes, aujourd’hui en débris à travers le monde, est une œuvre naufragée, une épave en morceaux, repêchée des profondeurs de l’Histoire et dont il ne reste qu’un formidable et incomplet puzzle.
On ne peut manquer d’être touché par le caractère à la fois vénérable et étrange de ce récit, qui ne nous parle pas seulement d’exploits héroïques, mais plus essentiellement de la sortie de la steppe et de l’entrée dans la civilisation, de l’amitié entre deux hommes ; enfin et surtout de notre finitude et de notre condition mortelle, de ce qui fait de nous des humains.
Cette édition de la NRF est admirablement traduite et présentée par l’exégète biblique et assyriologue Jean Bottéro, de manière suffisamment savante pour que nous percevions comment ce texte a été, à grand-peine, reconstitué, mais aussi suffisamment claire pour que nous ressentions la beauté du poème. L’aspect le plus émouvant, sans doute, dans cette édition, est qu’elle fait sentir de manière très nette combien cette Épopée de Gilgamesh, consignée sur d’antiques tablettes cunéiformes, aujourd’hui en débris à travers le monde, est une œuvre naufragée, une épave en morceaux, repêchée des profondeurs de l’Histoire et dont il ne reste qu’un formidable et incomplet puzzle.
December 16, 2018
This epic mythological tale was a surprisingly fun read overall and a powerful portrait of the power of male friendship and grief at its loss. Written about 1,700BC, it stars a king of the ancient Mesopotamian king of Uruk living around 2,700BC who is arrogant and unjust to his people. For example, every new bride is his for the bedding before the bridegroom has his joy. The people pray to the gods for relief from his tyranny, and in answer a temple prostitute is sent into the wilds to bring back a soulmate for Gilgamesh. The wild man, Enkidu, has been living in innocence among the animals and knows nothing of civilization. The priestess makes love to him for days on end and by such means is he seduced to her quest.
After a period of competitive interactions, including wrestling matches, the king and tamed monster become bosom buddies and probably lovers. The goddess Ishtar takes a fancy to Enkidu, who rejects her advances and promises of heavenly rewards, backed up by the king heaping many insults on her head. In revenge, she gets the top gods to lend her the ferocious Bull of Heaven Peace to kill the king and his buddy. A comic scene of their quick disposal of the beast ensues.
Peace and justice begins to bloom in the kingdom. But Gilgamesh just has to express of superman role by finding a monster to slay. He persuades Enkidu to join him on a mission to kill the giant Humbaba, who has long been tasked by a god to guard a sacred cedar forest. Enkidu advises the king against such a foolish challenge, both from its danger and affront to the god. But his loyalty and love of the king leads him to buck but up his friend’s courage and turn the battle into success at the point of disaster. This seals Enkidu’s doom. When sickness and death is brought down on him, Gilgamesh’s grief seems to hold no bounds, much in the vein of Achilles written 1,000 years later:
Then he veiled Enkidu’s face like a bride’s.
Like an eagle Gilgamensh circled around him,
he paced in front of him, back and forth,
like a lioness whose cubs are trapped in a pit,
he tore out clumps of his hair, tore off
his magnificent robes as though they were cursed.
In his despair, Gilgamesh is tormented by intimations of his own mortality. He is driven to leave his kingdom on a long, perilous quest to find the one man the gods have blessed with immortality, Utnapishtim, and learn his secret for gaining that status. All he gets for his efforts is platitudes, a diversionary tale of Noah’s Ark (cribbed much later as a lesson for the Torah), and a special healing plant, which the king loses by neglect to a snake on the way back home. At the end, his arrival at the beautifully walled city of Uruk is described identical to the beginning verses of the epic.
This version of the tale was composed by Mitchell as a synthesis of prior translations and with invented insertions for all the missing sections lost among the collection of clay tablets inscribed with Sumerian cuneiform as discovered at the late date of 1853 in a dig at Ninevah. Half of the volume is a delightful commentary on the details of the epic and interpretations about their meanings and significance. Quite the eye-opener for me, having always presumed ancient tales to comprise very simplistic analogies about human nature and the conflicts between good and evil. A nice complement to similar conclusions reached from recent reads of the Iliad and Odyssey.
