On the Verge of Lunacy

Most of the studies on folklore focus on European literature. But just as rich are Asian tales of deities, monsters and heroes. Let’s take a look at some of these. The most well-known are the Epic of Gilgamesh which has two versions in Sumerian and Akkadian; Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa; the Persian epic Shahnameh by Ferdowsi; and Ramayana by Valmiki. Ramayana has different versions in the region including the Burmese version Yama Zatdaw, the Malay Hikayat Seri Rama, the Javanese Kakawin Ramayana and the Cambodian version Reamker. To document all the epics of Asia would fill a book. I’ve picked some examples from each country below. The Book of Dede Korkut is an epic of the Oghuz Turks or Turkomans. It is made up of twelve legends. The first story is about Boghach Khan, while the twelfth narrates the rebellion of the Outer Oghuz. Dede Korkut is supposed to be the narrator of these tales. The Epic of King Gesar , is the epic cycle of the culture hero Gesar of the k...

Dante Alighieri's Inferno is given a different twist in this bloody game of one man's quest to save his wife's soul. The game did justice to the description of hell in this adaptation of the first part of the Divine Comedy epic. In this game however, Dante has a different motivation for going to hell. In order to rescue Beatrice's soul from Lucifer's grasp, he fights demons, saves or damns souls, and goes through a series of recollections of his life, in particular the events that led to the breaking of his vow to Beatrice. In the process, he not only tries to save Beatrice but is also seeking her forgiveness and the salvation of his soul. Why Dante was allowed to gain power in his quest and constantly provoked by Lucifer will make sense at the end of the game. This game is not for the squeamish type. It's very bloody; filled with hellish creatures from women who use their uterus as weapons, well not really just the uterus but the entire female reproduc...

The book is a condensed and translated version of the Hindu epic of a war of the kingdoms in Northern India caught in a scheme of a jealous cousin and five brothers struggling to reclaim their kingdom. Mr. Dutt provided introductions and summary for each chapter. The summary might spoil the story for the first time readers of the epic but keep in mind that this is a condensed version. Some of the less important scenes were omitted. The contents of these chapters are in English verse form. The translator explained in the epilogue his method in selecting the passages and included here as well as his approach to its translation. This gives the reader an idea how much information was not included in this book. The translator was able to pick out the story of the Pandavas and Kurus buried in all the material added to the original epic. The information provided by Dutt in the epilogue is an excellent guide and introduction to the entire epic itself. There is also a glossary of terms a...

This is a collection of 17 epics each of which is condensed into its simplest form making them accessible to readers who do not have enough time or resources (or have difficulty reading some of the translations)reading or finding the epics. Each epic is introduced by providing the background of the author and the story and why it is included in this volume. The following is the list of the epics included: THE RAMÂYÂNA THE MAHÂ-BHÂRATA of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa THE ILIAD of Homer THE ODYSSEY of Homer THE KALEVALA, collected by Zacharias Topelius and Elias Lonnrot THE AENEID by Vergil BEOWULF THE NIBELUNGEN LIED THE SONG OF ROLAND THE SHAH-NAMEH of Firdusi THE POEM OF THE CID THE DIVINE COMEDY of Dante Alighieri THE ORLANDO FURIOSO of Ludovico Ariosto THE LUSIAD of Luis de Camoens THE JERUSALEM DELIVERED of Torquato Tasso PARADISE LOST of John Milton PARADISE REGAINED of John Milton The epics are contracted and the author left only the narration...

Two versions of the Deluge Legend is given in this book. One is taken from Berosus' account in which the name of the survivor is Xisuthrus. The other version is related to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim and was included in the tablets of Epic of Gilgamish. The circumstances do not differ much but the details vary. The Utnapishtim version, for example, gives the number of days it took for the water to recede. The introduction given by Budge is sufficient for casual readers and students alike. He gives an account of the discovery of the tablets; description of the palaces of Nineveh and the library; physical description of the tablets; and a brief introduction of Ashur-bani-pal, to whom the famed library was credited. Budge's writing is easy to understand. The Gilgamish epic is also retold here in the last part of the book. He does not give a transliteration of the tablets but divides the story by tablet and informs the reader which parts of the narrative are undecipherable...

This book provides a translation and analysis of a fragment of the South Babylonian version of the epic on a six-column tablet. The tablet was among Ashur-bani-pal's collection. I don't recommend this as a replacement for the complete and enhanced versions of the epic as this only includes a few parts of the epic. The transliteration is also incomplete because the author left out undecipherable and missing parts of the tablet. This is great as a supplementary reading material for those who wish to read more or study the epic. Included are the introduction of the epic and the possible origin of its hero, photos of the tablet, and autograph plates.