Chapter 4, The Search for Everlasting Life

The Man-Scorpion opened his mouth and said, speaking to Gilgamesh, 'No man born of woman has done what you have asked, no mortal man has gone into the mountain; the length of it is twelve leagues of darkness; in it there is no light, but the heart is oppressed with darkness. From the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun there is no light.'

Gilgamesh said, 'Although I should go in sorrow and in pain, with sighing and with weeping, still 1 must go. Open the gate of the mountain.' And the Man-Scorpion said, 'Go, Gilgamesh, I permit you to pass through the mountain of Mashu and through the high ranges; may your feet carry you safely home. The gate of the mountain is open.

When Gilgamesh heard this he did as the Man-Scorpion had said, he followed the sun's road to his rising, through the mountain. When he had gone one league the darkness became thick around him, for there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After two leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After three leagues the darkness was thick, and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After four leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. At the end of five leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. At the end of six leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. When he had gone seven leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. When he had gone eight leagues Gilgamesh gave a great cry, for the darkness was thick and he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After nine leagues he felt the north wind on his face, but the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After ten leagues the end was near. After eleven leagues the dawn light appeared. At the end of twelve leagues the sun streamed out.

1. The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by N. K. Sanders,
Penguin Books Ltd., London, 1960

The Lohan

Since 1914 a Chinese ceramic Lohan, a realised Buddhist monk, has been in the British Museum. This figure is one of eight similar figures considered to be part of a group which was found in caves at a mountain site near Yixian some eighty miles south-west of Beijing in 1912. This statue has the reputation, in certain circles, of being an example of 'Objective Art'.

At the time of the installation of the Lohan in the British Museum, R. L Hobson (‘A New Chinese Masterpiece in the British Museum’, The Burlington Magazine (May, 1914), 68-73) wrote of its ‘noble head and powerful face; the thoughtful contraction of the brows; the nostrils dilated as if in deep breathing; the lips set in a faint smile which seem to combine contempt for worldly affairs with pity for struggling mankind; the eyes which, try as one will to meet them, always look past us and beyond. It is a face which embodies the Buddhist ideal of abstraction and contemplation, the personification of mental force in repose’.

A Visit to the British Museum

A small group of people from Octave visited the British Museum specifically to sit quietly in front of the Lohan and observe their response to it. When invited to speak of their feelings after the visit, those who did so had clearly received a remarkable uniformity of experience, in particular the sense of an emanation of power registered in the solar plexus, and the strong impression that the figure was actually alive, breathing, the expression fluctuating between a gentle severity and the approach of a smile. Others who independently declared their impressions afterwards all confirmed that this had also been their experience.

"We went to the British Museum to see the Lohan. We stood in front of him for a long time. I looked at the statue and tried to sense him; his posture, his facial expression, his torso, arms, and so on. I felt he is alive and grand. He showed me how I can be as a human being. Solid as an old tree, wind cannot blow him, rain cannot make him miserable, and clouds come and go. He is there - solid. No one can move him. I am small in front of him. His world is huge. His space is limitless. My world is tiny. I wish I could be like him. This is real art."

Octave

The Descent of Inanna

Inanna (Ishtar) 'Queen of Heaven' was a deity who played a greater role in the myths, epics and hymns of Sumerian history than any other deity, male or female.

The story of 'The Descent of Inanna' was taken from clay tablets dating back to 2000 BC. These tablets and fragments containing hundreds of myths, epic tales, legends, love songs and fables are scattered throughout museums across the world and their contents are still in the process of being deciphered, translated and pieced together.

The story tells of Inanna's descent to the Underworld, the domain of her dark sister Ereshkigal, of whom she knows nothing. In order to journey to this realm she has to abandon her cities and temples, and she is forced, at each of the seven gates she must pass as she makes her descent, to give up another of her earthly powers, and finally enter 'naked and bowed low' divested of all that symbolised her roles as queen, holy priestess and woman.

In the Underworld she dies and is reborn, eventually to return - but not without paying a terrifying price; that of providing someone to take her place.

Performing an Extract from Inanna

When Inanna arrived at the outer gates of the underworld,
She knocked loudly.
She cried in a fierce voice:
Open the door gatekeeper!
Open the door Neti!
I alone would enter!

''I remembered my aim to have inner stillness and was filled with an unusual sense of calm. I felt very much in the moment, alive and strong like Inanna herself.''

Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur, asked:
Who are you?

She answered:
I am Inanna, Queen of Heaven,
On my way to the East.

''As Neti, I tried to switch off my own personality. When I said the first words I felt energy around and in my whole body. I had a sense of compassion for Inanna as I removed the symbols of her power at every gate."

Neti said:
If you are truly Inanna, Queen of Heaven,
On your way to the East,
Why has your heart led you on the road
From which no traveler returns?

Inanna answered:
Because... of my older sister, Ereshkigal,
Her husband, Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, has died.
I have come to witness the funeral rites.
Let the beer of his funeral rites be poured into the cup.
Let it be done.

''I remember not feeling nervous. I made an effort to make contact with the audience, and to observe my body while I was narrating. I felt quite solid. This was a new feeling. My voice felt different, as if someone else’s voice was coming out of my mouth, and I was listening to it. The voice was familiar but strange at the same time."

