Searching for Eternal Life

His friend dead, Gilgamesh becomes depressed and obsessed over how to live forever.  Most of his time is spent hunting and wandering as he fears death. Grief refuses to leave his emotions. In this condition he decides to look for Utnapishtim, who is the only mortal known to have entered the land of the gods, and therefore eternal life. Thinking that finding him might also bring rescue from eventual death, Gilgamesh goes on a long journey.

Before the journey gets very far, his life already comes under threat of death. A past dream warned him of deadly lions waiting among the mountain pass. He goes to sleep and then wakes up to find loins surrounding him on all sides.  Of course, he is a heroic figure and easily kills them with axe and sword. Eventually he reaches two great mountains guarded by scorpion-men. Behind them is the entrance to the underworld leading to the afterlife.  He discusses the reasons for passage and the two beasts let him through with a warning. The long cave that leads to the afterlife has absolutely no light.

The description of walking through the cave is a group of repetitions stating, "when he had gone one league the darkness became thick around him, for there was no light, he could see none nothing ahead and nothing behind him." The next sentence starts with, "After two leagues," and continues with the same words as the first. This continues almost the same until about the ninth league when a wind is felt. By the eleventh and twelfth league the sun bursts into sight.  Although the reading might sound boring, the effect is as if the reader traveled with Gilgamesh in the lonely, repetitive , and frightening pitch blackness.  Wanting to get to the end is exactly what the character is supposed to have desired.

What is found on the other side most likely represents what the ancient writer thought of heaven. The scene is of a wonderful garden full of brilliant plants with delightful fruits. Perhaps a modern reader might picture the Garden of Eden, another symbol of innocents and perpetual life. Here the gods live away from any mortals. To have any person, three quarters god though they might be, come here is beyond belief to them. At least one of them thinks he has come as a thief, until they learn it is Gilgamesh that stands before them. Then they are confused because of his dirty and depressed condition.

Again the story uses textual repetition as Gilgamesh explains to each god he meets why his, "cheeks so starved," and "face so drawn." When he does explain that his purpose is to find eternal life, they can't take him seriously. This angers him and he lashes out, smashing apart the boat that could take him to the man he wanted to see. After rebuilding the boat with fresh wood, a ferryman takes him across the vast ocean. There he finds Utnapishtim who questions the wisdom of the journey since, according to him, those who live and die already have their fate decided.

Symbols are thick in this chapter, starting with the wandering of Gilgamesh aimlessly in the world like each mortal not sure of the reason for existence. There is the sudden danger of lions surrounding him in the mountain pass similar to the struggles in life to survive. The dark cave with no light is a kind of death, although finding the light represents hope there can be something beyond the feared nothing. Each scene, description, repetition, and character has a meaning within this part of the story. There is no one true interpretation because the reader is free to supply their own. More than likely, the original meanings have been lost in time when generations of editors and contributors added layers. Trying to decipher these meanings can bring a deeper and more satisfying reading experience.

Writing assignments:

Read the chapter more than once and write out an argument for each possible symbol in the story.  What do they represent? Why do they represent that? Can there be other possible interpretations?

Write a symbolic story about any topic. Be sure to remember what your symbols represent. Have someone read it and come up with what they think are the meanings. Compare what was intended with what the reader came up with.

What are some big questions about life? Imagine having a discussion with yourself about those questions, asking and answering them. Don't worry if the answers are not final. Explore thoughts, feelings, possibilities, and why they are so hard to answer.

Vocabulary:

assembly
journey
leagues
despair
fate
cubit

Love and Death

Nothing is worse, the saying goes, than a woman scorned. That is unless that woman happened to be a goddess. Gilgamesh is once again pictured as a strong, cultured, heroic figure. Such an image catches the eye of Ishtar, the great goddess that has been watching his adventures. She goes to him and asks him to become her lover. From the start Gilgamesh wants no part of her. He lists all the things she has done to her former boyfriends and refuses to become one of them.

The reaction of Ishtar should have been expected. No matter how much a mortal is half-god, a full one cannot be rebuffed without consequences. In this case she sends the Bull of Heaven. In context the beast is supposed to invincible and creates Earthquakes.  Of course, the two heroes who destroyed the other monster in the forest once again steps up to take on seeming invincible forces. Protecting themselves and the people of Uruk against the destruction, Gilgamesh and Enkidu once again wins against impossible odds.

At first it seems the heroes have continued a winning streak, but the goddess isn't done in her fury. She takes up her cause and the defeat of the Bull of Heaven with the father of gods. He becomes equally as enraged for destroying two god-like creatures. At this point the story turns completely around. Everything that was positive becomes negative, with the gods cursing Enkidu with deathly sickness. He begins cursing having found Uruk and the woman who taught him the ways of civilization. That quickly reverses when he thinks how much happiness and glory leaving the nature living brought.

