The Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Bhagavad Gita - 855 Words

In The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Bhagavad-Gita, gods play an important role in society and the way of life. In the Bhagavad-Gita, people portray their gods as almighty and perfect beings. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Mesopotamian people see their gods as imperfect, human-like beings. The way the people depict their gods, determines how long the religion will last and how much power the gods withhold. The fact that the gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh act a lot like humans, their power is minimal. For example, Ishtar, the goddess of live and war, falls in love with Gilgamesh and longs for him sexually. The craving for sex is a very human-like trait. Gilgamesh later denies Ishtar, which shows how degraded the gods really are. Also, in Mesopotamian culture, no one god is all-powerful. After Ishtar is rejected by Gilgamesh, she seeks revenge. Ishtar is not strong enough to fulfill this task on her own, so she asks Anu, her father for permission to use the Bull of Heaven. She says, â€Å"F ather, give me the Bull of Heaven, so he can kill Gilgamesh in his dwelling† (54). Anu replies, â€Å"If you demand the bull from me, there will be seven years of empty husks for the land of Uruk† (54). The conversation between Ishtar and Anu is not very god-like and holds a very human aspect of a conversation you would hear between a mortal father and daughter. The fact that Ishtar has to ask permission before acting, shows how much power she lacks. Ishtar then summoned the Bull of Heaven to killShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Holy Of Heaven1502 Words   |  7 PagesThough separated by geography and beliefs, ancient peoples worshipped gods and idealized systems which created the basis of their cultures. Ancient works and writings such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hebrew Scriptures, and the Bhagavad Gita, preserve the interactions of gods and mortal religious figures. While fragmented and lost to time, the remnants of Mediterranean, Hebrew, and Hindu writing s, like many other religions, show the relationship between the divine and their worshippers, through theRead MoreGilgamesh, The Epic Of Gilgamesh1559 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh has to go through a series of hardship to obtain immortality. Gilgamesh’s determination to find immortality is impacted by the death of his best companion, Enkidu. At the end of Gilgamesh’s quest, he learns the destined fate of mortals (which is...?). Gilgamesh’s character development is shown throughout the story; he changes from an invincible, fearless king to a king who has accept his mortality and sees his own limitations. Although the quest of Gilgamesh seemsRead MoreReligion: Important in the Lives of Ancient People Essay2126 Words   |  9 Pagessacrificed to their god daily then the gods would be pleased and they would live in peace. In this document the gods seem loving as long as they were obeyed and respected. In another document found in Envisioni ng World Civilizations, called The Epic of Gilgamesh (The Flood) it shows what happens when the gods are not pleased.2 There were a few different gods that come up in this document. The god Ea is the compassionate one and takes pity on his mortal friend, Utnapishtim, while the god Ellil is veryRead MoreLet Majorship English4572 Words   |  19 Pagesknown as the greatest dramatic poet of the Elizabeth Age? A. Sir Walter Raleigh C. William Shakespeare B. Edmund Spencer D. Christopher Marlowe 12. What narrative poem tells of the heroic exploits of great heroes? A. Ballad C. Epic B. Lyric D. Romance 13. Which of the following statements is not an accurate reflection of ancient Greek religious beliefs? A. The Greek god Zeus was subject to the mysterious power of fate. B. The Greek gods were expressions of theRead MoreThe Origins of Dream Interpretation4085 Words   |  16 Pagesrecords showing the belief that there was an association between gods, peoples dreams, and hidden meanings in dreams (Oppenheim, 1956). In approximately 2000 B.C. the mythic hero Gilgamesh appeared for the first time (the epic was expanded in later Assyrian mythology). He is guided in his quest by his dreams and his epic also contains the first known recurring dream as well as the idea that dreams can predict future misfortune and can be interpreted by means of several different techniques (Van de