The Dragons Of Legend The Epic Of Gilgamesh - 1063 Words

â€Å"The dragons of legend are strangely like actual creatures that have lived in the past. They are much like the great reptiles which inhabited the earth long before man is supposed to have appeared on earth. Dragons were generally evil and destructive. Every country had them in its mythology.† (Knox, Wilson, â€Å"Dragon,† The World Book Encyclopedia, 1973) Dragons are told in almost every culture known to man. Descriptions of the Dragon have been written, drawn, and told in culture that could have never met. From the North American Native tribes to the great civilization of China, Dragons have been told. Why is that? Through my research on this, I have concluded many theories, but all these theories still don’t answer my question. In order to get the answer to my question, we will have to re-explore all my research. The first civilization to have recorded a dragon like creature is the ancient Assyria in form of a poem called â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh†. In this poem, Enkidu and Gilgamesh goes to slay a monster called Humbaba. Humbaba is describe to have scale-like skin, horns, a serpent tail, and was able to breath fire. This was around 2100 BC and this could have been the starting point of myths surrounding Dragons in the middle east. However, a little after this time, a great civilization had brewed up north of ancient Assyria. We known them as the Greeks, in which surrounded themselves in mythology, that their myths can still be told today. In fact, one of the Greeks most popularShow MoreRelatedCivilizations and Heroism in the Epic Poems of Gilgamesh and Beowulf624 Words   |  3 Pagescivilizations. Heroes represent the principles and ideals associated with the varying morals of each individual society. The literature of Mesopotamia and Western Europe is a prime example of this. Beowulf, an Anglo-Germanic tale and The Epic of Gilgamesh, of the Sumerians, demonstrate perfectly, the ability of civilizations to convey the values and customs of their society through their literature. The setting for Beowulf is Scandinavia, before the time Christianity had spread its course.Read MoreEssay on Infamy vs. Immortality: Beowulf and Gilgamesh611 Words   |  3 Pages catastrophe, might, and courage are all aspects of the epic legends of Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Though they subsisted in two utterly different historical eras, these epic heroes have numerous similarities and differences. For example, while they were booth deemed epic heroes, their mortalities were not equal. Beowulf had superhuman qualities such as having the strength of thirty men, but was born a mortal man. On the contrary, Gilgamesh was a demigod as he was born two-thirds god and one-thirdRead MoreAnalysis Of Beowulf As A Heroic Epic779 Words   |  4 Pageskings. 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First, an epic hero has to make a grand journey and be in the Gods favor or shall we sayRead MoreEssay on Flood Legends From Around the World1695 Words   |  7 Pagesto execute him for this act, they took back the soil, and the fold continued. Gun’s body did not decay like a normal perso n’s would and when it was cut open his son emerged. His son was named Yu and was in the form of a horned dragon. Then, gun’s body turned into a dragon. The Supreme Sovereign became fearful of the two and gave back the â€Å"Growing Soil.† Yu got rid of the water god Gong Gong and filled the dams with the â€Å"Growing Soil.† (Walls). Hindu is the main religion of India. 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From this tradition , the Epic arose, tales of mighty heroes, gods, and monsters, told in the form of poems to convey ideals, beliefs, and traditions. Hundreds of Epics have been written, and among them, many stand out, especiallyRead MoreCulture And Religion : What Is Religion?1758 Words   |  8 Pagesto have developed as early as c. 4500 BCE as evidenced by designs on ceramics found at the Neolithic site of Banpo Village. This early belief structure may have been a mix of animism and mythology as these images include recognizable animals and dragons. Although often viewed as a polytheistic faith, Hinduism is actually henotheistic. There is only one supreme god in Hinduism, Brahma, and all other deities are his aspects and reflections. Since Brahma is too immense a concept for the human mind to