The Truth About The Sumerian Leader Gilgamesh

This video is a follow up to the video I posted in January about Historical examples of gay marriage in ancient history. Here is a link to the original video if you wish to check it out for context

If you like my work and wish to support it please take a moment to check out my Patreon page

For further reference please review "A History of Same-Sex Marriage" (VLR 79, 7, Symposium on Sexual Orientation and the Law, pp. 1419-1513, 1993)

Boswell, vedi pp. 1440-1441

Perspective is a fundamental functional propertie of human language. We'll see why that's relevant to today's topic, on this video.

After making this video, well I wouldn't even call it backlash but I did get a few people annoyed by the information presented. Some people asked for clarification in a professional manner. Some people went as emotional as you'd expect a 12 year old to act.

Some people asked for further clarification other people reacted ina way that makes it seem like their entire reaity is based on whether Gilgamesh and Enkidu's sexuality

I do however wish to clarify and defend the academic reading and interpretation we gave to these passages as a team, 1 because some people have completley misunderstood what I was saying, but most importantly because I think it can give you an insight on how we make these videos.

We cannot define nor consider either of these two gay, neither Gilgamesh, nor Enkidu, but the relationships between the two is described in such an ambiguously erotic way as I'll demonstrate.

The ambiguity itself is revealing since it's common in the ancient world to use that literary approach. Not everything had to be explicit. That's how text is intricately organized.

E non è che sia una novità: nel mondo antico, soprattutto tra compagni in armi, il sesso era usato per cementare i legami e anche per affermare una gerarchia interna. Si può parlare di rapporto omoerotico, non propriamente omosessuale. Ne discute molto la Ackermann in "When Heroes love"

Enkidu isn't gay, we are told he was iniciated to civilization with a sexual intercourse with a female priestess, however in period homoerotic relationships between companions in arms was a thing. We know it was a thing, there is no reason to delete that. So the real question is ok, but is this the case?

When next he comes down to drink at the wells she will be there, stripped naked; and when he sees her beckoning him he will embrace her, and then the wild beasts will reject him.

The matter of translation

When it comes to Hittitology Hoffner was a pioner and his work is always an excellent place to start from, however there are different translations, and he is now considered somewhat dated.

This is why as a team we chose to cross reference it and base our deductions on the translation made by Eskridge, shared by Boswell. You'll find it quoted in "A History of Same-Sex Marriage" (VLR 79, 7, Symposium on Sexual Orientation and the Law, pp. 1419-1513, 1993.

Allegories and play on words are key in ancient literature, but they only way to comprehend them is to understand the culture and more specificly the socio linguistic context. If you don't study the cultural and linguistic background, and you have zero knowledge of the Acadian language, you will read the English translation and you will not get the double meanings.

The full story

In the epic poem of Gilgamesh, he will be seen fighting together with his friend and warrior Enkidu.

Sure the story doesn't explicitly say that they were lovers or that they had any form of erotic encounters but that's to be expected.

So what do we base our statement on?
What's very important about this is what happens right before Gilgamesh meets Enkidu.

Gilgamesh has a dream.

in questo sogno lui vede prima una sorta di meteora una sfera che cade dal cielo e poi un'ascia che cade dal cielo e questo è un sogno che lui fa poco prima di incontrare enkidu
nel sogni gilgamesh dopo aver assistito la venuta di questi due oggetti dal cielo ci fa sesso
e qui la situazione si complica perché si entra nel campo della linguistica della giochi di parole

Through the textual function, language "creates a semiotic world of its own.

#gilgamesh #mythbusting #lgbtq

[metatronyt]

If you like my work and wish to support it please take a moment to check out my Patreon page, thanks.

[Tylerthephantom]

One of my favorite bits from The Epic of Gilgamesh is it basically has one of the earliest uses of "Begone thot." when he rejects Ishtar.

[southern-samurai]

People are always keen to apply modern day cultural and behavioural practice onto history.

