The one who has discovered the essence of all things, who possesses all knowledge, should teach the nation. He should pass on his knowledge and people should share it. Gilgamesh was the master of wisdom. He knew the essence of all things. He discovered hidden secrets, passed on a story from the time before the Flood, went on a journey into the distance, returned tired and exhausted from his work and engraved his story on a stone tablet. It was he who built the walls of Uruk, the high walls, and it was he who made the foundation of Eanna, the sacred temple of An (Anu) and Inanna (Ishtar), as firm as brass and strengthened its base.
When the gods created Gilgamesh, they gave him a perfect body. Utu (Shamash), the sun god, gave him beauty. Adad, the god of the storm, gave him courage. The great gods made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others, fearsome like a great wild bull. They made him two-thirds god and one-third man.
The city of Uruk was besieged for three years. The donkeys have trampled down their foals. The cows rushed at their calves in their madness, and as the cattle are frightened, so are the people. As the doves sigh and mourn, so do the maidens. The gods of Uruk took the form of flies and buzzed through the streets. The guardian gods of Uruk took the form of mice and hid in their holes. The enemy besieged the city of Uruk for three years. The gates of the city were barred, the bolts were shot, and even the goddess Inanna could not take action against the enemy. But now the walls of Uruk, the strong walls, have been erected. Peace has returned. But Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, did not stop challenging the people beyond all measure. Ninsun, Gilgamesh's mother, complained to the gods:
"You gods of heaven and you, An, who brought my son into being, save us! Gilgamesh has no rival in all the land. The strike of his weapons is unrivaled, and the heroes of Uruk are intimidated. Your people now ask for your help. The arrogant Gilgamesh is no son of his father, yet the king should be the shepherd of the city."
Day and night, the people made their complaints:
"He is the ruler of Uruk, the city with the strong walls. He is the ruler, strong and clever, but Gilgamesh leaves no daughter to her mother, no virgin to the warrior and no wife to her husband."
The gods of heaven heard Ninsu's complaint. An heard them and summoned the goddess Ninhursag (Aruru):
"You, Ninhursag, created the first human. Now create a rival for him so that he can fight with him. Let them fight together and Uruk will be free."
When Ninhursag heard this, she created a man in her heart in the image of An. Ninhursag washed her hands, took a piece of clay and threw it on the ground. Thus she created Enkidu, the hero, as if he had been born from Ninurta. His whole body was covered with hair. He had long hair on his head like a woman. His flowing hair was luxuriant like that of the grain god. He ate herbs with the gazelles. He quenched his thirst with the animals. He amused himself with the creatures of the water.
Then a hunter, a trapper, watched him for one, two or three days at the place where the animals were drinking water. When he saw Enkidu, the hunter became sad and returned to his house with his cattle. He was sad and moaned and wept. His heart became heavy, his face clouded and sadness filled his mind. The hunter took the floor and turned to his father:
"Father, a big guy has come out of the mountains, his strength is the greatest in all the land. He is as strong as twice An himself. His strength is immense. He roams over the mountains and grazes with cattle in the pastures, and he claims the watering hole so that I am afraid to approach him. He has filled in the pits that I dug with my own hands. The traps I set have been torn apart. He has let all the cattle and animals of the desert escape from my clutches. He will not allow me to work or hunt in my field."
His father took the floor and turned to the hunter:
"Gilgamesh lives in Uruk, my son, whom no one has ever defeated. He is the strongest in all the land, twice the size of An himself. His strength is enormous. Go, set your face towards Uruk. When he hears of this monster, he will say, 'Go, O hunter, and take a courtesan with you, a hetaera from the temple of Inanna. When he gathers the cattle again at his watering place, she shall take off her cloak and reveal the magic of her beauty. Then he will see her and truly embrace her, and after that his cattle, with whom he was raised, will leave him immediately."
The hunter listened to his father's advice and went away to Gilgamesh, taking the road to Uruk. When he came to Gilgamesh, he addressed his speech to him and said:
"A great man has come down from the mountains. His strength is the greatest in all the land. He is as strong as twice An himself. His strength is immense. Again and again he moves over the mountains and grazes with cattle on the grass, and again and again he claims the waterhole, so that I am afraid to approach him. He has filled in the pits that I dug with my own hands. The traps I set are torn apart. He has let all the cattle and animals of the desert escape from my clutches. He will not allow me to work or hunt in my field."
