The first named author in world history

[J_BlueFlower]

Saw an article in a local news paper today about Enheduanna from around 2300 BC. The first named author in world history.

158 Ratings on Goodreads – an overlooked classic?

[Melanti]

Neat. Considering Sumerian literature is some of the earliest lit in the world, that means they had named authors very early.

Coincidentally, I just finished reading Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer. I wonder if any of the hymns in that are related to the hymns Enheduanna wrote down?

If anyone is interested, in the Sumerian pantheon, Inanna is Gilgamesh's sister cousin. (It calls Gilgamesh her brother, but the family tree shows cousin.)

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Okay, that is cool to know!

[siriusedward]

Interesting

[siriusedward]

Have you read The Epic of Gilgamesh ?

[Luke]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "158 Ratings on Goodreads – an overlooked classic?"

It's not surprising. Getting people to read tranalated classics by people who would be considered women of color today is like pulling teeth.

[J_BlueFlower]

siriusedward wrote: "Have you read The Epic of Gilgamesh ?"

Nope. Maybe worth a nominate? Lets see "first published -1750".... that must be old school. ;-)

[J_BlueFlower]

My oldest read is The Iliad -750

[siriusedward]

And mines The Odyssey.
Thanks to the group read here.

[siriusedward]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "siriusedward wrote: "Have you read The Epic of Gilgamesh ?"

Nope. Maybe worth a nominate? Lets see "first published -1750".... that must be old school. ;-)"



Maybe.

or Old Old and Olden School :P

[Melanti]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Nope. Maybe worth a nominate? Lets see "first published -1750".... that must be old school. ;-) "

It's short enough it could even be in the Short Story/Novella category.


I have read Gilgamesh before, but reading about Inanna put me in the mood to read it again. I just started it this morning.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

siriusedward wrote: "Have you read The Epic of Gilgamesh ?"

Yes, it is short and the different translations make it worth rereading.

[Melanti]

Someone in another group posted a Youtube video, which is of someone singing the beginning of a story called "Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the nether world".

Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it does seem to be a variant of one of the stories in the anthology about Inanna that I read earlier this week.

I do wonder how accurate the style of playing/singing is?

[Aprilleigh]

I've already read it in a couple different translations, but I'd be up for rereading it.