Gilgamesh

As much as death is a scary concept to human beings, the promise for a life after shapes the life of people. Religion has led to people facing death with courage and hope. Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh’s disillusionment with life, his struggles with other mortals and his desire to leave behind a lasting legacy that will achieve his immortality. An individual can accomplish improbable feats when actuated by the desire to achieve immortality and leave behind a long legacy. I shall explore the actions of man faced with imminent death, finite life and the promise of eternity. Most of the sources I shall use will be drawn from discussions on the story of Gilgamesh. Online Journals and libraries such as JSTOR, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost shall supply most of the research material. I shall also make reference to the translated text of the Gilgamesh epic to get an original account of the story without interpretations from other scholars. 

Annotated Bibliography

Soenke, Melissa, Mark J. Landau, and Jeff Greenberg. "Sacred Armor: Religion's Role as a Buffer against The Anxieties Of Life And The Fear Of Death." APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol 1): Context, theory, and research. 105-122. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association, 2013. PsycBOOKS. Web. 26 Sept. 2015

The article evaluates the beliefs associated with death and dying and the role played by religion in giving people hope and attachment. The book is relevant to the investigation of the critical role of religion in assuaging people of their fears. The authors draw from the vast ensemble of religious texts, including Gilgamesh to demonstrate the beliefs people have about death. Religion comes in to provide a structured way of reasoning that eventually gives them hope that “all is not lost” (Soenke et al., 3). The article does a comparative review of significant religious texts on the topic of death and immortality, adding value to the research by providing the reader with a cross-sectional account of death among the various religious mythologies. It supplants this with perspectives from renowned psychologists. 

Kramer, Samuel Noah. "The Death of Gilgamesh." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (1944): 2-12.

Kramer investigates the death of Gilgamesh in the epic “Gilgamesh.” The author makes the point that the disillusionment of Gilgamesh is as a result of the fact that life is short and finite. The article provides the reader with an investigation into the perceptions early century beings had on the topic of death, the meaning of life and the possibility of immortality after death. Through a careful and descriptive account of the nature of Gilgamesh’s death, this illumines our perspective. It also adds to the volume of literature on the role of mysticism in giving hope to people faced with the reality of death. The author notes that “the episodic life of Gilgamesh would be defined by disillusionment at the point of death” (Kramer 2).

Tigay, Jeffrey H. The Evolution of the Gilgamesh Epic. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 1982.

The place of death in inspiring human action forms the core of Tigay’s thesis. He can illustrate the efforts that Gilgamesh undertook to ensure he lives behind an everlasting legacy before death calls. In page 4, the author writes that “aware that man’s days are numbered, Gilgamesh sought to make an enduring name for himself by traveling with Enkidu to the Cedar Forest…” (Tigay 4)  The article is useful to the reader because it provides us with an insight into the motivations of human action in the face of death. Therefore, man seeks to achieve immortality before death in the hope that his name will be remembered by other generations after him, helping him defy the death of the body. The article adds value to the research proposal as it illustrates the role of myth and religion in helping human beings conquer the fear of death. 

Heidel, Alexander. Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Vol. 136. University of Chicago Press, 1949.

The article discusses the epic of Gilgamesh as he battles Enkidu, their friendship and his desire to leave an everlasting legacy for himself and Enkidu. All these happen because Gilgamesh does not want to be a footnote in the history of the world. The role played by religion, mysticism and the fear of death are explored in –depth by the author. This adds value to the research because it helps show the lengths people will go to seek redemption and fame (legacy) when they realize their lives are not mortal. It details the fight Enkidu, and Gilgamesh encounter with the bull at Uruk, which they manage to defeat and leave behind a powerful legacy. All these are for their glory as they seek to conquer Ishtar and after the victory Gilgamesh calls out “who is the most eminent among me? Upon which the crowd answers: Gilgamesh is the most prominent among men” (Heidel 8). It is well written and provides a historical account of man’s struggles for the attainment of immortality under the fear of death. 

Exegesis of Gilgamesh

The fear of death has a profound effect on the actions of man. As Gilgamesh demonstrates (Heidel 7-9), an individual can accomplish improbable feats when actuated by the desire to achieve immortality and leave behind a lasting legacy. When Gilgamesh learns that Enkidu, a strong man, has been sent to fight him, he embarks on a charm offensive, eventually winning his friendship. The two embark on a tedious journey to the Lebanon’s Cedar Forest, where they manage to conquer the challenges posed by Ishtar, a jilted god who pleads with Anu to send a bull to destroy Enkidu and Gilgamesh. All this is possible because Gilgamesh is frustrated and disillusioned by life after losing the faith of his people. He resolves to immortalize himself by embarking on a feat of epic proportions (Tigay 4). Soenke et al., (5-6) demonstrate that in the face of doubt and fear of the unknown, man is at his most creative. These views are echoed by Kramer (2), who posits that Gilgamesh, on the point of death, can accomplish definitive and lasting achievements, culminating in him winning back the favor of the people (Heidel 8).

We can conclude that the fear of death encourages mankind to stretch limits and accomplish good deeds; much like Gilgamesh can save the people from the wrath of Anu and the goddess Ishtar. Religion, mysticism, the promise of immortality and fear of death can be channeled to inspire people to make valuable strides by promising one an immortal and eternal life from the reality of inescapable death. 

Works Cited

Heidel, Alexander. Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Vol. 136. University of Chicago Press, 1949. Print.

Kramer, Samuel Noah. "The Death of Gilgamesh." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (1944): 2-12. Print.

Soenke, Melissa, Mark J. Landau, and Jeff Greenberg. "Sacred Armor: Religion's Role as a Buffer against the Anxieties of Life and the Fear of Death." APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol 1): Context, theory, and research. 105-122. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association, 2013. PsycBOOKS. Web. 26 Sept. 2015

Tigay, Jeffrey H. The evolution of the Gilgamesh epic. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 1982. Print.