Gilgeam the Horse-Eater: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Cropped_Image_of_Carving_Showing_the_Mesopotamian_God_Ninurta.png|thumb|Ancient depiction of Gilgeam, he holds in his hands thunderbolts that he plucked from the heavens to create the first fire.]]

[[File:Cropped_Image_of_Carving_Showing_the_Mesopotamian_God_Ninurta.png|thumb|Ancient depiction of Gilgeam, he holds in his hands thunderbolts that he plucked from the heavens to create the first fire. In this specific relief Gilgeam is shown with the wings of Enunu but in earlier depictions he rarely has wings.]]

'''Gilgeam the Horse-Eater''' also known as '''Gilgeam the Man-Shaped''', '''Gilgeam the Hero''', and '''First King''', is a mythical figure, demigod and cultural hero of the ancient civilizations of [[Rusana]]. Gilgeam is said to have been created by the pantheon to guard their creation, the world and the creatures within. In turn Gilgeam asked for boons from the gods to better carry out his mission, the boons of Sapience, Strength and a heart. As the guardian of creation Gilgeam carried out many dangerous tasks and hunted different fell beasts. Eventually Gilgeam turns against the gods and is cursed to become a mortal man of flesh and blood. In ancient [[Nasrad|Nasrid]] mythology, Gilgeam is reputed to be the first man, creator of the first woman and the progenitor of the entire species and later its first king. In modern [[Rusana]], Gilgeam remains a cultural icon and revered figure in local folklore. In islamic traditions of both Sunni and Shia Muslims he is called Gilshan and is considered to be an angel who helped mankind survive through an era of pain and bleakness until the coming of the Prophet Muhammad.

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Despondent and afraid, Gilgeam retreats into a large cave where he broods for ten thousand years. At long last Gilgeam wakes from his reverie and begins clawing at the muddy floor of his cave, digging down and down. In the depths of the world he constructs a secret chamber, where even the gods cannot see him. Using the boon of Sentience, Gilgeam fashions the first woman out of mud; in this way he defies the gods and their dictate against creating new life. Gilgeam breathes into her, giving her half of the Light of Life still within him, halving his lifespan. Gilgeam also shares his boon of Sentience and part of his heart, further reducing his lifespan. He gives the first woman the name of Ahunatum, and makes her his wife. Eventually Gilgeam and Ahunatum leave the chamber of creation and return to the surface world, here they procreate and have a multitude of children. Upon seeing what Gilgeam's defiance has wrought, the gods are filled with rage. They send a shower of thunderbolts to destroy Gilgeam's home but he catches them in his hands and uses them to create the first fire. Next the gods send a great flood from the east, intending to wash out Gilgeam and his brood. Gilgeam puts his hands into the ground and pulls with all his might, pulling a part of the world into place as mountains that stop the incoming waves. The mountains referenced here are believed to represent the Arik mountain range that stands between [[Rusana]] and [[Daxia]]. Undeterred, the gods sent a multitude of snakes to eat Gilgeam, who thwarts this by hopping atop a large rock and rolling it around, crushing all of the snakes. Gilgeam then plucks out the snakes's eyes and plants them, creating the first fruit trees.

Tired of the gods and their petty schemes, Gilgeam resolved to strike back against his oppressors. He decided to kill Enunu, a winged steed beloved by the gods for his beauty and grace. He stalked Enunu all the way to where it slept at the top of a mountain. To avoid being detected by Enunu's powerful nose, Gilgeam put mint herbs on his hair. Gilgeam killed Enunu by striking it in the temple with a sharpened rock and afterwards dragged the carcass to his home. Once there he gathered all his descendants about him and the dead Enunu whereupon he set upon the corpse with a knife, carving himself a generous portion of its meat and instructing his brood to take from the gods as they pleased for the gods would give them nothing willingly. In this moment his brood stopped calling him Father and instead began calling him King. Gilgeam called the city that was growing outside his home Nasrad, which in the ancient tongue of that city meant the ''Mouth of Creation'', for it sat outside the mouth of the cave where Gilgeam created Ahunatum. After five thousand years of defending [[Nasrad]] against the depredations of the gods, Gilgeam grew tired and knew the Life within him was ebbing away faster than ever before. To save his progeny and protect them, he resolved to make a bargain with the gods: exchange his Life and that of his beloved wife Ahunatum, for the forgiveness of the gods towards his progeny. After spending a last moment together, Ahunatum breathed the Light of Life inside her back to Gilgeam. Next he climbed to the top of Mount Urum and made his bargain with the gods, surrendering his life for all his children who are mankind.

