You’re obviously wondering why the title “Monster Mash” truth be told I’m still listening to my Halloween playlist, and the Misfits came on and I figured “that’d be a good title”.
Beowulf is an old Northern European Ango Saxon, Danish, Norwegian epic. As a reader you will notice many similarities of this epic to many known classical epics such as Gilgamesh. In fact I think this epic is a Ango Saxon version of Gilgamesh for many reasons.
The first reasons I believe they’re similar are the characters you have as the protagonist. Beowulf who has these super human strengths given to him by some holy chance, and Grendel an antagonist who has the same equal strength and powers has Beowulf. Both of these characters are basically equals, just like Gilgamesh and Enkindu. Grendel like Enkindu doesn’t physically look one hundred percent human. Grendel is an ogre like humanoid, while Enkindu is basically a human Minotaur. Beowulf and Gilgamesh both have human features who are possibly the offspring of a god of some sort. I believe the reason both epics have characters with nemesis’s is because it wouldn’t make a heroic epic interesting without a character that is a challenge to the hero of the story.
Another interesting similarity is the fact that both stories are heroic epics, and in every culture story listeners and readers love having a hero. Is it something that we as human beings naturally like to hear? Do we like constantly having a fictional example of good and bad? I can’t quite answer these questions because I feel that I’ve been programed to constantly be on the side of both characters mostly the good. However, to some degree I think there is a reason every story has a hero and a villain and that’s because in life we’re either made happy or sad. Everything in life has to radical spectrums with little things in between. These epics not only have two complete opposites, but little flaws between them. For instance in Beowulf his flaw was taking too much pride in himself which eventually became his downfall, here we see a hero turn bad and observe that radical good end of the spectrum make it’s way to another side. Gilgamesh’s flaw was his arrogance, his pride of avoiding death and too be immortal was what inevitably became his end.
Both stories teach us a valuable lesson about life, too much of anything is never good. No matter how good or how bad one is their appetite for more will lead them to another end of life’s spectrum. Lastly, to bring it back to the very first in class discussion of the origins of epics I believe all these heroic epics are the same story derived from some original one could be Gilgamesh, could be older, or just human nature of a hero and a nemesis, but no matter what every epic has a life message in them about the paths we as human beings take.
(I see everyone has pictures on their blog, so here’s a picture of Gilgamesh and Ekindu being best friends next to each eachother)
There are certainly many similarities between the two epics. As I read your blog post, I thought of one more that should not be overlooked. Both Gilgamesh and Beowulf are ultimately striving towards the same goal: eternal life. Ironically, they both die as a direct result of their quest.
Gilgamesh’s end goal was concrete. Enkidu’s end sent him in a downward spiral leading to a frantic search for a perpetual escape from death.
“Shall I not die too? Am I not like Enkidu? Oh woe has entered my vitals! I have grown afraid of death, so I roam the steppe.”[Tablet IX (3-5)]
But, Gilgamesh dies, having had the opportunity to taste everlasting life yet failing to seize it.
Beowulf, on the other hand, seems to accept that life is fleeting. The everlasting life he seeks is the one that lives on in stories and brings honor and glory to his name. And, by slaying Grendel, he receives just that. But, his over-ambition in his fight with the dragon led to his death. However, by his definition, Beowulf did find his everlasting life. Thousands of years later, we still read of his heroic deeds. The mention of his name brings with it ideas of superhuman strength and honor.
While both Gilgamesh and Beowulf had similar goals, their very different approaches and definitions led to ones failure and the other’s success.
Great post! I haven’t thought of comparing these two epics before, but now I see why they correlate. Both the Sumerian and the Anglo-saxon lifestyle were centralized on the same high values: bravery, glory, and friendship, which prevailed in the life of their exemplary heroes: Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Both heroes’ commitment to community can explain their quest for eternal life nor for just glory.
You made an interesting analysis by comparing Beowulf to Gilgamesh. Both Beowulf and Gilgamesh had a rival with an equal power. Also, arrogance and pride of the heroes lead to their tragedies. They are indeed the common topics in heroic epics, both the classical and the modern.