Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Monday, March 5. 2007

Epic of Gilgamesh

Dirda reviews Columbia Prof David Damrosch's new book on the discovery of the earliest classic of world literature.

Among other things, Damrosch raises the question of whether the tale is about what we have always been taught (death and immortality), or whether it is a tale about the consequences of being a king.

Image is an Assyrian bas-relief of Gilgamesh conquering lions.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 19:18 | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0)

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I have no relevant comment to make on this, except for... Of all the piece's in the BM (in my short 10 hours there), the Assyrian/Babylonian art? held (cannot find the right word) fright. Specifically constructed too do so, it appeared. And something beyond that, a nebulous feeling of 'evil', I guess much like the opening scenes of "The Exorcist." Maybe I was pre-conditioned.
#1 Luther McLeod on 2007-03-05 21:53 (Reply)
I used some gilgamesh in my last home brew and dang it were good...evil good like Luther talk
#2 Habu on 2007-03-05 23:39 (Reply)
Robert Silverberg wrote an adaptation of Gilgamesh (I believe it was Gilgamesh the King, though I'm not certain). It was disappointing.
#3 rightwingprof (Link) on 2007-03-06 16:41 (Reply)
I agree, Luther, that art gives me the creeps too. Perhaps it's generations of stern Puritan lectures become part of my unconscious: to beware of idol worship, and demons and pagan Gods...a guilty fright descends on me sometimes when surveying such works in a museum. Fascinating, sometimes beautiful, but something scary about them. Then again, maybe I'm just a cultural clod....I have the impulse to cover up all those erotic Indian temple carvings, too. Just a boring old churchmouse, I guess...
#4 retriever on 2007-03-06 19:27 (Reply)
No clod you Retriever. More like discriminating and discerning. But I will let you in on a secret, a room full of dolls drives me bonkers. My 'rat in a cage' breaking point I suppose.
#5 Luther McLeod on 2007-03-06 20:27 (Reply)

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