Cynthia's entry today about death and a December 2004 entry by Dave at "Random Thoughts" together inspired this entry on Gilgamesh and the Tree of Life.
I am a writer, so I am forever scanning stories and myths for truths about the human condition. A recurring theme in myths and tales is mortality. Dave's entry is an intriguing look at two myths concerning this theme--Jesus raising Lazarus and the Buddhist story of Kisagotami. Cynthia's entry muses upon her own eventual death.
A little background first: The Gilgamesh myth is Babylonian and 4,000 years old. It tells the exploits of Gilgamesh, whose heroic aspect mirrors that of each of us as we strive to be an individual and to define our place in the world.
Gilgamesh's discovery that we all must die is one of the great watersheds of arrival at maturity.
Gilgamesh and the Tree of Life
Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu fought many battles and were victorious. But when Enkidu died, Gilgamesh mourned deeply. Gilgamesh decided he would not accept the fate that all men must die. He set out in search of the secrets of life and death. He went through many trials, at last finding himself at the shores of the sea of the waters of death. There, a woman reminded him that life is to be enjoyed:
"Gilgamesh, where do you wander?
You shall not find what you seek.
When the gods created human beings,
Death is what they allotted to mortals,
Retaining the secret of life in their own hands.
Let your belly be full, Gilgamesh,
And make a feast of rejoicing each day.
Day and night, dance and play.
Bathe yourself, and pay heed to the child who holds your hand,
And let your wife delight in you.
For this is the task of humankind."
But Gilgamesh would not listen and continued on his quest. Gilgamesh rowed out to the middle of the sea, dived into the waters of death and found the Tree of Life, bringing a branch back to his boat.
On his way home, he stopped by a pool to bathe. But a serpent, creeping near, smelled the heavenly scent of the Tree of Immortality and carried the branch off and ate the leaves. This is why the serpent is able to renew itself by shedding its skin.
Gilgamesh the hero knelt down by the pool, put his face in his hands and wept. He understood now that what he had been told was true: even the mightiest and most courageous of heroes is human and must learn to live with joy in the moment and acceptance of the inevitable end.
8 comments:
Theresa,
I'm so glad you posted on this. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an amazing story. The paralells between it and the Pentatuch are pretty easy to see. But what is most interesting, and I think it's what you're getting at, is the richness of these myths and the way they speak to our universal existential dilemmas. When we begin to see these myths for the truths they reveal rather than split hairs over their historical accuracy we are able to see into the heart of humanity. And I think as story-tellers we gain a lot from understanding this process of myth-making.
dave
http://journals.aol.com/ibspiccoli4life/RandomThoughtsfromaProgressiveMi
Two beautiful stories - Gilgamesh and Kisogotami. Thank you, Theresa.
I do not have a fear of death any more, for some reason. I see it as a great peace. Maybe it's because I am facing some difficult challenges in my life right now, most of which seem insurmountable. Or more likely, I think my yoga practice is developing in me a better sense of acceptance. The "corpse" pose (savasana) adopted at the end of a series of strenuous poses is most relaxing and delivers the deepest sense of serenity I think I have ever experienced.
Death is natural, it comes to us all. I wonder what is on the other side, if anything. Ours is not to know in this life.
Vicky
http://www.livejournal.com/users/vxv789/
I love this story. Life should be lived with joy. I think the snake has a few secrets to share as well, constantly renewing oneself, getting rid of what no longer fits and what what dulls our luster is how we truly live. It's not constant change. It's acceptance of the present and refusing to wear our pasts when they're no longer true to who we are that makes our lives rich. In this, both Gilgamesh and the snake learned the same lesson.
That's an enteresting tale, I have never heard it before. Thanks for sharing, this story makes me glad that I'm a believer in Christ and I know that he has concured death for me and even when my body is gone I will have everlasting life with him.
Thank you, Theresa. It`s amazing how long ago there were people who understood the ultimate problem.
V
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the principle life myths dating into the mists of time. I recommend reading Velikovsky's take on the meaning of the story, as he relates it to the Exodus story and the events that lead up to the passage of the Red Sea. He also puts the date in historical times, with an upper limit of around 1500 BC. The tale is certainly a cautionary one, filled as it is, with a description of the world turned upside down and filled with dangerous storms and violent winds. One of the earliest written relics of that time and those events, it is a fascinating glimpse into another world entirely, one gone forever over the span of a few weeks. You might also appreciate his volume, Oedipus and Akhenaten, in which he equates the myth of Oedipus with the actual personage of the "heretic" Pharaoh Akhenaten, who suffered from deformities and had a life that eerily parallels the Oedipal myth. Take into account the references to Thebes and the whole riddling guard (the Sphinx) and he makes a convincing case. I think there are 2 ways to look at myths: 1) fanciful stories that were concocted for amusement or 2) stories based on real events and people that have taken on a magnitude due to their inherent unbelievable quality to a more modern audience. In the last case, the Norse myths, the story of Gilgamesh and the stories in the Old Testament bear scrutiny with regard to their potential veracity, given they were recorded by an unscientific people given to believe in mystical events as explanations for everyday events. Fascinating, nevertheless. Bruce
Bruce, thanks for the reading suggestions. I do take these suggestions seriously (for instance, Vince recommended Becker and May to me and I haven't been able to get enough of them since reading the ones he recommended). About myths: I am no expert; indeed, I am a generalist in everything and a specialist in nothing. I will never be an expert in anything, nor a saint, for I dabble in too many thoughts and speculations. But regarding myths coming from true-life, I'm aware of that thesis. I recently ordered the book WHEN THEY SEVERED EARTH FROM SKY, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber and Paul T. Barber. This book also posits that myths came from true events. I prefer Jung's (and Campbell's) notion of the collective unconscious; it's more mystical, more mysterious. But then that's what I'm naturally drawn to, the mystery of things. So I wanted to read the Barber text to see what else was out there in the way of ideas. I'm not familiar with the works you mention. The myths act as a certain shorthand for me, or template. I'm continuing to train myself to think in mythological terms because it comes the closest of anything I've experienced to providing a meaningful existence. Thanks for your insights and suggestions. --Theresa
We can learn so much from the old myths and "fairy tales". They help us to digest and understand if only subconciously deep truths.
Wonderful entry and great comments, too.
Kathy
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