In today’s times, the human race has developed specific social norms for its society. Depending on the location, these norms could range from something as basic as wearing clothes in public and attending school, to something more advanced like using a specific type of currency to pay for things or using certain slang while conversing with friends. Following these norms will help the person blend in with the people around them. However, if one does not follow these norms, they will stick out of their society, and become ostracized by their peers. This trend of following social norms originated from the beginning of time, and is even depicted in the classic stories of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. In The Epic of Gilgamesh,
Always encountering success, Gilgamesh was once a tyrant to his people. Reflecting on his rule, he recalls that, “He demanded from an old birthright/the privilege of sleeping with their brides” (15). His triumphs fostered arrogance. To him, everyone else paled in comparison. When he experiences defeat, however, Gilgamesh grows as a leader, seeing the similarities between him and his subjects, their common humanity.
Throughout history, patriarchal societies have been very profound, helping shape society and culture into what it is today. In Herbert Mason’s adaptation of Gilgamesh, most women are forced into jobs that accompany the lifestyle of men. Women are used to inflate egos and promote masculinity primarily through sex. However, elderly and motherly figures are seen as welcoming and wise and to be treated with compassion. Whereas patronesses, goddesses, and prostitutes do not elicit respect.
In “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, Gilgamesh believes that fear is not and never will be “Justified”. This story was retold by Herbert Mason but no one truly knows who began the tale. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is a well known epic poem that was created in ancient Mesopotamia around the time of 600 B.C. The point of view in which the story is told in is third person, in the perspective of Gilgamesh himself. The setting of the story is around the time of 2700 B.C. Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk and is struggling to stay off of deaths radar at all cost, even though his true love is fighting against opposing forces.
Gilgamesh's journey into the darkness under the twin-peaked mountain is a pivotal point in the Gilgamesh Epic. After the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh sets out on a journey to uncover the key to immortality. He travels to the planet's rim, where he encounters Scorpion-man, the gatekeeper, at the beginning of a tunnel that passes through a mountain with two peaks. This described a hero's journey in action, with Gilgamesh overcoming several obstacles to discover the secret of immortality. The chapter on tablet IX under the twin-peaked mountain is an important element of the Gilgamesh epic.
In comparison, it’s always observed on how different scholars find the similarity of especially marital settings, characters, and as well as the wanderings of the mythological world. Different events within the life of these characters cover broadly a huge range of epic encounters that are heroic. The character, emotional and psychological development of Gilgamesh can be borrowed especially from the ancient heroic perspectives of mortality and death while comparing with Achilles. Mesopotamian civilization has had several phases in which hero Gilgamesh has been in existence, however having similar attributes. One of the earliest stories of Gilgamesh is developed from Sumerian texts, one of the most influential and well-known poems (Michelakis & Pantelis 2007).
The friendships that we develop throughout our lives strongly influence us, contributing in important ways to the type of people we become. Indeed, a friend can bring out a person’s best or their worst; sometimes the same friend can do both. Strong friendships are centrally important to the main characters of two of literature’s most celebrated epic poems. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the title character has Enkidu; in The Iliad, Achilles has Patroclus. At the center of these epics are two heroic men who share several similarities, including superhuman strength and other god-like qualities.
Friendship is one of the most powerful and necessary bonds between two people, and in Irving Finkel’s, “The Hero King Gilgamesh”, he portrays the true meaning of this strong force. This is a story filled with Middle Eastern gods, curses, and most importantly heros. King Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu tackle ferocious beasts and take down wild monsters. Along Finkel’s exhilarating story, he showcases the power of friendship and how it can change a person through the ordinary world, trials, and success. Friendship always starts with an awkward first “hello”, but in Finkel’s story, it started with a conflict between two who were destined to meet.
Gilgamesh is a powerful yet emotional king. Gilgamesh shows his weak side by saying “I have wept for him day and night…” After this he remains an epic hero in my opinion. The text states he went on a great dangerous journey and survived and killed the guard of The Cedar
Cultural Values A demigod named Gilgamesh, tragically loses his best friend, then he goes on a journey to find the secret of immortality. One could say that these specific cultural values work effectively for the Gods and the people of Uruk, such as rituals, war, and making sacrifices to make this culture successful. Commonly this culture mostly performs rituals for everlasting life or immortality. Gods are afraid of mortality and death itself.
The Epic of Gilgamesh gives a lot of insight to what was happening and what was expected in ancient Mesopotamia. The epic poem which revolves around a king, includes many details in to the civilization, beliefs, and values of the Mesopotamians. The king thrives to be remembered and many of his actions reflect that. The Epic of Gilgamesh show how an ideal heroic king should be in ancient Mesopotamia. The first thing it shows us is that hero kings should be strong.
The Epic of Gilgamesh: Relevant Truth for Today’s Society The Epic of Gilgamesh is set in Uruk, an ancient city of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer, now modern-day Iraq. The epic was said to be written by Sin-liqe-unninni, but it is based on five earlier Sumerian poems with no known author. The piece was difficult to translate, and there are two main version for the Epic of Gilgamesh. This is the result of the environment during the time the piece was being written.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest story known to mankind, being written on Sumerian clay almost five thousand years ago (Garone). Since the story was originally known orally, the culture and themes from The Epic of Gilgamesh must have existed long before it was finally inscribed (Mark 4). Having known this, the cultures and themes can be compared to today’s society, discovering about how they have shifted and evolved, and also observe how they are similar. The ancient days of Gilgamesh has brought culture that has greatly influenced today’s society. Because Gilgamesh was set around the time of late Babylonian or early Sumerian society, the Babylonian and Sumerian cultures also play a role in shaping the world into what is is today (Mark).
In the setting of The Epic of Gilgamesh, collaboration was necessary if one wanted to survive. While individual strength was important, no man could survive (and thrive) alone. Although Gilgamesh does not immediately see this, it quickly becomes an important theme. The Epic of Gilgamesh demonstrates the importance of community-building throughout the epic by using reoccurring themes of friendship and reliance. Gilgamesh’s friendship with Enkidu emphasizes that reliance is necessary for survival.
Social norms are rules that have been ingrained in society and people for hundreds of years. These societal rules can be anything from not talking to strangers on the subway to wearing weather appropriate clothes in public. Yet, when these societal norms are broken, the observers, as well as the person who destroyed the norm, are affected. Societal norms play in large role in how a person conducts him or herself when interacting with others. When deciding what social interaction, I would break, I wanted to do something that would be easy for me to fully commit to without facing too much embarrassment.
Social Norms are the somewhat unwritten rules about how to act or how to behave. They provide us with an expected idea of how to behave in a particular social group or culture. They are the accepted standards of behaviors in particular groups, which may range from family, to friends, schoolmates, workmates, and other citizens. Because of these norms and their underlying implication, the people who do not follow them are shunned or ignored. Therefore, sociologists have given the definition, “Social norms are rules developed by a group of people that specify how people must, should, may, should not, and must not behave in various situations.”