Gilgamesh: Man's First Story

by Bernarda Bryson

"Gilgamesh is the oldest known legend. In this beautiful, full-color version, the distinguished author and artist, Bernarda Bryson, has created a richly moving interpretation of the mighty deeds of Gilgamesh, the great hero-king, part god and part man. First written down in Sumerian cuneiform 3,000 years before Christ, the story of Gilgamesh tells of a great flood and of one man, befriended by the gods, who survived by building an ark. In the feats of Gilgamesh and his companion, Enkidu, a monster-man who becomes gentle and loves and respects the King, are found the sources of the great mythological heroes, Hercules, Jason and Theseus. In addition to its importance in the history of children's literature, Gilgamesh is an exciting, dramatic and often amusing tale--setting jealous god against jealous god, and man against man in remarkable battles of wit and strength. Bernarda Bryson has set down a stirring epic accompanied by exquisite prints which impart to the reader her own lifetime fascination with the myth of Gilgamesh."

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Ancient History, Literature, History

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bernarda Bryson, whose illustrations for Natalia M. Belting's The Sun Is a Golden Earring were awarded a Caldecott Honor in 1963, here retells the ancient Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh for middle-grade readers. The story of the king of Uruk-of-the-Walls, whose friendship with Enkidu the wild man would involve him in many great adventures - the defeat of the monster Humbaba, the slaying of the Bull of Heaven, sent to destroy them by the vengeful goddess Ishtar - as well as a quest for immortality, when confronted with his friend's death, and his own mortality, Gilgamesh is faithfully presented by Bryson, who maintains in her afterword that such stories belong especially to children, and that her version, although a composite of many, is a true one.

I really enjoyed Gilgamesh: Man's First Story, which makes the text of this ancient poem - here "translated" into prose - accessible to younger readers. The story itself is incredibly moving, and young mythology lovers will undoubtedly see some parallels with other traditions, most notably between Gilgamesh's ancestor, Utnapishtim, and the figure of Noah in the Hebrew bible. Bryson's illustrations were inspired by actual Mesopotamian artifacts (there is an afterword that lists the source objects for each illustration), and a few of them include cuneiform inscriptions (also explained at the rear). All in all, a lovely retelling! I was already familiar with Ludmila Zeman's retelling of Gilgamesh for the picture-book crowd - Gilgamesh the King , The Revenge of Ishtar , The Last Quest of Gilgamesh - but am glad to find this edition meant for older children!

[Liam Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this strays from any actual text, it is probably the most fun translation around. It tells a complete story as if there were an original text not lacking any parts. This book is intended for younger readers and that's what make it so much fun to read. It skips over Enkidu's 7 days sexual joy with the Harlot. But that's okay, it fills in bits that really don't exist in any original text. I read it on a warm summer Saturday finishing it at night. I shed some tears when I was done, because, well this is s beautiful story. It is our first story.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I figured I'd start out my 100 books in 2010 challenge with the first recorded story. I guess when I thought about Gilgamesh as an epic, my usual understanding of epics caused me to think that it'd be... longer and more convoluted.

It's the age-old story of tyrant meets nature demigod, they discover they're similar, they try to kill each other, they decide to become best friends, the tyrant decides to kill some evil thing while the nature guy doesn't want to but goes along anyway, they kill it, the nature guy dies of his injuries, and the tyrant goes on an epic quest to bring nature guy back to life. He fails, and the story ends.

The series of events has some big logical gaps that, to be charitable, are likely because they discovered the cuneiform tablets and had to piece together parts of the story. What was most interesting to me is the modern metaphors that still reverberate 5000 years later.

"I have seen death as a total stranger sees another person's world or as a freak sees whom the gods created when they were drunk on too much wine"

"Like those old people who forget their listeners have not lived through their past with them mentioning names that no one knows"

It's somehow comforting to know that writers (or oral storytellers) that long ago had a sense of humor about religion, and that younger people still thought old folks rambled on.

The bits about the scorpion people, prostitutes ruining nature men for their animal friends, evil gods, Bulls of Heaven... I suppose they haven't stood the test of time as well. But they were interesting.

[JaNel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mankind's oldest story. And what an amazing story it is. I found it extremely comforting and somewhat depressing that we, as a species, have changed so little. We are just as beautiful and just as brutal. Thanks to all the work it took to translate this from the original cuneiform Sumerian. Written over 5000 years ago, but retold orally for who knows how long before that, and it has it all. Only "discovered" about a hundred years ago, this just goes to prove that we've been telling the same types of stories and worrying about the same types of things, since we started talking. All four "classic" plot conflicts, a beautiful protaganist's arc, and so many of the themes we have addressed, literally throughout history: love, friendship, statesmanship and leadership, the futility of war, youth, power, how to face death gracefully and how to appreciatively live the life we have. I read this version to my children, ages 7-14, and had a difficult time choosing which meaty topics to address. I also read Geraldine McCaughrean's version at the same time with my 14-year-old. They're both excellent translations that are just different enouth for interesting comparisons and more discussion on how translation can change the "color" of the story.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gilgamesh is about a mythical ancient Sumerian hero who was two parts god and one part man. Gilgamesh was making his people continue to build the walls of the city he lived in higher and higher till they were far higher than they would ever need to be but even then he made them continue so that there was no time for anything else and because of this a company of elders of the city appealed to the gods for help and at first none but the godess Ishtar wanted to help them but she convinced the other gods to help and they made a man very like Gilgamesh but with two horns.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting myth story of a hero.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous. I love how Bryson synthesizes all of the bits and pieces of this epic and turns it into a cohesive whole. I had been thinking that something like this should exist and lo, there it was waiting for me on the library shelf. I must own it one day. The text is admirable, and the artwork is perfect. When I first opened it and saw that she was using the same style as actual Sumerian/Akkadian art I gasped and felt this insane happiness. I want this book to be re-printed so I can bring it into my store and sell it to children who like mythology. It needs to be experienced by more eyes.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first learned of 'Gilgamesh' in the book review section of, as I recall, 'The New Republic'. I was so impressed by the review and by the concept of the world's oldest known "book" that I included reference to it in the journal that Ms. Naden, my English teacher, had us keep for class. Of course, as I was to learn, it's not so much the oldest book as the oldest known coherent story of any length. Although it's not a great story in any normal, modern sense, everyone should check it out in order to grasp what can be grasped of our oldest known literary ancestors.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

oooooooo! gilgamesh! say it with me- GIL GA MESH !!!!!

Update: just found out some fascinating information about the translator, Bernarda Bryson, at this teacher's homepage. Students who read Bernarda's translation wrote letters to her just before she died in 2004 at age 101!

[Kei Kei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading mythical books especially this one, Gilgamesh is half mortal and half God and also King, the elders of Egypt ask the Gods for a magical being stronger than Gilgamesh and defeat him. The magical creature turns out to be Enkidu, a bigger man and has huge horns. When they accouter each other, they become friends and go on adventures together.

[Kara Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading several distillations, this is what I chose for my 7th grade daughter's literature selection in her term on the Ancients. The Gilgamesh tale is Bryson's life-long passion and she wraps it as a gift here.

[R. G. Nairam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh; cool pictures, nice narrative. I'm not a scholar on this subject, but I thought it a neat book.

The pictures are also based on or directly drawn from contemporary art--explanation in the back about from where.

[Jesse Fickes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this versions when I was 6 and started a lifelong obsession with mythology, storytelling and the power of mortality. It's really every story ever told in one tome and highly recommended to older kids everywhere.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer the 3-volume version we own. This one could be edited.