2. Unlike most epics, the hero Gilgamesh
actually existed.
Who was Gilgamesh?
3. Most of the epic is set in and around
the city of Uruk, one of the great
cities of ancient Mesopotamia.
Access the link above to see a map of ancient Uruk. What river
was it on?
4. The ruins of Uruk are near the modern
day city of Warka.
Where is Warka?
5. Archaeologists think they may have
found Gilgamesh’s tomb.
Read the article. What is the most amazing part of the
excavation?
6. The epic was found inscribed on clay
tablets in the Sumerian language
prior to 2000 BCE.
Scroll down to the clay tablet. When were these tablets created?
7. The Sumerians used a system of
writing called cuneiform.
Scroll down past the clay tablets. Draw any two cuneiform
symbols. Tell what the symbols mean and the time period they
were in use.
8. There are many versions of the epic,
but the best one was found in Nineva
at the ruins of a famous king
Assurbanipal’s library.
Where and when did Assurbanipal reign?
9. Most epics do not have a known
author, but this one does. He called
himself Sin-Leqi-Unninni.
What was Sin-Leqi-Unninni’s occupation? Scroll down to
Mesopotamia.
10. … and now the story.
Be sure to fill in the chart related to
the Sumerian gods when you see a
god’s name in red.
11. Gilgamesh was a demi-god, the son of
Lady Wildcow Ninsun and
Lugulbanda, a mortal.
What is a demi-god?
12. Gilgamesh built the magnificent city
of Uruk and surrounded it with
layers of walls. Inside the city walls
were spectacular ziggurats and
temples to the gods as well as fertile
fields and orchards.
What is a ziggurat?
13. However, things weren’t all rosy in
Uruk. Gilgamesh was actually an
evil despot who tortured and killed
anyone he did not like. He also stole
anything he wanted from his people.
What is a despot?
14. The people of Uruk complained to
Aruru , the goddess of creation, who
then took some clay, moistened it,
and created another man called
Enkidu.
Enkidu was both handsome and
massively large.
15. Enkidu hears about the deeds of the
evil Gilgamesh and goes to Uruk to
challenge him. The two massive men
fight. The walls of the city shake.
Eventually, Gilgamesh proves to be
the stronger of the two and pins
Enkidu to the ground.
16. Enkidu pledges loyalty to Gilgamesh
and becomes his best friend.
Together the new friends look for
adventure. Enkidu suggests they go
off to defeat the vile monster
Humbaba who Enlil has placed in
charge of the Cedar Forest.
17. The elders of the city are
horrified at Gil’s plan. They
suggest that he pray to the sun
god Shamash at the temple
Egalmah where the goddess
of medicine, Gula, resides.
Gilgamesh did so.
18. In three days, the friends walk over
150 leagues. Mortal men could not
cover that distance in 3 weeks.
At the gate of the forest, the
adventurers see a huge mountain in
the background. This is where the
gods live. It is forbidden to mortals.
How long is a league?
19. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu reach the
mountain, they cut down some trees.
This enrages the monster Humbaba
who attacks them. They both fight
valiantly but they are overpowered
by the monster. In desperation,
Gilgamesh prays to the god
Shamash.
20. Shamash sends 13 storms into the
forest which disable Humbaba.
Although Humbaba pleads for his
life, Gilgamesh kills him anyway.
Out of the tallest cedar trees,
Gilgamesh makes a new city gate
and a raft. The friends float back to
Uruk in triumph.
21. Anu, god of the Heavens, unleashes the
Bull of Heaven as a punishment for
killing Humbaba and stealing the sacred
trees.
The Bull brings down 7 years of famine
on Uruk. Eventually, Gilgamesh and
Enkidu kill the bull.
What is the Bull of Heaven’s name?
22. The gods are angry that Gilgamesh
and Enkidu killed the monster and
cut down their trees. They determine
that one of the friends must die.
Enkidu falls ill.
23. Enkidu tells Gilgamesh of a dream he
had about the Underworld where
everyone lives in darkness.
Ereshkigal, goddess of the
underworld, sits on her throne while
Belit-Seri, scribe of the gods, writes
in the book of fate.
Enkidu suffers 12 days and then dies.
24. Gilgamesh wanders in the wilderness
mourning his friend. He decides to
talk to Utnapishtim who survived the
great flood that nearly wiped out the
entire world. Gilgamesh wants
Utnapishtim to tell him how to
outsmart death.
25. Eventually, Gilgamesh arrives at the
sacred mountain Mashu which is
guarded by the Scorpion-man and his
wife. They tell Gilgamesh that to
reach his goal, he must travel
through the sacred tunnel used by
Shamash every night as he travels
back to where he rises each morning.
