‚Fishing for fallen light‘ – Trying to find meaning with Gilgamesh, Neruda and young learners of immigrant families

Abstract

The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest traditions of mankind situated in the Sumerian dynasty. The plot is archaic, moving and of multi-layered unevenness. The reception of the epic is far-reaching, and adaptations for young people can also be found. The recipients presented in this article are between nine and ten years old and attend the 4th grade of a primary school in the Berlin district of Nordneukölln. They encounter the text through narration, and selected scenes are re-enacted and interpreted performatively. It becomes apparent that young people can also follow the questions within the epic world of thought with great open-mindedness. They are confronted with loss when Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s brother-like friend, dies. In the epic his sorrow releases the desire for immortality. The children are given a famous poem by Pablo Neruda, If Each Day Falls…, to extend the spectrum of potential actions. The result is a polyphonic cluster of emotions, in which strong feelings like rage, fury and helplessness contrast with gentler options such as the patient fishing for fallen light (a melancholy quest for lost happiness).