Mapping the Path to Ecological Reparation: An Ecopsychological Reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh and Its Implications for the Study of Religion

Abstract

By offering a reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh as a psychological map of the process by which one journeys from ecological wrongdoing, through eco-guilt, to reparation, this article makes a case for the value of ecopsychology, a branch of psychology, to religious studies scholars working on projects related to ecology or nature-human relationships. The article focuses on the relationship between Gilgamesh’s deforestation of the Cedars of Lebanon and the eco-guilt that emerges as a direct consequence of his actions, a guilt that Gilgamesh must reconcile before he can make reparations. Reading Gilgamesh’s journey through the lens of ecopsychology highlights the importance of eco-guilt in his transition from an ego-driven king to one “wise in everything” and enhances the impact of this classic story on a modern audience for whom ecological wrongdoing and the need for reparation are at the center of a world-wide debate regarding our planet’s future.