The Oldest Surviving Forms of Poetry Across Cultures

The quest for understanding the origins of poetry can take us back to ancient civilizations. Poetry is a time-honored art form that traces its roots back to the dawn of human history. Various cultures have preserved and celebrated the oldest surviving forms of poetry. This article explores the roots of poetry, focusing on key examples such as Rigveda, ancient Egyptian love poetry, and the epic of Gilgamesh.

The Rigveda: earliest known poetry

The oldest form of poetry, according to scholarly consensus, is found in Sanskrit. Rigveda, written around 1500 BC, is a collection of ancient Sanskrit hymns dedicated to various deities. Each part of the Rigveda, known as a mandala, consists of approximately 1028 mantras. Most of these mantras are dedicated to Indra and Agni, two significant deities in Vedic religion. Notably, these mantras not only represent the oldest form of poetry but are also still recited and revered today. A prime example is the Gayatri mantra, which was composed in Rigveda and is used for worship or spiritual meditation.

Discovering the Origins of Poetry

The exact origins of poetry remain a mystery, with theories ranging from a form of storytelling to mnemonic devices. Rhyme, as a feature of poetry, likely originated as a way to aid memory, making it easier for ancient poets to recall lengthy narratives. One example is a purportedly ancient love poem attributed to an unknown Babylonian poet, which exemplifies early poetic expression:

Bridegroom dear to my heart,
goodly is your beauty, honey-sweet.
Lion dear to my heart,
goodly is your beauty, honey-sweet.

This adds context to the development of poetic form, showing that emotional and personal themes have been central to poetry since its inception.

Ancient Egyptian Love Poetry

Ancient Egyptian literature also contains some of the oldest known love poems. While the exact dating of these poems is uncertain, their content and style reflect deep emotions and personal connections between individuals. For instance, poems from the time of the Old Kingdom, around 2600 BC, suggest that love and romance were topics of poetic exploration, reflecting the human experience of the time.

The Tale of a Shipwrecked Sailor

The oldest known poem is thought to be the ancient Egyptian "Tale of a Shipwrecked Sailor," dated around 2200 BC. This narrative poem was written in hieroglyphics during the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt. The poem details the journey of a sailor who, despite surviving a perilous sea voyage, faces the disappointment of unfulfilled royal missions. His tale, though complex and filled with adventurous elements, serves as a testament to the sophistication of ancient storytelling techniques.

The slave, the attendant, told his Master how fortunate they had been to return safely from a long dangerous sea voyage. But the Master was now worried, because his royal mission was not accomplished. He had to tell the Pharaoh why the mission failed. The sailor to reassure his Master, tells about a fabulous voyage he himself undertook earlier, which had ended with him meeting a serpent-god and the Pharaoh.

The ship was 150 cubits long, 221.5 feet by 40 cubits wide, 59 feet, and manned by 150 powerful and good-hearted sailors, including himself. They were on a mission to the mines of the Pharaoh. But in a tempest, their ship sank with waves over 8 cubits high, 12 feet, and all were lost except the sailor. He was swept onto an island and, under a thicket for three days, found plenty of food. Satisfied, he built a fire and made burnt offerings to the gods. This attracted a huge serpent-god, who repeatedly asked him why he was on the island. The sailor admitted he was on a mission for the Pharaoh. The serpent told the sailor not to worry - the gods had intended for him to live, and proclaimed in four days, sailors who knew him would come to rescue him.

Meanwhile, the serpent had a tale of his own. The big snake and 74 of its kind, including his beautiful daughter, lived on the island for a while but one night a star fell from the sky, hit the island, and exploded, killing all 74 creatures. Only the giant snake escaped, and now, for the five days, everything had gone up in flames through it. The serpent advised the sailor to be brave and to control his heart, and if he did, he would return to his family. The sailor promised to tell the Pharaoh, who would reward the serpent with great riches, but the divine snake just laughed, saying he had all the riches he could want on the island, and adding, if the sailor returned, only water would be where the island now was.

The rescue ship arrived, and the sailor returned home loaded with rich gifts from the serpent, including precious perfumes, fine woods, and other valuables. Two months later, before the Pharaoh, the sailor explained his tale and presented the gifts. He was made an attendant of the Pharaoh and given his own servants.

This epic tale demonstrates the mastery of ancient narrative techniques and the richness of storytelling in ancient Egypt, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of human storytelling across millennia.

Conclusion

From the hymns of the Rigveda to the epic tales of ancient Egypt, the origins of poetry stand as a testament to the enduring human spirit. These oldest surviving forms of poetry not only capture the essence of early cultures but also offer insights into the emotional and spiritual lives of our ancestors, setting the stage for the evolution of poetry into its myriad forms that we know today.