The death of Enkidu changes Gilgamesh as he throws off the beautiful robes and kingly attire. Foreshadowing Hercules generations later, he puts on the skin of a lion. His last physical reminder for the once great friend and sidekick is a large and ornate statue. This death will change him into a more introspective character after years of fighting, lording over his subjects, and making a name for himself. Death of a loved one will do that. Finding out nothing is permanent can even humble the strongest.

All the twist and turns from highs and lows or unexpected responses take an otherwise cliche story and makes it profound. You don't expect the main character to turn down a goddess' request for a relationship. Instead of the glory of once again defeating a threat, it turns into personal tragedy. The story asks profound questions about consequences for actions, no matter how well intentioned. Telling the truth can bring death, but is there really any other alternative? Gilgamesh was placed in an uncompromising situation. Sometimes good stories come from dark events beyond the control of the character. It certainly changes the tone and seriousness of the later chapters.

Writing Assignment:

Think of a time when things seemed to be going great. Contrast that with a time when it seemed things went bad or wrong. Take both of those and write about the differences in feeling, circumstances, and how it changed perspectives.

Write a poem or short memorial in honor of someone who has died.

Instead of a love letter, imagine writing a letter to someone who you respect and yet can't accept proposals of affection. Consider if such a letter should ever be written or why.

Vocabulary:

lamentations

abominable

threshold

misery

veil

Confronting the Forest Monster

Dreams can be powerful. A few famous novels started as dreams, including Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and the vampire Twilight series. There are two sets of dreams, both in Gilgamesh and real life.  Sleep often brings images from the subconscious until waking up. In rare instances, a person can have lucid dreams where they become aware its all in the mind. Sometimes that awareness allows for a certain amount of freedom to shape what happens in the dream. The other kind is daydreaming, where the conscious is fully in control. It is often described as wandering thoughts concerned with possible hopes about the future.

Both kinds of dreams mix for the great hero as he contemplates the next move toward fame and immortality. Gilgamesh is already the great king of Uruk, and an unreported dream confirms that as his destiny.  His friend Enkidu acted as the dream interpreter. Despite achieving kingship, Gilgamesh becomes bored with idleness. He wants something more and turns his mind to The Land of the Living where a great Monster Humbaba watches over a cedar forest. He decides killing the great god-beast will bring him fame and immortality alongside heroes of the past. Each step of the dangerous mission brings more sleeping dreams, guiding his decisions. There is a connection between achieving goals and understanding the subconscious messages. They both work together in defeating the forest monster.

Despite his thirst for fame in the great hunt, Gilgamesh had lots of help. It came from the encouragement of the Uruk town council, the prayers of his mortal mother, and Shamash the Sun deity. Of course, his great friend Enkidu stood by his side the whole time. At first Enkidu was reluctant to go on this journey to defeat a seemingly invincible foe, but at the end it was him that convinced Gilgamesh to finish what was intended. Both helped the other whenever fear, exhaustion, or reservations almost ended the struggle.

Although the battle is against a monster, there is the possibility more is at stake. Similar to the culturally raised Gilgamesh meeting with the wild lived Enkidu, it is civilization's struggle to dominate nature. Strangely, when Gilgamesh considers showing mercy to the great forest beast, Enkidu reminds him of why they took the journey and struck the first blow. They then began to level the cedars as a final act of total victory. Despite the odds, nature can be overcome.

Sweet as the victory might have been, it comes with a heavy price. Gilgamesh interpreted his desire to destroy Humbaba as coming from the highest god Enlil. That assumption appears to have been wrong, because Enlil who formed the Earth and the monster becomes angry. He curses the men and gave the power that belonged only to Humbaba to other aggressive forces. Nature can be defeated, but other dangers will take its place that might be worse.

The most ancient of stories dealt with the interaction of mortals with gods. The great Homeric epics of the Iliad and Odyssey are primarily religious texts. Modern readers can become lost or disoriented by the unfamiliar pantheon of divine characters that may or may not have been worshipped at the time of the writing. They make good stories no matter what is actually believed. It might be best to check the back of a book translation for a glossary. Read the chapters twice if necessary, getting a view of the strange names and landscape before concentrating on the story. Recognizing the context of when the names appear might be all that is needed before more clarity the next time.

Writing Assignments:

Keep a journal next to the bed and write down any dreams first thing after waking up. Do this for at least a week. Take any of the dreams, or combination of them, and write a story based on the dreams picked.