Gilgamesh gave the hunter this answer:
"Go, O hunter, and take a courtesan girl with you, a hetaera from the temple of Inanna. When he gathers the cattle again at his watering place, she will take off her cloak and reveal the magic of her beauty. Then he will see her and truly embrace her, and after that his cattle, with whom he was raised, will leave him immediately."
The hunter went back and took a courtesan with him, a hetaera, the woman Shamhat. They set off together and on the third day they reached the agreed field. The hunter and the hetaera rested there. One day, two days, they lurked in front of the spring where the cattle used to quench their thirst, where the animals of the water amused themselves. Then came Enkidu, whose home was the mountains, who ate herbs with the gazelles and quenched his thirst with the cattle and rejoiced his heart with the creatures of the water, and Shamhat saw him. The hunter said:
"Behold, here he is, now unveil your body, expose yourself and let him enjoy your virtues. Do not be ashamed, but surrender to his sensual desire. He will see you and will approach you. Take off your robe and he will be in your arms. Satisfy his desire after the manner of women. Then the cattle, which grew up with him in the field, will leave him while he presses his breast firmly against yours."
Schamhat revealed her body, uncovered her nakedness, and let him enjoy her favors. She was not ashamed, but surrendered to his sensual lust. She took off her robe, he lay in her arms and she satisfied his desire in the manner of women. He pressed his chest firmly against hers. For six days and seven nights, Enkidu enjoyed Shamhat's love. And when he had satiated himself with her charms, he turned his face to his cattle. The gazelles, who were resting, caught sight of Enkidu. They and the cattle in the field turned away from him. This frightened Enkidu and his body became weak. His knees stiffened as his cattle moved away.
When Enkidu realized what had happened, he made a decision. He lay down at the feet of the temple girl again, spellbound with love, and looked up into Shamhat's face. As she spoke, his ears listened intently. Shamhat spoke to Enkidu and said:
"You are great, Enkidu, you should be like a god. Then why do you lie down with the beasts of the field? Come, I will take you to Uruk, to the magnificent house, the abode of An and Inanna, the palace of Gilgamesh, the hero who is perfect in strength and, like a mountain bull, surpasses men in power."
While she spoke to him like this, he listened to her wise speech. Then Enkidu spoke to her, the temple girl:
"Come, Shamhat, take me and lead me to the magnificent dwelling, the sacred seat of An and Inanna, to the palace of Gilgamesh, the hero who is perfect in strength and, like a mountain bull, surpasses men in power. I will challenge him."
Shamhat warned Enkidu with the words:
"You will see Gilgamesh. I have seen his face. It shines with heroic courage. He has strength, his whole body is magnificent. His strength is stronger than yours. He never rests and never tires, neither by day nor by night. O Enkidu, change your intention. Utu loves Gilgamesh."
An and Enki (Ea) whisper wisdom in her ear:
"Before you come down from the mountain, Gilgamesh will have seen you in a dream in Uruk."
Gilgamesh had a dream. He went to his mother to understand the dream and said to her:
"My mother, I dreamed a dream in my nighty vision. A star of heaven fell upon me like An's army. Though I wrestled with it, it was too strong for me, and though I loosened its grip on me, I could not shake it off. Then the people of Uruk stood around him. My own companions kissed his feet, and I held him to my breast like a woman. Then I introduced him to you so that you could recognize him as my equal.."
She, who knows all wisdom, answered her son:
"The Star of Heaven stands for a comrade who was like An himself. He fell on your shoulders, you wrestled with him, but he was too strong for you. Although you loosened his grip on you, you could not shake him off you. Then you introduced him to me so that I would recognize him as your equal. You pressed him to your breast like a woman: this is a strong bond. He is a friend, one who is ready to stand by a comrade, one whose strength is the greatest in all the land. So enormous is his strength as a double of An's own self. Now that you have pressed him to your breast as you would a woman, that is a sign that he will never leave you. That is the meaning of your dream."
Gilgamesh spoke to his mother again:
"Mother, I had a second dream: An axe struck Uruk, and people gathered around it: People stood around the axe. The people crowded in front of it, craftsmen crowded behind it, while I presented it to you. I held it to me like a woman so that you could recognize the axe as my equal."
She, the all-knowing, who knows all wisdom, answered her son like this:
"The axe you saw is a man. Like a woman, you have pressed him to your breast so that I may recognize him as your friend. This is a strong alliance. He is a friend ready to stand by a comrade. He will never leave you."
