Status Updates From Gilgamesh the Hero

Gilgamesh is the first fictional character in all of history to go on a journey to the underworld to sort out his grief, and people are still over here calling them "friends." THE ORIGINAL EPIC CALLS THEM LOVERS AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BRO-IFYING IT FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. I want historians who do this to step on legos.

Ok maybe she doesn't ship them. But it's still weird.

Am mad. JUST CAUSE YOU SHIP HIM WITH ISHTAR DOES NOT MEAN HE DID NOT LOVE ENKIDU. At this point I should have just slogged through the original. I thought this would give me a good head start. I feel like I'm wading through somebody's very noncanon fanfic. I don't like it

So the author is now quoting from Gilgamesh's actual dialogue in the original epic, in which he said, "I must have been mad to contemplate marriage, especially to Ishtar." (Ishtar is the goddess of love). So he straight up says he was an idiot for wanting to marry the goddess of love b/c he hadn't met Enkidu yet...and this author still thinks they're "friends." Sighhhhhhhhhhhh

"Friends." Sure. Keep telling yourself that. Let's see if this friendship evolves or if it stays platonic. I'm fairly certain I've seen multiple translations that say Gilgamesh was attracted to Enkidu in the same way he is women. (I went to research this just to make sure I wasn't reading too much into it and yes this is how it's described in multiple translations.) Can we stop bro-ifying Gilgamesh and Unkidu?

Finally finished where I had left off. A wonderfully rich tale filled with beautiful redemptive analogies.

"He walked through darkness and so glimpse the light."

"It can't be done, you know," Urshanabi called over his shoulder, casual, matter-of-fact. "The gods never meant people to live forever. Not your friend, not you, not me. You can ask but...You should stop fretting about death and settle for a good life—do things you can look back on with pride. Make your mark on the world, by all means! Then pass the baton to the next runner. That's the way of the world..."

School assignment… not my favorite so far…