Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Welcome my squeaky friends toAccording to yours truly.
I'm your host, Wendy Morrow.
Today.
I actually have a very specialguest here with me, but I love.
I love so much.
I'm going to let her introduceherself.
Hi, I'm Sally free shirt and Ilove Wendy.
And I honor you today.
(00:22):
I love you.
I'm.
I'm so excited to do thispodcast with you.
You're actually my very first.
Guest.
And so I'm so excited.
You.
No.
Your honor.
It's going to be so fun.
I.
I think it's just going to.
Bring us all together, on thispodcast, we dive into myths.
Myths and folk who are from allover the world.
(00:43):
These stories have shaped.
Shaped cultures, stirredimaginations and kept us
captivated.
For centuries.
Together, we'll explore theoranges, meanings and mystery.
Mystery behind these stills withfresh perspective and a little
bit of fun.
So I grabbed your favorite dreamand gather.
On my campfire for a teller, youwon't forget.
(01:04):
Okay guys.
Stay, we're going to be talkingabout the epic of Gilgamesh.
This is a Mesopotamian mythologyand.
And a really cool story.
There's lots of lessons to belearned in it.
Sally has never heard of before.
So.
I'm very excited to share andtalk about it.
In the ancient city of Uruk,towering walls stretched high
(01:26):
above, built by the hand ofGelgamesh, a mighty king, set to
be two thirds god and one thirdman.
Gelgamesh was known for hisstrength, his beauty, and his
ambition, yet also for hisarrogance and pride.
Though he was capable ruler, heoften treated his people with a
heavy hand.
It was said that he wore outeven the strongest men and
(01:48):
claimed privileges over thepeople's daughters, earning
himself both admiration andresentment.
the cries of the people of Urukand decided to give Ghalgamesh a
challenge that would humble him.
They created Umkidu.
Don't you like that name?
Interesting.
Umkidu.
What?
Kadu?
(02:08):
Umkidu?
Umkidu.
Yeah, I like Umkidu.
Interesting.
I wonder what his name means.
Yeah, what is his name?
You should look it up realquick.
Yeah, let's check it out.
Lord of the Reed Marsh.
Wow, that's so interesting.
I guess that would make sensesince he was created from the
(02:30):
gods.
Or it says also, um, Lord of theGood Place.
Oh, interesting.
Yeah, so maybe that hassomething to do with the story.
Maybe.
So, yeah, I don't, I don't know.
Hmm.
We're just going to have to keepgoing.
Imkadu was a wild man who roamedthe forest as strong as
(02:53):
Ghalgamesh and as fearless.
So I guess you're completelyright.
It's funny because I knewexactly the next sentence.
I didn't know.
I honestly, I didn't know whatthat.
I just thought it was sointeresting.
I honestly, I thought I had todo with his character, but I
(03:15):
didn't know for sure.
I was just, I was, I wascurious.
Yeah, with his long hair andpowerful limbs, Nkudu became a
friend to animals living inharmony with nature far from the
city walls.
One word of Nkudu reachedGilgamesh.
He scoffed.
A wild man?
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Question mark.
A challenger to me?
The king of Uruk?
But curiosity overtook him, andhe sent a temple priestess to
bring Umkuru to the city.
When Umkuru arrived, he wasfurious with Ghalgamesh's I
don't even What is it?
It's Triani.
Triani?
(03:56):
Okay, anyways.
I'm gonna re read that sentencebecause that was freaking
embarrassing.
Okay, okay.
When Unkaru arrived, he wasfurious at Kaguya Mishis.
Tyranny and the two clashed.
Sorry guys.
Oh my God.
In a fierce battle that shookthe world, the walls of Uruk.
(04:20):
I like can't read right now.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, you guys can't see but,Dallie's literally clutching it.
She's on the floor dying rightnow.
Oh my gosh.
That was so embarrassing.
Anyways, pretend that neverhappened.
Okay, sometimes my brain justflukes for a minute, and I just
(04:43):
can't read.
Okay, okay, okay.
Moving forward.
Neither man could best theother, and as their strength
waned, they found in each othera kindred spirit.
Kudu laughed, clapping a hand ongal's shoulder.
You fight well.
King of Auch.
Perhaps there's more to you thanarrogance.
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Mish grinned.
His pride softened and you kuduhave a str, and you kudu have a
strength like no other.
