Common Themes in Flood Narratives
Justin Velez
9/3/2014
Period 2
The four flood narratives that we read in class have a basic and general theme, a flood. The narratives have similarities and differences that separate and tie together each story. The stories have a general theme that can be picked up by the most basic of readers. The time period each story takes place in, also plays a role in distinguishing each narrative from each other. Characters are also different in each narrative. The events that take place also separate each story but also tie them together.
The floods that the Gods sent to wipe out all humans happened for a reason. The story of Gilgamesh and the flood begins with the world being a teeming place. The people were multiplying and were becoming too loud and out of control for the Gods. This is different from the other stories in that the initiation of the flood occurs because the people are too loud and the Gods cannot sleep. The other narratives initiate the flood by being wicked and losing the faith of the Gods. These stories are similar in the beginning because they all start out with the Gods being unhappy.
The Gods play a very big role in every flood narrative, whether it is one god or multiple gods. The story of Noah has one God, the Lord, who tells Noah of the coming event he is going to send down. Similar to Noah, the other three narratives also tell of one God warning someone or a couple of the impending flood. The difference between the god roles in these stories is that some, like the God Tlaloc in the narrative Tata and Nena, show their complete power throughout the whole story instead of periodically. The similarity is that the Gods have complete control over sending a flood or not.
The flood stories have a similar feature in each, a boat of some sort. In the story of Gilgamesh Utnapishtim turns his house into a boat to survive the flood. Similarly, the story of Noah requires him to build an ark to survive. Another similarity between the two is that the
9/3/2014
Period 2
The four flood narratives that we read in class have a basic and general theme, a flood. The narratives have similarities and differences that separate and tie together each story. The stories have a general theme that can be picked up by the most basic of readers. The time period each story takes place in, also plays a role in distinguishing each narrative from each other. Characters are also different in each narrative. The events that take place also separate each story but also tie them together.
The floods that the Gods sent to wipe out all humans happened for a reason. The story of Gilgamesh and the flood begins with the world being a teeming place. The people were multiplying and were becoming too loud and out of control for the Gods. This is different from the other stories in that the initiation of the flood occurs because the people are too loud and the Gods cannot sleep. The other narratives initiate the flood by being wicked and losing the faith of the Gods. These stories are similar in the beginning because they all start out with the Gods being unhappy.
The Gods play a very big role in every flood narrative, whether it is one god or multiple gods. The story of Noah has one God, the Lord, who tells Noah of the coming event he is going to send down. Similar to Noah, the other three narratives also tell of one God warning someone or a couple of the impending flood. The difference between the god roles in these stories is that some, like the God Tlaloc in the narrative Tata and Nena, show their complete power throughout the whole story instead of periodically. The similarity is that the Gods have complete control over sending a flood or not.
The flood stories have a similar feature in each, a boat of some sort. In the story of Gilgamesh Utnapishtim turns his house into a boat to survive the flood. Similarly, the story of Noah requires him to build an ark to survive. Another similarity between the two is that the