26. Sin, the moon god, sends a dream to
Gilgamesh. In the dream, the hero is
surrounded by lions which he
quickly slaughters with an ax. This is
a good omen.
27. It takes Gilgamesh 12 double hours to
travel through the mountain. When
he does so, he enters a beautiful
garden.
He meets the beautiful Siduri, goddess
of wine and beer, who tells
Gilgamesh that he needs to cross the
sea of the sun god Shamash. No
mortal has ever survived this journey.
28. Siduri suggests that Gilgamesh ask
Urshanabi to ferry him across the
sea. On the way, Gilgamesh attacks
the Urnu-snakes and the Stone
Things. Not a good idea.
29. Urshanabi agrees to help Gilgamesh
across, but he says the journey will
be even harder because he attacked
the snakes and Stone Things.
Urshanabi tells Gilgamesh to build a
raft of cedar trees made of poles
exactly 60 cubits in length.
How long is a cubit?
30. Gilgamesh sails for three days, a
journey that would normally take 2
months. When he reaches the Waters
of Death, an old man is waiting.
Gilgamesh tells him about the death
of Enkidu and asks him for the secret
of immortality.
31. The old man tells Gilgamesh that the
gods determine the day of a person’s
birth and the day of a person’s death.
There is no way to escape one’s
destiny.
32. Next, the survivor of the flood tells
Gilgamesh what happened to him.
He was once king of a beautiful city
called Shurppak.
33. Ninurta god of war, Ennugi
god of irrigation, Ea god of
wisdom, Anu, and Enlil god
of earth, wind and air were
angry. They decided to
destroy men via a terrible
flood.
34. One of the gods warned Utnapishtim
about the coming flood. Utnapishtim
was told to build a huge boat 120
(ten dozen) cubits high with an acre
of floor space and load it up with all
that lived.
35. Utnapishtim did as he was told and
survived the flood. He landed on the top
of a mountain and waited 7 days. He
then sent a dove off to see if the flood
waters had receded. The dove did not
return. Then he sent a raven. The raven
did return. The waters had subsided.
How did Noah know when to come out of the ark?
36. Most of the gods were furious that
anyone had survived the flood. One
god Ea chastised the other gods
saying that the punishment was too
harsh and that they should be
grateful that Utnapishtim had saved
the human race.
37. The other gods realized their error and
made amends by making
Utnapishtim and his wife immortal.
Utnapishtim suggests that if
Gilgamesh really thinks he is worthy
of becoming a god, he should try to
do without sleep for a week.
38. Gilgamesh agrees to do so but, that
night, he immediately falls asleep.
Gilgamesh is in despair. Because she
feels sorry for him, Utnapishtim’s
wife begs her husband to give
Gilgamesh something!
39. Utnashpitim decides to give away one
of the secrets of the gods. He tells
Gilgamesh about a plant that grows
beneath the sea that gives men
eternal youth.
In what other famous biblical story does a snake steal
immortal life from humanity?
40. Immediately, Gilgamesh ties stones to
his feet and jumps into the sea!
Gilgamesh harvests some of the
plants and returns to shore intent on
returning to Uruk to take the plant
himself and give some to the elders
so that they all will be young again.
41. On the way back to Uruk, Gilgamesh
decides to swim in a refreshing pool.
A snake in the pool smells the plant
in Gil’s pocket. The snake slithers
into his pocket and takes the plant.
42. Gilgamesh sees the snake in the grass
shed its skin. The snake has become
young again, but Gilgamesh never
will be young again now that the
plant is gone.
Gilgamesh weeps as he returns to
Uruk.
43. Gilgamesh prays to the gods for help.
Ea allows Enkidu to return to earth
for a brief visit with Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh asks Enkidu to tell him
about the Underworld.
44. Enkidu tells about some of the horrors
of life in the land of the dead. Rats
and other rodents gnaw on his body.
His only food is dirt. However,
Enkidu gives Gilgamesh some hope.
45. Enkidu tells him that the greater the
number of sons one has, the better life
is in the land of the dead. In fact, if a
man has 7 sons then his life in the
Underworld resembles that of the
gods. The people who suffer the most
are those who have no one to grieve
for them when they die.
What is the connection between the #7 and the gods?
46. Gilgamesh must learn to be content to
rule Uruk as best he can and hope
that his family will grieve for him
when the gods decree that his time is
up.
The End
47. Epics have some common elements:
A larger-than-life hero
A friend who helps the hero on his
journey
Gods and monsters who either help
or hinder the hero
48. Epic heroes also have some common
characteristics.
Fill in the “Elements of the Epic Hero
Cycle” in your handout.
