The Mythological Figure of Gilgamesh - Essay Example

Gilgamesh Mythology is the myths perpetrated through the ages for specific purpose. The aim may vary as per the context or issues at hand. Eminent philosophers and social scientist are of the view that mythological narrations and characters were created so as to imbibe certain law and order in the life and times of people through the ages. The legends associated with the characters were often identified with the imaginary of the common folk and in the end the good always triumphs over the evil. Philosophers have been inspired to invent myths for the creation of mankind. In Zagreus myth (Morford & Lenardon) ‘..Zeus was angry with the Titans and destroyed them with his thunder and lightening: but from their ashes mankind was born’. Myths have been categorised into rational and non-rational. The former are interpreted by proper deconstruction and analysis of events and correlating them with the present circumstances. Where as the other form is used to search for metaphorical interpretation. According to Sigmund Freud 1myths are created to overcome the inner conflicting desires of the sub conscious mind. They have often been used as catharsis to exonerate oneself of the feeling of inadequacy and guilt or sometimes even used as an expression of solidarity with the unknown entity. Carl Jung2 on the other hand thinks that myths directly relate with conscious and unconscious state of mind of a person. According to him the inherent psychic sense towards the basic human feelings like love, hate, fear, intuition etc. makes it easier for every person to dream of things and events that might be beyond his immediate reach and so he creates a super personality that he identifies with and then revels in all the action of the pseudo real character while they pursue the imagery goals and targets set by the unconscious mind. The portrayal of such events and personalities or concepts by the collective conscious has been defined as archetypes (Jung). These archetype heroes, signifying exemplary qualities and powers undergo series of events that are at once exciting and fearsome and ultimately end up creating so called mythological characters. Joseph Campbell, a leading mythologist enumerates four main goals of creating myths. The foremost being that the characters must be able to arouse the curiosity of the reader and subsequently the mystery should unfold certain specific social theme ending with an outcome which should deliver specific intrinsic message for the good of the people. He has also elaborated the attributes of a archetype hero and emphasised they always represent some sort of form and substance found in the life of a man. Mythological characters have often larger than life stature but it is immaterial in broader context of the issue if they have been projected in manners and circumstances that the people can identify with. Campbell declares that all archetype heroes follow a set pattern of actions and reactions differing only in the sequence of drama that unfolds between the scenes or the events. As per Campbell, the Hero belongs to an ordinary world but when faced with a challenge, he embarks on his adventure that takes him into an unknown world where he meets the evil demonic characters that need to be destroyed for the good of the people. During the course of the events, he is often advised and helped by wise old men or women and who may equip him with special powers to help him conquer and overcome obstacles that are inevitably created by the evil forces who do not want him to succeed. After several blood chilling and near death encounters with the wicked, the Hero wins the battle against the villains and finally returns as a glorified person with the treasure that might be. The epic of Gilgamesh can be classified as mythological epic with universal appeal. It has all the drama and imagination that are pre-requisite of Campbell’s definition of mythology having an archetype Hero. Gilgamesh is one of the oldest mythological epic poem, which is based on the trial and tribulation of the King Gilgamesh of Uruk in Babylonia located in Iraq at the present time. Sumerian legends have it that in 2700 BC, Gilgamesh was a very powerful king who was known for his exemplary qualities which gave him the status of being part God (2/3) and part human (1/3). But he was not liked by his people because of his sexual exploitations of women. He twice had bad dreams which were interpreted as good omen by his mother. Meanwhile, because he often misused his powers, the Gods were forced to create another demi-God by the name of Enkidu, with the sole objective of moderating the extraordinary powers of Gilgamesh and restraining the abuse of his strength. Enkidu appears as a wild-man who is tamed by one of the woman called Shamsat, whom he later marries. A fight between Gilgamesh and Enkidu ensues on the matter of his sleeping with Shamsat which actually helps both the characters to become staunch friends. The epic then, unfolds