Tired of the gods and their petty schemes, Gilgeam resolved to strike back against his oppressors. He decided to kill Enunu, a winged steed beloved by the gods for his beauty and grace. He stalked Enunu all the way to where it slept at the top of a mountain. To avoid being detected by Enunu's powerful nose, Gilgeam put mint herbs on his hair. Gilgeam killed Enunu by striking it in the temple with a sharpened rock and afterwards dragged the carcass to his home. Once there he gathered all his descendants about him and the dead Enunu whereupon he set upon the corpse with a knife, carving himself a generous portion of its meat and instructing his brood to take from the gods as they pleased for the gods would give them nothing willingly. In this moment his brood stopped calling him Father and instead began calling him King. Gilgeam also took the wings of Enunu for himself, using them to soar through the sky, further showing his defiance of his creators. Gilgeam called the city that was growing outside his home Nasrad, which in the ancient tongue of that city meant the ''Mouth of Creation'', for it sat outside the mouth of the cave where Gilgeam created Ahunatum. After five thousand years of defending [[Nasrad]] against the depredations of the gods, Gilgeam grew tired and knew the Life within him was ebbing away faster than ever before. To save his progeny and protect them, he resolved to make a bargain with the gods: exchange his Life and that of his beloved wife Ahunatum, for the forgiveness of the gods towards his progeny. After spending a last moment together, Ahunatum breathed the Light of Life inside her back to Gilgeam. Next he climbed to the top of Mount Urum and made his bargain with the gods, surrendering his life for all his children who are mankind.

==Significance==

Despite the mythology describing him as a partially divine construct of the gods, Gilgeam was worshipped as the chief deity and protector of [[Nasrad]], the god of humanity, ~~resilience~~ and strength. The people of [[Nasrad]] and the surrounding regions would cling to the worship of Gilgeam so ferociously that the invading Muslims saw no choice but to surreptitiously integrate him into Islam. Gilgeam's mythos represents the indomitable will of man to persevere through adversity and ultimately thrive.

Despite the mythology describing him as a partially divine construct of the gods, Gilgeam was worshipped as the chief deity and protector of [[Nasrad]], the god of humanity, sacrifice and strength. The people of [[Nasrad]] and the surrounding regions would cling to the worship of Gilgeam so ferociously that the invading Muslims saw no choice but to surreptitiously integrate him into Islam. Gilgeam's mythos represents the indomitable will of man to persevere through adversity and ultimately thrive.

[[Category:Rusana]]

[[Category:Culture]]

