Sunday, February 28, 2010

Views on Religion

What I enjoyed about this Teaching was seeing different views to things. I am a Catholic and the book is about the teachings of Hinduism. What was intresting was seeing how this the Bhagavad-Gita is so much like th bible. Not in teachings but in the fact that they both have stories inside them explaining the things you are supposed to do. I am still not sure if Kishna is a god or if Kishna is the equivalent of Moses.

pg 33

Among having that similarity to Catholicism I found the quote above really impacting. In the first teaching they had also talked about the material things not playing an important part in a person’s life. Thuis quote immediately made my mind think of Buddhism. Hinduism is older than Buddhism because Buddhism descended from Hinduism. So it will be interesting what other “principles” these two religions have and how they are different as we continue reading.




pg 35







It’s true that death is certain for all but the fact that this Kishna is telling the character that it is ok to kill is kind of disturbing. According to my believes if someone kills me my body also dies and my soul lives on in heaven, but still you killed my soul in its origin. Here it’s ok to kill because the soul lives on. The reason the views are so different is because I believe that as soon as I die, sure my soul will live on, but the person I was will die, and won’t come back to Earth. According to the quote you die and come back as a new person in a type of cycle.






pg 36





This is also a view that is completely new to me. Basically they are saying that if you kill someone because it’s your duty you are forgiven and taken into heaven like a hero. What I believe is that you kill someone you go to hell at death no matter if it was your duty or not. Also who rejoices in having a battle? Battles are not good they only bring death and sadness. It all depends on your point of view I guess and I am looking forward to continue seeing these types of views as we keep on reading.






























The Beginning

When I began reading, I didn’t really understand the title of the teachings. As I continued reading the story, I found the teaching that was being mentioned at the beginning. As I read how the character Arjuna talked to Kishna I understood that he was giving the reader a lesson.













pg 28






I completely understood how he felt. If you think about it by causing war you are only causing more pain. When he talked about how the men were uncles, brothers, cousins, etc I understood that by killing someone’s uncle or cousin, it’s like you are killing your own because everyone is connected. He mentions family and says that even though they are about to engage in battle it isn’t worth it because you killing one of your own.




pg 27

What I like about this quote is that the character realizes that the only reason they are engaging in war is because of something materialist. When he asks Kishna if it’s worth it, worth all the death and suffering, he asks if those are the only reasons men should leave their homes and engage in battle. If I were to apply this to real life I would say it is completely unfair to separate men from their family just to engage in a war of material things that only add to the power of one person. Still greed and power run many aspects of our world.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tablet 12 and Conclusions:

This Tablet seems more like an alter reality because we all know that Enkidu is dead. Though it was interesting to see the two companions united again. I read some notes at the end of the book and it explains that the story about Gilgamesh Enkidu and the Netherworld is based on a poem.

I enjoyed seeing Enkidu and Gilgamesh in a sense reunited for this poem. I t felt like a moment of the death of Enkidu that we missed. It was also like even though Gilgamesh warned him not to do many things he didn't listen and did them anyway. Enkidu went into the Netherworld knowing what not to do and yet did them. It goes back to the death of Enkidu because there was nothing Gilgamesh could have done to make it easier because there is no true way to prepare for something no one knows what is is like.

We see again how their companionship is very important to both. When Gilgamesh seeks the help of the gods to help him bring Enkidu back from the city of the dead, we see how he goes everywhere just to help his friend:








pg 89










With these word Gilgamesh would ask the gods to bring back his friend. After Ea agreed, he was able to talk to Enkidu for the last time before he went to join the dead. They talked about the different dead people Enkidu saw and what it was like. It felt like the last goodbye between the two characters, which I really liked. The conversation between the two characters tells Gilgamesh that if you left people to remember you in life, your death will not be painful. This goes back to being remembered, one of Gilgamesh's biggest fears. It was weird how they said it in the book but I agree that those who leave you behind never forget you because of the big impression you made to them while you were alive will stay with them when you are gone.
Conclusions:
I really enjoyed reading this book. The topics like death and companionship in the story were fun to explore through the characters because of the insight they gave us. Gilgamesh being fearful of death showed me how death is something I am not frightened of and how it is something that cant be avoided no matter how hard we try. The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu shows how important it is to have someone by you who supports you but not to depend on that person too much.
This is the first ancient text I have ever read and it was a great experience. I felt I got a image of what life was like in those times. I also saw how much this book influenced later novels like the Iliad and The Odyssey, which affects our modern writing. This insight to past culture was enthralling because I saw how the gods played a big part of their day to day life and how fate was in the hands of immortals rather that yourself.
I hope other ancient texts have such a good insight into culture as The Epic of Gilgamesh did and that they make me realize things I hadn't given much thought to.