Neti spoke:
Stay here Inanna, I will speak to my queen.
I will give her your message

Neti, the chief gatekeeper of the kur
Entered the palace of Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld, and said:
My queen, a maid
As tall as heaven,
As wide as the Earth,
As strong as the foundations of the city wall,

''Many times I found myself wondering at the ancientness of the story of Inanna . The thought that we might have been trying to achieve similar objectives to those of an ancient group of people similar to ourselves, many thousands of years ago, through the performance of this myth, brings a strange flavour.''

Waits outside the palace gates.
She has gathered together the seven me.
She has taken them into her hands
With the me in her possession, she has prepared herself:

''I feel we were engaged in an act of transmission. I feel this experience will have even more meaning for me in the future.''

On her head she wears the shugurra, the crown of the steppe.
Across her forehead her dark locks of hair are carefully arranged.
Around her neck she wears the small lapis beads.
At her breast she wears the double strand of beads.
Her body is wrapped with the royal robe.

''Before the performance I had mixed feelings of excitement, fear and tension. Once we got on stage I was trying to remember the words I had to say, but also to remember to be more present, to be behind my eyes and observe myself."

Her eyes are dabbed with the ointment called, "let him come, let him come."
Around her chest she wears the breastplate called "come, man, come."
On her wrist she wears the gold ring.
In her hand she carries the lapis measuring rod and line.

When Ereshkigal heard this,
She slapped her thigh and bit her lip.
She took the matter into her heart and dwelt on it.

''On stage I didn't feel alone. I couldn't see everybody, but I felt their presence. While I was reading, I had a strong sense of myself; I heard my voice; I was trying to remember about breathing between each sentence; and I felt a connection between my feet and the stage.''

Then she spoke:
Come Neti, my chief gatekeeper of the kur,
Heed my words:
Bolt the seven gates of the underworld.
Then, one by one, open each gate a crack.
Let Inanna enter.
As she enters, remove her royal garments.
Let the holy priestess of heaven enter bowed low.

" I felt happiness when we finished - it felt as if we'd managed to build something together."

What is Art?

Octave has investigated many aspects of this subject, always with the question, "How can we experience art in a more direct way?" Here we example two projects centred around ancient art treasures; the legend of Gilgamesh and one of the Lohans of Yixian. There are also some notes on the idea of objectivity in art.

"Sometimes I find that I can receive impressions at different levels in myself. If I try to look inside myself at the same time as at the work of Art, then there is more possibility of some fundamental understanding for me. I am more open. But sometimes I just judge, form opinions, and move on."

Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh is the first great epic poem. In ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation, the tale is told of the King of Uruk and his search for the secret of eternal life.

There is clear evidence that a king of Uruk named Gilgamesh lived around 2700-2600 B.C. Excavation of sites in the area bounded by the great rivers Tigris and Euphrates began in 1839 and thousands of tablets were discovered at various locations. It was not until 1870 that decipherment restored the poems of Gilgamesh to the world, providing links to the Old Testament stories of the Garden of Eden and the Flood.

The most complete version comes from the library of Assurbanipal, King of Assyria, who had the original Sumerian texts translated into Akkadian Semitic in the seventh century B.C. They were written in cuneiform on clay tablets and then baked. Shortly after this, invasion destroyed the Assyrian cities and, for twelve hundred years, the story was lost.

A Personal Reminiscence

theme was chosen for one of Octave’s events; The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Some of us were asked to prepare and perform a scene from the poem; Gilgamesh’s twelve league journey through the unlit mountains of Mashu following the death of his friend, Enkidu.

We began by visiting the British Museum to see and draw Sumerian and Assyria figures; to sense and feel the spirit of that time and place.

"Having immersed myself in the project for several months I found the denouement intense. My head was covered and I was lead to my position and then knelt to wait. The room was hot and stuffy with the smell of wax from the candles; my face began to sweat; it was hard to breath; my joints began to ache; I felt claustrophobic; but had a determination to keep absolutely still and endure it.

The time came to start. I stood up slowly; the material was removed from my head and the presentation began. I felt quite isolated and very focused on what I had to do. Listening closely to the familiar words spoken by the narrator, and attempting to enact the movements with as much presence as I could, the story unfolded and the walk through the mountain began. Soft drum-taps marked my steps, stopping as I turned to look back. The light, dim as the journey began, went out and there was only the light of some candles in the room. My steps and posture became heavier. At the end of the eighth league I drew breath and a cry came from deep down in my body. After nine leagues the soft sound of a single fluttering note on the flute heralded the north wind and I was aware through the eye-holes of the mask of the light growing in front of me until I emerged from the mountain.

I felt a huge sense of relief and gratitude at the completion of the presentation."

FROM THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH:

theme was chosen for one of Octave’s events; The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Some of us were asked to prepare and perform a scene from the poem; Gilgamesh’s twelve league journey through the unlit mountains of Mashu following the death of his friend, Enkidu.

We began by visiting the British Museum to see and draw Sumerian and Assyria figures; to sense and feel the spirit of that time and place.