The Epic of Gilgamesh (1872) (edit title/settings)

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Characters/People edit see section history

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• O Gilgamesh: He was 2/3 god, 1/3 human.
• Enkidu: Enkidu was a "wild man" who lived among the beasts. A prostitute was sent to civilize him and he became the best friend of King Gilgamesh. He and Gilgamesh were enemies at the beginning of the book.
• Sun God Shamash: The Sun God; the personal protector of Gilgamesh (aka Utu)
• Humbaba: (Huwawa in Sumerian) A monstrous giant that resided in the Forest of Cedar.
• Ishtar: (aka Innana) The goddess of sexual love and war, and the daughter of Anu.
• Shamhat: The most beautiful prostitute of Uruk, she helped to seduce Enkidu into humanity.
• Wild-cow Ninsun: A lesser goddess who was Gilgamesh's mother. Adopts Enkidu as her son so Gilgamesh will have a brother. Advises them not to kill Humbaba
• Agga: King of Kish (aka Akka or Aga)
• Dumuzi: One of the Anunnaki and Ishtar's husband.
• Namtar: Ereshkigal's vizier
• Enlil: God of Wind
• Lugalbanda: According to some tablets, he is Gilgamesh's father.
• Aruru: The Mother Goddess
• Ereshkigal: The queen of the Netherworld
• Uta-Napishti: (Sumerian: Ziusudra) Survived the flood brought on by the gods. As his reward, he and his wife are rewarded with eternal life.
• Shiduri: A tavern-keeper who lived at the edge of the world. Told Gilgamesh how to find Uta-Napishti
• Ereshkigal: Queen of the Netherworld
• Samuqan: Add a description of this character.
• Urshanabi
• Siduri
• Utnapishtim
• Bull of Heaven
• Anu
• Lugulbanda
• Noah
• Gudea

Quotes edit see section history

• “Who is there, my friend, can climb to the sky?; Only the gods dwell forever in sunlight.; As for man, his days are numbered,; whatever he may do, it is but wind.”

  Gilgamesh

• “As for making you my wife- that I will not. How would it go with me? Which of your lovers did you ever love forever? If you and I should be lovers, should not I be served in the same fashion as all these others whom you loved once.”

  Gilgamesh

• “You made him, O Aruru; now create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self; stormy heart for stormy heart.”

  the gods

• “She answered, "Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to? You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death., but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace, for this too is the lot of man."”

  Siduri

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• Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart.

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• As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man.’

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• “The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel.” So the gods agreed to exterminate mankind.

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• You were given the kingship, such was your destiny, everlasting life was not your destiny. Because of this do not be sad at heart, do not be grieved or oppressed; he has given you power to bind and to loose, to be the darkness and the light of mankind.

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• Utnapishtim said, ‘There is no permanence. Do we build a house to stand for ever, do we seal a contract to hold for all time? Do brothers divide an inheritance to keep for ever, does the flood-time of rivers endure? It is only the nymph of the dragon-fly who sheds her larva and sees the sun in his glory. From the days of old there is no permanence.

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• When the seventh day dawned I loosed a dove and let her go. She flew away, but finding no resting-place she returned. Then I loosed a swallow, and she flew away but finding no resting-place she returned. I loosed a raven, she saw that the waters had retreated, she ate, she flew around, she cawed, and she did not come back.

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• O man of Shurrupak, son of Ubara-Tutu; tear down your house and build a boat, abandon possessions and look for life, despise worldly goods and save your soul alive. Tear down your house, I say, and build a boat. These are the measurements of the barque as you shall build her: let her beam equal her length, let her deck be roofed like the vault that covers the abyss; then take up into the boat the seed of all living creatures.”

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• ENLIL of the mountain, the father of the gods, had decreed the destiny of Gilgamesh. So Gilgamesh dreamed and Enkidu said, ‘The meaning of the dream is this. The father of the gods has given you kingship, such is your destiny, everlasting life is not your destiny.

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• The dream was marvellous but the terror was great; we must treasure the dream whatever the terror; for the dream has shown that misery comes at last to the healthy man, the end of life is sorrow.’

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• He is two parts god and one part man, for his mother was a goddess like the mother of Achilles. From her he inherited great beauty, strength, and restlessness. From his father he inherited mortality. There are many strands in the story, but this is the tragedy: the conflict between the desires of the god and the destiny of the man.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Uruk: The city in which Gilgamesh presides and rules over.
• Uruk-the-Town-Square: Possibly the main square in Uruk.
• Uruk-the-Sheepfold: Possibly the outskirts of Uruk.
• Forest of Cedar: The home of Humbaba.
• Ocean Below: The world below the the ocean, and home of Enki (aka Ea) the water god.
• Netherworld: The world after death.
• Nippur
• Kullab
• Babylonia
• Nergal

Organizations edit see section history

• Anunnaki: The gods of the Netherworld (also transcribed as: Anunna, Anunnaku, Ananaki, etc.)
• Igigi: The gods of Heaven

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Deluge: The great flood, comparable to that of Noah in Genesis

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

Other Contributors:

1. George Smith (Translator) - The first to decipher and translate the Epic of Gilgamesh.
2. Andrew R. George (Translator) - Translator of the most definitive edition (according to Wikipedia)
3. Herbert Mason (Translator)
4. David Ferry (Transcriber)
5. Ahmad Shamlou (Translator)
6. Stephen Mitchell (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PJ3711
• Dewey: 892.1

Notes for Parents edit see section history

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Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › World Literature › Mythology › Gilgamesh
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Poetry › Epic
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Poetry › Anthologies
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Poetry › Ancient, Classical & Medieval
• Books › History › Ancient › Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Fairy Tales
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics
• Books › Religion & Spirituality

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