Shamhat spoke to Enkidu:
"The way I look at you, you are even like a god, O Enkidu. Why did you ever wander through the desert with the beasts of the field? I am leading you to Uruk, which is widely known, yes, to the sacred temple, the abode of An. O Enkidu, come that I may lead you to Eanna, the dwelling place of An, where Gilgamesh lives, he, the highest of creation. You will embrace him, and you will love him as yourself. Rise from the ground, which is only the bed of a shepherd."
Enkidu listened to what she said and took her advice: The woman's advice hit the mark. She took off a piece of cloth to clothe him with. She wore the other herself. She held him by the hand like a brother and led him to the shepherds' huts, the place of the sheepfolds. The shepherds gathered together when they saw him.
He used to suck the milk of wild animals! He broke the bread she set before him, but he stared ahead. Enkidu didn't know how to eat bread, and he didn't know how to drink mead either! Then the woman said to Enkidu:
"Enkidu, taste the bread, for it is life, indeed, the essence of life. Drink also of the mead, as is customary in the land."
Enkidu ate the bread, ate until he was full and drank seven cups of the mead. His spirits rose and he was cheerful. His heart was glad and his face was cheerful. He anointed himself with oil and became a man. He put on a robe to be like a man. He took his weapons. He hunted the lions that harassed the shepherds every night, and he caught the jackals. When he had defeated the lions, he let the shepherds sleep peacefully. Enkidu, their protector, became a man of full strength. Enkidu saw a man passing by, and when he saw the man, he said to Shamhat:
"Shamhat, bring me this guy. Where is he going? I want to know what he's up to."
Shamhat called out to the man to come to them and asked him:
"Oh, what are you looking for, sir?"
The man turned to her:
"I am going to collect the offerings due to the city of Uruk. Come with me and bring in the city's food in the name of the common good. You will see Gilgamesh, the king of the great Uruk. After a wedding, he sleeps with the bride first, exercising his birthright before the husband."
At the man's words, they went with him to Uruk. Enkidu went ahead, the temple girl behind him, and he entered Uruk. The people gathered behind him. When he stopped on the street of Uruk, the people who were crowding behind him called out:
"In fact, he is similar to Gilgamesh, smaller in stature, but his composition is stronger."
The couch for the love rites had been set up and Gilgamesh now came to sleep that night and enjoy the newly married woman. But Enkidu, who was standing there on the road, blocked Gilgamesh's path and threatened him with his strength. Gilgamesh showed his anger and he lunged at him: they met on the street. Enkidu barred the door with his foot and denied Gilgamesh entry. They wrestled and snorted like bulls, and the threshold of the door shattered. The wall shook as Gilgamesh wrestled and wrestled with Enkidu. Gilgamesh bent his leg to the ground so that his rage subsided and his anger was quenched. Then Enkidu spoke to Gilgamesh:
"Truly, your mother Ninsun gave birth to you and only you: the best cow in the cattle pen. Ninsun has raised you above all heroes, and Enlil has given you kingship over men."
Gilgamesh and Enkidu became friends, but Shamhat, the hetaera, left Enkidu. Enkidu stood there and listened to Gilgamesh, grieving, sitting in grief. His eyes filled with tears and his arms lost their strength. His body had lost its strength. Both took the other's hand and held on to each other like brothers, and Enkidu answered Gilgamesh:
"Friend, my sweetheart has wrapped her arms around my neck to say goodbye. That's why my arms are losing their strength. My body has lost its strength."
Gilgamesh decides to distract his friend from his grief and tells him his plan. He spoke to Enkidu:
"I, my friend, am determined to go to the cedar forest. Humbaba the savage lives there. I will defeat him and destroy the evil. Then I will cut down the cedar trees."
Enkidu replied to Gilgamesh:
"So know, my friend, that when I roamed the mountains with the animals, I marched for two hours from the edge of the forest to its depths. Humbaba, his roar was a whirlwind, flames came out of his mouth and his breath was death! Why did you want to accomplish this? An encounter with Humbaba would be an unequal battle."
Gilgamesh spoke to Enkidu:
"I go into the forest because I need the rich resources of its mountains."
Enkidu replied to Gilgamesh:
"But if we go to the Cedar Forest, you will find that its guardian is a fighter, strong, never sleeping, so that he can guard the Cedar Forest and make it a terror to mortals. Enlil has appointed him, Humbaba. His roar is a whirlwind, flames come out of his mouth, and his breath is death! Yes, if he hears just one step in the forest, just one footstep on the road, he roars: 'Who is this who descends into his forest?', and terrible consequences will seize the one who descends into his forest."