¨Two people,companions, they can prevail together against the terror.¨



Thursday, February 18, 2010

Tablet 11:

In tablet 11 we see a similar story to that of Noah from the bible. It starts with the gods wanting to destroy humanity and send a massive flood on the people. I really liked the description of the flood because it showed that the gods were also running to upper ground to defend themselves from the rain. Here is the description:


Pg 70
It kind of reminds me of how our own creations are terrifying even to ourselves. Another similarity to Noah is how he is the lone survivor of the whole flood and is traveling on a boat that he himself built, just like the biblical character. Still the two stories are different because Noah was saved by God on purpose because he was a kind honest man, but Utnapishtim is not saved by the gods but is tipped by Ea.


I believe that in this tablet Gilgamesh finally realizes that death is not something he can elude. By not passing the test of sleep he showed that he is unworthy of eternal life and if he was, it would have manifested already. He and Utnapishtim are very different men because Utnapishtim deserved to become a god for his representation on how humanity will always live on. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, is just a spoiled king trying to find a way to stay rich and powerful for the rest of his days. Another aspect that showed me that Gilgamesh did not deserve immortality was the fact that a snake stole the plant from him.

“In the reeds nearby a serpent of the place
became aware of the fragrance of the plant
breathed its perfume, desired it, and approached,
and stole away with it among the reeds.”

Pgs 80 and 81

Continuing on the topic about the snake, why is it always the snake that symbolizes betrayal and trickery? One of the most popular examples of such a snake is in the tale of Adam and Eve from the Bible. It’s the snake who talks Adam and Eve into biting the apple and being thrown out of the promise land. Here the snake takes away Gilgamesh’s last hope at being powerful and rich for eternity but in a way shows again how he didn’t deserve it. It was the final proof that death can’t be avoided.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tablets 9 and 10:

Grieving is all over Tablets 9 and 10. First we see how Gilgamesh travels to see Utnapishtim, to find out how death can be avoided. I feel he dresses and acts the way he does on the journey to keep the memory of Enkidu alive. The description given by the novel is that he is a "hairy-bodies man, a wanderer, who was wearing animal skin," just like Enkidu at the beginning of the novel.

I noticed that in these tablets, Gilgamesh is described fearful in certain moments:
"Terror in the body of Gilgamesh
seized hold of him from within and held him there
in terror.But then in terror, he went forward."
pg 50

This is the first time Gilgamesh is afraid. When he is talking to the heads in the Mahu mountain. I believe he is truly afraid of being alone and without his companion. Togethter they prevailed not so much because of their strength but because they held each other up. Coming face to face with a monster on your own, after having battled with a companion at your side always, is a hard change our character must go through. Maybe it´s relating it to real life how humans must find a way to go on and feel secure even after a loved one has passed.

Still, I believe Gilgamesh´s number one fear is death.

"Enkidu has undergone the fate
the high gods have established for mankind.
I saw the worm drop out of Enkidus nose.
Must I die too? Must I too be like that?"
pg 63

Even a natural process like death is hard to assimilate for some people. Even today there are those who try to look younger and those who can´t accept death. I find that I am different from Gilgamesh in this point of view. I don´t believe death is an underworld with dead kings and priests, I believe it´s a place where I can find utter peace. To me death is something natural none of us can avoid, which is why I agreed with the old man in tablet 10 when he responded to Gilgamesh saying:










pg 64

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Tablets 7 and 8:

In tablet 7 and 8 Enkidu falls ill and seeks Gilgamesh to help cure his pain. This is the first tablet where death is introduced into the story. We notice how both characters battle the unavoidable death, bringing it to life in one of Enkidu´s dreams where it is a Griffin:

“On a dark plain I was alone. But there was one, a man

with a lion head and the paws of a lion too,

but the nails were talons, talons of an eagle.

The face was dark. He took hold of me and seized me. I fought with him, but he

kept moving…”

Pg 41

Here we see how death is personified and turned into an animal that drags Enkidu into the Underworld. It proves that no one can escape the claws of death. In tablet 8 Gilgamesh refers to death as a creature of darkness with a dark face, saying all this while looking at the corpse of Enkidu. Still always after death there is mourning and Gilgamesh succumbs fully to its wrath. He honors his friend like he was of his own blood and feels the pain of death as if he also had died.

