Gilgamesh Depicting the Essence of Kingship, Gods and Religion in the Sumerian Society

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Gilgamesh
Introduction
In the ancient Sumerian Society, the kings were considered as significant in representing the will of the gods. In Uruk, a city that was set between the river Euphrates and Tigris, King known as Gilgamesh who was considered as the fifth king existed, an aspect that this paper seeks to establish.
The Role(S) Of Kingship in Ancient Sumerian Society
In establishing the role of the kingship, it is essential to establish that kings were set apart from the people, with Gilgamesh depicting the essence of kingship, gods and the religion in the Sumerian society. Gilgamesh was given the responsibility to rule and care for the population, an aspect that enabled him to learn much about this society. In this epic, it is established that the element of kingship was considered as an element of human responsibility and divine privilege (Abusch, pp.614). As the king, Gilgamesh was believed to be a half god and half man who was divinely appointed and given authority to be in a god-like status. However, this status did not make these kings infallible, an aspect that saw Gilgamesh turn out to be contradictive and callous in his ways. This can be seen in his efforts that were viewed as privileges in sleeping with bri...