Critterbee❇ 's Random Travel Challenge 2019

[Critterbee❇]

My 12 countries for the year 2019:

Iraq - January Gilgamesh ★★★★ 04/01/19
Bulgaria - January The Historian ★★★★ 09/01/19
Ethiopia
Azerbaijan
Taiwan
Ukraine
Colombia
Indonesia
Australia January Murder on the Ballarat Train ★★★★★ 26/01/19
Ghana - January Solo ★★★ 06/01/19
Burundi
Mexico

[Critterbee❇]

Iraq - January 2019 Gilgamesh

[Critterbee❇]

Ideas for books:
Bulgaria -
Ethiopia -
Azerbaijan -
Taiwan -
Ukraine -
Colombia
Indonesia
Australia -
Ghana -
Burundi -
Mexico -

[Critterbee❇]

Gilgamesh
Review of the 1984 Gardner/Maier Translation
PBT Horizons 2019 Iraq
ATW 2019 Iraq
Random Travel 2019 Iraq

The lyrical words, when coupled with the age of this story, and that it is still in existence (remembered) is mesmerizing. This story has survived over 4000 years, and that is the main reason why it is so revered. It provides an amazing version of the culture of the time. It is only available to most people seen through the modern eyes of translators, so unless you have studied historical cuneiform, you have to trust to the abilities of zealously devoted scholars.

Looking at it with post-2000 eyeballs, there are issues and irritations, of course. So far there is no mention of Gilgamesh and Enkidu having a romantic relationship, even with all of the extreme devotion and 'hugging him like a wife' or 'loving him like a wife' that is happening. Is this because there are no other stories remaining from that time that would explain more about Sumerian's feelings on homosexuality? At any rate, the terminology seems straightforward - Enkidu is the love of Gilgamesh's life.

The different terms chosen to describe the priestess (temple-courtesan, prostitute, 'the woman', love-priestess, whore) effectively capture how men ancient and modern think of women as a threatening, conquerable, despised, much-desired, pedestal decoration. Gilgamesh is pretty representative of male 'leaders' throughout the ages - narcissistic, selfish, blustering, but I know he has a lesson to learn about love, life and death, which is what I am waiting to read.

A lot of the tablets are incomplete or missing great chunks of the epic, so I really like that the book includes the Old Babylonian parallel text.

This story has been re-told regularly in the Marvel and DC comic books of the 1980s and 1990s- Big, strong powerful guy with unusual powers is big, strong and powerful. Another guy shows up, being big strong and powerful with unusual powers. Two of the main female character types (the wise mother Nimsun and the unnamed sex object) make appearances. Two big powerful guys fight each other honorably, then suddenly turn into best friends (with bit of unresolved sexual tension), decide to challenge a horribly powerful enemy together, montage a preparation sequence including weapon-making and advice-seeking, and journey off to kick Humbaba-the-evil's butt.

Here Gilgamesh improves as a person - showing courage, supporting Enkidu, and accepting advice on how to succeed against Hambaba the ferocious. After giving Enkidu a thoroughly rousing pep talk, the great battle seems to take little to no time, Humbaba is defeated, and Gilgamesh has a slight lapse in character improvement, rudely spurning Ishtar, the goddess that (of course) is beside herself with lust for him.

Unfortunately, as with most tales, it is quite unwise to rebuff and scorn a god/goddess. Enkidu must have brought out the best in him, but for now, perhaps flush with his victory, Gilgamesh returns to his earlier, unlikable personality. Ishtar is pissed and all "I will make the dead rise, and they will devour the living" unless Anu her father-God makes this huge Bull of Heaven for her to ride down to earth so that it may eat Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat this huge bovine and anger more gods, who have a council and decide that Enkidu must die. Enkidu seems (to me) to accept the fate in order to spare Gilgamesh, and is consoled by the thought that everyone will be sad that he is dead, and will honor him, and hey, he had a good life anyway, so cheer up, and get ready to die of sickness.

Gilgamesh mourns, and wonders what the heck life is meant to be and what is the purpose of life if we die and are not immortal, etc, and starts a wander in search of the answers. At one point, he is feverish, and the verse gets trippy and repetitive, perfectly presenting a fever-walking dream.

Next, the barmaid. Her appearance seems like a last stop before journeying across the waters to the land of the dead. Is Ishtar, in the form of the barmaid encouraging or discouraging Gilgamesh to continue? After the uncertainty of his fevered roaming, this seems like a moment for him to clear his mind and contemplate before plunging ahead, running into the land of the death with his mouth and arms open. Which, of course, he does.

There is something captivating about him being the first living mortal to make the journey, when you see him destroying the way so that no one may follow after him. Why do people need to feel special in the way of being the 'first' or 'only' one to do something? This competitive hierarchy prevents humanity as a whole from progressing into greatness.

He makes it and encounters Utnapishtim, who was the one told to make a big boat to save some animals and people during a huge, long flood. Afterwards, a god turned Utnapishtim and his wife into gods. They test Gilgamesh, asking that he not sleep for 7 days (the length of the flood) and Gilgamesh immediately fails. When he awakens 7 days later, he is depressed that he cannot escape death. On his way back to Uruk, he finds the plant of immortality, but a snake steals it when he is sleeping. Another, final indication that immortality will not be achieved.

The poem captures the essence of man needing to feel important, to be more than fleeting dots of life lost among all other life.