Shall we be brothers and armsrather than rivals.
From that day on, gal Indu wereinseparable.
Sharing adventures and testingtheir might.
Together they fought andconquered creatures like the
mighty Humbaba.
(05:26):
And maybe someday I'll talkabout Humbaba.
Yeah, what is Humbaba?
Humbaba is like, uh, He's, uh,like a guardian of some forest.
Okay.
And, oh wait, I think, I, he'sliterally, okay, he's the
guardian of, uh, a cedar forestUm, and he has these horns.
(05:49):
He's this big scary horned guyHe's a monster though.
He doesn't have like a humanface.
He has like a a face of a bullor I think Oh, okay.
Yeah, so it's supposed to bevery strong Which is weird that
they kill the guardian of acedar forest don't you think am
I just the only one that thinksthat's weird like Why would you?
(06:11):
Yeah, like why would you need tokill him if he's protecting the
Cedar Forest?
I know, he's like not doing anyharm.
Hmm.
Yeah, strange.
Yeah.
They also slew the Bull ofHeaven sent by the goddess
Ashtar.
In a fit of revenge, yet evenvictory, the gods were
displeased by their defiance andsaw fit to punish them.
(06:32):
One fateful night, Nkudu layrestless, his face drawn and
pale.
He turned to Galgamesh with aheavy sigh.
The gods have spoken to me in adream, Galgamesh.
My time is ending.
I am to leave this world.
Gilgamesh's heart tightened withfear that he had never known
before.
No, Unkuru, we have conqueredbeasts and we have defied gods.
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This cannot be the end.
Unkudu's eyes softened.
Death is beyond even you, myfriend.
Perhaps this is a lesson thatgods wish us to learn.
The quest of I mortality.
So AKA Kudu dies and, Gish isjust super sad about it.
Okay.
Wait, so g what is his name?
(07:17):
Gish.
Gish.
So he is the like guy, he's theking head, right?
Or no, that's a differentperson.
That's a different person.
Dog is the king kus.
The man that they created, thewild man.
Okay.
And they became best friends.
They were supposed to beenemies, but they became best
friends.
(07:38):
And then he ends up dying.
Because the gods realized that,he didn't really learn his
lesson.
Because the gods made him sothat he could humble, uh,
Calamish, but Anyways, he didn'thumble the king.
He didn't humble the king.
(07:58):
The purpose of his creation.
Okay.
It's kind of weird that, like,the gods are hating on him for
making friends, I think.
Yeah, interesting.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Okay, immortality.
When Umkuru passes, Ghalgameshwas inconsolable, he wandered
(08:20):
the streets of Uruk, haunted bythe silence where his friend's
laughter had once been.
His heart, once so fierce, nowfelt hollow, and for the first
time, Ghalgamesh was consumed byfear of death.
No, he whispered to himself,standing alone in the night, I
am Ghalgamesh, the son ofNensim.
I will find a way to escapedeath, to conquer even this.
(08:44):
His journey led him across thelands, from towering mountains
to deep, dark valleys, in searchof Utnapishtim, the man who had
survived the great flood, andbeen granted eternal life by the
gods.
Galgamesh was relentless, drivenby the desperation he cannot
shake.
Oh my goodness.
(09:04):
We're laughing because somethingjust fell down.
My painting just fell down.
We're just recording on myfloor.
And my painting just flopped andI have been trying to record
this one line ever since.
And we finally made it through.
Oh my goodness.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
That was crazy.
Okay.
(09:25):
After many trials, he reachedthe water of death and crossed
them.
Finally coming face to face withUnapishtem.
So what is that?
So it's the old man that, like,survived death.
Well, conquered death.
The gods just granted himimmortality.
(09:46):
And he's just a man.
Or is he still, like, in thestory?
Like, is he just in the Oh, no.
Gal'gamesh.
Gal'gamesh wants immortality.
Um Kadu is dead.
Oh, okay.
Unapishtim has immortality.
Okay.
That makes sense.
That makes sense.
Um Yeah.
Umkadu is, uh, no longer in thestory.
(10:07):
Oh, okay.
He has since, since then passed.
I shouldn't be laughing.
That's really sad.
Yeah, it's pretty tragic.
After many trials, he reachedthe waters of death and crossed
them, finally coming face toface with Unapishtim, an ancient
man who watched the king withcalm eyes.
