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EPIC OF GILGAMESH1 The Epic of Gilgamesh involves the gods in human activities. Because King Gil­ gamesh, son of a human father and the goddess Ninsun, drives his subjects too hard, they appeal to rhe gods for help. The gods decide thac a man of Gilgamesh's immense vigor and strength requires a rival with similar attributes with whom he can comend. The creation goddess, Aruru, is instructed to creace a man wor­ thy of Gilgamesh. From clay she fashions Enkidu in the image of Anu, the god of the heavens and father of all rhe gods. Enkidu is a powerful man who roams with the arumals and destroys traps sec by hunters, one of whom appeals to King Gil­ gamesh. The two of chem, accompanied by a harlot, find Enkidu at a watering place frequented by animals. The harloc removes her clothes and seduces Enkidu, who spends a week with her, oblivious co everything else. After this encounter, the bond between Enkidu and the animals is broken. He now enters civilization and is befriended by Gilgamesh, wich whom he slays the terrible monster Hum­ baba. Recurning co Uruk after the encounter with Humbaba, Gilgamesh washes away the grime of batrle and dons his royal clothes; thus arrayed he actraccs the goddess of love, Ishtar, patroness of Uruk, who proposes marriage, but because of Ishtar's previous marriages and infidelities, Gilgamesh refuses. Ishtar falls into a bicrer rage and appeals to her father, the god Anu, ro unleash the fearful Bull of Heaven on Gilgamesh. However, Gilgamesh and Enkidu together slay che beast. To avenge the deaths of Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven, the gods decide that Enkidu shall die. In the following passage, Enkidu dreams of his impending death and the House of Darkness, from which no one returns. When che daylight came Enkidu goc up and cried co Gilgamesh, "O my brother, such a dream I had lase nighr. Anu, Enlil, Ea and heav­ enly Shamash took counsel cogether, and Anu said co Enlil, 'Because they have killed the Bull of Heaven, and because they have killed Hum­ baba who guarded the Cedar Mountain one of rhe cwo muse die.' ...'' So Enkidu lay screeched ouc before Gil­ gamesh: his tears ran down in streams and he said co Gilgamesh, "O my brother, so dear as you are to me, brother, yec they will rake me from you." Again he said, "I mll5c sit down on rhe [hreshold 'Throughout the rext, tides original co rhe source appear in iralics. Tides added by rhe edicocs are not italicized. of che dead and never again wil.l I see my dear brother wich my eyes." ... In bitterness of spirit he poured ou[ his hearr co his friend. "l[ was I who cut down che cedar, I who levelled the forest, I who slew Humbaba and now see whac has become of me. Listen, my friend, this is the dream I dreamed lase night.The heavens roared, and earth rum­ bled back an answer; between rhem srnod I before an awful being, the sombre-faced man­ bird; he had direcced on me his purpose. His was a vampire face, his foot was a lion's foot, his hand was an eagle's talon. He fell on me and his claws were in my hair, he held me fast and I smothered; then he transformed me so that my_ arms became wings covered wich feathers. He turned his stare cowards me, and he led me away co the palace of Irkalla, the Queen of Darkness, Chapter l The Near East 5 co the house from which none who enrers ever returns, down che road from which there is no coming back. "There is che house whose people sic in dark­ ness; dust is their food and clay their meat. They are clothed like birds with wings for covering, they see no light, they sit in darkness. I entered the house of dust and I saw the kings of the earth, their crowns put away for ever; rulers and princes, all those who once wore kingly crowns and ruled the world in the days of old. They who had stood in the place of the gods like Anu and Enlil, stood now like servants co fetch baked meats in che house of dust, co carry cooked meat and cold water from che water-skin. In the house of dust which I encered were high priests and acolytes, priests of the incantation and of ec­ stasy; there were servers of the temple, and there was Etana, chat king of Kish whom the eagle carried co heaven in the days of old. I saw also Sarnuqan, god of cattle, and there was Ereshkigal the Queen of che Underworld; and Belie-Sheri squatted in fron_t of her, she who is