Gilgamesh replied to Enkidu::
"Who, my friend, is not conquered by death? A god certainly lives forever in daylight, but mortals: their days are numbered. Everything they do is but wind. But now that you fear death and reveal nothing of your courage, I will go before you as your protector! Your own mouth will tell the others that you feared the onslaught of battle, while I, should I fall, will have established my name forever. Gilgamesh fought with Humbaba the savage! In the future, when my children are born in my house and climb into your lap and say, 'Tell us all you know,' if you answer this, you will awaken in me even more longing for the cedars. I am determined to cut them down so that I may win eternal glory."
Gilgamesh turned to Enkidu again and said:
"Now, my friend, I must give my orders to the craftsmen to cast our weapons in our presence."
They gave the order to the craftsmen. The craftsmen prepared the mold, and they cast the axes, monstrous axes, each weighing three talents. They also cast the swords, monstrous ones. Their hilts weighed two talents. They had blades to match them: each weighed thirty manas. Their inlays were made of gold, thirty manas for each sword. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were loaded with them, each carrying ten talents.
And now at the seven-bolt portal of Uruk, when they heard the noise, the craftsmen gathered, the people gathered. There in the streets of Uruk, in Gilgamesh's honor, the elders of Uruk sat down before him. Gilgamesh spoke to them:
"You elders of Uruk, listen to me! I am going against Humbaba the Fierce, who, when he hears that I am coming, will say: 'Ah, let me see this Gilgamesh, of whom people speak, of whose fame the lands are filled. Then I will overpower him there in the forest of cedars. I will let the land hear how much the hero of Uruk resembles a giant. Yes, for I am determined to cut down the cedars so that I may gain eternal glory."
Gilgamesh received this answer from the elders of Uruk:
"Gilgamesh, because you are young, you are overconfident. And you're not sure how you're going to get there. We have been told of Humbaba, who is twice the size of a man. Who with free will would want to confront him or face his weapons? Who would march for two hours from the edges of the forest into its depths? Humbaba, his roar is a whirlwind, flames are in his maw, and his breath is death! Why do you want to do this? A fight with Humbaba would be an unequal fight."
Gilgamesh listened to the advice of his advisors and thought about it. Then he called out to his friend:
"Well, my friend, I will speak my mind. Indeed, I fear him, and yet I will go into the depths of the forest."
The elders said:
"Gilgamesh, do not rely solely on your own strength and do not put too much faith in your fighting skills. Truly, he who walks in front can protect a comrade. Your leader will protect you. Let Enkidu go before you, for he knows the way to the cedar forest. He is eager to fight and threatens to fight. Enkidu would watch over a friend, would protect a comrade. Yes, such a man would free his friend from the snares. We, O king, have paid close attention to your welfare in our conclave. You, O king, shall pay attention to us in return."
Gilgamesh spoke to Enkidu:
"Enkidu, my friend, to the palace of splendor let us go. Let us go to Ninsun, the glorious queen, yes, to Ninsun, the wisest of all wise women, the all-knowing one. She will tell us how to proceed."
Gilgamesh and Enkidu joined hands and went to the palace of splendor. Gilgamesh came to the glorious queen, to Ninsun, and he stood before her:
"Ninsun, I want you to know that I am embarking on a long journey: to Humbaba's homeland to face an unknown threat, to walk a path I do not know, which will be new from the time I set off until I return: until I arrive in the Cedar Forest, until I overthrow and destroy Humbaba, the fierce one. The sun god abhors all evil. Utu hates evil. Ask him to help us."
Ninsun listened to her son, to Gilgamesh. She went into her chamber and adorned herself with the flowers of Tulal, put the festive garments on her body, put on the festive adornment of her bosom, crowned her head with a wreath, climbed the stairs, ascended the roof and mounted the parapet. She offered her incense to Utu and made her sacrifice to him. Then she raised her hands in prayer to Utu and said:
"Why have you given Gilgamesh, my son, this restlessness of spirit? You have given him the restlessness, and now he wants to undertake a long journey to where Humbaba lives, to meet an unknown threat, to walk a path he does not know, which will be new from the time he sets out until he returns: until he comes to the cedar forest, until he overthrows Humbaba, the fierce one, and destroys him. You detest all evil. You hate evil. Remember my son when that day comes, when he faces Humbaba. May Aya, your bride, remind you of my son."
Now Gilgamesh knelt before Utu to say a prayer. Tears streamed down his face:
"I raise my hands, Utu, and ask you to spare my life and bring me back to Uruk: Give me your protection. I will give you homage.."
