Gilgamesh and Roland the Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh and Roland

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Song of Roland

Throughout history, women have often played an important, albeit often unseen influence. In fact, much of the history of the human race centers on the actions of men; the kings and warriors who have performed great deeds. And much of literature is also focused on the actions and deeds of men. But hidden within the lines of text in some of the greatest literature in the world lie secret clues to the role of women in their respective cultures. Whether it is ancient literature, or medieval, even though most of the stories will center around men, women characters, who often play a peripheral role, can provide a glimpse into the way women were viewed by that culture. Two such pieces of great literature are The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Song of Roland, and while both involve the deeds of great warriors and larger-than-life battles, both also contain peripheral women characters which play an important role, not only within the story itself, but as a guide to the role of women in society. But as each contains clues to the role of women in society, each seems to provide an opposite view of women. While The Epic of Gilgamesh presents women in the as the bringers of pleasure, this pleasure is associated with civilization and civilized behavior. On the other hand is The Song of Roland, which also present women as the bringers of pleasure, or love, but women are not so much associated with civilization but as having an association with barbaric and uncivilized behavior.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Sumerian poem that dates from the 18th century B.C., and is often said to be the first work of literature in the genre of epic poems. It tells the tale of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and Enkido, a wild man from an uncivilized land. These two ultimately become friends, and together embark on a number of adventures, but before that, Gilgamesh must civilize Enkido. This is done through the actions of a prostitute named Shamhat, who is hired to lure Enkido away from his wild life and into the life of a civilized person. She is to do this by engaging in sexual intercourse with him, teaching him her "woman's art, for when he murmurs love to you the wild beasts that shared his life in the hills will reject him." ("The Epic of Gilgamesh," p.5) However, while the style of the poem is ceremonial in nature, and often removed from ordinary, everyday speech, is does not use terminology that can be considered to be unflattering towards women. For instance, Shamhat is more often called a "harlot," and "prostitute," rather than her own name, and she is also described as "unashamed to take him, [and] she made herself naked and welcomed his eagerness…" ("The Epic of Gilgamesh," p.5) Women may be representative of civilization, something that can be used to lure men away from the wild, but within civilized society, women seem to have a subservient and secondary role. Shamhat's role is the bringer of pleasure, and nothing else. And while pleasure may be associated with civilized behavior, women themselves have little value in the story other than as a means of temptation.

Another work that is considered to be one of the greatest in Western literature is The Song of Roland, and comes from a time close to three thousands years after The Epic of Gilgamesh originated. The Song of Roland is a Medieval epic poem, believed to be written somewhere in the mid-1100's and is the oldest work in French literature. It was written in the style of literature known as chanson de geste, often translated as "songs of great deeds," and "relies on a paratactic sentence structure and the power of juxtaposition. It has minimal non-periodic enjambment, its syntax is rigid, and each assonantal line…forms a complete clause." (Maxwell, 2002, p.465) This type of rigid arrangement is a reflection of the Medieval society's sense of worldly structure, as well as the hero's strict sense of purpose and dedication. Within this structure is a portrait of women that is both similar and very different from that of Gilgamesh. For example, Queen Branimonde, wife of the Muslim King of Saragossa, considered to be a beautiful woman, is captured and taken back to France. In so much as women are beautiful and the objects of desire, Roland and Gilgamesh are very similar in their portrayal of women. However, while Shamhat was representative of civilization and something that could be used to "civilize" a wild man; Branimonde, being a Muslim, was considered to be the uncivilized person in need of civilizing. And this civilizing would come in the form of conversion to Christianity, "Branimonde's feet have been guided to Christ along love's path…" (Davis, 2009, 293)