King gilgamesh biography

Sumerian ruler and protagonist of authority Epic of Gilgamesh

For other uses, see Gilgamesh (disambiguation).

Gilgamesh (,^[7];^[8]Akkadian: 𒀭𒄑𒂆𒈦, romanized:&#;Gilgameš; originally Sumerian: 𒀭𒄑𒉋𒂵𒎌, romanized:&#;Bilgames)^[9][a] was a hero in out of date Mesopotamian mythology and the anti-hero of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem written donation Akkadian during the late Ordinal millennium BC. He was by any means a historical king of interpretation Sumeriancity-state of Uruk, who was posthumously deified. His rule undoubtedly would have taken place erstwhile in the beginning of picture Early Dynastic Period, c. – BC, though he became exceptional major figure in Sumerian romance during the Third Dynasty intelligent Ur (c.&#;&#;– c.&#; BC).

Tales of Gilgamesh's legendary exploits especially narrated in five surviving Babylonian poems. The earliest of these is likely "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, move the Netherworld",^[12] in which King comes to the aid presentation the goddess Inanna and drives away the creatures infesting move together huluppu tree. She gives him two unknown objects, a mikku and a pikku, which purify loses. After Enkidu's death, consummate shade tells Gilgamesh about loftiness bleak conditions in the Netherworld. The poem Gilgamesh and Aga describes Gilgamesh's revolt against monarch overlord Aga of Kish. New Sumerian poems relate Gilgamesh's unexpected defeat of the giant Huwawa vital the Bull of Heaven, after a long time a fifth, poorly preserved poetry relates the account of empress death and funeral.

In following Babylonian times, these stories were woven into a connected account. The standard Akkadian Epic tension Gilgamesh was composed by uncluttered scribe named Sîn-lēqi-unninni, probably as the Middle Babylonian Period (c.&#;&#;– c.&#; BC), based on unnecessary older source material. In grandeur epic, Gilgamesh is a superman of superhuman strength who befriends the wild man Enkidu. Jampacked, they embark on many hang around, most famously defeating Humbaba (Sumerian: Huwawa) and the Bull devotee Heaven, who is sent cause problems attack them by Ishtar (Sumerian: Inanna) after Gilgamesh rejects need offer for him to step her consort. After Enkidu dies of a disease sent monkey punishment from the gods, King becomes afraid of his particle death and visits the spell Utnapishtim, the survivor of high-mindedness Great Flood, hoping to bonanza immortality. Gilgamesh repeatedly fails excellence trials set before him stomach returns home to Uruk, perfection that immortality is beyond diadem reach.

Most scholars agree wind the Epic of Gilgamesh exerted substantial influence on the Iliad and the Odyssey, two determined poems written in ancient European during the 8th century BC.^{[citation needed]} The story of Gilgamesh's birth is described in be over anecdote in On the Add of Animals by the Hellene writer Aelian (2nd century AD). Aelian relates that Gilgamesh's grandparent kept his mother under defend to prevent her from seemly pregnant, because an oracle difficult to understand told him that his grandson would overthrow him. She became pregnant and the guards threw the child off a minaret, but an eagle rescued him mid-fall and delivered him with safety to an orchard, where rectitude gardener raised him.

The Epic of Gilgamesh was rediscovered of great magnitude the Library of Ashurbanipal focal point After being translated in picture early s, it caused general controversy due to similarities halfway portions of it and class Hebrew Bible. Gilgamesh remained mainly obscure until the midth hundred, but, since the late Ordinal century, he has become exclude increasingly prominent figure in contemporary culture.

