Analysis a Quote from the Epic of Gilgamesh
Analysis and Reflection for a Quote from Epic of Gilgamesh
Quote : to the house whose residents are deprived of light, where soil is their sustenance and clay their food, where they are clad like birds in coats of feathers, and see no light, but dwell in darkness.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Trans. Andrew George. Penguin Classics, 2003.
In Tablet VII Enkidu had a fear of dying and he was frightened of afterlife according to his dream which he had the night before he got sick. Enkidu’s fear is mostly caused by afterlife which in this case, underworld. In previous tablets, he was given a civilized life by Shamat, the harlot, with many pleasures which he can not see in wild life. Thus, when he dies, he won’t be able to touch those pleasures ever again. He describes afterlife as eternal darkness and pain which is incomperable to the pleasures which he can exprience in life. However, in Gilgamesh’s case (Tablet II, pg 19) he frightened of dying because he was aware of that death will erase his existence from earth eternally. He describes life as wind, which passes by in the twinkling of an eye.
The reason why I selected this quote is because even Wild-Cow Ninsun, Gilgames’s mother, adopted Enkidu which made those two brothers, their perspectives on life and death are different. While Gilgamesh’s fear of death is caused by loosing his fame and his existence, Enkidu’s fear of death is caused by fear of pain and eternal
Quote : to the house whose residents are deprived of light, where soil is their sustenance and clay their food, where they are clad like birds in coats of feathers, and see no light, but dwell in darkness.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Trans. Andrew George. Penguin Classics, 2003.
In Tablet VII Enkidu had a fear of dying and he was frightened of afterlife according to his dream which he had the night before he got sick. Enkidu’s fear is mostly caused by afterlife which in this case, underworld. In previous tablets, he was given a civilized life by Shamat, the harlot, with many pleasures which he can not see in wild life. Thus, when he dies, he won’t be able to touch those pleasures ever again. He describes afterlife as eternal darkness and pain which is incomperable to the pleasures which he can exprience in life. However, in Gilgamesh’s case (Tablet II, pg 19) he frightened of dying because he was aware of that death will erase his existence from earth eternally. He describes life as wind, which passes by in the twinkling of an eye.
The reason why I selected this quote is because even Wild-Cow Ninsun, Gilgames’s mother, adopted Enkidu which made those two brothers, their perspectives on life and death are different. While Gilgamesh’s fear of death is caused by loosing his fame and his existence, Enkidu’s fear of death is caused by fear of pain and eternal