Utu responded by speaking through his oracle and granted him protection. The craftsmen brought the equipment. They brought enormous axes, they gave him the bow and the quiver. Gilgamesh took an axe, he slung on his quiver and attached his sword to his baldrick. But before the two of them set off on their journey, they offered gifts to the sun god so that he would bring them back safely to Uruk. Then the elders gave Gilgamesh their blessing and gave him advice for the journey:
"Oh Gilgamesh, do not rely on your own strength, take care of yourself. Let Enkidu go before you for your protection. He is the one who knows the way, the way he has gone before. Truly, all the paths of the forest are under the watchful eye of Humbaba. May the sun god grant you success so that you may reach your goal. May he clear the path that is blocked. May he clear a path through the forest for you to walk on.
May the god Lugalbanda bring you dreams that delight you so that they may help you reach your goal, for like a boy you have resolved to overthrow Humbaba. When you stop for the night, dig a well so that the water in your skin bottle is pure and cool. Pour out an offering of water to the sun god and don't forget Lugalbanda."
Gilgamesh put his cloak around his shoulders and they set off together on the road to Humbaba.
They had a meal every forty miles. Every sixty miles they took a rest. They crossed Enlil's mountain and Gilgamesh poured out an offering for him:
"Mountain, give me a dream."
The mountain gave him a dream. A gust of cold wind made him sway like the grain of the mountains. He was immediately overcome by the sleep that overtakes a man. At midnight, he suddenly ended his sleep and hurried to his companion to talk to him:
"Didn't you call me, friend? Why did I wake up from the sheep? Did you touch me, or did a ghost pass me by? Why am I trembling?"
Gilgamesh tells Enkidu his dream and Enkidu said:
"The meaning of the dream is this. The Father of the Gods has given you kingship, that is your destiny. He has given you power to bind and to loose, to be the darkness and light of mankind. He has given you an unrivaled dominion over men, a victory in battle from which no fugitive returns, in forays and assaults from which there is no turning back. But do not abuse this power, act justly with your servants in the palace, act justly before Utu."
Gilgamesh and Enkidu reached the cedar forest. The forest was surrounded by a wall, but it had a gate. Enkidu raised his eyes and spoke to the gate as if it were a human being:
"O gate of the forest, for forty miles I have admired your wonderful wood, your forest has no equal in other lands. Six gar your height and two gar your width. Oh, if only I had known, O gate, of your greatness, I would lift an axe."
Enkidu and Gilgamesh opened the gate. They stood and stared at the forest. They looked at the height of the cedars. They looked for the paths into the forest: where Humbaba walked, there was a path. The paths were laid out and well maintained. They saw the cedar hill, the abode of the gods, the sanctuary of Inanna. In front of the hill stood a cedar of great splendor, beautiful and good was its shade, which filled the heart with joy.
Humbaba caught sight of Gilgamesh and taunted him. Gilgamesh prepared for battle. The sun god saw Gilgamesh through the branches of the cedar trees. Gilgamesh begged him for help. The sun god listened to Gilgamesh's plea, and against Humbaba he let mighty winds arise: a great wind, a wind from the north, a wind from the south, a storm and thunderstorm wind, a cold wind and a whirlwind, a wind of disaster: he let eight winds arise, which seized Humbaba from the front and from behind, so that he could neither go forward nor back. Humbaba said to Gilgamesh:
"O Gilgamesh, I beg you, hold out your hand: be my lord now, and I will be your follower: forget all the words I have spoken so arrogantly against you."
Then Enkidu spoke to Gilgamesh:
"You can't risk taking the advice Humbaba gives you. Humbaba must not be allowed to stay alive."
They cut off Humbaba's head and threw the corpse to the vultures. Then they went back to Uruk. Gilgamesh cleaned his weapons and polished his armor. He took off the armor he was wearing. He took off his dirty robes and put on clean ones. He covered himself with his jewelry and put on his belt. Gilgamesh placed the crown on his head.
To win Gilgamesh's favor and love, Inanna, the exalted goddess, asked him, saying:
"Come, Gilgamesh, be my husband, give me your manly strength. Be my husband, let me be your wife, and I will put you in a chariot studded with precious stones and gold, with wheels of gold and axles of sapphires. You shall harness great Kudanu lions to it. You shall enter our house, which stands under the fragrant cedars. When you enter our house, you shall sit on an exalted throne, and people shall kiss your feet. Kings and princes and rulers shall bow down before you. All that the mountains and the land produce, they shall bring you as tribute. Your sheep shall have twin lambs. You will sit on a magnificent chariot pulled by a team that is second to none."