Imagine having to leave home and live outside of civilization. Study survival techniques. What struggles might be encountered? Compare the pros and cons of living in civilization and in the wild.

Come up with a great adventure that a hero must take. Don't make the hero all powerful. Add friends, family, and other allies who must be relied on to help. Maybe consider times when others did the same for you.

Vocabulary:

destiny
councilor
quench
execration
rancour
hierophants

Foes and Friends

Despite the gushing description of Gilgamesh in the prologue, the first chapter makes him an evil king. He is no King Arthur of the Round Table fighting for peace, justice, and chivalry. Instead he forces his men to fight and work until physical exhaustion, and the women treated as his to personally do with as he pleases. There is no sign of the hero. Even the gods of the city he rules start to wonder what to do with such a formidable man.

They decide to make him an equal that will fight him and hopefully tame the out of control king. What comes of the creation is the wild man Enkidu who lives in the forest. There is a long tradition of these kind of nature living humans. His body is covered in hair and he eats only grass and drinks milk.  Modern legends of such men-beasts can be found in the stories of Bigfoot or the Yeti who wonder in forests just out of reach. Powerful as he might be, Enkidu is innocent and ignorant of the ways of humankind. He prefers the company of beasts that his lifestyle imitates. His ways are in contrast to the cultured urbanites who eat bread and drink wine, both foods that take time to make.

Recognizing the potential for Enkidu to take on Gilgamesh as a defense, the people of Uruk send a woman to tame him. There are slight similarities to the Adam and Eve story, where the man is tempted by the woman. Eventually through the charms of a beautiful temptress, Enkidu gives up paradise in search of the city. He hears of the great Gilgamesh and wishes to confront this powerful equal. The hopes of the people of Uruk are in this once wild man. When he enters the city, everyone is amazed by his powerful build and wonder if this is the one who can save them.

Notice the repetition of dialogue. One character says something, and another reports it to an important figure or god in hopes of transmitting these words to those who can use them. Remember, this story came from ancient oral tradition. There could have been singing and instruments as part of the story telling. Like stanzas of music, there can be repetitions of words for emphasis on ideas or images. This can help the listener recognize what the artist considered important. It can also act as a bridge between two scenes where location has changed. Either way, the point is for the reader or listener to remember.

Something unexpected happens when the two powerful characters final end up battling with each other. Enkidu was created as an antagonist to the great Gilgamesh who abused his position as king. They fight a tremendous battle, but recognizing similarities they end up great friends. Challenging expectations seems to be a highlight of this chapter. The hero starts out as a tyrant. A challenger lives among the wild animals with at first not a care in the world about his opponent. Two enemies become friends and natural illies. A lesson for writers from this is to introduce surprises. It can keep the story fresh and interesting, rather than typical and boring. Be careful because the readers shouldn't be lied to with expectations, but they need to feel like the text is fresh and different from others.

Writing Assignments:

Think of two very different people, such as where they are from, what they like, etc. Write a short story about what happens when they first meet. What brought them together? Will they be friends or enemies? What similarities do they discover about each other?

Songs are types of poetry, often telling mini-stories. Listen to your favorite song or album. Go through each stanza and explain the images, feelings, and actions and how they work together to tell a story. Describe the story they are trying to tell.

Look up the parts of a song to get an idea how they are built. Write your own song with a chorus and any other types of versus to tell a story. Keep in mind rhythm and beat as you put down the words. It can be a short song or an epic ballad.  For even more challenge if capable alone or with someone who knows how, put those words to actual music.

Vocabulary:

lament
savage
jostled
thronged
bridegroom
watchman
byer

An Aside: Good Literature

Debate has raged over what should be considered literature worthy of remaining for the ages, and who decides. Selling millions of book copies might be a temporary indication of popularity, but that is fleeting. Most have a lifespan of a favorable year. If a movie or television deal is made then it might extend for a few more years. These versions can end up outlasting the book by decades or a generation. What written works will exist in the hearts and minds of people as almost immortal is a question strongly argued and never answered.

An article from the July 2014 issue of the magazine Vanity Fair called "It's Tartt - But is it Art?" examined how important literary critics received a long awaited novel. There were those who considered the more than 700 page novel The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt as an instant classic. Still others, perhaps more prestigous, declared such great enthusiasm a sign of bad times ahead for literature. It was as if they were saying that the end had come and nothing good, unless a great change happened, will ever be read in the future.

