Which version of Epic of Gilgamesh?

[Okie]

I bought Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell. Was just perusing in and found what I consider to be explicit content (referring to Hunter leaving Shamhat for Enkidu by the watering hole). How much of this book must be edited heavily? Do you just let your teen read as is? I have NO desire to discuss with her why Enkidu was "interested" in Shamhat for SEVEN days!! Or certainly not explaining why Shamhat was, um, doing what she was doing to attract him.

 

Please help! Is there a more acceptable version without going to the children's versions? I have Gilgamesh the Hero also for my 10yo ds.

[Lori D.]

I believe the David Ferry version is the one recommended by other people on this board as being the "discreet" version that doesn't need to be edited.

 

We used a shorter, abridged version by Jennifer Westwood (out of print, but I was able to find one used online without too much trouble). It is called "Gilgamesh and Other Babylonian Tales." There is NO explicitness in that version; it is abridged, so it is not the entire epic, but it also contains several Babylonian myths, including their creation myth and their version of the Biblical flood. I actually preferred this, as it gave us a wider range of ancient Babylonian literature and culture to read.

 

We used this book in the past school year with an 8th and a 9th grader, and I don't feel we "lost out" on anything by not using a "complete" version. I recommend using the in-depth free online literature guide from Spark Notes to flesh out finding themes, symbolism, etc. -- and you can easily skip over the portion of the guide which goes into detail on the explicit stuff in the Spark Notes by pre-reading it.

 

BEST of luck, whatever you go with! Warmly, Lori D.

[Sandy in Indy]

We skipped Gilgmesh for that reason.

 

Honestly, I've never read it (couldn't get past chapter 1) and I've survived 50 years. I don't think your children will be handicapped if you skip it.

 

JMHO.

[Denise in PA]

I have also been looking for a safer Gilgamesh for my young teen. Tapestry of Grace assigns this book for it year one, literature in the rhetoric level. I can certainly skip this assignment but want to try finding a version for my child. From my local public library I just borrowed the David Ferry translation but found some explicit language regarding the .... So, I checked on TOG web site and found the year 1 tab for literature. You can print a wonderful Gilgamesh summary for your student, about nine pages long. While you search for a "cleaner" version for the youngster the summary is quite insightful and SAFE!

Hope this helps!

[kate in seattle]

the Ferry version is much better than the Mitchell one. There is another - done by a woman - name escapes me. It is written in prose (Ferry tries to keep some of the original poetic form). It is even more discreet than Ferry.

 

The exciting thing about teaching Gilgamesh is when your student(s) realize this was what was being told in the marketplace when Abraham lived in Ur. He grew up on the exploits of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

 

Side note: interesting theme to follow with the ancients is descent into the underworld - Gilgamesh sends Enkidu, Odysseus, Aeneid, Jesus. And what Jesus did/said in the underworld is VERY different from what happens in the epics.

 

Kate in Seattle