Gilgamesh Games - Summary Table

The Mesopotamian origins of the Olympic Games

August 1, 2008 By David Chibo

Similarities	Gilgamesh Games	Mesopotamian Theme	Date of Transmission	Olympic Games	Greek Theme
Origin	Death of Gilgamesh	Funerary games conducted to remember the King Gilgamesh	776 BC (Myth) 704 BC (Archaeological)	Established by Zeus (Myth1) Death of Peliops (Myth2)	Myth 1; Zeus, Myth 2: Peliops. Fact : May have begun as funerary games, but no archaeological evidence at site of a grave or body.
Time of Festival	Month of Abu (August) every year	Ritual in which the ancient Sumerians remembered their dead ancestors. Yearly month of the dead, festival of ghosts passing through the temple Ab [doorway].	776 BC (Myth)	Began yearly every August then was changed to every 4 years.	The Olympiad may have changed to every 4 years due to the introduction of the chariot race.
Venue	Temple	Sanctuary for statue of the god.	NA	Zeus Temple	Sanctuary dedicated to the god and treasury for temple offerings.
Guardian	Statue of Gilgamesh in temple	Funerary statue also acted as earthly vessel. Focal point of the mourning rites and athletic games.	776 BC (Myth)	Statue of Zeus in temple	Focal point of temple at Olympia .
Title of Guardian	Judge of the Netherworld	Consolation for missing out on immortality as well as athletic games judge.	476 BC	Judge of Olympic Games	Zeus appointed judge of the Greek gods.
Introductory Ceremony	Mouth washing Hand washing Exorcism sacrifice (?) Washing with Waters of Life Lighting of Torches	Purifying the statue. Ritual séance for the dead that may have included an Exorcism ceremony that purified the statue of all malevolent deities returning from the Netherworld.	776 BC (Myth)	Sacrifice of pig in front of statue of Zeus. Lighting of Torch.	Sacrifice to Zeus, the Olympic Games’ chief deity.
Athletic Events	Athletic ‘Feats of strength’	Attainment of heroic glory and immortality.	~ 776 BC	Athletic Events	Attainment of heroic glory. Training for war during peace time.
Victory Awards	Poplar wreath crown	Used during purification rituals. Also symbolic of Gilgamesh who was described as the poplar tree.	752 BC	Different laurels used in different Greek games. Olive wreath crown used in Olympia .	Sacred wreath crown of olive sprays for winners was the same worn by Zeus.
Sacred Garden	Garden of Gilgamesh	Offerings made to deities (?).		Altis	The sacred grove of Zeus.
Funerary Gifts	Funerary Gifts to accompany the dead to the grave	Gifts to bribe the deities of the netherworld	750-650 BC	Funerary gifts	Votive offerings.
Closing Ceremony	Banquet with Gilgamesh & the Anunnaki	Food offerings to the gods of the netherworld and King Gilgamesh	776 BC (Myth)	Banquet of Zeus	Athletic victory banquet.

Table 4: Similarities between the Gilgamesh Games and the Olympic Games.

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