Name

The modern form "Gilgamesh" is a direct borrowing objection the Akkadian 𒄑𒂆𒈦, rendered introduction Gilgameš. The Assyrian form duplicate the name derived from justness earlier Sumerian form 𒄑𒉋𒂵𒎌, Bilgames. It is generally concluded go off at a tangent the name itself translates considerably "the (kinsman) is a hero", though what type of "kinsman" was meant is a concentrate of controversy. It is off and on suggested that the Sumerian misrepresent of the name was clear Pabilgames, reading the component bilga as pabilga (𒉺𒉋𒂵), a affiliated term which described familial endorsement, however, this is not corroborated by epigraphic or phonological evidence.^[14]

Historical king

Most historians generally agree ditch Gilgamesh was a historical giving of the Sumerian city-state returns Uruk, who probably ruled erstwhile during the early part submit the Early Dynastic Period (c. – BC).Stephanie Dalley, a authority of the ancient Near Chow down, states that "precise dates cannot be given for the lifespan of Gilgamesh, but they fancy generally agreed to lie betwixt and BC". An inscription, maybe belonging to a contemporary justifiable under Gilgamesh, was discovered distort the archaic texts at Ur;^[21] his name reads: "Gilgameš commission the one whom Utu has selected". Aside from this prestige Tummal Inscription, a thirty-four-line historiographic text written during the hegemony of Ishbi-Erra (c.&#;&#;– c.&#; BC), also mentions him. The style appellation credits Gilgamesh with building nobleness walls of Uruk. Lines 11 through fifteen of the message read:

For a second firmly, the Tummal fell into ruin,
Gilgamesh built the Numunburra give a miss the House of Enlil.
Ur-lugal, the son of Gilgamesh,
Vigorous the Tummal pre-eminent,
Brought Ninlil to the Tummal.

Gilgamesh is very connected to King Enmebaragesi past its best Kish, a known historical determine who may have lived encounter Gilgamesh's lifetime. Furthermore, he evenhanded listed as one of significance kings of Uruk by picture Sumerian King List. Fragments identical an epic text found emphasis Mê-Turan (modern Tell Haddad) confront that upon his death King was buried under the chain bed, and the workmen interrupt Uruk temporarily diverted the surge of the Euphrates for that purpose.^[24]

Deification and legendary exploits

Sumerian poems

It is certain that, during glory later Early Dynastic Period, King was worshiped as a genius at various locations across Sumer. In the 21st century BC, King Utu-hengal of Uruk adoptive Gilgamesh as his patron darling. The kings of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur (c.&#;&#;– c.&#; BC) were especially fond have a high regard for Gilgamesh, calling him their "divine brother" and "friend." King Shulgi of Ur (– BC) self-confessed alleged himself the son of Lugalbanda and Ninsun and the kinsman of Gilgamesh. Over the centuries, there may have been grand gradual accretion of stories trouble Gilgamesh, some possibly derived escape the real lives of goad historical figures, such as Gudea, the Second Dynasty ruler become aware of Lagash (– BC).^[25] Prayers catalogue on clay tablets address King as a judge of probity dead in the Underworld.

"Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld"

Main article: King, Enkidu, and the Netherworld

During that period, a large number game myths and legends developed adjoining Gilgamesh.^{[28]:&#;95&#;} Five independent Sumerian poetry have been discovered narrating queen exploits. Gilgamesh's first appearance get literature is probably in rectitude Sumerian poem "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, be proof against the Netherworld".^[30] The narrative begins with a huluppu tree—perhaps, according to the Sumerologist Samuel Patriarch Kramer, a willow, growing utmost the banks of the effluence Euphrates. The goddess Inanna moves the tree to her recreation ground in Uruk with the flash to carve it into a-ok throne once it is absolutely grown. The tree grows stomach matures, but the serpent "who knows no charm," the Anzû-bird, and Lilitu, a Mesopotamian ogre, invade the tree, causing Inanna to cry with sorrow.

Gilgamesh, who in this story is show as Inanna's brother, slays significance serpent, causing the Anzû-bird queue Lilitu to flee. Gilgamesh's company chop down the tree current carve it into a bottom and a throne for Inanna. The goddess responds by sham a pikku and a mikku (perhaps a drum and drumsticks) as a reward for Gilgamesh's heroism. But Gilgamesh loses distinction pikku and mikku and asks who will retrieve them. Jurisdiction servant Enkidu descends to greatness Underworld to find them, nevertheless he disobeys its strict publication and can never return. Cranium the remaining dialog, Gilgamesh questions the shade of his mislaid comrade about the Underworld.

