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Originally written before 1900 BC, and probably existing much earlier, the most
complete version of this tale belonged to the seventh century library of
Assurbanipal, antiquary and last great king of the Assyrian Empire. He sent out
his servants to search the archives of Babylon, Uruk and Nippur to copy and
translate into the contemporary Akkadian Semitic those texts which were in the
older Sumerian language of Mesopotamia. Additional translations of Sumerian
texts have carried the history of the epic back into the third millennium BC.
In 1839 a young Englishman named Austin Henry Layard began excavating at
Ninevah and found this buried library. Decipherment was begun by Henry
Rawlinson in Baghdad and continued in the British Museum in 1855. Rassam,
Layard's collaborator, excavated the part of the library containing the
Gilgamesh tablets in 1853. George Smith recognised the importance of Gilgamesh
in 1872 and whipped up enthusiasm for a search for more tablets, particularly
relating to the incomplete account of the deluge.
There was a historical King Gilgamesh who lived and reigned c. 2700 BC.
According to one account, he was fifth in line from the founding of the first
dynasty of Uruk (after the flood) and reigned for 126 years. His son reigned
for a mere 30 years. He built a temple to Ninlil in Nippur, and possibly the
walls of Uruk, but not of burnt brick - this may be a mistake due to
misunderstanding of an earlier text by later redactors.
The is well told in the edition published by Penguin Classics.
Plot Summary
Prologue - Gilgamesh King in Uruk
A eulogy to wise and handsome Gilgamesh, King of Uruk (Uruk being the
biblical Erech, known today as Warka), who built brick walls, a rampart and a
temple for Anu, god of the firmament.
1 - The Coming of Enkidu
King Gilgamesh's strength and lust left him with no rivals, so the
gods prevailed on the goddess Aruru to make him a brother, which she duly did.
Thus Enkidu was created. Enkidu was brought up in the wild, eating grass in the
hills. He was the strongest man in the world. He was discovered by a hill
trapper who was so afraid of his strength that he sought advice from his father
on what to do with the beast. The trapper's father instructed him to go to
Gilgamesh and ask for his advice. Gilgamesh advised him to hire a harlot and
introduce her to Enkidu. They duly did this and the harlot stripped before
Enkidu, who was fascinated by her. She persuaded him to accompany her to see
Gilgamesh in the city of Uruk.
Gilgamesh told his mother Ninsun of his dreams. She interpreted them as
presaging the arrival of Enkidu in Uruk. The harlot encouraged the wild Enkidu
to be more genteel in manner. He was warned of the power of Gilgamesh. Enkidu
challenged Gilgamesh by preventing him from entering the house of a newly
wedded bride according to the custom ordained by the gods of 'the king to be
first and the husband to follow'. Gilgamesh threw him aside. Enkidu
acknowledged Gilgamesh's strength, and they became friends.
2 - The Forest Journey
Enkidu regretted that he was losing his powers and becoming weak, so
Gilgamesh had the idea of making a name for himself by raising a monument of
cedars to the gods. The trouble was, as Enkidu knew all too well, the cedars
were guarded by a fearsome giant called Humbaba. Gilgamesh was not afraid of
Humbaba, however Enkidu (having seen him before) was very concerned, as were
the rest of the king's subjects. Ninsun, Gilgamesh's mother, prayed to Shamash
(the sun god) to protect them, and gave Enkidu an amulet. Gilgamesh was
experiencing dreams that were worrying him, however Enkidu believed that they
foretold victory - and indeed, as soon as the first cedars were felled, the
great Humbaba was aroused and duly vanquished by the equal power of Gilgamesh
and Enkidu. The god of the earth, Enlil, was not happy about this and
threatened revenge on them both.
3 - Ishtar and Gilgamesh, and the Death of Enkidu
Having returned from the aforementioned adventure, Gilgamesh washed
himself and put on his royal robes. He looked very handsome and was noticed by
Ishtar, the goddess of love. She asked him to marry her and promised all sorts
of things. Gilgamesh was not having any of this, and reminded Ishtar of how
unfaithful she had been to a whole list of previous lovers. Ishtar fell into a
rage and went up to high heaven to ask her father, Anu, for the Bull of Heaven
with which to avenge Gilgamesh.
The fearsome Bull of Heaven rampaged the earth. With its first snort the earth
cracked and a hundred young men fell down to their death. Early in the fight
Enkidu was knocked down and got up immediately, but it was Gilgamesh who
defeated the Bull. They cut out its heart and gave it to Shamash. Ishtar rose
to the walls of Uruk and cursed Gilgamesh for killing the Bull of Heaven. When
Enkidu heard these words he tore off the Bull's right thigh and threw it at
her. Enraged by this, she called together the dancing and singing girls,
prostitutes and courtesans and set up lamentation over the thigh of the Bull of
Heaven.