Gilgamesh wanted to say something back and said to Inanna:
"Yes, but what could I give you if I took you as my wife? I would provide you with oils for your body and clothing. I would also give you bread and other food: There should be enough food to be found that is suitable for a deity. I could also give you a potion suitable for royalty. But what advantage would I have if I took you as my wife?
You are like a building that offers people no protection from the weather. You are like a door that can withstand neither wind nor storm. You are like a palace that collapses on the heroes inside. You are like a trapdoor with a ceiling that treacherously gives way. You are like pitch that contaminates the one who wears it. You are like a bottle that spills on the one who carries it. You are like a limestone that causes stone walls to collapse. You are like a sandal that causes its owner to stumble.
Who was the man you loved faithfully for all time? Who was your master who took the advantage over you? Come, I will tell you the endless story of your husbands.
Where is your husband Tammuz, who should be yours forever? Well, I will tell you clearly the terrible result of your behavior. You have made Tammuz, the husband of your youth, weep and made him mourn every year.
You loved the Allallu bird, which is so colorful. But you broke its wing and crushed it so that it now sits in the forest and cries: 'Oh, my wing!' You also loved a lion who was very strong. Seven times you dug a pit for him. You also loved a horse that excelled in battle, but with bridle, spur and whip you forced it to run seven double miles at a stretch and when it was tired and wanted to drink, you drove it on. You made its mother, Si-li-li, weep and grieve.
You also loved a shepherd of the flock who constantly poured out incense before you and who slaughtered lambs day after day for your pleasure. You smote him and turned him into a tiger, so that his own sheeps drove him away and his own dogs tore him to pieces.
You also loved one of your father's gardeners, who constantly brought you delicacies and decorated your table for you every day. You kept an eye on him and said, 'O my Ishullanu, come, let me taste your strength, let us enjoy your manhood.' But he, Islulanu, said to you, 'What do you want from me? I have only eaten what my mother baked, and what you would give me would be bread of transgression, yes, and of injustice! Besides, when is thin reed a cloak against winter?' You heard his answer and struck him and made him a spider, so that he stayed in the middle of the wall of a house and could not move upwards in case water ran off the roof, nor downwards lest he be crushed.
That's how you would love me too and then treat me like them."
When Inanna heard these words, she was angry and went up to heaven. She went to An, her father, and Antum, her mother, and spoke to them:
"My father, Gilgamesh has insulted me. Gilgamesh has reproached me for my evil deeds, my evil and violent deeds."
An spoke to her, the mighty goddess Inanna:
"You asked him to give you the fruit of his body. That is why he told you the story of your evil and violent deeds."
Inanna said to An, her father:
"Father, make me a heavenly bull that defeats Gilgamesh and fills his body with flames. If you will not make this bull for me, then I will smash the gates of the underworld, tear them down and release the spirits, who will then outnumber the living. More than the living will be the dead."
An answered Inanna, his daughter:
"If I create the heavenly bull you ask me for, then seven years of famine will follow his attack. Have you gathered enough grain and enough food for the cattle?"
Inanna answered and spoke to An, her father:
"I hoarded grain for the people and grew fodder for the cattle."
An created the heavenly bull. A hundred men attacked the bull, but he destroyed them with his fiery breath. Then two hundred men attacked the bull, but he destroyed them too. Then three hundred men attacked the bull, but they too were overpowered. Then Gilgamesh and Enkidu met the bull. Enkidu girded his middle, and immediately Enkidu sprang, seized the heavenly bull by the horns and headlong before him he cast down the Heavenly Bull in his full length. Gilgamesh plunged the dagger into his heart. Then Inanna climbed onto the wall of Uruk, the strong wall. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and uttered a curse, saying:
"Woe to Gilgamesh, who has so grieved me and killed the heavenly bull."
But when Enkidu heard Inanna's words, he tore out the right side of the heavenly bull, threw it in her face and said:
"That's the bull. I want to do to you what I did to him. Truly, I would wrap the entrails around you like a belt."
Then Inanna gathered her followers, the temple maidens, the hierodules and the sacred prostitutes. She wept and lamented over the right side of the heavenly bull. Gilgamesh, however, gathered the people and all his craftsmen around the bull. The craftsmen marveled at the size of its horns. They were worth thirty minas of precious stones. They were half an inch thick. They could both hold six measures of oil. He dedicated it for the anointing of his god Lugalbanda. He brought the horns with him and hung them up in the shrine of his lordship. Then they washed their hands in the Euphrates, set off for the city and rode through the streets of Uruk. The people of Uruk gathered and looked at the heroes in amazement. Then Gilgamesh spoke to the servants of his palace, called out to them and said:
"Who is the most glorious of heroes? Who shines among men?"