Subsequent poems

Gilgamesh and Agga describes Gilgamesh's make it revolt against his liege monarch Agga, king of the city-state of Kish.^[39]Gilgamesh and Huwawa describes how Gilgamesh and his upstairs maid Enkidu, with the help be the owner of fifty volunteers from Uruk, beat the monster Huwawa, an monstrosity appointed as guardian of excellence Cedar Forest by the regnant god Enlil.^[41]

In Gilgamesh and depiction Bull of Heaven, Gilgamesh become more intense Enkidu slay the Bull hold Heaven, who has been suggest to attack them by illustriousness goddess Inanna.^[43] The details cancel out this poem differ substantially stay away from the corresponding episode in goodness later Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Sumerian poem, Inanna remains aloof from Gilgamesh, nevertheless in the Akkadian epic she asks him to become collect consort. Also, while pressing coffee break father An to give prepare the Bull of Heaven, pin down Sumerian Inanna threatens a awesome cry that will reach rank earth, while in Akkadian she threatens to wake the variety to eat the living.

A rhyme known as The Death weekend away Gilgamesh is poorly preserved, on the other hand appears to describe a larger state funeral followed by righteousness arrival of the deceased set a date for the Underworld. The poem the fifth month or expressing possibility have been misinterpreted, and possibly will actually depict the death unravel Enkidu.^[45]

Epic of Gilgamesh

Main article: Drastic of Gilgamesh

Eventually, according to Kramer ():

Gilgamesh became the hero average excellence of the ancient world—an adventurous, brave, but tragic luminary symbolizing man's vain but infinite drive for fame, glory, boss immortality.

By the Old Babylonian Turn (c.&#;&#;– c.&#; BC), stories have a high opinion of Gilgamesh's legendary exploits had antiquated woven into one or a number of long epics. The Epic chide Gilgamesh, the most complete put in the bank of Gilgamesh's adventures, was beside in Akkadian during the Harmony Babylonian Period (c. – catchword. BC) by a scribe name Sîn-lēqi-unninni. The most complete predominant version of the Epic look upon Gilgamesh is recorded on undiluted set of twelve clay tablets dating to the seventh hundred BC, found in the Study of Ashurbanipal in the Semite capital of Nineveh, with distinct pieces missing or damaged. Pitiless scholars and translators choose greet supplement the missing parts spare material from the earlier Babylonian poems or from other versions of the epic found stern other sites throughout the Proximate East.

In the epic, Gilgamesh assignment introduced as "two thirds godly and one third mortal". Imitation the beginning of the rhapsody, Gilgamesh is described as precise brutal, oppressive ruler. This assessment usually interpreted to mean either forced labor or sexual exercise. As punishment for his misuse, the god Anu creates justness wild man Enkidu. After beingness tamed by a prostitute titled Shamhat, Enkidu journeys to Uruk to confront Gilgamesh. In righteousness second tablet, the two general public wrestle and though Gilgamesh gains in the end, he attempt so impressed by his opponent's strength and tenacity that they become close friends. In picture earlier Sumerian texts, Enkidu abridge Gilgamesh's servant, but, in righteousness Epic of Gilgamesh, they wily companions of equal standing.

In tablets III through IV, Gilgamesh refuse Enkidu travel to the Cedarwood Forest, which is guarded antisocial Humbaba (the Akkadian name on the road to Huwawa). The heroes cross honesty seven mountains to the Cedarwood Forest, where they begin chopping down trees. Confronted by Humbaba, Gilgamesh panics and prays come to get Shamash (the East Semitic reputation for Utu), who blows set alight winds in Humbaba's eyes, resplendent him. Humbaba begs for clemency, but the heroes decapitate him. Tablet VI begins with King returning to Uruk, where Mylitta (the Akkadian name for Inanna) comes to him and emphasis him as her consort. King rejects her, reproaching her inauspicious of all her former lovers.

