Task: You shall write a minimum 250-word comparison and contrast analysis of the epic poems
Gilgamesh and Song of Hiawatha. You may certainly use more words as needed to adequately
address your analysis. You will be graded on 1) thoroughly covering three comparisons and/or
contrasts, and 2) citing sufficient passages from the two poems to effectively support your analysis.
You may turn in/or email me a rough draft or outline Tuesday, September 02, and have a final version
by Monday, September 8, after we return from our HS Trip. The final analysis may be neatly written
in ink or created in MSWord and/or saved as a PDF and emailed to me at
mmartin@arizonawaldorf.org. Points will be taken off for any misspelled words or other errors in
conventions.
The following are some potential concepts to focus your comparisons and contrasts analysis of the
two epic poems:
Women in the two poems…
The supernatural worlds…
Origins of the Epic Heroes…
Vast settings…
Writing style (romanticism, figurative language, imagery, etc.)…
Immortality…
The Hero’s journey and adventures…
Role of secondary characters in making the main hero who they are, or are not…
The inevitability of change…
The Hero’s battle between good and evil…
Summary of Characters from Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh: The protagonist of the story and the King of Uruk. He is credited with having built the city
walls of Uruk to protect its people. In most translations, he is described as being one-third man and
two-thirds god. His mother is Ninsun, a goddess. His father is Lugalbanda, a past King of Uruk.
Enkidu: A wild man who becomes Gilgamesh's best friend. After being visited by Shamhat, the
prostitute, Enkidu is civilized and leaves the animal world behind to journey with Shamhat to Uruk.
Enkidu accompanies Gilgamesh to defeat Humbaba before he passes away. Gilgamesh journeys to
the Underworld to try to bring Enkidu back to life.
Shamhat: A temple prostitute sent by Gilgamesh to civilize Enkidu. Shamhat seduces Enkidu and he
sleeps with her for six days and seven nights. She brings him back to Uruk with her where he first
encounters Gilgamesh.
Ninsun: Gilgamesh's mother and a goddess. She prays for Gilgamesh and Enkidu before they
embark to fight Humbaba in the cedar forest.
Humbaba/Huwawa: The Guardian of the cedar forest. Humbaba is defeated and killed by Gilgamesh
and Enkidu.
Ishtar/Irnini: Goddess of Love, Fertility, and War, and daughter of Anu. Ishtar sends the Bull of
Heaven to attack Gilgamesh after he spurns her advances.
Anu: The father of the Sumerian Gods. Ishtar appeals to him for help after Gilgamesh spurns her
advances.
Urshanabi: The boatman who takes Gilgamesh over the waters of the dead to see Utnapishtim.
Utnapishtim: Instructed by Ea to build a boat before the flood that destroyed the city of Shurrupak.
Utnapishtim is granted immortality for his role. Gilgamesh seeks him out after Enkidu's death.
Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh of the flood and tells him where to find a magic plant that can grant
immortality.
The Bull of Heaven: Referred to in some translations as "Gugalanna," the Bull of Heaven was sent
to punish Gilgamesh for rejecting Ishtar's sexual advances. Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay the Bull of
Heaven and insult Ishtar.
Siduri: A barmaid and alewife that Gilgamesh encounters on his journey into the Underworld. Siduri
resides in a cottage by the sea. She discourages Gilgamesh on his pursuit for immortality but
ultimately directs him to the boatman Urshanabi.
Enlil:The storm god, wind god, and god of destiny.
Aruru/Mammetum: The mother goddess who established life and death.
Summary of Characters from Song of Hiawatha
Hiawatha: An Indian with magic powers who grows up in the Lake Superior region and becomes a
prophet and guide. From the body of a stranger he conquers, Hiawatha gets corn. He defeats
disease-bearing Pearl-Feather with the help of a woodpecker, whose feather tuft he streaks with red.
He invents picture writing. Following the death of Minnehaha and the coming of the white man,
Hiawatha leaves his tribe to travel through the Portals of the Sunset to the Land of the Hereafter.
Nokomis: Falls to Earth from the full moon to become the mother of Wenonah and the counselor of
Hiawatha.
Wenonah: despite her mother’s warning, listens to the wooing of faithless Mudjekeewis and bears
him a son, Hiawatha. When Mudjekeewis deserts her, she dies of grief.
Mudjekeewis: The immortal and fickle West Wind. He battles his vengeful son for three days, then
sends him back to his people, as the prophet promised by the Great Spirit, to teach and unite them.
Minnehaha: the lovely daughter of a Dacotah arrowmaker, whom Hiawatha sees on his journey to
avenge his mother’s death, and whom he marries despite Nokomis’ advice to chose a woman of his
own tribe. She dies of fever during a winter famine.
Pearl-Feather: The evil magician who sends fever, pestilence, and disease to the Indians and is
vulnerable only at the roots of his hair.
Kwasind: the strong friend of Hiawatha who helps him dredge the rivers of roots and sandbars and
rid the lake of its greatest menace, the sturgeon.
Chibiabos: A singer of love songs.
Iagoo: The teller of fanciful tales who entertains at Hiawatha’s wedding feast.