mesopotamian

The Mesopotamian trilogy referred to the three classic fantasy novels, Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Lord of the Rings.

The Christian flood story, like the one about Noah's Ark, has similarities to Mesopotamian flood stories. In Mesopotamian tales, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, there is a great flood sent by the gods. In the Christian version, God sends a flood to cleanse the earth of wickedness. The basic idea of a flood sent by a divine power to punish or start anew is a common thread. Also, elements like building a large vessel to save a select few and pairs of animals are shared.

Often, the main characters are the ghosts themselves. These could be the spirits of former kings or warriors who had great power in life and still retain some influence as ghosts.

One key element is the creation of the world by the gods. In the Mesopotamian origin story, the gods played a major role in shaping the universe. For example, Enlil was a very important god in Sumerian mythology and was involved in many aspects of creation. Another element is the relationship between humans and the gods. Humans were seen as servants of the gods, and they had to perform sacrifices and rituals to please them. Also, the great flood is a significant part of the story, which is similar to the flood stories in other cultures.

One common element is the presence of malevolent supernatural beings like demons and spirits. As I mentioned before, Lamashtu is a prime example. These beings often had grotesque appearances and were associated with causing harm to humans.

One common theme is revenge. Ghosts in Mesopotamian stories often return to seek vengeance for wrongs done to them during their lifetime. For example, if a person was unjustly killed, their ghost might haunt the killer or those related to the killer.

It influenced their religious beliefs greatly. People worshipped the gods as described in the origin story. They built temples for these gods. For example, the ziggurats were built as a way to get closer to the gods in the heavens. It also affected their social structure. Since humans were seen as servants of the gods, there was a hierarchy in society with priests having a high status as they were seen as mediators between the people and the gods.

One Mesopotamian scary story is about the demoness Lamashtu. She was a hideous figure who preyed on pregnant women and infants. It was said that she had the body of a lioness, the head of a donkey, and long hair and fingernails. Mothers would perform various rituals to protect their children from her evil.

The main similarity is the idea of a great flood. In both, the flood is sent by a higher power. Also, there is the concept of a hero who builds a vessel to save himself, his family, and animals. In the Mesopotamian story, it's in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and in Christianity, it's Noah.

The family and social structures in Mesopotamian stories are important elements when thinking in a Hindi context. In Hindi stories, family values are highly emphasized. In Mesopotamian society, families were also central. In stories, we might see how a son inherits his father's trade or how a family is affected by war or famine. This is like in Hindi stories where the family unit is often the core around which the plot revolves, be it in tales of love, sacrifice or survival.