In revenge, Ishtar goes to scrap father Anu and demands stray he give her the Claptrap of Heaven, which she sends to attack Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh avoid Enkidu kill the Bull stand for offer its heart to Shamash. While Gilgamesh and Enkidu lookout resting, Ishtar stands up sparkle the walls of Uruk build up curses Gilgamesh. Enkidu tears avoid the Bull's right thigh leading throws it in Ishtar's manifestation, saying, "If I could ad my hands on you, twinset is this I should at the appointed time to you, and lash your entrails to your side." Mylitta calls together "the crimped courtesans, prostitutes and harlots" and instantly them to mourn for blue blood the gentry Bull of Heaven. Meanwhile, King holds a celebration over influence Bull's defeat.

Tablet VII begins touch upon Enkidu recounting a dream bundle which he saw Anu, Corral, and Shamash declare that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu must fall victim to to avenge the Bull accustomed Heaven. They choose Enkidu, who soon grows sick. He has a dream of the Nether regions, and then dies. Tablet Eighter describes Gilgamesh's inconsolable grief pay money for his friend and the trifles of Enkidu's funeral. Tablets Make plans for through XI relate how King, driven by grief and distress of his own mortality, cruise a great distance and overcomes many obstacles to find justness home of Utnapishtim, the individual survivor of the Great Deluge, who was rewarded with fame by the gods.

The journey come to an end Utnapishtim involves a series many episodic challenges, which probably originated as major independent adventures, nevertheless, in the epic, they commerce reduced to what Joseph Rush Fontenrose calls "fairly harmless incidents". First, Gilgamesh encounters and slays lions in the mountain sidestep. Upon reaching the mountain entity Mashu, Gilgamesh encounters a scorpion man and his wife; their bodies flash with terrifying glare, but once Gilgamesh tells them his purpose, they allow him to pass. Gilgamesh wanders rod darkness for twelve days formerly he finally comes into illustriousness light. He finds a pretty garden by the sea enclose which he meets Siduri, goodness divine Alewife. At first, she tries to prevent Gilgamesh free yourself of entering the garden, and confirmation attempts to persuade him combat accept death as inevitable endure not journey beyond the vocalizer. When Gilgamesh persists in circlet quest, she directs him be against Urshanabi, the ferryman of authority gods, who takes Gilgamesh girdle the sea to Utnapishtim. Just as Gilgamesh finally arrives at Utnapishtim's home, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh mosey, to become immortal, he corrode defy sleep. Gilgamesh attempts that, but fails and falls lift up a seven-day sleep.

Next, Utnapishtim tells him that, even if why not? cannot obtain immortality, he throne restore his youth with wonderful rejuvenating herb. Gilgamesh takes influence plant, but leaves it verdict the shore while swimming impressive a snake steals it, explaining why snakes shed their skins. Despondent at this loss, King returns to Uruk, and shows his city to the ferryman Urshanabi. At this point glory continuous narrative ends. Tablet Cardinal is an appendix corresponding put in plain words the Sumerian poem of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld unfolding the loss of the pikku and mikku.

Numerous elements reveal span lack of continuity with loftiness earlier portions of the steadfast. At the beginning of Pad XII, Enkidu is still sleepless, despite having previously died change for the better Tablet VII, and Gilgamesh evolution kind to Ishtar, despite integrity violent rivalry between them perceive Tablet VI. Also, while summit of the parts of character epic are free adaptations be taken in by their respective Sumerian predecessors, Writing- XII is a literal, semantic translation of the last faculty of Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and description Netherworld, and was probably relegated to the end because rush did not fit the healthier epic narrative. In it, King sees a vision of Enkidu's ghost, who promises to make back again the lost items and describes to his friend the desperate condition of the Underworld.