After a period of competitive interactions, including wrestling matches, the king and tamed monster become bosom buddies and probably lovers. The goddess Ishtar takes a fancy to Enkidu, who rejects her advances and promises of heavenly rewards, backed up by the king heaping many insults on her head. In revenge, she gets the top gods to lend her the ferocious Bull of Heaven Peace to kill the king and his buddy. A comic scene of their quick disposal of the beast ensues.
Peace and justice begins to bloom in the kingdom. But Gilgamesh just has to express of superman role by finding a monster to slay. He persuades Enkidu to join him on a mission to kill the giant Humbaba, who has long been tasked by a god to guard a sacred cedar forest. Enkidu advises the king against such a foolish challenge, both from its danger and affront to the god. But his loyalty and love of the king leads him to buck but up his friend’s courage and turn the battle into success at the point of disaster. This seals Enkidu’s doom. When sickness and death is brought down on him, Gilgamesh’s grief seems to hold no bounds, much in the vein of Achilles written 1,000 years later:
Then he veiled Enkidu’s face like a bride’s.
Like an eagle Gilgamensh circled around him,
he paced in front of him, back and forth,
like a lioness whose cubs are trapped in a pit,
he tore out clumps of his hair, tore off
his magnificent robes as though they were cursed.
In his despair, Gilgamesh is tormented by intimations of his own mortality. He is driven to leave his kingdom on a long, perilous quest to find the one man the gods have blessed with immortality, Utnapishtim, and learn his secret for gaining that status. All he gets for his efforts is platitudes, a diversionary tale of Noah’s Ark (cribbed much later as a lesson for the Torah), and a special healing plant, which the king loses by neglect to a snake on the way back home. At the end, his arrival at the beautifully walled city of Uruk is described identical to the beginning verses of the epic.
This version of the tale was composed by Mitchell as a synthesis of prior translations and with invented insertions for all the missing sections lost among the collection of clay tablets inscribed with Sumerian cuneiform as discovered at the late date of 1853 in a dig at Ninevah. Half of the volume is a delightful commentary on the details of the epic and interpretations about their meanings and significance. Quite the eye-opener for me, having always presumed ancient tales to comprise very simplistic analogies about human nature and the conflicts between good and evil. A nice complement to similar conclusions reached from recent reads of the Iliad and Odyssey.
May 28, 2021
احتمالا اگر مخاطب جدی ادبیات بوده باشید اسم «حماسهی گیلگمش» به گوشتون خورده و ممکنه مثل من حتی قبل از خوندنش بدونید داستانش دربارهی چیه.
اما من دلم میخواست خود اثر رو هم بخونم. چرا؟ چون اولین داستانیه که بشر نوشته !! اره درسته!! اولین اثر مکتوب جهان، به تاریخ حدودی ۲۴۰۰ سال پیش از میلاد مسیح !!
حس خوندنش برام مثالزدنی نیست. حس یه باستانشناس رو داشتم کت یه گنج عظیم بدست آورده و هر صفحه انگار یه لوح گِلی بود که با ولع محتویاتش رو میخوردم و جاهایی که شکستگی داشت یا ناخوانا بود برام شبیه معمایی بود که باید بهش جواب میدادم.
گیلگمش یه تراژدی اسطورهایه خیلی به روزه !! چرا میگم به روز؟ چون داستانش، داستان سرگشتگی انسانه. داستان دست و پا زدن نسل بشر برای رویارویی با اونچه تقدیر مسلمش محسوب میشه؛ مرگ.
توصیه میکنم حتما بخونید و لذت ببرید
پ.ن: این کتاب با دو ترجمه توی بازار هست. ترجمهی آقای منشیزاده و ترجمهی احمد شاملو. اولی از حیث زمانی نسبت به ترجمهی شاملو جلوتره. گویا شاملو اومده و با استفاده از این ترجمه و با زبان شاعرانهی خودش این داستان رو اقتباسی زده و نوشته و توی مجلهی کتاب هفته به تاریخ ۱۳۴۰ چاپش کرده. نتیجه واقعا درخشانه !! حتی اگه دزدی ادبی باشه. توی این نسخه که من خوندم یه ترجمهی غیر اقتباسی مستقیم از متن اصلی هم بود واو به واو از روی لوحها انجام شده بود. اینم خوندنش واقعا لذت بخشه. شاملوی عزیز حالا درسته به خاطر این کارت تهدید به قتل هم شدی ولی بازم دمت گرم🙃 فک کنم ترجمهب اقتباسی شما حالا حالاها از ذهنم پاک نشه.
