The Poem of Gilgamesh is the most ancient known Mesopotamian literary work, of great importance to the fields of anthropology and linguistics. It was one of the most important archeological finds of the nineteenth century, completed by Sir Henry Layard, and later translated by Assyriologist George Smith from the cuneiform written on etched clay tablets, the most ancient to be preserved, now mainly at the British Museum, belonging to the Paleo-Babylonian Sumerian culture. The poem’s authorship is attributed to the Assyrian scribe Sin-leqi-unninni, as a nearly unaltered record of the full poem has been preserved from around the year 1,400 ADThese archeological pieces were recovered at the library of Asurbanipal in Nineveh (Iraq).
Their central theme deals with life and death in a poetic form. The cornerstones of Mesopotamian worship can be found in this tale, which deals with the separation between the human and the divine, the nature of human mortality and servitude to the gods. Historians with expertise on Mesopotamia refer to Gilgamesh as the first tragic hero, in what constitute the earliest verses ever created by mankind.

Event information sheet

The Tale of Gilgamesh
The people of Uruk, suffering under the tyranny of the partially legendary King Gilgamesh, ask the gods to send a savior to free the inhabitants from their overlord’s domain. They believe in Enkidu, a being equal in strength to Gilgamesh. Though Gilgamesh is defeated by Enkidu, they become inseparable friends and set off on a journey in search of glory, in which they face off with mythological creatures and defy the divine plan. The gods decide to punish them and strike Enkidu with illness. Gilgamesh, alone and in fear over the conscious awareness of his own mortality, sets off on a journey in search of his ancestor Utanapisthim, who survived the great flood, in order for him to reveal the secret of immortality.

Cast:
Ángel Mauri, Alberto Novillo, Macarena Robledo, Irene Álvarez, Alfonso Luque.
Script and direction: Alex Rojo

Aidos Teatro, directed by Alex Rojo, has completed this adaptation of the original text, following the ideas of archaism and symbolism with an analysis of pre-Hellenistic theatrical and musical forms. The theater company was created in Madrid in early 2014 and has staged various plays, including Pavilion 6, an adaptation of Chekhov’s short story by the same name, Dejar atrás (Leaving Behind) and El candidato de David Barreiro (David Barreiro’s Candidate,the script which won the Agustín González Award). In just a short time, the company has specialized in dealing with both classical and contemporary scripts in accordance with a work philosophy that focuses on research.

This dramatized reading has been scheduled as a parallel activity to the exhibition “Dark Is the Color of My History” by Iraqi artist Sadik Kwaish Alfraji and can be seen in Casa Árabe’s exhibition halls as of March 3.