The center of the controversy rests with literary favorite English novelist Charles Dickens who Tartt's book is compared. If the highest critics are appalled at this, they certainly might have a proverbial heart attack that popular crime novelists and non-Nobel Prize winners Caleb Carr and Alex Grecian have also been compared to the author. The power of words, the critics suggest, has been hijacked by children's literature and bad prose. They have a point. Of all the books published within the last 30 years, unless something else comes along, perhaps the Harry Potter books have the most staying power.

That is also why the most influential critics, at least as described by the article, are wrong. Very few readers care about prose and the craft. Story is and always has mattered first. Again as pointed out by the article, the works of Dickens received equal amounts of bad reviews for the same reasoning that The Goldfinch does. The reality of how good or bad the book is misses the point. Critics may scorn or find brilliance, but time and people alone decide literature's fate. Even that can be fickle, once more as the article points to books that had classic status and then fell out of favor and others rose to prominence. Very few read Gone with the Wind, for instance, but the movie based on it lives on in must watch lists.

One lesson to learn is that critics and academics are both lousy at prediction and nearly irrelevant. Sure they can keep a book alive by teaching them in the classroom. Find fault with a book or ignore it hard enough and a few people listen, making the choice from their opinions. They can even praise to the highest pedestal how great a work is, and select followers might take it as gospel. The majority of readers pick up literature because they want to for any number of reasons that are their own. More than ever "gatekeepers" of literary purity are losing clout.

Ironically,  it is the critics themselves that are helping with their own demise. All the accepted classic writers like Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens have been reavaluated in the hopes of replacement. Ethnic, women, and other "outsiders" are taught to displace these old standards. There is nothing wrong with trying to study all kinds of literature in the hopes of expanding the consciousness of readers. However, trying to minimize the past works to glorify new ones darkens the probability either survive. That is where the influential critics are right. Not even those who would agree with them care about prose or the craft. In a strange way, the academics also see story first and foremost since they seek out new narratives to teach against the old ones.

The reader comes first as the judge of good and bad literature. The writer can only control what is put on the page, not how it will be received. Anyone who buys and comments on literature has as equal amount of influence as a critic with The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review, The New York Times Book Review, and all the literary studies academics put together. A book that is not read will go missing. Books that are highly regarded by a few and read by an equal small number survives as relics in a museum, to be admired. Moby Dick, for instance, has a cultural standing that far exceeds how many people actually pick up the book. That is why it is important writers learn the craft and prose as a way to help build the story, not take its place. The best works seem to combine the two. Be familiar with all kinds of books, both popular and classic. Writers must then know what they want, what the readers want, and do the job. The writing will speak and the audience choose for themselves.

The God-Man-King

"I will declare to the world the deeds of Gilgamesh," starts out the prologue setting up the hero of the story. The description of the character is more than a hero, but a superhero of unsurpassed strength,  experience, and intelligence.  Today's myths of the comic books have a start with the first stories. Perhaps the comic superheroes are for entertainment in modern times, but long ago there were lessons to be learned by the deeds and character of these more than humans. Like Hercules and Achilles after him, Gilgamesh was born of both god and human parentage. This gave him advantages that no mortal could match. Similarly, this fact will have grave consequences for both him and those he rules. It wouldn't be much of a story if that weren't part of the conflict.

Historically the ancient stories of Gilgamesh and the Greek writer Homer did not start on parchment or stone. They were oral traditions that were sung by hired musicians who performed through memory. Over time the stories grew and changed with the necessities and preferences of the times. There was no radio or television to sit down with every evening. Even then, most people worked from dusk until dawn hoping to live each day at a time. The rich with more time on their hands could afford the luxuries of entertainment. During the Greek and Roman times more people could enjoy dramatic plays, but usually as festivals on holidays celebrating Pagan religion. The Middle Ages had passion plays with Christian themes performed by traveling actors, although given far less respect than anciently.

Much later oral traditions were eventually written down as if never having an extensive history behind them. Gilgamesh, like Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings, went on a long journey and then wrote down his adventures. Supposedly, this is where all the information came from for the great epic poem. He told it himself first and others picked it up later to tell people.  Of course, that isn't true, but it works for the story to give it some sense of reality.

His lasting name is emphasised by explaining a great temple that he helped build that, from the point of view of the ancients of his time, remained standing. The structure is so great that no other can compare. Today there are buildings standing that might give an idea of what the story intents to describe. Ziggurats are ancient temples in Mesopotamia where Gilgamesh is from, made of bricks with shapes like the ancient Egyptian pyramids. In a way,  although his own awe inspiring Ziggurat might have never existed, the character does live close to a literary immortality without the need of the great stone building. The stylus in stone is mightier than the mason tools.