recorder of the gods and keeps the book of death. She held a tablet from which she read. She raised her head, she saw me and spoke: 'Who has brought this one here)' Then I awoke like a man drained of blood who wanders alone in a waste of rushes; like one whom the bailiff has seized and his heart pounds with terror." Gilgamesh had peeled off his clothes, he lis­ tened to his words and wept quick tears, Gil­ gamesh listened and his cears flowed .... This day on which Enkidu dreamed came to an end and he lay suicken with sickness. One whole day he lay on his bed and his suffering increased. He said co Gilgamesh, the friend on whose ac­ count he had left the wilderness, "Once I ran for you, for the water of life, and I now have noth­ ing." A second day he lay on his bed and Gil­ gamesh watched over him but the sickness increased. A third day he lay on his bed, he called our to Gilgamesh, rousing him up. Now he was weak and bis eyes were blind with weeping. Ten days he lay and his suffering increased, eleven and twelve days he lay on his bed of pain. Then he called to Gilgamesh, "My friend, the great god­ dess cursed me and I must die in shame. I shall noc die like a man fallen in battle; I feared to fall, buc happy is the man who falls in the battle, for I must die in shame." And Gilgamesh wept over Enkidu. With the first light of dawn he raised his voice and said to the counsellors of U ruk "Hear me, great ones ofUruk, I weep for Enkidu, my friend, Bitterly moa11ing like a woman mourning I weep for my brother. 0 Enkidu, my brother, You were the axe at my side, My hand's strength, the sword in my belt, The shield before me, A glorious robe, my fairest ornament; An evil Face has robbed me. All the people of Eridu Weep for you Enkidu. What is chis sleep which holds you now, You are lost in the dark and cannot hear me." He couched his heart but it did not beac, nor did he lift his eyes again. When Gilgamesh touched his heart it did not beat. So Gilgamesh laid a veil, as one veils the bride, over his friend. He began co rage like a lion, like a lioness robbed of her whelps. This way and that he pacccl round che bed, he tore our his hair and strewed it around. He dragged off his splendid robes and flung them down as though they were abominations. In the first light of dawn Gilgamesh cried out, "I made you rest on a royal bed, you re­ clined on a couch at my left hand, the princes of the earth kissed your feet. I will cause all the people of Uruk to weep over you and raise the dirge of the dead. The joyful people will stoop with sorrow; and when you have gone co the earth I will let my hair grow long for yom sake, I will wander through the wilderness in the skin of a lion." The nexr day also, in the first light, Gilgamesh lamented; seven days and seven nights he wept for Enkidu, until the worm 6 Part One The Ancient World fastened on him. Only chen he gave him up co che earch, for the Anunnaki, the judges [of the dead},' had seized him .... In his despair, Gilgamesh is confronted with the reality of his own death. Yearning for eternal life, he seeks Utnapishtirn, legendary king of the city of Shurrupak, a man to whom the gods had granted everlasting life. since I have seen your face do nor let me see the face of death which I dread so much." She answered, "Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying co' You will never find char life for which you are looking. When che gods created man they allocced co him death, buc life they re­ tained in their own keeping. As for you, Gil­ gamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. let your cloches be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the liccle child that Bitterly Gilgamesh wepc for his friend Enkidu; he wandered over the wilderness as a hunter, he roamed over the plains; in his bit­ terness he cried, "How can I rest, how can I be at peace' Despair is in my heart. What my brother is now, chac shall I be when I am dead. Because I am afraid of death I will go as besc I can co find Ucnapishcim whom chey call the Faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods." So Gilgamesh travelled over the wilder­ ness, he wandered over the grasslands, a long journey, in search of Utnapishtim, whom the gods rook after che deluge; and they set him co live in the land of Dilmun, in the garden of the sun; and co him alone of men they gave ever­ lasting life....