Introduction
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Standing Male Worshiper are works of art that tend to elaborate the real point on the quest for immortality. Most articles argue that this desire has taken on in different forms over the course of human history. To begin with, people seek immortality by basically trying to stay alive, either through the help of magic or science. Besides, people look for resurrection, sometimes in the same physical form and at times in a changed plane of existence. Additionally, they search for solace through the religious perception of the soul as an entity that houses the essence of human personalities. The same personalities are expected to live on beyond the death of our physical bodies. Communities also try to find immortality through their artistic creations and many other works of art. The paper is going to analyze the historical background of this subject and how the two works of The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Standing Male Worshiper have brought out the quest for immortality.
Historical Background
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic story written about 1500 years ago by Homer in Mesopotamia. During this time in Mesopotamia, gods were thought to be physically present in the materials and experiences of daily life. Besides, it is believed to be the oldest and most striking story. The epic’s preface offers a general introduction to Gilgamesh who was the king of Uruk. He was godlike in body and mind and believed to be physically beautiful, stout and very wise. For this among many other reasons, Gilgamesh is thought to have the immortality powers, and that is why people sink in the quest for the immortality.
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Although Gilgamesh seems to have every power to lure people in his existence, the epic begins by introducing a competitor for him who is known as Enkidu. Gilgamesh finds Enkidu to be his companion, and that is why even after his death, Gilgamesh requests the godly powers to make him feel that Enkidu still exists, Abusch & West, (2014 ) discusses . He went ahead to seek secrets of everlasting life from a man who became immortal. The story still exists as it is written and spoken about in Mesopotamia.
On the other hand, the Standing Male Worshiper is another tale in Mesopotamia in the Sumerian culture where a god by the name Enlil was considered the most potent Mesopotamian god during the third millennium. It is a story that was written by the Sumerians. Both works of art are giving a broad explanation on what has contributed to the quest for immortality especially among the people of Mesopotamia. In my opinion, the two works seem to have the same expression of how humankind existed in a godly form and believed to have the powers to exist forever. For this reason, the two histories seem to have a healthy relationship in the message they are conveying as further explained by Postage, (2017). They have a common theme in the way the Mesopotamian people highly quested for immortality through the way they conducted their ability to live.
Similarities
Both chosen works are related in their origin, and cultural setup since the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is a poetic narrative is written in the Sumerian culture and civilization as discussed by Gale, (2015) . The Standing Male Worshiper is also of the same Sumerian culture. Besides, the fact that both literary works have a Mesopotamian origin, this counts on another reason to bring them close in their relationships. It also goes without saying that the two works of art also have the same message about the existence humanly gods in Mesopotamia. Historically, both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Standing Male Worshiper share an origin and the cultural creation as well.
Also, traditions and ideologies seem to play a significant part in the shaping of the two narratives. In both of them, there are several cultural traditions like people believing in the existence immortal life. In the standing male worshiper, humans are equally considered to be physically present in their statues that were sometimes inscribed with the names of rulers and their families. The same statues were animated by proper traditional rituals, and their remains were preserved within the walls of the temple. It is evident in the presence of statues of every kind in the standing male worshiper work of art. Additionally, the authors have approached the shared theme of the quest for immortality in a way that they have used real examples in Mesopotamia. It is evident in the way Enlil and Gilgamesh have been used as life examples in the way they are struggling to seek the secrets of having immortal life.
Differences
A difference has however been drawn in the artistic section whereby the theme of the quest for immortality has been elaborated in different ways. The author has incorporated statues in the Standing Male Worshiper whereas the artist in the Epic of Gilgamesh has just used the story of Enkidu and Gilgamesh in his work. He has further expressed the Sumerian culture through the language that has been used in its writing and historically the story itself is a reflection of what existed and still exists in Mesopotamia.
Modern Influence
Due to the existence of material forms of the above discussion, they seem to have a significant impact on a current expression as they still exist and to some point, people have even clinched to the quest for immortality. Each work has continued to influence the contemporary culture in a way that whatever that existed years ago is still in written and can still be considered to be real. The Epic of Gilgamesh is still in written articles and has been preserved as a culture.
The tales have given a broad elaboration on the origin of some beliefs in the Sumerian culture and how heroes were identified in society. The fact that history repeats itself, same things still happens in Mesopotamia since the culture has remained the same all along. Human interest in the quest for immortality has revived over and currently; the references seem to be fascinated by the myths of ancestors. The same myths have reached the current day, and they feature in works such as J.K Rowling's first Harry Potter novel. According to Banerjee, (2016), the histories serve as archetypes in a way that they express the existence of myths in the human mind since the current authors are using the same form of writing in their works . They are therefore are similar when comparing the contemporary world and the cultures that acted as their origins.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the works of art have apparently brought out the theme of the quest for immortality in the many ways they have used real examples of what existed and still exists. Besides, it is realized that the stories have helped the current authors on what to research in their writings. The narratives seem to have similar cultural creation in their historical origin, and at the same time, they seem to differ in their forms of expression. Above all, they remain relevant in current life since they have preserved their cultures and are needed as referencing points from time to time.
References
Abusch, T., & West, E. (2014). The Tale of the wild man and the courtesan in India and Mesopotamia: the seductions of Ṛśyaśṛnga in the Mahābhārata and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Melammu. The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization , 7-13.
Banerjee, R. (2016). The Ideology of a Religious Cult and Subaltern Quest of Identity: A Study of Rites of Dharmathakur in West Bengal. Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences .
Gale, C. (2015). A Study Guide for The Epic of Gilgamesh. Gale, Cengage Learning.
Postage, N. (2017). Early Mesopotamia: society and economy at the dawn of history. Taylor and Francis.