“Gilgamesh called together the makers of statues,

lapidaries, forges, workers in copper and gold,

and commanded that there be made a statue of him,

of Enkidu the companion, to honor his deeds.”

Pg 46-47

In the underworld we notice other characters such as “dead kings, princess of old kingdoms, dead high priest and acolytes, “. I believe what shook Enkidu the most about the dream was that death was unavoidable even to a fierce warrior like him. No matter whom you were in life you will die no matter what.

It’s interesting how at the beginning of the chapter the gods are talking about the death of enkidu. They plan the characters destiny and fate, depending on the actions taken by Gilgamesh and not Enkidu. Destiny and fate is also mentioned in the chapter when Enkdu has his dream and sees the scribe of the goddess, Belit-Seri, kneeling by her writing out everyone’s fates.

The video I posted is of the underworld in the Hercules movie because the description given in Gilgamesh shows a world where everything is dirt and people can’t get out. In a way this is how I related Gilgamesh to another example. It’s interesting how in the clip they also mention the Fates, who like the goddesses scribe, choose the path for the mortals. Go to minute 6:13 to see the underworld I relate Gilgamesh’s to:

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Tablet 6

In Tablet 6 of Gilgamesh we see a battle of superiority. It starts when the goddess Ishtar wants Gilgamesh to be with her in physical level. Gilgamesh knows the goddess is not pure and tells her all the sins she has committed and the pain she has brought man after man.
Gilgamesh is a mortal who is thrashing out on the gods. The Gods being the superior beings that control all are dumbfounded that a mortal would speak in such an inappropriate way to a god. Throughout time humans have always believed in a higher power but sometimes there are those who rather think they are bigger than the higher power. Gilgamesh does this by insulting the Goddess and speaking to her of all the foulness she has done. It’s like he is trying to prove he is purer and won’t succumb into temptation. (pg 30)
These arose a lot of questions in my mind; is Gilgamesh better than the gods? Will beliefs and power be an issue relative to the book? Can a mortal take control of his own destiny without the intervening of a god?
Superiority continues showing itself in the tablet when the goddess uses the Bull of Heaven to take revenge on the insults of Gilgamesh. The bull is a weapon the gods use to show they are the higher power even if they behave in a bad way. Even today those who possess the greatest weapon are superior to those who don’t. Industry could also be related by labeling countries that don’t belong to the main stream of economics as developing countries. The behavior of gods is very irrational, it’s like every little detail angers them and makes them want to seek revenge. It kind of reminds me of a friend I used to have. My friend had to be the best no matter what and if she wasn’t she would find a way to make you feel bad of your own achievements, kind of like the gods.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh continue to show their companionship when they defeat the bull together. Enkidu later turns to assault the goddess verbally accusing her of the foulness Gilgamesh had proclaimed earlier. Again Enkidu has Gilgamesh’s back. Still they are being foolish in pretending to be bigger than what they are. The gods are still important beings and Enkidu and Gilgamesh are only mortals.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tablets 4 and 5

Iliad Connection
The Iliad was written in ancient Greek by a man called Homer. The characters in the book include Aquiles, a god on earth, and Hector a handsome prince who will do anything to protect his homeland. In these two tablets there were many connections between the Iliad and Gilgamesh.
First, we see how Gilgamesh and Enkidu resemble the main characters of the Iliad. Even though Hector and Aquiles weren’t companions like Gilgamesh and Enkidu, they did have a foil between them. In a way I believe Hector and Aquiles respected each other enough that they could have been companions if they were on the same side. Also Aquiles and Enkidu are alike because they grew up in bad conditions while Gilgamesh and Hector grew up in luxurious palaces. The characters of these stories are tough strong men that will do just about anything to protect their gods and their lands.
"Shamash raised up against Humbaba mighty tempests'-- Southwind, Northwind, Eastwind, Westwind, Whistling Wind, Piercing Wind, Blizzard, Bad Wind, Wind of Simurru, Demon Wind, Ice Wind, Storm, Sandstorm-- thirteen winds rose up against him and covered Humbaba's face. He could nor butt through the front, and could not scramble out the back, so that Gilgamesh'a weapons were in reach of Humbaba."
Pg 27
In the Iliad in the middle of battle warriors made cries to their gods that were sometimes answered. Some Gods even had certain mortals they protected throughout battle. As I was reading this part in Gilgamesh I immediately was reminded of the many wars fought for troy in which the gods would intervene to change destiny. In Gilgamesh, the god protects the Wild Ox and his companion by sending an attack on the enemy. The god only acted as soon as he heard the prayer to intercede in the mortal’s path.

