Beyond Gilgamesh

Following up on Patrick Flynn's excellent presentation during tonight's discussion of The Epic of Gilgamesh, he offers the following suggestions for additional reading:

Gilgamesh’s literary qualities are the focus of classicist Charles Rowan Beye’s Ancient Epic Poetry: Homer, Apollonius, Virgil, which devotes a chapter to the Gilgamesh poems.  Story coherence and Mesopotamian literary tradition are the strengths of Benjamin R. Foster’s edition of The Epic of Gilgamesh (available from DC’s Public Library). For those of you interested in technology, Steve Honley will attach a PDF copy of “The Origins of Writing in Mesopotamia" by Christopher Woods (The Oriental Institute, News & Notes, Fall 2010) to his next group message. (The first page is reproduced below.) And for pre-history and history surrounding the poem, the DVD “Ancient Mesopotamia: Life in the Cradle of Civilization” from the Great Courses learning series is also available from DCPL. 

Finally, Patrick says: "Let me leave you with a sample of the evocative poetry of Foster’s translation: the last lines of Tablet I: 'Even while [Gilgamesh] was having his dreams, Shamhat was telling the dreams of Gilgamesh to Enkidu, as the pair of them were making love together.'”

The Proust Project

During our recent discussion of Andre Aciman's Find Me, Octavio Roca usefully reminded us that Aciman has actually produced more nonfiction than fiction. A good example is his 2004 book, The Proust Project, for which Aciman asked 28 writers--including Edmund White, Shirley Hazzard, Lydia Davis, Richard Howard, Alain de Botton and Diane Johnson--to choose a favorite passage from In Search of Lost Time and introduce it in a brief essay. His own discussion of that masterpiece in the preface received critical acclaim, but alas, the collection is out of print. Should it ever become available again, I'd certainly be interested in reading it even though I'm not a Proustian.

Translations of "The Epic of Gilgamesh"

Our friend Patrick Flynn, who nominated The Epic of Gilgamesh (in Andrew George's translation) for our reading list, offers the following observations as we prepare for our March 17 discussion (which fellow Gilgamesh enthusiast and founding BookMen member Bill Malone will facilitate):

"The Epic of Gilgamesh is a monument of Western literature for several reasons. But my particular interest in the nature of Gilgamesh's sexuality and what it says about ancient Near Eastern attitudes recommended Andrew George's translation above the more literary versions. Although appreciations of the epic vary from person to person, one should start with an accurate reading of the original. Recent scholarship by Assyrilogists is that starting point, even if it's challenging for the modern reader. In addition to George's translation, I've found one by Benjamin R. Foster worth considering because it is not only accurate, but perhaps more readable (and provides stylistic background). For example, the same passage from the standard version is translated as follows:

    Wild-Cow Ninsun was clever and wise, well versed in everything, she said to Gilgamesh: 

    "My son, the ax you saw is a friend, like a wife you'll love him, caress and embrace him

    And I, Ninsun, shall make him your equal. A mighty comrade will come to you, and be his 

    friend's savior."... [George I, 288 ff.]

    The wild cow Ninsun knowing and wise, who understands everything, said to Gilgamesh:

    "My son, the axe you saw is a man. Your loving it like a woman and caressing it

    And my making it your partner [means] there will come to you a strong one,

    A companion who rescues a friend. ... [Foster I, 298 ff.]

It is also worth noting that in his introduction, Foster points out that "axe" is a wordplay for "female impersonator." Your choice of rendering is personal, of course, and diverse readings will also be interesting when we discuss the book."