اما من دلم میخواست خود اثر رو هم بخونم. چرا؟ چون اولین داستانیه که بشر نوشته !! اره درسته!! اولین اثر مکتوب جهان، به تاریخ حدودی ۲۴۰۰ سال پیش از میلاد مسیح !!
حس خوندنش برام مثالزدنی نیست. حس یه باستانشناس رو داشتم کت یه گنج عظیم بدست آورده و هر صفحه انگار یه لوح گِلی بود که با ولع محتویاتش رو میخوردم و جاهایی که شکستگی داشت یا ناخوانا بود برام شبیه معمایی بود که باید بهش جواب میدادم.
گیلگمش یه تراژدی اسطورهایه خیلی به روزه !! چرا میگم به روز؟ چون داستانش، داستان سرگشتگی انسانه. داستان دست و پا زدن نسل بشر برای رویارویی با اونچه تقدیر مسلمش محسوب میشه؛ مرگ.
توصیه میکنم حتما بخونید و لذت ببرید
پ.ن: این کتاب با دو ترجمه توی بازار هست. ترجمهی آقای منشیزاده و ترجمهی احمد شاملو. اولی از حیث زمانی نسبت به ترجمهی شاملو جلوتره. گویا شاملو اومده و با استفاده از این ترجمه و با زبان شاعرانهی خودش این داستان رو اقتباسی زده و نوشته و توی مجلهی کتاب هفته به تاریخ ۱۳۴۰ چاپش کرده. نتیجه واقعا درخشانه !! حتی اگه دزدی ادبی باشه. توی این نسخه که من خوندم یه ترجمهی غیر اقتباسی مستقیم از متن اصلی هم بود واو به واو از روی لوحها انجام شده بود. اینم خوندنش واقعا لذت بخشه. شاملوی عزیز حالا درسته به خاطر این کارت تهدید به قتل هم شدی ولی بازم دمت گرم🙃 فک کنم ترجمهب اقتباسی شما حالا حالاها از ذهنم پاک نشه.
March 30, 2021
اسطورهی گیلگمش قدیمیترین داستان دنیاست که بر روی ۱۲ لوح با قدمت بیش از ۴ هزار سال حکاکی شده. این الواح مربوط به زمان سومریان بوده و در میانرودان کشف شدهاند.
گیلگمش پادشاه شهر اوروک است، یک سوم گیلگمش آدمی است و دو سومش خداست. در شهر سخن و کلام او قانون است. او شیر را از پناه بیرون میرماند، یال او را میگیرد و با زخم کارد میکشد. گیلگمش خستگی ندارد و با سختیها شادتر میشود. هر زنی در نخستین شب ازدواج، قبل از مرد خود با گیلگمش همبستر میشود. در زیبایی و قدرت هرگز مانند او دیده نشده. با این همه، گیلگمش میرا و فانی است.
کتاب در ۱۲ بخش (۱۲ لوح) نگاشته شده. در لوحهای نخستین قهرمانیها و ماجراجوییهای گیلگمش و رفیق شفیقش إنکیدو روایت میشود. در ادامه گیلگمش با مشاهدهی مرگ إنکیدو، به یاد فانی بودن خود میافتد. ترس او را فرا میگیرد و با پریشانی به دنبال جاودانگی به تکاپو میافتد. در این بخشها خط داستانی از روایت دلاوری به بیان دغدغههای وجودی تغییر مییابد که جذابیت داستان را ده چندان مینماید.
به نظر میرسد اسطورهی گیلگمش و بخشهای مختلف این حماسه، الهام بخش بسیاری از داستانهای موجود در کتب حماسی و ادیان بوده است و برخی از رسوم ذکر شده در کتاب، حتی امروز نیز دیده میشوند. کتابی است که در چند ساعت میتوان خواند اما روزها جای غور و تأمل دارد. شنیدن سخنرانیهای بهرام بیضایی در مورد گیلگمش بعد از خواندن کتاب خالی از لطف نیست. این سخنرانیها را میتوانید در اینترنت پیدا کنید.
