Ancient Epic Myths and the Historical Record Fact vs. Fiction or Fact and Fiction?
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Image of Gilgamesh Tablet. Image is in the public domain and was retrieved from Wikimedia CommonsIn Module 1, we examined Greek myths and saw how the oral tradition contributed to their dissemination. We have also spent time analyzing popular mythological fiction in Module 2, but here in the Epic of Gilgamesh, we find our hero actually existed in the historical records. Does this impact you as the reader? How do we categorize such a myth?
Ancient historic records show that Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, actually existed in the empire of Sumeria sometime between 2800 and 2500 B.C.E. In your initial post, discuss how knowing that Gilgamesh existed affects your analysis of the story as an epic myth. How does this shape your understanding of the myth and the characters?
