Mythology

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Sumerian wisdom (jlai.lu)

submitted 13 hours ago by Bad@jlai.lu to c/mythology@sh.itjust.works

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[an ancient sumerian woman, covered in jewelry, smiles at us]

You will never find the eternal life that you seek.

Humans are born, they live, then they die, this is the order that the gods have decreed. But until the end comes, enjoy your life, spend it in happiness, not despair. Savor your food, make each of your days a delight, bathe and anoint yourself, wear bright closes that are sparkling clean, let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace.

That is the best way for a man to live.

Siduri, to Gilgamesh, 4000 years ago

https://thebad.website/comic/sumerian_wisdom

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[–] Yankee_Self_Loader@lemmy.world 15 points 10 hours ago

My favorite thing about this is that Siduri is the proprietor of a tavern and is giving Gilgamesh this advice as he is drinking. The trope of the wise bartender is very very old

[–] hungprocess@thriv.social 10 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

"Failing that, crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you, and hearing the lamentations of their women is also fine I guess"

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

That's Conan to Ghengis Khan ... right?

[–] hungprocess@thriv.social 4 points 11 hours ago

I think the character's just credited as "Mongol General", but yeah.

[–] NachBarcelona@piefed.social 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

He's not Genghis Khan though.

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 hours ago

Not Gilgamesh either, so ...

[–] gndagreborn@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

In FGO, siduri was GOATed

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

but now capitalism has ruined half of that.

[–] Bad@jlai.lu 22 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

Well, in a way, the epic of Gilgamesh can be seen as a critique of what would eventually be capitalism, but not in the usual way, as its criticism of power dynamics is addressed to the ruling class (represented by the protagonist Gilgamesh).

This quote is spoken by Siduri, a regular barista, to a man who is 2/3 god and 1/3 human, the king of the biggest city in the land, rich beyond riches, famous and accomplished, has rapey tendencies, killed people, deforested the land, seeking immortality to cure his depression after having lost his totally-not-lover the beastman Enkidu (really the Epic is just omegaverse doomed yaoi).

She's telling him that by lusting for impossible powers, he has forgotten to live his life. The wealthiest can try all they want to become gods, they will always be human and die like the rest of us. Only they can decide whether they will spend their lifespan enjoying a good simple life, or dedicating it to exploiting, colonizing, ruining others lives. One outcome tends to bring satisfaction, whereas the other will only leave them thirsting for more in their quest for an unattainable goal.

Alas, capitalism rewards those who follow the doomed path.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 7 points 12 hours ago

his totally-not-lover the beastman Enkidu (really the Epic is just omegaverse doomed yaoi).

Especially when you account for how he acts with Ishtar.

But man, Siduri at least gets to throw shade in a way that gets through to Gilgamesh, and by extension the reader/listener. Better than all the Utnapishtem I-told-ya-so's.

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

If capitalism is inside your home youre doing something wrong

Find pleasure in life, is all. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[–] ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works -2 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Ah yes, that explains the dropping quality of life ever since the bronze age.