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-[[File:Cropped_Image_of_Carving_Showing_the_Mesopotamian_God_Ninurta.png|thumb|Ancient depiction of Gilgeam, he holds in his hands thunderbolts that he plucked from the heavens to create the first fire.]]
+[[File:Cropped_Image_of_Carving_Showing_the_Mesopotamian_God_Ninurta.png|thumb|Ancient depiction of Gilgeam, he holds in his hands thunderbolts that he plucked from the heavens to create the first fire. In this specific relief Gilgeam is shown with the wings of Enunu but in earlier depictions he rarely has wings.]]
 '''Gilgeam the Horse-Eater''' also known as '''Gilgeam the Man-Shaped''', '''Gilgeam the Hero''', and '''First King''', is a mythical figure, demigod and cultural hero of the ancient civilizations of [[Rusana]]. Gilgeam is said to have been created by the pantheon to guard their creation, the world and the creatures within. In turn Gilgeam asked for boons from the gods to better carry out his mission, the boons of Sapience, Strength and a heart. As the guardian of creation Gilgeam carried out many dangerous tasks and hunted different fell beasts. Eventually Gilgeam turns against the gods and is cursed to become a mortal man of flesh and blood. In ancient [[Nasrad|Nasrid]] mythology, Gilgeam is reputed to be the first man, creator of the first woman and the progenitor of the entire species and later its first king. In modern [[Rusana]], Gilgeam remains a cultural icon and revered figure in local folklore. In islamic traditions of both Sunni and Shia Muslims he is called Gilshan and is considered to be an angel who helped mankind survive through an era of pain and bleakness until the coming of the Prophet Muhammad.
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 Despondent and afraid, Gilgeam retreats into a large cave where he broods for ten thousand years. At long last Gilgeam wakes from his reverie and begins clawing at the muddy floor of his cave, digging down and down. In the depths of the world he constructs a secret chamber, where even the gods cannot see him. Using the boon of Sentience, Gilgeam fashions the first woman out of mud; in this way he defies the gods and their dictate against creating new life. Gilgeam breathes into her, giving her half of the Light of Life still within him, halving his lifespan. Gilgeam also shares his boon of Sentience and part of his heart, further reducing his lifespan. He gives the first woman the name of Ahunatum, and makes her his wife. Eventually Gilgeam and Ahunatum leave the chamber of creation and return to the surface world, here they procreate and have a multitude of children. Upon seeing what Gilgeam's defiance has wrought, the gods are filled with rage. They send a shower of thunderbolts to destroy Gilgeam's home but he catches them in his hands and uses them to create the first fire. Next the gods send a great flood from the east, intending to wash out Gilgeam and his brood. Gilgeam puts his hands into the ground and pulls with all his might, pulling a part of the world into place as mountains that stop the incoming waves. The mountains referenced here are believed to represent the Arik mountain range that stands between [[Rusana]] and [[Daxia]]. Undeterred, the gods sent a multitude of snakes to eat Gilgeam, who thwarts this by hopping atop a large rock and rolling it around, crushing all of the snakes. Gilgeam then plucks out the snakes's eyes and plants them, creating the first fruit trees.
-Tired of the gods and their petty schemes, Gilgeam resolved to strike back against his oppressors. He decided to kill Enunu, a winged steed beloved by the gods for his beauty and grace. He stalked Enunu all the way to where it slept at the top of a mountain. To avoid being detected by Enunu's powerful nose, Gilgeam put mint herbs on his hair. Gilgeam killed Enunu by striking it in the temple with a sharpened rock and afterwards dragged the carcass to his home. Once there he gathered all his descendants about him and the dead Enunu whereupon he set upon the corpse with a knife, carving himself a generous portion of its meat and instructing his brood to take from the gods as they pleased for the gods would give them nothing willingly. In this moment his brood stopped calling him Father and instead began calling him King. Gilgeam called the city that was growing outside his home Nasrad, which in the ancient tongue of that city meant the ''Mouth of Creation'', for it sat outside the mouth of the cave where Gilgeam created Ahunatum. After five thousand years of defending [[Nasrad]] against the depredations of the gods, Gilgeam grew tired and knew the Life within him was ebbing away faster than ever before. To save his progeny and protect them, he resolved to make a bargain with the gods: exchange his Life and that of his beloved wife Ahunatum, for the forgiveness of the gods towards his progeny. After spending a last moment together, Ahunatum breathed the Light of Life inside her back to Gilgeam. Next he climbed to the top of Mount Urum and made his bargain with the gods, surrendering his life for all his children who are mankind.
+Tired of the gods and their petty schemes, Gilgeam resolved to strike back against his oppressors. He decided to kill Enunu, a winged steed beloved by the gods for his beauty and grace. He stalked Enunu all the way to where it slept at the top of a mountain. To avoid being detected by Enunu's powerful nose, Gilgeam put mint herbs on his hair. Gilgeam killed Enunu by striking it in the temple with a sharpened rock and afterwards dragged the carcass to his home. Once there he gathered all his descendants about him and the dead Enunu whereupon he set upon the corpse with a knife, carving himself a generous portion of its meat and instructing his brood to take from the gods as they pleased for the gods would give them nothing willingly. In this moment his brood stopped calling him Father and instead began calling him King. Gilgeam also took the wings of Enunu for himself, using them to soar through the sky, further showing his defiance of his creators. Gilgeam called the city that was growing outside his home Nasrad, which in the ancient tongue of that city meant the ''Mouth of Creation'', for it sat outside the mouth of the cave where Gilgeam created Ahunatum. After five thousand years of defending [[Nasrad]] against the depredations of the gods, Gilgeam grew tired and knew the Life within him was ebbing away faster than ever before. To save his progeny and protect them, he resolved to make a bargain with the gods: exchange his Life and that of his beloved wife Ahunatum, for the forgiveness of the gods towards his progeny. After spending a last moment together, Ahunatum breathed the Light of Life inside her back to Gilgeam. Next he climbed to the top of Mount Urum and made his bargain with the gods, surrendering his life for all his children who are mankind.
 ==Significance==
-Despite the mythology describing him as a partially divine construct of the gods, Gilgeam was worshipped as the chief deity and protector of [[Nasrad]], the god of humanity, resilience and strength. The people of [[Nasrad]] and the surrounding regions would cling to the worship of Gilgeam so ferociously that the invading Muslims saw no choice but to surreptitiously integrate him into Islam. Gilgeam's mythos represents the indomitable will of man to persevere through adversity and ultimately thrive.
+Despite the mythology describing him as a partially divine construct of the gods, Gilgeam was worshipped as the chief deity and protector of [[Nasrad]], the god of humanity, sacrifice and strength. The people of [[Nasrad]] and the surrounding regions would cling to the worship of Gilgeam so ferociously that the invading Muslims saw no choice but to surreptitiously integrate him into Islam. Gilgeam's mythos represents the indomitable will of man to persevere through adversity and ultimately thrive.
 [[Category:Rusana]]
 [[Category:Culture]]

Gilgeam the Horse-Eater: Difference between revisions

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