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Heroes and Heroines Ben Loveland
Gilgamesh • In the ancient Sumerian city, Uruk, there was a very dominant king, Gilgamesh. He was a well-known soldier and had unbelievable fighting and combat skills. Many women did not like him, so he would kidnap any woman he desired, whether they were married or single. All the people of Uruk were infuriated with Gilgamesh. They wanted to stop his evil deeds, but no one was physically powerful enough to take him down. The people prayed to the goddess Aruruin hope that there would be a man powerful enough to beat him.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Aruru listened to these prayers and formed Enkidu, a man with legs like a bull and incredible strength. Enkidu would run with wild beasts and help free and defend them from hunters. Gilgamesh heard of Enkidu’s strength and wanted to battle him. He sent one of his women to seduce Enkidu. She found him by his watering hole and laid there naked. Enkidu arrived to his watering hole and lied next to her. The animals of the lands lost all respect for him by doing this and disowned him from their lives.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Enkidu had no home now and no friends or family, so he followed the woman back to Uruk. Gilgamesh had a dream that he would fight a worthy opponent. His mother, Nisun, told him this meant the battle between him and Enkidu would make them close friends. Gilgamesh was waiting for Enkidu as he arrived. They had a long and epic battle, but there was no winner. It was a draw between the two of them. As the dream predicted, they became good friends.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Gilgamesh invited Enkidu to live in the palace with him and allocate the power. Enkidu accepted his offer and they ruled together as friends. Enkidu one night had a horrifying dream that a creature with huge eagle claws would seize him and hurl him into the Underworld. After hearing about this Gilgamesh presented a sacrifice to the sun god, Shamash. He told them to fight the king of Cedar Mountian, Khumbaba. The people of Uruk urged the two not to fight, but they did not listen and went on their expedition.
Gilgamesh Cont. • They traveled northwest through immense deserts and mountains. They finally arrived at Cedar Mountian with Khumbaba watching over his realm. Gilgamesh offered a challenge to the king, but there was no response. They were forced to the stay the night and wait. That night Gilgamesh dreamt of triumph and by morning the king attacked them. Gilgamesh knocked the king to the ground and Enkidu beheaded him. Gilgamesh chopped the sacred cedars of the kingdom for Uruk’s temples.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Gilgamesh then made an offering to the gods and Ishtar appeared. She tried to seduce Gilgamesh, but he discarded her. Gilgamesh and Enkidu returned to Uruk, where Anu had sent the Bull of Heaven against the city. The Bull of Heaven attacked the city, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu stopped it by catching it and slaughtering it. Enkidu skinned the bull and threw it in the face of Ishtar. He said that he would do the same to her if he could. Ishtar put a curse on Enkidu that made him sick until he died.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Gilgamesh was in a great depression for his good friend. He then realized that he would die someday, so he went searching for everlasting life. He went on a journey for UtaNapishtim, for he was granted immortality by the god Enlil. He had to go through Mount Mashu, which was securely guarded by Scorpion Man. The head of the scorpions let them exceed through the tunnel. It was a very long tunnel in which they traveled. They finally reached the end into a garden where a goddess lived.
Gilgamesh Cont. • She advised him to return home and recommended that he take pleasure in life and allow death thankfully. He refused to turn back, so she gave him directions to Uta’s boatman. The boatman warned Gilgamesh of the treacherous water that surrounds Uta’s home. Gilgamesh was not turning back at this point and the boatman helped him cross the waters, till he finally arrived at the home of the immortal man. Gilgamesh gave his reasoning for coming to see Uta, but Uta just laughed in the face of Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Uta told the story of how he gained ever lasting life and challenged Gilgamesh to stay awake six days and seven nights, for that is what Uta did to receive his immortality. Gilgamesh accepted this challenge, but he quickly fell asleep. Uta’s wife felt bad for Gilgamesh, so she convinced Uta to give the secret. They told him of a plant that lay on the bottom of the sea that gives ever lasting life. He went on a search for this plant. He reached the sea and tied two boulders to his feet and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Gilgamesh Cont. • He picked the plant out of the ground when he saw it and untied the rocks from his feet. He shot back up to the surface and returned home with the plant. He passed the turbulent waters, the goddess’s garden, the tunnel of Mount Mashu, and traveled eastward. Along the way he stopped to bathe in a nearby watering hole. He laid the plant on a rock while he bathed. A snake then came up to the plant and ate it, while Gilgamesh was swimming.
Gilgamesh Cont. • Gilgamesh was in deep sadness, for he wasted so much time finding this plant and he would not get the gift of eternal life in the end. He got back home to Uruk depressed. The only thought that gave Gilgamesh joy is the idea that the walls of his empire would outlive him and symbolize his reign.
Differences and Comparisons • In the Greek and Babylonian myths, you can see some of the same and different qualities in the heroes. It seems that they categorize their heroes differently. Their definition defers from mythology to mythology. The traits in greek heroes were strength and beating monsters. The heroes in Babylonian were just having power. They did not have to be strong or fight random creatures.
Our Society • A lot of traits in our culture represent a good amount of what the Babylonians believed. Maybe not so much in the story of Gilgamesh, but their government, laws they live by, and just overall culture are very similar.
Sources • www.sacred-texts.com • http://library.thinkquest.org