the fantasy filled adventures that these two undertake in the quest of glory and immortality. In the narration of the epic, various Gods of the elements like sun, wind, water etc. intervene in order to assist Gilgamesh reach his goals. Gilgamesh kills Humbaba, the demon king with the help of 13 winds provided by the Sun God. The curse of Humbaba ultimately kills Enkidu who later comes back in the form of spirit to help his friend Gilgamesh. Meanwhile Gilgamesh realizes that despite his super powers and his fervent prayers and pleas to Gods, his friend Enkidu cannot escape the curse that would take his life. To escape the fate of his friend, Gilgamesh, embarks on a journey which would provide him with the elixir of immortality. In the quest for the elixir, he is made to undergo severe physical and mental feats. Here also, he fails to pass the various tests and trials that would have given him immortality. He returns empty handed but when he looks at the edifices of his kingdom, he understands that elixir for immortality might just have been a myth because he can still be immortalized in the memory of the people through the works that he would leave after him. As we can see from the tale of Gilgamesh, his character is very near to the archetype hero as described by Campbell. The Hero, Gilgamesh is a mere mortal in the role of a King who has normal human failings and who indulges in the gratifications of the flesh. He is bestowed with special powers, but does not always use them wisely. Like all human beings, he makes friends with Enkidu and together they both go on adventure that takes them into the unknown. Gilgamesh and Enkidu together present a picture of true friends that all people aspire to have. Gilgamesh’s desire to achieve glory and acclaim makes him take up the challenge of cutting trees in the cedar forest as they are protected by a demon called Hubabu (the evil force) who possesses evil powers. Gilgamesh is helped by his mother (wise old woman) who entreats the Sun God to support her son when in need. The mystery of the unknown (cedar forest and demons) adds special charisma to the adventure. The killing of the evil with the help of supernatural element – the 13 winds and subsequently the death of Enkidu as a result of the curse, reinforce the mythological interpretation of the epic and justify Campbell’s statement that the universal power of myths is that the stories reflect psychologically valid and realistic archetypes. It also accepts death as the only inevitable certainty. The disenchantment of the King and his search for the elixir is yet another landmark decision that so characterises the archetype hero of Campbell. His desire for attaining immortality is a secret desire of the all men. His inability to pass the tests and get the secrets of immortality has strong connotations of the obstacles that a man faces in his day today life. Although, Gilgamesh returns to his kingdom without the trophy or treasure, we cannot ignore the fact that in the end, he realizes that his works are ultimately his elixir for life because he would be remembered through the ages, by the work that he has left behind. The Campbell archetype hero always returns victorious may not corroborate with the conclusion of Gilgamesh epic but it is equally true that Gilgamesh epitomises a normal human being who has desires and needs that are easily identifiable by the common man. Gilgamesh epic, with the depiction of death as a final truth and the fact that the drama has all the elements of excitement, fear and wonderful world of make believe, forces us to recognise it as an all time great mythological tale which validates the social order that we inhabit. The strong bond of friendship that develops between the king and the commoner is but one of the many enduring human traits that we all cherish. Dreams in the epic have been used to predict future events which very closely relate with human wisdom that is still used for general explanation for dreams. Mythological figures have always been a great source of motivation among the young and the old. The undisguised appeal for the unknown and an innate curiosity of the mysteries of the world never fail to bring out the child that resides within all the mankind. The sheer romanticism of the adventures that Gilgamesh undertakes, in his search for attaining immortality, still has the power to entice and beckon people from all places and of all age. The epic truly has stood the test of time and convincingly proves the greatness of the Babylonian mythology that it represents. References Campbell,Joseph. (1991).Primitive Mythology.New York.Arkana,Viking Penguin. Freud, Sigmund. (1996). Wittgenstein Reads Freud:Interpretation of the Dream.Princeton. Princeton University Press. Jung, Carl & McGuire,William .(1969).The Archetypes and the collective unconscious (collected works of C.G. Jung). Princeton.. Princeton University Press. 2nd ed. Morford & Lenardo. (1994).Classical Mythology. New York. Longman Publishing group.5th ed. Read More