Writing Assignments:

Imaging your life as a great journey to where you are now. Write a story based on what you consider major events. Don't worry about exactness and truth. Many great novels are semi-biographical, meaning that authors used their own life as a starting point to a greater story.

Think of all the modern superheroes, and then develop your own. Where do they come from? What powers do they have? How did they get their powers? What kind of a person does the powers create?

Think of the description of Gilgamesh from the prologue. With that information as a foundation, write an original adventure based off what is known about the man.

Vocabulary:

Engraved.
Endowed.
Glorious.
Rampart.
Firmament.

A Note on Journals

Before starting the first chapter of our first lesson, it is important to have something to write with and in. Thoughts that aren't recorded cannot be of any future use. Memory fades quickly without references to go back in time. Don't be afraid of putting down what might be considered bad ideas. This is a learning experience and exploration of discovery. Bad turns and mistakes can be corrected or simply marked down as examples to be avoided. Go back to the less than desirable writings and use them as jumping off points for better writing.

What kind of Journal to use is completely up to the individual. At the least it should have enough room to write a page a day for the whole year. Length  and page size can be different for each book , but suppose that a page is completed each day of the year. That makes 365 pages, or equal to the average book picked up at the library. Double that and it can become two books or a very large volume.

Fancy or simple is again an individual choice. College ruled spiral notebooks are good for quick thoughts. They can be stored easily and not take up much room. Be careful choosing these because it can be easy to lose them. They might get mixed up with others and thrown away because of the casual look. Develop a filing system with a safe storage area if the typical notebook is chosen.

Picking a fancy journal is restricted only by the imagination. They can be homemade with loving care. Less creative types are not without great picks from an abundant commercial selection. Whatever is chosen, remember that a thin Journal might not be enough for the project. The fewer pages, the more of them will be needed. A ruled and not blank page Journal is recommended for easy notation.


For the purposes of the class, what goes into the Journals will be decided with prompts. Each lesson will have questions to answer and writing assignments designed to put thoughts on paper. Here is an example developed from the Epic of Gilgamesh introduction:

Research the cave art of pre-writing cultures. Look at the way the lines are drawn and colors used. Pick a favorite or one that seems to hint at a story. Draw a word picture describing the cave art, paying attention to shape, size, color, texture, and even emotional impact. Use the descriptive to expand into a short story about that picture or the person who painted it on the cave walls.  After finishing the story, write about what made that art personally stand out from the others.

By the way, the above is a practice and the first assignment. Don't like the final product? There will be more where that comes from for improvement. Satisfied with the outcome? Expand on it to not lose the muse, or file it away to use later as a larger project. Can't believe how well it turned out? Share it with others or even submit it somewhere that publishes that sort of work. Lets learn. Lets have fun.

Introducing The Epic of Gilgamesh

For thousands of years humans used tools for hunting and preparing food. Gradually the tools became more complicated, and textiles clothed bodies to protect against the environment. The long period of time before written records is called prehistory, and divided into different epochs. Each is named after the materials used to build tools and weapons. The Earliest is called the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, because tools were mostly from stone either natural or chipped to form shapes. The later Neolithic or New Stone Age was characterized by ground or polished stones, while new technologies were invented. They learned how to farm, make pottery, spin and weave clothing, and tame animals for livestock.

Before any human put down complicated thoughts and ideas, there was artistic renderings of life’s surroundings on stone or in caves. The earliest known cave paintings from around 40,000 years ago were found in the El Castillo caves in Cantabria, Spain. Deer, bison, and horses are among the animals represented in earthy browns, yellows, and reds. Humans were often pictured hunting or cultivating the animals.

The Earliest known writing came from Mesopotamia, considered the earliest civilization. In what is now known as Iraq, about 3500 bc, farmers gathered in groups near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers until eventually the first city-states developed. The inhabitants built structures first as homes and then later religious temples and government palaces. Sumerians, as they are called, used cylinders with pictures rolled on to clay to tell stories and record legal documents. This was followed by wedge shaped signs and symbols called cuneiform etched into clay by long wooden sticks with sharp ends to form words.

The first ever story comes from the Sumerians, called the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is the story of a great Hero King and his many battles and adventures. Although only a small part of the whole and considered a later addition, it is perhaps best known for containing a flood narrative. No single copy exists, but a collection of written artifacts over several different cultures and languages are pieced together for an approximation of the lost original.

Despite that the Epic of Gilgamesh is actually a poem, the Penguin Classics narrative version by N.K. Sanders will be studied. Students can use any modern translation to follow along, but be advised some are better and more complete than others. Obviously the English of any version is interpretations of meaning that conform to a reader’s language.