They replied:
"Gilgamesh is the most glorious of heroes, Gilgamesh shines among men!"
Gilgamesh organized a joyful feast in his palace. Then the heroes fell asleep on their couches.
Enkidu had a vision in his sleep. He arose and spoke to Gilgamesh:
"My friend, why did the great gods consult? Gilgamesh, listen to the dream I had that night: Enlil, Enki and the sun god of heaven said, 'They have killed the heavenly bull and slain Humbaba, who guarded the cedars.' Enlil said, 'Enkidu shall die, but Gilgamesh shall not die.' O sun god, you helped them to slay the heavenly bull and Humbaba. Therefore Enkidu must die. Did you think it right to help them? You move among them like a mortal."
The gods give Enkidu a fever. Enkidu curses the temple girl for bringing him to Uruk.
"O hetaera, I will impose a terrible fate on you. There shall be no end to your suffering for all eternity. Come, I will curse you with a bitter curse: May there never be satisfaction for your desires. May disaster befall your house. May the gutters of the street be your dwelling. May the shadow of the wall be your abode. May burning heat and thirst destroy your strength."
The sun god heard him and said to him from heaven:
"O Enkidu, why do you curse the hetaera? It was she who made you eat bread worthy of the gods. Yes, she also made you drink wine worthy of kings. She put a generous cloak on you and gave you Gilgamesh, a splendid companion. He will give you a magnificent funeral, so that the gods of the underworld will kiss your feet in homage to you. He will also get all the people of Uruk to lament and mourn in your honor. Virgins and heroes will weep at your funeral, while he himself will cover himself in dust for your sake, put on the skin of a lion and march across the desert."
Enkidu listened to the brave Utu's words, and when the sun god had finished speaking, Enkidu's anger was appeased.
"Hetaera, I reverse my curse and I give you back your place with a blessing! May monarchs, princes and chieftains fall in love with you. May the hero comb out his curls for you. May those who want to embrace you open their purses, and may your bed be azure and golden. May they ask you kindly, may they heap up treasures before you. May you enter into the presence of the gods. May you be the mother of seven brides."
Enkidu said to Gilgamesh:
"Friend, I had a dream in the night: the sky was thundering, it echoed over the earth, and I was standing alone when I saw a man. His face was very dark and his nails were like the claws of a lion. He overpowered me, wrestled me down and seized me. He led me into the dwelling of darkness, the home of Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld, the dwelling from which those who enter it never come out again! I was on the path of no return, to the dwelling whose inhabitants are always deprived of daylight, where their food is dust and the mud is their sustenance. Like birds, they wear a robe of feathers, but as they sit there in the darkness, they never see the light. Those who wore crowns, who once ruled over the land, were the servants of An and Enlil. They brought in the food and served them cool water. When I entered this house of dust, there sat high priests and acolytes, seers and magicians, the priest who the Sea of the great gods anointed. Here sat Etana, the hero. Also the queen of the underworld, Ereshkigal, in whose presence the scribe of the underworld, Belit-seri, sat and read to her. She raised her head and behelded me and I awoke in terror."
Enkidu lay for twelve days. He lay on his couch for twelve days before he died. Gilgamesh wept bitterly over the loss of his friend, and he lay on the ground and said:
"I'm not dying, but the weeping has entered my heart. The fear of death has seized me and I am lying here stretched out on the ground. Listen to me, elders. I weep for my comrade Enkidu and cry bitterly like a wailing woman. My grip on the axe has loosened, for I have been overcome by grief and am in distress. Comrade and henchman, Enkidu, what is this slumber that has befallen you? Why are your eyes dark, why can't you hear me?"
But he did not raise his eyes, and his heart, when Gilgamesh felt it, did not beat. Then he covered his friend with a veil like a bride. He raised his voice like a lion, roared like a lioness robbed of her cubs. He paced back and forth in front of his comrade, tore out his hair and threw off his robe. He threw away all his grace. When the morning dawned, Gilgamesh said:
"Friend, I will give you a magnificent funeral, so that the gods of the underworld will kiss your feet and pay you homage. I will make all the people of Uruk lament and mourn in your honor, and damsels and heroes will weep at your funeral, while I myself will cover myself in dust for your sake, and put on the skin of a lion and march across the desert."
Gilgamesh fetched a mighty platter of wood from the highlands. He filled a bowl of shining ruby with honey. He filled an azure blue bowl with cream for the gods. Then he buried Enkidu.
