Essay: The role of fragrance in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Sample Essay

Gilgamesh is one of the oldest stories ever told. Gilgamesh was a king about six thousand years ago of Uruk. After the death of his friend, Gilgamesh sets out on a quest for immortality. However, he dies in the end.

In the book, the Epic of Gilgamesh, (Kovacs, 1989) fragrance plays an important role. When Gilgamesh is bathing, a snake smells the fragrance of a plant and steals it. The plant was a gift from Utnapishtim to Gilgamesh. In Gilgamesh’s quest for eternal life, the plant was the key. This is because according to the myth, the thorns of the plant would give Gilgamesh his youth back.

A second incident is when Ishtar, who is smitten by the beauty of Gilgamesh and tries to seduce him. She mentions the fragrance of her house, and how the smell is similar to the sweet smell of cedar-wood and relates the fragrance to victory and glory for Gilgamesh.

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