گیلگمش پادشاه شهر اوروک است، یک سوم گیلگمش آدمی است و دو سومش خداست. در شهر سخن و کلام او قانون است. او شیر را از پناه بیرون میرماند، یال او را میگیرد و با زخم کارد میکشد. گیلگمش خستگی ندارد و با سختیها شادتر میشود. هر زنی در نخستین شب ازدواج، قبل از مرد خود با گیلگمش همبستر میشود. در زیبایی و قدرت هرگز مانند او دیده نشده. با این همه، گیلگمش میرا و فانی است.
کتاب در ۱۲ بخش (۱۲ لوح) نگاشته شده. در لوحهای نخستین قهرمانیها و ماجراجوییهای گیلگمش و رفیق شفیقش إنکیدو روایت میشود. در ادامه گیلگمش با مشاهدهی مرگ إنکیدو، به یاد فانی بودن خود میافتد. ترس او را فرا میگیرد و با پریشانی به دنبال جاودانگی به تکاپو میافتد. در این بخشها خط داستانی از روایت دلاوری به بیان دغدغههای وجودی تغییر مییابد که جذابیت داستان را ده چندان مینماید.
به نظر میرسد اسطورهی گیلگمش و بخشهای مختلف این حماسه، الهام بخش بسیاری از داستانهای موجود در کتب حماسی و ادیان بوده است و برخی از رسوم ذکر شده در کتاب، حتی امروز نیز دیده میشوند. کتابی است که در چند ساعت میتوان خواند اما روزها جای غور و تأمل دارد. شنیدن سخنرانیهای بهرام بیضایی در مورد گیلگمش بعد از خواندن کتاب خالی از لطف نیست. این سخنرانیها را میتوانید در اینترنت پیدا کنید.
July 21, 2021
گیلگمش، فرزند زمانه:
برای ارائهی یک تفسیرِ تمام و کمال اسطوره، بایستی آن اسطوره را در ظرفِ مکان-زمانی و فرهنگی خودش قرار دهیم و براساس ارزشها، اندیشهها و زیستِ مردمانی که آنها را ابداع کرده و مورد استفاده قرار میدادند، به تحلیل آن بپردازیم (به جای اینکه اندیشهها و ارزشهای خودمان را در آن قالب کنیم.
گیلگمش هم از این قاعده مجزا نیست و نمیتوان با اولین خوانش، بلافاصله با توجه دغدغههای خودمان، یک معنای اگزیستانسیالیستی قرن بیستمی از آن بیرون بکشیم. پس باید ابتدا به زمانهی آفرینش گیلگمش بپردازیم.
ما به روایاتی سومری از شخصیت «گیلگمش» نیز دست پیدا کردهایم. اما این اکدیهای سامی هستند که با نبوغِ خود، عناصری از فرهنگ خودشان را به این داستان وارد میکنند (مانند جستجوی جاودانگی) و به تکوین آن کمک میکنند. و سرانجام در نسخههای بابلست که «حماسه گیلگمش»ی شکل میگیرد که اما الان در دست داریم.
نزد فرهنگهای سامی، تجربهی شخصیِ فرد از امر قدسی و دینی، از اهمیت ویژهای برخورد بوده است؛ و از همین منظر است که جستجوی گیلگمش، معنا پیدا میکند. وی که به گفته متخصصان شخصیتی آستانهایست، باید همچون یک رازآموز و یا قهرمان، با سفر به درون جنگل خدایان، دست رد زدن به ایشتار، کشتن گاو آسمانی، سفر به دلِ آبهای مرگ و غیره، آزمونهایی سخت را از سر بگذراند و به محدودههای ظرفیتِ انسانی سرک بکشد. در واقع از بعدی الهیاتی، میتوان این سفر را نوعی تجربهی دینیِ به قصد تشرف دانست؛ به قصد گذر از گیلگمشی که اوروک را به هم می ریخت، به گیلگمشی که به محدودیتهای انسانی خود پی برده است.
از بعدی تاریخی نیز می توان این سفرها را نمادی از سرک کشیدنها و جستجوهای دولت-شهرهای بینالنهرینی دانست؛ آنها می کوشند تا برای تبدیل شدن به اولین امپراطوریها، دست به تلاشی ابرانسانی بزنند و با فتح و فائق آمدن بر طبیعت، مرزهای تمدن بشری را گسترش بدهند.
