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Gilgamesh is meant to be heard, not read. It comes from an oral tradition of storytelling that was thousands of years old before it was ever written down. I jus

Gilgamesh is meant to be heard, not read. It comes from an oral tradition of storytelling that was thousands of years old before it was ever written down. I just finished watching an incredible performance of it by Abed Azrié, highly recommended: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ARRP5i2nw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ARRP5i2nw8

AlanYx 5y ago
I'll check that one out. John Harris' "Epic of Gilgamesh" podcast is also a good reading of the text, though it's probably not as dramatic.
blacksmith_tb 5y ago
It sounds good in Arabic, though I guess we don't know precisely how Akkadian sounded[1], they are both in the same language group. I generally liked Mitchell's 'translation' (which is more like a retelling than a scholarly work)[2] 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language#Phonetics_and_phonology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language#Phonetics_an... 2: https://youtu.be/sf2RmQYiUJo?t=54 https://youtu.be/sf2RmQYiUJo?t=54
dotancohen 5y ago
Of all the English translations of Gilgamesh, this is my preferred: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYf8AwNvKg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYf8AwNvKg It is not abridged, and uses contemporary phrasing. If you want to follow along with a text, then I highly recommend using a text of a different translation. This not only reminds you that we are experiencing a translation, but also often adds a new dimension to the action as no translation is complete. Here is a not-so-good text that seems to compliment the above-linked Youtube reading well: https://uruk-warka.dk/Gilgamish/The%20Epic%20of%20Gilgamesh.pdf https://uruk-warka.dk/Gilgamish/The%20Epic%20of%20Gilgamesh....
forgotpwd16 5y ago
Here's the first tablet in original language sung by Peter Pringle (with help from prof. A. R. George for pronunciation) accompanied with music instruments available at the time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ex09YaTOQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ex09YaTOQ, a continuation to a very popular video made years ago where he sung an excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUcTsFe1PVs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUcTsFe1PVs.

AlanYx 5y ago

I'll check that one out. John Harris' "Epic of Gilgamesh" podcast is also a good reading of the text, though it's probably not as dramatic.

blacksmith_tb 5y ago

It sounds good in Arabic, though I guess we don't know precisely how Akkadian sounded[1], they are both in the same language group. I generally liked Mitchell's 'translation' (which is more like a retelling than a scholarly work)[2] 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language#Phonetics_and_phonology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language#Phonetics_an... 2: https://youtu.be/sf2RmQYiUJo?t=54 https://youtu.be/sf2RmQYiUJo?t=54

dotancohen 5y ago

Of all the English translations of Gilgamesh, this is my preferred: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYf8AwNvKg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYf8AwNvKg It is not abridged, and uses contemporary phrasing. If you want to follow along with a text, then I highly recommend using a text of a different translation. This not only reminds you that we are experiencing a translation, but also often adds a new dimension to the action as no translation is complete. Here is a not-so-good text that seems to compliment the above-linked Youtube reading well: https://uruk-warka.dk/Gilgamish/The%20Epic%20of%20Gilgamesh.pdf https://uruk-warka.dk/Gilgamish/The%20Epic%20of%20Gilgamesh....

forgotpwd16 5y ago

Here's the first tablet in original language sung by Peter Pringle (with help from prof. A. R. George for pronunciation) accompanied with music instruments available at the time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ex09YaTOQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ex09YaTOQ, a continuation to a very popular video made years ago where he sung an excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUcTsFe1PVs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUcTsFe1PVs.