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The Epic of Gilgameš is perhaps the most famous Mesopotamian composition known by the modern reader. Ubiquitous and extremely popular in ancient times throughout the Near East, it follows the hero king Gilgameš and his loyal sidekick Enkidu in the pursuit of fame and eternal glory.
Fierce encounters mark the adventures experienced by the two main characters. From the vanquishing of Huwawa, the guardian of the cedar woods, to the slaying of the bull of heaven, the Epic of Gilgameš overflows with fantasy and a sense of wonder.
Despite its focus on marvellous deeds and the heroic qualities of the protagonists, the composition also constitutes a deep reflection on life, death, and the inescapable human destiny, making it a perfect examplefor exploring the Gothic before the Gothic. Thus, in the present paper, I aim at providing a Gothic reading ofthis ancient text. I will mainly focus on aspects of body horror related to putrefaction and physical decay, on the one hand, and on exploring the use of the monstrous (hybridization, alterity, etc.) in the text.
In doing so, I hope to broaden the breadth and scope of present studies in the Gothic.