از خدایان و انسانها:
اما از نظرِ جستجوی جاودانگی، گيلگمش بابلی را به نظرم میتوان در نقطه مقابل هراکلس (هرکول) یونانی قرار داد؛ هراکلس نیمه خدا با گذراندنِ امتحاناتی که خدایان در برابرش قرار داده بودند، سرانجام توانست به نامیرایی برسد و همنشین خدایان شود.
اما گيلگمش که دو سومش از خدایان بود، علیرغم سفری مشقتبار و از سر گذراندنِ امتحانات فراوان، سرانجام از جادوانه شدن و برخورداری از تجربهای خدایگونه باز میماند.
الياده، این موضوع را به اندیشه دینی تمدن اکدی (خاستگاه حماسه گيلگمش) مربوط میداند: ناپایداری و ناامنی وضعیت بشری. «انسان، فانی و ميرنده و صرفاً برای خدمت به خدايان آفریده شده است».
اگرچه امپراطوریهای تمدنسازی از بینالنهرین سر بر آوردند، اما این مردمان همواره از حملات و تاخت و تازهای اقوام مختلف در هراس بودهاند. و عملاً هم بارها و بارها شاهد این حملات و استیلای اقوام بیگانه هستیم. این خطرات استرسزا، به سوالات پیچیدهای دربارهی نقش و تاثیر خدایان در زندگی ما دامن میزدند.
در واقع سرنوشتِ گيلگمش، ناشی از اندیشههایی نيهيلستیست که در آن دوران، مردمان بین النهرین تجربهشان میکردند: پیروزی شریران و بیتفاوتی خدایان نسبت به سرنوشت انسانها.
البته الياده شواهدی از متون دیگرِ بابلی میآورد تا با کمک آنها نشان دهد که خدایان بابلی، بیتفاوت نیستند، بلکه این اسطورهها نشان دهندهی نوعی فاصلهگذاری بین قلمروی خدایان و انسانها و تأکیدِ بر این جدایی میباشند.
نوح یا اوتناپشتيم، کپیِ برابر اصل:
تمدنهای بینالنهرينی و اسرائیلیان در یک جغرافیای مشترک (شرق نزدیک) سر برآورده و شکوفا شدهاند؛ بنابراین آنها جهان فرهنگی مشترکی تنفس میکردهاند. پس طبیعیست که در روایات دینی و اساطير خود، از مضامین و الگوهای مشترکی استفاده کنند و توازیهای زیادی بین آن یافت شود.
خانم کريستين هايس میگوید که گشتن به دنبال این شباهتهای احتمالیِ بین اساطیر بینالنهرین و بایبلی کافی نیست؛ بلکه از منظری، این تفاوتهای احتمالیِ بین این دو سنت است که حائز اهمیت میباشند؛ و همچنین باید به چرائی این تفاوتها بیندیشیم.
در هر دو روایت، توفانِ بزرگ نتیجهی تصمیم آگاهانه و تعمدیِ موجوداتی الوهیست؛ و یک فرد انتخاب میشود تا با ساختن یک قایق خاص، از توفان جان سالم به در ببرد. بعد از توفان، هر دو روی کوهی فرود میآیند و پرندهای میفرستند تا زمین را پیدا کند. و سپس هر دو، به قربانی کردن برای موجود الوهی میپردازند.
در روایت بینالنهرینی از اوتناپشتیم (در حماسه های آتراهاسیس و گیلگمش)، به صورت صریح به دلایلِ نزولِ توفان بزرگ اشاره نمیشود. گویا خدایان شوری میگیرند و بر آن میشوند تا توفانی بر سر زمینیان بفرستند. حتی بنا به روایتی، خدایان از سر و صدای انسانها به ستوه میآیند و تصمیم میگیرند که توفانی به پا کرده و دوباره «خائوس»ی را به پا کنند؛ در این دنیای جدید، هیچ انسانی از پیشینیان یافت نمیشود. و حتی تنها زوجِ باقیمانده (اوتناپشتیم و زنش)، در انگار دنیای جداگانه و دور از دسترس به سر میبرند.