The smiths and armourers admired the build and body of the beautiful Bull of
Heaven, and there were celebrations in the street as the crowd acknowledged the
strength and might of Gilgamesh.
That night, however, Enkidu had a dream which he related the following day to
Gilgamesh, in which the gods were meeting in council, and Enlil was declaring
that, because of his involvement with the deaths of Humbaba and the Bull of
Heaven, Enkidu must die.
With tears in his eyes, Enkidu prayed to Shamash, cursing the trapper; and the
harlot who civilised him, and thus led to his downfall. Shamash, however,
reminded him of the good times he had had, and Enkidu repented for his harsh
words.
Enkidu told Gilgamesh of another of his dreams in which he was transformed into
a bird and led to the palace of the Queen of Darkness. All the inhabitants of
this dark place were clothed like birds, and they were once rulers of earthly
kingdoms. The servants were those who once had the stature of gods. The Queen
of the Underworld was there, and the recorder of the gods who held the book of
death. She looked up and enquired as to who had brought Enkidu here.
At this point Enkidu woke up. Despite Gilgamesh's prayers, his lingering
illness worsened. Gilgamesh lamented greatly over his death, as did the people
of Uruk who built a statue decorated with gold and lapis lazuli in his honour.
4 - The Search for Everlasting Life
Gilgamesh wept bitterly for his brother, whose demise reminded him of
his greatest fear - death. He decided to find Utnapishtim (known as the
Faraway), who lived in the land of Dilmun, in the garden of the sun. To him
alone had the gods granted eternal life.
Our hero eventually arrived at the great mountains of Mashu, the gate of which
was guarded by two man-scorpions. They warned him that no mortal man had ever
done what he was to do. They opened the gate for him, and Gilgamesh walked in
total darkness for twelve leagues, after which he found himself in the garden
of the gods, surrounded by wonderful gems and riches.
He came across Shamash, who warned him that he would not find what he was
looking for. By the sea he encountered Siduri, goddess of wine, who looked on
him as a thief and bolted her gate against him. He pleaded that he was the
great hero King Gilgamesh. At first she didn't believe him, but later she
relented, and warned him again that he would not find eternal life.
Nevertheless, she told him that Utnapishtim lived across the Ocean. Gilgamesh
was carried across by the boatman Urshanabi, to whom he had to introduce
himself in much the same way as he did with Siduri; and likewise on meeting
Utnapishtim.
Utnapishtim reminded Gilgamesh that nothing on earth is permanent. With regard
to how he came to enter the company of gods and possess everlasting life, he
would tell Gilgamesh a secret:
5 - The Story of the Flood
Utnapishtim told a story of a city called Shurrupak, on the banks of
the Euphrates. The gods considered the noise made by man in this city to be
intolerable - so they agreed to exterminate mankind. Enlil was the main
protagonist, but Ea, god of waters, warned Utnapishtim of their plan in a
dream; telling him to tear down his house and build a boat, giving precise
measurements; and to take into it the seed of all living creatures.
The boat was built and loaded, and the rain came. The storm raged fiercely for
six days and nights. The great gods of heaven and hell wept. On the seventh day
the storm subsided and Utnapishtim opened the hatch and saw water all around.
The boat was grounded on the mountain of Nisir.
When it had been becalmed for seven days, he released a dove, who found no
resting place and returned. A swallow was then released who found no perch, but
the raven did not return.
Utnapishtim made a sacrifice and poured out a libation on the mountain top. All
of the gods were pleased except Enlil, who had intended to destroy all mankind.
Ea calmed him down, and Enlil took Utnapishtim and his wife into the boat and
made them kneel down on either side of him saying "In times past
Utnapishtim was a mortal man; now he shall live at the mouth of rivers."
6 - The Return
Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh to prevail against sleep for six days and
seven nights if he wished to gain eternal life. Gilgamesh, however, couldn't
stay awake; and slept for seven days, waking up with his ever-present fear of
death.
Utnapishtim banished the boatman Urshanabi; commanding him to take Gilgamesh,
let him wash, and give him new clothes. With this done, they were about to
launch off when Utnapishtim promised Gilgamesh a memento of the trip - a plant,
like a rose with a prickle like a thorn, found at the bottom of the sea. This
would restore lost youth.
Gilgamesh dived into the water to obtain this plant. Having travelled back
twenty leagues, Gilgamesh and Urshanabi were attacked by a serpent and lost the
plant.
On returning to Uruk with Urshanabi, the hero was worn out. However he was able
to engrave the story on a stone.
7 - The Death of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh's destiny, decreed by Enlil (the father of the gods), was
now fulfilled. The people of Uruk and his mother Ninsun mourned. The mourners
weighed out their offerings to Ereshkigal, the Queen of Death; Namtar, the god
of fate; and to all the gods of the dead. Gilgamesh lies in his tomb.
©John Crocker (November 1998).