The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest known stories in history. It is based on a Sumerian king who lived between 2700 and 2500 B.C. and is believed to be the first story ever written down. The Epic of Gilgamesh is written in cuneiform and is part of the Myth of Mesopotamia.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero Gilgamesh is summoned to a fantastic journey by the gods. Together with his companion Enkidu, he embarks on the quest of defeating Humbaba the demon who lives in the cedar forest. Gilgamesh and Enkidu succeed in their mission and from this point on Gilgamesh’s fame and reputation starts to spread.

Armed with newfound knowledge, Gilgamesh sets off to meet Utnapishtim, the wise man to whom the gods gave immortality. He is determined to learn the secret of eternal life, but Utnapishtim points out that this is impossible. However, he offers Gilgamesh a challenge – if Gilgamesh can remain awake for seven nights, then he will reveal the secret of eternal life.

Gilgamesh decides to accept the challenge and try to stay awake, but fails miserably after the first night. Utnapishtim explains to him that some things in life are simply impossible to achieve and gives him a task instead: he has to plant a tree and return with the wood of that tree to prove his accomplishment.

Gilgamesh succeeds in the task and brings back a pine-tree, but then he realizes that in the meantime, his best friend, Enkidu, has died due to his curse of immortality. Distraught and feeling of despair, Gilgamesh embarks on a journey back home where his people will remember him as a great king who achieved the impossible and scared away the demon of the cedar forest.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an incredible tale of friendship, courage, and acceptance of death. It has endured for more than four thousand years and remains well-known around the world. The mythical quest for immortality and Gilgamesh’s journey to accept death as an inevitability is a message that is still relevant today. For readers, The Epic of Gilgamesh is captivating and thought-provoking story with themes that will fascinate and inspire them.