اما در روایت بایبلی (عهد عتیق)، خدا (یهوه) استانداردهایِ اخلاقیِ آشتیناپذیری دارد که وی را میدارد که در طی عملی عادلانه (در مقابل عمل هوسبازانهی «انلیل» که حتی مورد اعتراض بقیه حدایان قرار میگیرد)، توفان را به صورت مجازاتی بر انسانهای فاسد نازل کند
بنابراین در اینجا، شاهدِ شکافی ایدئولوژیک هستیم؛ راویان کتاب مقدسی، به وضوح داستانی آشنا برای مردمان منطقه را گرفته، و از آن برای بیان ایده و ارزشهای جدید و رادیکال خود بهره میگیرند
پینوشت 1: باز هم یک همخوانیِ دیگر از سهیل و شایان و من، و البته این بار به پیشنهاد سهیل
پینوشت 2: و با تشکر ویژه از دوست نادیده عزیز، یگانه، واسه این هدیه ارزشمند
پینوشت 3: اصلاً تصویرسازیهای فوثالعاده مرتضی ممیز برای ترجمهی شاملو را از دست ندهید. دارای تکنیک و درک گرافیکی بالا، و با الهام از سنگنگارهها و حجاریهای بینالنهرینی.
برای ارائهی یک تفسیرِ تمام و کمال اسطوره، بایستی آن اسطوره را در ظرفِ مکان-زمانی و فرهنگی خودش قرار دهیم و براساس ارزشها، اندیشهها و زیستِ مردمانی که آنها را ابداع کرده و مورد استفاده قرار میدادند، به تحلیل آن بپردازیم (به جای اینکه اندیشهها و ارزشهای خودمان را در آن قالب کنیم.
گیلگمش هم از این قاعده مجزا نیست و نمیتوان با اولین خوانش، بلافاصله با توجه دغدغههای خودمان، یک معنای اگزیستانسیالیستی قرن بیستمی از آن بیرون بکشیم. پس باید ابتدا به زمانهی آفرینش گیلگمش بپردازیم.
ما به روایاتی سومری از شخصیت «گیلگمش» نیز دست پیدا کردهایم. اما این اکدیهای سامی هستند که با نبوغِ خود، عناصری از فرهنگ خودشان را به این داستان وارد میکنند (مانند جستجوی جاودانگی) و به تکوین آن کمک میکنند. و سرانجام در نسخههای بابلست که «حماسه گیلگمش»ی شکل میگیرد که اما الان در دست داریم.
نزد فرهنگهای سامی، تجربهی شخصیِ فرد از امر قدسی و دینی، از اهمیت ویژهای برخورد بوده است؛ و از همین منظر است که جستجوی گیلگمش، معنا پیدا میکند. وی که به گفته متخصصان شخصیتی آستانهایست، باید همچون یک رازآموز و یا قهرمان، با سفر به درون جنگل خدایان، دست رد زدن به ایشتار، کشتن گاو آسمانی، سفر به دلِ آبهای مرگ و غیره، آزمونهایی سخت را از سر بگذراند و به محدودههای ظرفیتِ انسانی سرک بکشد. در واقع از بعدی الهیاتی، میتوان این سفر را نوعی تجربهی دینیِ به قصد تشرف دانست؛ به قصد گذر از گیلگمشی که اوروک را به هم می ریخت، به گیلگمشی که به محدودیتهای انسانی خود پی برده است.
از بعدی تاریخی نیز می توان این سفرها را نمادی از سرک کشیدنها و جستجوهای دولت-شهرهای بینالنهرینی دانست؛ آنها می کوشند تا برای تبدیل شدن به اولین امپراطوریها، دست به تلاشی ابرانسانی بزنند و با فتح و فائق آمدن بر طبیعت، مرزهای تمدن بشری را گسترش بدهند.
از خدایان و انسانها:
اما از نظرِ جستجوی جاودانگی، گيلگمش بابلی را به نظرم میتوان در نقطه مقابل هراکلس (هرکول) یونانی قرار داد؛ هراکلس نیمه خدا با گذراندنِ امتحاناتی که خدایان در برابرش قرار داده بودند، سرانجام توانست به نامیرایی برسد و همنشین خدایان شود.
اما گيلگمش که دو سومش از خدایان بود، علیرغم سفری مشقتبار و از سر گذراندنِ امتحانات فراوان، سرانجام از جادوانه شدن و برخورداری از تجربهای خدایگونه باز میماند.
الياده، این موضوع را به اندیشه دینی تمدن اکدی (خاستگاه حماسه گيلگمش) مربوط میداند: ناپایداری و ناامنی وضعیت بشری. «انسان، فانی و ميرنده و صرفاً برای خدمت به خدايان آفریده شده است».