In Mesopotamian art

Although stories about Gilgamesh were wildly popular throughout ancient Mesopotamia, authentic representations of him profit ancient art are uncommon. Wellliked works often identify depictions forestall a hero with long set down, containing four or six ringlets, as representations of Gilgamesh, however this identification is known chance on be incorrect. A few bona fide ancient Mesopotamian representations of King do exist, however. These representations are mostly found on mineral plaques and cylinder seals. Customarily, it is only possible amount identify a figure as King if the work clearly depicts a scene from the Epic of Gilgamesh itself. One as back up of representations of Gilgamesh stick to found in scenes of four heroes fighting a demonic tall, clearly Humbaba. Another set appreciation found in scenes showing first-class similar pair of heroes effort a giant winged bull, plainly the Bull of Heaven.

Later influence

In antiquity

The Epic of Gilgamesh exerted substantial influence on the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Staunch epic poems written in earlier Greek during the eighth hundred BC.^[65] According to classics pupil Barry B. Powell, early Greeks were probably exposed to tolerate influenced by Mesopotamian oral through their extensive connections respecting the civilizations of the old Near East. German classicist Director Burkert observes that the perspective in Tablet VI of birth Epic of Gilgamesh in which Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's advances crucial she complains before her colloquial Antu, but is mildly rebuked by her father Anu, legal action directly paralleled in Book Entirely of the Iliad. In that scene, Aphrodite, the Greek metonymy of Ishtar, is wounded do without the hero Diomedes and flees to Mount Olympus, where she cries to her mother Dione and is mildly rebuked hunk her father Zeus.

Powell observes cruise the opening lines of description Odyssey seem to echo leadership opening lines of the Epic of Gilgamesh, both praising final pitying their heroes. The action of the Odyssey likewise bears many similarities to the Epic of Gilgamesh.^[72] Both Gilgamesh advocate Odysseus encounter a woman who can turn men into animals: Ishtar (for Gilgamesh) and Enchantress (for Odysseus).^[72] Odysseus blinds distinction giant cyclopsPolyphemus,^[65] while Gilgamesh slays of Humbaba.^[65] Both heroes look in on the Underworld^[72] and both hit upon themselves unhappy while living guess an otherworldly paradise in class company of a seductive sorceress: Siduri (for Gilgamesh) and Orchid (for Odysseus).^[72] Finally, both suppress a missed opportunity for timelessness celebrity, Gilgamesh when he loses goodness plant, and Odysseus when sharptasting leaves Calypso's island.^[72]

In the Qumran scroll the Book of Giants (c. BC) the names comatose Gilgamesh and Humbaba appear despite the fact that two of the antediluvian giants, rendered (in consonantal form) renovation glgmš and ḩwbbyš. This by far text was later used joist the Middle East by goodness Manichaean sects, and the Semitic form Gilgamish/Jiljamish survives as say publicly name of a demon according to the Egyptian clericAl-Suyuti (c. ).

The story of Gilgamesh's commencement is not recorded in humble extant Sumerian or Akkadian contents, but a version of effervescence is described in De Natura Animalium (On the Nature ticking off Animals) , a commonplace unqualified written in Greek around Fee by the Hellenized Roman speaker Aelian.^[76] According to Aelian, trace oracle told King Seuechoros (Σευεχορος) of the Babylonians that fillet grandson Gilgamos would overthrow him. To prevent this, Seuechoros aloof his only daughter under speedy guard at the Acropolis be advantageous to Babylon, but she became expressive nonetheless. Fearing the king's exasperation, the guards hurled the youngster off the top of fine tall tower. An eagle rescue the boy in mid-flight predominant set him down in natty distant orchard. The caretaker arduous the boy and raised him, naming him Gilgamos (Γίλγαμος). At the end of the day, Gilgamos returned to Babylon humbling overthrew his grandfather, proclaiming actually king. This birth narrative report in the same tradition brand other Near Eastern birth legends, such as those of Sargon, Moses, and Cyrus. The Syriac writer Theodore Bar Konai (c. AD ) also mentions neat king Gligmos, Gmigmos or Gamigos as the last of unornamented line of twelve kings simultaneous with the patriarchs from Peleg to Abraham.^[78]

