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Reflection Essay on Mesopotamian Religion

Aspects of Mesopotamian religion and culture in the Epic of Gilgamesh showcases are that the Mesopotamians were polytheistic. Most of them believed that gods related to humans in manners such as producing offspring with them, executing justice with them, and living in a sophisticated and stratified society (Kiernan). One thing that the poem reveals about the Mesopotamians is the god-like status is people gave to Kings. In the poem, Gilgamesh does not only act as the ruler of Uruk, but he is also one-third man and two-thirds god. According to Kiernan, the divine nature the King is given offers him the right to rule his subordinates in the manner he pleases. Such unchecked authority is vulnerable to abuse. In the process, Gilgamesh abuses the power he is given by terrorizing young women who in the poem are violated regularly by their monstrous King.

Because of the power Gilgamesh possesses, one in the Mesopotamian society was capable of challenging his reign of terror. It's only through the gods themselves' intervention and created Enkidu that the King has no choice but to change his behavior. Such narrative informs the leader a lot about the values of Mesopotamian society (Documentary Warehouse). In other words, people in this society instinctively looked for inspiration from gods instead of the rulers to correct the wrongs in society. Kings can be indifferent, good or bad, but only the gods can help bring justice to society in the long run by directly interfering or intervening through human affairs. Kiernan argues that Besides, it's evident that the Sumerians relied heavily on the King fir making virtually every decision for the society and had no choice but to obey his every command. In essence, this narrative informs the reader that they didn't make decisions for themselves but always relied on the leader's wisdom.

The poem also tells the reader how the leaders in the society respected and feared nature since they believed it's the gods' work. Humbaba in the poem represented the unknown and fear. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu experience extensive anxiety when they are traversing through the cedar forest, especially during their encounter with Humbaba (Documentary Warehouse). They collaborate and support one another with encouraging phrases when one of them is frightened. In some instances, Humbaba is nature (Kiernan). As the protector of the cedar forest, Humbaba possesses the responsibility of protecting the cedar forest from harm. Enkidu and Gilgamesh represent a civilization in Mesopotamian society. They attempt to configure their phase of the natural world for their benefit.

In conclusion, the epic of Gilgamesh showcases an extensive narrative of a great King who lived in an epic world. Despite their prosperity and greatness, the King is abusive to his people. It's only through the intervention of the gods that the people find a problem to their solutions. In essence, Its evident that the people relied on god as a solution to their problems. Although they did not rely heavily on the ruler or the King, some of the significant decisions in the society were made by the King. Besides, the unknown and nature itself were respected and feared because it's the gods' responsibility to protect it.

Work Cited

Kiernan, Joe. The Epic of Gilgamesh Full Book. YouTube. 2014. Accessed on 24th December 2014 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kde-P_jffqk&amp%3Bfeature=emb_logo

Documentary Warehouse. Ancient Mesopotamia-The Sumerians-Full documentary. YouTube. 2016. Accessed on 24th December 2020 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNkEDbZ8zF0&amp%3Bfeature=emb_logo