اگرچه امپراطوریهای تمدنسازی از بینالنهرین سر بر آوردند، اما این مردمان همواره از حملات و تاخت و تازهای اقوام مختلف در هراس بودهاند. و عملاً هم بارها و بارها شاهد این حملات و استیلای اقوام بیگانه هستیم. این خطرات استرسزا، به سوالات پیچیدهای دربارهی نقش و تاثیر خدایان در زندگی ما دامن میزدند.
در واقع سرنوشتِ گيلگمش، ناشی از اندیشههایی نيهيلستیست که در آن دوران، مردمان بین النهرین تجربهشان میکردند: پیروزی شریران و بیتفاوتی خدایان نسبت به سرنوشت انسانها.
البته الياده شواهدی از متون دیگرِ بابلی میآورد تا با کمک آنها نشان دهد که خدایان بابلی، بیتفاوت نیستند، بلکه این اسطورهها نشان دهندهی نوعی فاصلهگذاری بین قلمروی خدایان و انسانها و تأکیدِ بر این جدایی میباشند.
نوح یا اوتناپشتيم، کپیِ برابر اصل:
تمدنهای بینالنهرينی و اسرائیلیان در یک جغرافیای مشترک (شرق نزدیک) سر برآورده و شکوفا شدهاند؛ بنابراین آنها جهان فرهنگی مشترکی تنفس میکردهاند. پس طبیعیست که در روایات دینی و اساطير خود، از مضامین و الگوهای مشترکی استفاده کنند و توازیهای زیادی بین آن یافت شود.
خانم کريستين هايس میگوید که گشتن به دنبال این شباهتهای احتمالیِ بین اساطیر بینالنهرین و بایبلی کافی نیست؛ بلکه از منظری، این تفاوتهای احتمالیِ بین این دو سنت است که حائز اهمیت میباشند؛ و همچنین باید به چرائی این تفاوتها بیندیشیم.
در هر دو روایت، توفانِ بزرگ نتیجهی تصمیم آگاهانه و تعمدیِ موجوداتی الوهیست؛ و یک فرد انتخاب میشود تا با ساختن یک قایق خاص، از توفان جان سالم به در ببرد. بعد از توفان، هر دو روی کوهی فرود میآیند و پرندهای میفرستند تا زمین را پیدا کند. و سپس هر دو، به قربانی کردن برای موجود الوهی میپردازند.
در روایت بینالنهرینی از اوتناپشتیم (در حماسه های آتراهاسیس و گیلگمش)، به صورت صریح به دلایلِ نزولِ توفان بزرگ اشاره نمیشود. گویا خدایان شوری میگیرند و بر آن میشوند تا توفانی بر سر زمینیان بفرستند. حتی بنا به روایتی، خدایان از سر و صدای انسانها به ستوه میآیند و تصمیم میگیرند که توفانی به پا کرده و دوباره «خائوس»ی را به پا کنند؛ در این دنیای جدید، هیچ انسانی از پیشینیان یافت نمیشود. و حتی تنها زوجِ باقیمانده (اوتناپشتیم و زنش)، در انگار دنیای جداگانه و دور از دسترس به سر میبرند.
اما در روایت بایبلی (عهد عتیق)، خدا (یهوه) استانداردهایِ اخلاقیِ آشتیناپذیری دارد که وی را میدارد که در طی عملی عادلانه (در مقابل عمل هوسبازانهی «انلیل» که حتی مورد اعتراض بقیه حدایان قرار میگیرد)، توفان را به صورت مجازاتی بر انسانهای فاسد نازل کند
بنابراین در اینجا، شاهدِ شکافی ایدئولوژیک هستیم؛ راویان کتاب مقدسی، به وضوح داستانی آشنا برای مردمان منطقه را گرفته، و از آن برای بیان ایده و ارزشهای جدید و رادیکال خود بهره میگیرند
پینوشت 1: باز هم یک همخوانیِ دیگر از سهیل و شایان و من، و البته این بار به پیشنهاد سهیل
پینوشت 2: و با تشکر ویژه از دوست نادیده عزیز، یگانه، واسه این هدیه ارزشمند
پینوشت 3: اصلاً تصویرسازیهای فوثالعاده مرتضی ممیز برای ترجمهی شاملو را از دست ندهید. دارای تکنیک و درک گرافیکی بالا، و با الهام از سنگنگارهها و حجاریهای بینالنهرینی.
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