Why do you seek me, Galgamesh?
Unapishtim asked.
(10:27):
Unapishtim asked.
What do you hope to find?
I seek immortality, Galgameshdeclared.
I wish to conquer death, as Ihave conquered every challenge
before.
Unapishtim chuckled, shaking hishead.
Immortality is not as simple asyou think, King of Uruk.
I was granted it not through mydeed, but by the god's whim.
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Death is a fate for all mortals.
Ghalgamesh's fists clenched.
I have traveled far and sufferedgreatly.
There must be a way.
Unapishtim regarded him withpity.
Very well, I will give you achallenge.
Stay awake for six days andseven nights.
If you can conquer sleep,perhaps you can conquer death.
(11:12):
Confident, Galgamesh sat down,his eyes fixed on the distant
horizon.
But as time passed, his eyelidsgrew heavy, and before he
realized it, he had drifted intosleep.
Sleep, a small death, is beyondyour control.
Return home, Galgamesh, andcherish the life you have.
But Galgamesh, stubborn andundisturbed, begged for another
(11:35):
chance.
Unapishtim's wife, moved by hisdetermination, whispered to her
husband, Give him something forhis journey, she argued.
He has come so far.
Relenting, Unapishtim toldGalgamesh of a plant that grew
at the bottom of the sea, aplant that could restore youth.
Determined once more, Ghalgameshdove into the water, deep
(11:58):
waters, and retrieved the plant,holding it in his hands with
triumph.
This will make me young again,he cried, his eyes blazing with
hope.
But on his journey back, hestopped to rest by a river.
While he slept, a serpent creptfrom the shadows and devoured
the plant, shedding its skin andslithering away, renewed and
(12:20):
rejuvenated.
When Gilgamesh awoke, he foundonly empty soil, where the plant
had been, and his heart sank.
Even this, I cannot keep, hewhispered, realizing at last the
limits of his powers.
The Return to Uruk WhenGilgamesh returned to Uruk, he
looked upon the towering wallshe had built, walls that would
(12:42):
stand long before he was gone.
He understood now that life wasfleeting, and that his legacy
would be left not in defiance ofdeath, but in the lives of his
people and the strength of hiscity.
As he gazed upon Uruk, he saidsoftly, Unkudu, my friend, I see
now what you meant.
Life is a journey, not meant tobe conquered, but to be
(13:05):
cherished.
So, Gagamis returned to ruralUruk with wisdom and compassion,
leaving behind his quest forimmortality and accepting the
truth of human limits.
Okay guys.
So we have a tradition of end ofthis podcast where we.
We talk about a scripture.
And the lessons we've learned.
(13:26):
And how it relates.
And so the story today, Where.
We're doing Ecclesiastes.
Do you use three?
Versus Chu.
Would you like to read it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I can hear that.
So it says a time to be born ata time to die.
At time to.
Plant.
And a time to pluck up that,which is planted.
(13:48):
Yeah, this first highlights tonatural circle.
Of life and death echoing Gogolmeshes journey.
I see grapples.
With the debt with the death ofhis friend.
When you do an.
Ultimate fate of all humans.
So Sally listening.
Listening to this story and thelesson that it's like.
Teaching.
(14:09):
I mean, what actually, what doyou think the lesson is in this
story?
I feel like there's definitely.
Definitely different things.
Get out of it.
Yeah, like that scripture, eventhat we just barely read.
It's pretty much just sayinglike there's a time for
everything.
And I think.
I think, Gig Gil, a government.
Gilgamesh.
He had, um, a hard time dealingwith the death of his.
(14:32):
His friend and, and could do.
And he wanted so badly.
Sadly to have, um, like amortality because he.
Didn't want that same thing tohappen to him, right.
Instead of just enjoying like,The present time.
Yeah.
And.
Yeah, I.
I think that that's a hugelesson that we can take away
from it is that we can.
(14:52):
I always just enjoy the timethat we're in and not be.
Always wanting something else.
Yeah.
I like that.
You said that actually.
If anything, I think one of thelessons I've learned from this
story is that like, I know in mylife.
I want to, like, I'm alwaysthinking about the.
Next thing, like I'm alwaysthinking ahead or like I'm
(15:12):
either way behind.
Hind.