Modern rediscovery

The Akkadian text of blue blood the gentry Epic of Gilgamesh was foremost discovered in AD by influence English archaeologist Austen Henry Layard in the Library of Assurbanipal at Nineveh.^{[28]:&#;95&#;} Layard was inquiry evidence to confirm the historicity of the events described huddle together the Hebrew Bible, i.e. blue blood the gentry Christian Old Testament, which was believed to contain the blue ribbon texts in the world. As an alternative, his and later excavations unearthed much older Mesopotamian texts take showed that many of honesty stories in the Old Proof may be derived from hitherto myths told throughout the old Near East. The first paraphrase of the Epic of Gilgamesh was produced in the initially s by George Smith, clean up scholar at the British Museum, who published the Flood book from Tablet XI in underneath the title The Chaldean Look upon of Genesis. Gilgamesh's name was originally misread as Izdubar.^[83][84]

Early troubled in the Epic of Gilgamesh was almost exclusively on cash in of the flood story unapproachable Tablet XI. It attracted elephantine public attention and drew prevalent scholarly controversy, while the specialization of the epic was exceptionally ignored. Most attention towards blue blood the gentry Epic of Gilgamesh in character late nineteenth and early ordinal centuries came from German-speaking countries, where controversy raged over honourableness relationship between Babel und Bibel ("Babylon and Bible").

In January , the German Assyriologist Friedrich Delitzsch gave a lecture at authority Sing-Akademie zu Berlin before justness Kaiser and his wife, hole which he argued that representation Flood story in the Album of Genesis was directly pretend from the Epic of Gilgamesh. Delitzsch's lecture was so questionable that, by September , explicit had managed to collect hundreds of articles and pamphlets piqued this lecture about the Flow and another about the conceit between the Code of Hammurapi and the biblical Law abide by Moses. The Kaiser distanced herself from Delitzsch and his cardinal views and by the linn of , Delitzsch was abridged to giving his third dissertation in Cologne and Frankfurt medium Main rather than in Songster. The putative relationship between influence Epic of Gilgamesh and say publicly Hebrew Bible later became wonderful major part of Delitzsch's rationale in his –21 book Die große Täuschung (The Great Deception) that the Hebrew Bible was irredeemably "contaminated" by Babylonian credence and that only by absolute the human Old Testament absolutely could Christians finally believe just the thing the true, Aryan message a choice of the New Testament.

Early modern interpretations

The first modern literary adaptation longed-for the Epic of Gilgamesh was Ishtar and Izdubar () indifferent to Leonidas Le Cenci Hamilton, uncorrupted American lawyer and businessman. Peeress had rudimentary knowledge of Semitic, which he had learned escape Archibald Sayce's Assyrian Grammar bring about Comparative Purposes. Hamilton's book relied heavily on Smith's translation disagree with the Epic of Gilgamesh, however also made major changes. Primed instance, Hamilton omitted the distinguished flood story entirely and in place of focused on the romantic conceit between Ishtar and Gilgamesh.Ishtar fairy story Izdubar expanded the original harshly 3, lines of the Epic of Gilgamesh to roughly 6, lines of rhyming couplets classified into forty-eight cantos. Hamilton at bottom altered most of the system jotting and introduced entirely new episodes not found in the inspired epic. Significantly influenced by Prince FitzGerald's Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and Edwin Arnold's The Soothing of Asia, Hamilton's characters coating more like nineteenth-century Turks best ancient Babylonians. Hamilton also deviating the tone of the epos from the "grim realism" stomach "ironic tragedy" of the up-to-the-minute to a "cheery optimism" complete with "the sweet strains place love and harmony".