"While Gilgamesh rested his chin on his knees, sleep that pours over mankind overtook him. in the middle of the night his sleep came to an end, so he got up and said to his friend: "My friend, did you not call out to me? Why did I wake up? Did you not touch me? Why am I so disturbed? Did a god pass by? Why are my muscles trembling? Enkidu, my friend, I have had a dream-- and the dream I had was deeply disturbing(?) in the mountain gorges... the mountain fell down on me (us?) ... Wet(?)... like flies(?)..."
Pg 24
Dreams appeared in these tablets when Gilgamesh awoke in the middle of the night questioning the dreams the god Shamash sent him. Enkidu would analyze the dreams and tell Gilgamesh what good future they foresaw. In the Iliad similar actions took place. On the mists of battle, the Gods would send messages to the commanders telling them what to do. Dreams are a big part in the connection with the beings above in these novels and I wonder if in Gilgamesh they will be present all through the tale.

( quotes obtained from
http://www.readprint.com/chapter-12898/Gilgamesh-Anonymous)

Monday, February 8, 2010

Gligamesh: Tablets 2 and 3.

In Tablets 2 and 3, Gilgamesh and Endiku showed me a bit of sumerian culture. I thought it was funny that men still behave like they do in present time. The part where they fought and then embraced showed that men can always solve any small argument just by throwing a punch and then "embracing and kissing". Its intresting that they show that there has to be someone equal to Gilgamesh in strength and power but that he wasnt created to challenge him but to protect him. If everyone had a person to protect you in the present, alike to you in those aspects, they wouldnt do much. In the times when Gilgamesh and Endiku lived dangers must have been present more therefore a person was needed to protect an all mighty king like he was a present time clebrity.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Answers To the Blog Questions

A. According to this author where does the word blog come from?
B. Why might the writer object to a book about blogs? What is the difference between a blog and a book?
C. How have blogs changes recently?
D. Why might you read a blog rather than a book, or a magazine, or a newspaper?
D. Is there reason to doubt the objectivity of a blog? Why? Why not?
E. If you kept your own blog, what would you title it?
F. Find three blogs that mention our summer reading.

A: According to the author the word blog comes from other words that through time were together like Weblog and then split up into We blog , creating a word that could be used as a noun or a verb known as Blog.
B: Blogs are created in a way that the person acesses them and knows about the subject being blogged about. This is not helpfull to writing a book because of the links provided in a blog that you have to jump to if you do not know the information that is being blogged about. You would have to cram all the information into 1 big book covering diverse topics that only add a small part to your central topic. A book as opposed to a blog explains everything to the reader so that the reader does not have to go looking for answers elsewhere but are provided in the text.
C: Blogs are more accesable to more peple now and cover a greater amount of topics. At the same time that blogs become better some are used for negative purposes such as negative publicity and trashing on celebrities. Blogs are also increasing in number and adding more links and information into their posts.
D: They focus on a topic that you want to learn about and they dont mention other information that doesnt intrest you as much but goes directly to the point and only mentions information that concerns you.
D: You could doubt a blog because most are subjective on the topics they write about and could mix up personal opinions with true facts just to prove their point. By doing this the are subjective to their own opinions and not to others.
E: The Real Non Fake Me
F: http://peopleandresourcesfire.blogspot.com/2009/12/ishmael-by-daniel-quinn.html
http://www.loremipsumbooks.com/inv/2190610
http://peopleandresourcesair.blogspot.com/2009/12/ishmael-by-daniel-quinn.html

Welcome! Introduction

In The Readsponder I, Juliana Castro, will be giving my opinion on the diffrent books we will be annalizing in class. I am 15 years old and enjoy reading as well as sports such as tennis and swimming. Ive been in my current school since I was 4 years old starting in k4 and continuing on untill present 9th grade. I live outside the capital city of Bogota in a small town called Chia. Oposed to many of my peers I live in a house with a backyard and many pets. I enjoy english class and hope this blog will be a helpfull tool in my learning.