Herbert Mason

Presents a verse narrative of the ancient Babylonian epic about love, death, loss, heroes, and friendship, including an historical essay on the original poem.

A Verse Narrative

Gilgamesh

The epic of Gilgamesh is the epic of becoming human and one can only achieve that with the company of others. 

aral

Gilgamesh was called a god and man; Enkidu was an animal and man. It is the story Of their becoming human together.

Albert Lord had held the notion that Gilgamesh, rather than being a superhero with only one minor flaw, was a kind of antihero whose only heroism consisted in his continuing his journey, not from any feat of strength, godlike invulnerability, moral foresight or circumspection, or spiritual wisdom within himself. (...)

It is, after all, a story that is understood immediately by anyone who has suffered loss, a loss one has yearned to restore and finally has had to accept.

Gilgamesh quotes

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