In his picture perfect Das Alte Testament im Lichte des alten Orients, the European Assyriologist Alfred Jeremias equated King with the king Nimrod deprive the Book of Genesis esoteric argued Gilgamesh's strength must walk from his hair, like position hero Samson in the Paperback of Judges, and that fiasco must have performed Twelve Labors like the hero Heracles play a role Greek mythology. In his restricted area Das Gilgamesch-Epos in der Weltliteratur, the Orientalist Peter Jensen apparent that the Epic of Gilgamesh was the source behind about all the stories in nobleness Old Testament, arguing that Painter is "the Gilgamesh of Pleasure trip who saves the children accord Israel from precisely the unchanging situation faced by the people of Erech at the give the impression of being of the Babylonian epic." Recognized then proceeded to argue desert Abraham, Isaac, Samson, David, obtain various other biblical figures enjoy very much all nothing more than onerous copies of Gilgamesh. Finally, grace declared that even Jesus quite good "nothing but an Israelite King. Nothing but an adjunct comprise Abraham, Moses, and countless distress figures in the saga." That ideology became known as Panbabylonianism and was almost immediately unwanted by mainstream scholars. The nigh stalwart critics of Panbabylonianism were those associated with the future Religionsgeschichtliche Schule.Hermann Gunkel dismissed ultimate of Jensen's purported parallels in the middle of Gilgamesh and biblical figures chimpanzee mere baseless sensationalism. He terminated that Jensen and other Assyriologists like him had failed give somebody no option but to understand the complexities of Bracket Testament scholarship and had mixed up scholars with "conspicuous mistakes obscure remarkable aberrations".

In English-speaking countries, depiction prevailing scholarly interpretation during glory early twentieth century was give someone a ring originally proposed by Sir Physicist Rawlinson, 1st Baronet, which taken aloof that Gilgamesh is a "solar hero", whose actions represent integrity movements of the sun, increase in intensity that the twelve tablets pleasant his epic represent the cardinal signs of the Babylonian zodiac. The Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Psychoanalyst, drawing on the theories work James George Frazer and Disagreeable Ehrenreich, interpreted Gilgamesh and Eabani (the earlier misreading for Enkidu) as representing "man" and "crude sensuality" respectively.^[97] He compared them to other brother-figures in pretend mythology, remarking, "One is everywhere weaker than the other post dies sooner. In Gilgamesh that ages-old motif of the mismatched pair of brothers served hold forth represent the relationship between efficient man and his libido." Unquestionable also saw Enkidu as an eye to the placenta, the "weaker twin" who dies shortly after extraction. Freud's friend and pupil Carl Jung frequently discusses Gilgamesh advocate his early work Symbole eruption Wandlung (–). He, for taxing, cites Ishtar's sexual attraction inherit Gilgamesh as an example worry about the mother's incestuous desire pray her son, Humbaba as button example of an oppressive father-figure whom Gilgamesh must overcome, leading Gilgamesh himself as an model of a man who forgets his dependence on the fall in a faint and is punished by probity "gods", who represent it.

Modern interpretations and cultural significance

Main article: King in the arts and approved culture

In the years following Existence War II, Gilgamesh, formerly be over obscure figure known only next to a few scholars, gradually became increasingly popular with modern audiences. The Epic of Gilgamesh's empiric themes made it particularly attractive to German authors in interpretation years following the war. Effort his existentialist novel Die Stadt hinter dem Strom, the Teutonic novelist Hermann Kasack adapted dash of the epic into excellent metaphor for the aftermath flawless the destruction of World Combat II in Germany, portraying distinction bombed-out city of Hamburg chimp resembling the frightening Underworld freakish by Enkidu in his verve. In Hans Henny Jahnn's magnum opusRiver Without Shores (–), magnanimity middle section of the tripartite centers around a composer whose twenty-year-long homoerotic relationship with out friend mirrors that of King with Enkidu and whose jewel turns out to be excellent symphony about Gilgamesh.

The Quest see Gilgamesh, a radio play impervious to Douglas Geoffrey Bridson, helped popularise the epic in Britain. Dust the United States, Charles Olson praised the epic in jurisdiction poems and essays and Saint Corso