And I'm thinking about somethingthat happened in the past.
But.
Like it teaches me that I shouldlike value.
The present.
A lot.
Uh, do you remember.
Kung Fu Panda.
Turtle.
He's like.
This is like yesterday washistory.
(15:34):
Tomorrow's.
It's mystery.
And today is like, Good gift.
That's why they call it thepresent freaking love lab.
I love that.
I should have that, but mywallet, I know.
I think that sometimes guys, welike.
Just.
Want.
More where think about otherpeople and how they have it
(15:54):
better.
Because, you know, the old mandid have it better.
He.
I did have that gift andmortality, you know, but.
Some things in life.
Aren't meant for us.
And like, we shouldn't try sohard to obtain.
What is out of our reach.
Meaning if it doesn't mean.
(16:15):
I mean, like don't aim for thestars.
It just means like, Like.
Don't kill yourself.
Yeah.
And again, nobody means notmeant for you.
Yeah, I think.
Like we.
We all have our story.
That's written in the stars andlike, Not like to say our
destiny, but pretty much like.
(16:35):
Like Our destiny, our story, ourpurpose.
Like why we're here and.
I don't know.
I think that like, It's good tolike, try to reach up to the
measure of.
Of your creation, but reachingout and like taking something.
That doesn't belong to you.
What ultimately like her young,the long run.
(16:56):
It's kind of like what I wasgetting for you, right.
Yeah, it makes me think too,like you think of the king gig
Gilgamesh.
I.
I love that you.
Like I live in not say his name.
Oh my gosh.
I'm.
I'm dying, trying to say hisname.
But it's crazy how, like he wasthis king that was full of pride
like that.
All the gods knew it.
(17:16):
And they sent.
Um, and could, and could you doyeah.
Yeah.
To like humble him.
Right?
So like, Thinking about that.
Like he probably had it likeeverything that.
King probably had all the richesin the world like he had.
So.
So much already.
Yeah.
It's so much that he was soprideful.
(17:37):
I needed someone to humble him.
But then at the end, like, He'swanting more than what he
already has.
And.
Maybe by like meeting thisfriend.
And could you, he like.
He met someone.
And it made him realize like,Oh, Like friendship is, is
amazing.
(17:57):
And.
I don't need all these richesand things like that.
Yeah.
And then when he lost that,Friend.
It's like.
So now he's realizing, wow.
Aye.
I I realized I, I want more thanjust my.
Lifestyle is the key.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just a tyrant.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I like how you said that.
Uh, he found a friend in him.
(18:18):
Him.
And like, The value of thefriend was worth more than his.
Rich's.
Yeah.
There's just so cool.
Like that's just another lessonin life that like, The value of
friendship.
His worth more than riches.
And the value of connection ingeneral.
Is.
So important.
And I think that if we have likea hard.
(18:38):
A hard heart.
And like we're struggling withsomething.
Something.
In order to soft in our heart,we can reach out.
To other people.
This is kind of a personal part.
Uh, well, just personal to mebecause I've been struggling
with a few things.
Recently.
And like, I removed myself fromsome of my friends.
(19:00):
And.
Like kind of mentally distancemyself.
Myself from some of my familymembers.
Just because I've been feeling.
Feeling so hurt because I waslaid off of my job.
And school stuff.
Wasn't working out both Sallyand I are in.
College and we're trying tostop.
Yeah, but like figure everythingout.
Literally, I feel like life hasbeen a literal mess.
(19:23):
And so.
So I distance myself frompeople.
And even though I'm not.
I'm not Gilgamesh and I'm notrich.
Aye.
I still have that like, Not thatbroke.
Broken heart, but they have thehard heart.
A little bit.
Oh, just.
Because I was, well, I startedto, because I, I was distancing
(19:44):
myself.
And this is just like a goodreminder to like let people.
In.
I can have a softer heart,heart.
So.
Yeah, I love that.
It's crazy how there's so muchthat you could take away from.
A story that was written likeyears ago.
Right.
I know.
No.
But.
This is what this is all about.
So I'm so glad.
(20:04):
Glad I was able to have you onthis episode, Sally.
You'll definitely be hearingfrom Sally again, I would love.
I am here.
I'm still learning a little bitabout mythology, but.
Oh, yeah.
It's the best.
All right guys, until next time,my speaky friends.