Scenes from the Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest written literary text in the cultural history of the Middle East and the West, is older than the Hebrew Bible and tells the story of King Gilgamesh, who is partly divine and partly human and historically could have existed around 2800 BC. After an immature youth and a belief in his immortality, he must ultimately accept the strength and reality of death. The play consists of five parts / scenes: The first, the prologue, reflects the anxious state of the city of Uruk, which suffers under the despotic rule of the young King Gilgamesh. To restore balance, the gods create his counterpart, the wild man Enkidu, who is lured away and tamed by a temple prostitute. The pitch centers of this scene spell out the musical letters of Gilgamesh, which also form the basis of the entire work. The Journey to the Cedar Forest shows the arduous journey of Enkidu and Gilgamesh in search of glory. They venture into the Cedar Forest to fell one of the greatest trees and use it to build a great gate for the temple of Enlil, the divine ruler of the cosmos. They kill the guardian of the forest, Humbaba, who is protected by seven auras. From sunrise to sunset, a rapid movement, illustrates Gilgamesh's race against the sun. He arrives shortly before sunset and finds himself in a garden full of jewels. Gilgamesh sings a lament over the death of Enkidu, which leads to the final scene.