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Welcome to the Sky Stories section. Here you will find a number of legends and tales that will enlighten and entertain. The first story below is that of the Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh. To read other stories just click on the buttons below. They will take you on a journey of wonder and discovery. Then go out on a starlit night, look up and see the light!
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The ancient city of Uruk (c.4500 BCE - 300 CE) once thrived in the land we now call Iraq. This city was a famous part of Mesopotamian prehistory and was the home of a two thirds divine and one third mortal king named Gilgamesh. The few surviving myths tell us that Gilgamesh was an overbearing tyrant that was so out of control, his people prayed to their gods for divine intervention. Hearing their pleas, the mother goddess of creation, Aruru fashioned a giant hairy grass eating wild man named Enkidu to challenge the king to a battle of strength. After a long and difficult fight the king was victorious and decided to embrace the formidable Enkidu as a companion. These two heroes had twelve zodiacal adventures together.
In one story, the love goddess Ishtar (Venus) approached Gilgamesh. She offered her charms to the king, but he scorned her passionate advance. With that insult fresh in her mind she demanded that her father the bull of heaven to destroy Gilgamesh. After much coercing her father sent the bull of heaven to kill Gilgamesh, but the giant Enkidu grabbed it's tail and Gilgamesh drove a sword into the creatures great neck. This triumph was so unexpected by the gods they demanded the crime be punished and called for their deaths. After many debates, Anu decided upon a punishment. Gilgamesh would lose his companion Enkidu, and soon the giant beast-man fell sick and died. Enkidu, now as Sagittarius, enters the netherworld at the southern crossroads of the galaxy and ecliptic at the tail of Scorpio.
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Grief stricken, Gilgamesh began to think that maybe his semi-divine ancestry was no guarantee of immortally. So he decided to travel through the mountain pass Mashua (Twins) to consult with Utanapishtim, the Sumerian Noah, about how he and his wife were granted eternal life for saving all the world's animals from the great flood. He told Gilgamesh that if he could stay a wake for seven days and seven nights his wish would be granted, but the king failed and fell to sleep on the sixth night. Upon seeing his greif for failing, the wife of Utanapishtam took pity and told Gilgamesh of a magical rejuvenating plant called "Never Grows Old," that grew in the sweet virginal underground waters of a distant island. Gilgamesh found the island and the ancient river, and following it to its' source, came upon the life giving plant.
As Gilgamesh began the long journey back to Uruk, he stopped to rest at a pool of water. As he bathed, a snake that smelled the sweet precious plant emerged from hiding and stole the plant away. The snake ate it, shed it skin and was reborn. Gilgamesh was so despondent he returned to Uruk and begged the gods to reconsider the death of his companion Enkidu. The best the gods would do was to call up the man beast's spirit and for one last time talk to Gilgamesh. The only thing Enkidu said was that the king would join him one day and then they would be together forever. Gilgamesh would eventually gain immortality, because his stories have been told and retold for thousands of years and this tradition will continue on as long as the earth turns under the sky. In fact, is that it is believed that the zodiac gradually evolved in Babylonia from the twelve adventures of Gilgamesh.
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Observers, who look to where the Northern Hemisphere is connected to the Southern Hemisphere, will see the very recognizable "hour glass" constellation of Orion the Hunter. Next to the seven stars of Orion is Taurus the Bull whose constellation appears as the letter "V." If an observer watches the rising of Orion on the horizon it is obvious that Enkidu (Taurus) is getting the better of the king Gilgamesh (Orion). As the night progresses, the battle continues and at zenith the two heavenly combatants are of equal stature. By the end of the night Gilgamesh is now victorious over Enkidu and has him on his back on the opposite horizon. At the feet of Orion begins the constellation of Eridanus the very same river that he followed on his Elixir Quest.
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