Last week we talked about Gilgamesh and the Iliad. In Gilgamesh, there was king named Gilgamesh who did many bad things like have sex with any woman he wanted. There was no one equal to him, so the gods created Enkidu. Enkidu was like an animal and when he fought Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh stopped the fight and called Enkidu his equal. Then for no reason, they start to go on journeys to slay down monsters as friends.
This story was really weird, given that you're a bad king in beginning, you fight with guy which you become friends with, you go kill a monster with your friend for no reason, then you're considered a hero at the end. For some reason, I can't wrap my mind around it. It's like if Superman and Lex Luther were fight with each other, Superman and Lex become friends, then they both go fight evil together. It seems hard to believe that you were a bad person, then you become good?
Maybe it's also like fairy tales. A little girl walking to her grandmothers house and before she gets to the house, a talking wolf tries to stop her. Or a random girl walks into a house which has an obsession of three's, and later finds out its inhabitants are talking bears. I used to enjoy fairy tales, but now reading this type of literature as an adult, it seems very silly. Maybe its like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, because I shouldn't question why Enkidu and Gilgamesh automatically become friends or why Beowulf can hold his breath for four hours. I believe the Professor called it the benefit of the doubt. In order for me to enjoy stories like these, I shouldn't question every single detail and just go with it.
We also talked about how some texts in Gilgamesh might be related to stories in the Bible. Two examples were the great flood Noah went through and Adam and Eve. Noah had an ark with two of each animal during the flood while in Gilgamesh, they said a great flood cleaned the earth. Adam and Eve were very closely related to Enkidu and the harlot. After Enkidu was done, he felt humble and needed clothing. Some people may deny it out front that Gilgamesh and the Bible are not connected in anyway, but as a christian I like to have an open mind about my beliefs. To have these stories be alike seems like maybe there really was a flood or there really was an Adam and Eve. Maybe we're all connected somehow and we're all aware of these things. I just find it interesting also that some people can cover their ears and call it lies, but there's no need. The Bible and the Koran have many things in common, and we all have beliefs of spirits all around the world. So from this, it just makes me really curious.
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Willful suspension of disbelief. The thing is that stories like these aren't supposed to make sense in traditional ways. In a way, they're like the Bible. The idea of a talking snake and an "apple" that will disrupt perfection, and the whole Job and Jonah things really don't make rational sense. But so many people go with it because the stories aren't about making rational sense. Metaphor and simile aren't just about "my love is like a red, red rose". They extend beyond that into extended metaphors that have meaning beyond the surface.
ReplyDeleteI'am in the same boat as you i look at these fairy tales now and think back why did i believe these things. I think that when you are young you don't really know all that much, so when a story says "and oh yeah animals talk" we just go with it. Even if i know these stories are rediculous i still like to watch them for enjoyment or even with a child to see what their reaction to the story is.
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