Understanding Gilgamesh : his world and his story
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a story of ancient times, a story of one man who embarks on a futile journey in search of life everlasting. However, somehow this ancient text captures modem - even post-modem - imagination. Why should a modem, highly technological society bother itself with a text that h...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2005
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| In: |
Journal for semitics
Year: 2005, Volume: 14, Issue: 1, Pages: 165-181 |
| Further subjects: | B
Sumerian city
B Gilgamesh B Life everlasting |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a story of ancient times, a story of one man who embarks on a futile journey in search of life everlasting. However, somehow this ancient text captures modem - even post-modem - imagination. Why should a modem, highly technological society bother itself with a text that has its setting in a Sumerian city state, with a story that refers to strange gods and monsters and that is - for the most part - unreal? This question is examined in this paper by using a twopronged approach. A source-orientated analysis looks into the world behind the epic. A discourse-orientated analysis focuses on the text itself. The conclusion is reached that in the last instance the Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of one man. His story may be the story of anybody, anywhere, any place, any time. His story is the story of human broken-ness anybody's story. In this sense the epic remains relevant in post-modem society. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for semitics
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| Persistent identifiers: | HDL: 10520/AJA10318471_414 |