[TheOtherMwalimu]

in anthropology, we say "cultural relativity." in anthropological linguistics, in studying historical texts, it's not much different. it would be "linguistic relativity" or "historical relativity." you can't compare things from another culture from your own perspective. likewise, you cannot compare ancient texts and cultures without looking at it from their perspective.

[chrisbole]

This was the absolute best notification for a post I’ve ever seen.
Thanks for being you, Metatron. You made my day.

[fronkykoko]

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest literature known to man. Although it is more mythological than straight up fiction (a modern invention in comparison). It was written down 5000 years ago although that is not the point of its origin. It was just written down at the time that writing was invented. The story itself starts out by saying and I'm paraphrasing here: "In those long ago ages" indicating that the story is set in even more ancient times. And the story was being told for even more long ages before it was recorded in cuniform.

[embee]

Its videos like this that scratch the academic itch I miss so much after leaving academia. I don't even care what you're talking about. I just love listening to your analysis and the integrity with which you approach subjects. Thank you, Metatron.

[CAP]

“Drinking beer makes you more civilised” - Ancient Akkadians

[paradisecityX]

We never got a cinematic epic about Gilgamesh for some reason. A recurring character in Final Fantasy, an appearence in an episode of Hercules the Legendary Journeys, and an anime based on his epic poem, but no epic movie or miniseries...

[doggy]

6:25 I apologize, but I have to admit that I giggled a little bit when he said "Let's go deeper".
I'll see myself out of the comments section.

[ulfhedtyrsson]

It makes sense that many old words have other context behind them.
I mean, look at Gen Z and Alpha. They speak another language in English.
Or another example, the hippie term "Far out." Doesn't literally indicate physical distance, but something that is no longer in context with the average normalcy.

[the_dark_braga]

Since I've read the Gilgamesh story twice over the years (both the original epic, and "Gilgamesh the King", by Robert Silverberg), I didn't expect this more contextual interpretation of this story. Frankly, this cultural analysis puts a whole new angle on one of the great historical bromances.

[th_century_Ghost]

This is why I I subscribe to Metatron, who enables historical accuracy to trump all bias, political narrative, and ulterior motives. If only we lived in a world in which everyone strived to be as thorough and accurate.🖖🏼

[ZeusBrown]

I have watched your videos for years, and everything I've seen has pointed me to the conclusion that you have exceptional integrity. Therefore even if you were to say something that I have a strong reason to disagree with, I could never rationally assume that you were approaching the topic with anything less than good faith.

[manuelapollo]

Guardo sempre tutti i tuoi video senza mai commentare, solo per imparare. Per questa volta voglio mettere la mia piccola voce per farti i complimenti per il tuo lavoro, che ritengo molto importante. Porti i tuoi contenuti con passione e con qualità accademica (se non hai un PhD te lo meriteresti). Imparo sempre un sacco di cose, continua così, sappi che per ogni commento negativo/stupido, ci sono 10 persone come me che banalmente apprezzano il tuo lavoro e non hanno sbattito a infilarsi nella lotta mediatica dei commenti senza senso (tanto so che prima o poi spari fuori un video così che vale più di mille parole). Buon lavoro!

[karensimon]

Blessed are the truth tellers. Thank you.

[autoharpmug]

I appreciate your attitude towards history. It is hard enough to learn more about history without messing it up with personal biases. You sir, are a true scholar and a gentleman.

[johnmetzakis]

imagine if someone's first encounter with Gilgamesh and Enkidu was through the Final Fantasy 14 game where Gilgamesh is a giant samurai with a tone of weapons and Enkidu is a large green

[MrRabiddogg]

my favorite is when a word changes meaning from when it was originally written down and someone wants to use the current definition to argue their point.

[dogurasuthanatos]

"One day, alt-right; the next, left-wing..." Well, the Metatron has indeed spread his wings, yes?
As always, your devotion to Truth is a welcome and appreciated aspect of your videos.