Probably this and other portions of the epic existed in oral tradition before they were committed to writing-that is, in the remote Sumerian period.Īssur-bani-pal was an enthusiastic and practical patron of literature. contains a variant of the deluge story inserted in the XIth tablet of the Gilgamesh epic. Our knowledge of it is gleaned chiefly from mutilated fragments belonging to the library of Assur-bani-pal, but from internal and other evidence we gather that some at least of the traditions embodied in the epic are of much greater antiquity than his reign. It is not possible at present to fix the date when the epic was first written. The main element in its composition is a conglomeration of mythic matter, drawn from various sources, with perhaps a substratum of historic fact, the whole being woven into a continuous narrative around the central figure of Gilgamesh, prince of Erech. The Gilgamesh epic ranks with the Babylonian myth of creation as one of the greatest literary productions of ancient Babylonia. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.įrom Myths & Legends of Babylonia & Assyria by Lewis Spence, 1916.Īs it is probable that the materials of the Gilgamesh epic, the great mythological poem of Babylonia, originally belong to the older epoch of Babylonian mythology, it is fitting that it should be described and considered before passing to the later developments of Chaldean religion. Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value.
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