After the funeral, Gilgamesh went into the desert. Gilgamesh wept bitterly for Enkidu, his comrade:
"I too - shall I not die like Enkidu? Sorrow has entered my heart. I fear death as I wander through the desert. Therefore, I will take the road to the estate of Utnapishtim, the descendant of Ubara-Tutu. I will travel with haste."
In the darkness, he came to the edge of the mountain and encountered lions that filled him with terror. He raised his head to the sky and offered his prayer to the moon god Nanna (Sin): "Oh, save me!" He took his axe in his hand and drew out his blade. He jumped between the lions, struck and crushed them, and they were defeated.
When he reached the mountains of Mashu, which watch over the rising and setting of the sun god every day, the peaks rise up to the zenith of the sky and reach deep down into the underworld to their roots. There at their gates stand watchful the scorpion men, awful is their terror, their gaze is death. Mighty, shaking the hills, was their magnificience. They are the guardians of Utu, both at his rise and at his fall. Gilgamesh had barely caught sight of them when his face turned pale with shock and horror. As if unconscious, he lay down at their feet. Then the scorpion man spoke to his wife:
"Look who is coming to us. His body is the flesh of the gods.."
Then his wife answered the scorpion man:
"Two parts of him are divine. One third of him is human."
Gilgamesh explains why he is looking for Utnapishtim. It is a journey that no one has ever undertaken before. But the scorpion man agrees to let him take the road of the sun - a tunnel that leads through the mountain. Gilgamesh travels in the dark for twenty-four hours and finally arrives at the Garden of the Gods, which is full of fruit trees. Utu enters the garden and is surprised to see Gilgamesh in it.
"This man wears the skins of wild animals and has eaten their flesh. This is Gilgamesh, who has gone where no man has gone before."
Utu was moved with compassion, summoned Gilgamesh and said:
"Gilgamesh, why are you here so far away from Uruk? You won't find the life you're looking for here."
Gilgamesh then replied to the sun god Utu:
"Shall I, after wandering as a wanderer over the wastelands, lay my head in the bowels of the earth and slumber forever through the years? My eyes shall see the sun and be saturated with brightness, yes, darkness will be banished far away when there is enough brightness. When will the dead ever see the light of sunshine again?"
Utu told Gilgamesh that humans cannot escape mortality. Nevertheless, he lets him continue his search. Gilgamesh approaches the house of Siduri, a vintner, which lies on the other side of Mount Mashu.
Siduri was the vintner's name. Wine was her craft. She was covered with a veil. Gilgamesh, wrapped in furs, wandered to her. He possessed the flesh of the gods, but there was sorrow in his belly. His face was like that of a man who has gone on a long journey. The vintner saw him coming in the distance, and she wondered. She said to herself in her mind:
"This is someone who would rape a woman. Why does he come here?"
As soon as the vintner saw him, she locked the gate, bolted the front door, locked her chamber door and climbed onto the terrace. Gilgamesh immediately heard her locking the house, lifted his chin and watched her. Gilgamesh spoke to Siduri and said:
"Vintner, what did you see, that you bolted the gate, bolted the front door, bolted your chamber door? I could smash your gate and break the bolt."
The vintner spoke to Gilgamesh and replied::
"Why is your strength so weakened, why is your face sunken, why is your spirit so sad and why has your cheerfulness ceased? I see there is sorrow in your belly! Like one who has traveled a long way, your face is weathered by cold and heat. You are a man who has wandered through the desert."
Gilgamesh answered the vintner and said:
"Vintner, why should not my strength be spent and my face sunken, my spirit sorrowful, and my mirth ceased? Why shouldn't my belly lament and my face be like one that has traveled a long way, weathered by cold and heat as I wander through the desert?
Enkidu and I, together we overcame all obstacles, climbed the mountains, caught the heavenly bull and destroyed him. We overthrew Humbaba, who lived in the cedar forest. We killed the lions there on the mountain passes. Enkidu, who endured all the hardships with me, was my companion - and his fate caught up with him. I mourned him for six days until his funeral. Only then was I able to bury him.
I fear death, so now I roam the desert: the fate of my comrade lays heavy on me. But how can I give voice to my feelings? For the comrade I loved so much has become like dust. He whom I loved has become like dust. Shall I not also lie down like him, for all eternity, never to return?"
The vintner answered Gilgamesh:
"Gilgamesh, why are you running so far when you will not find the life you seek here? Because when the gods created mortals, they assigned death to man, but they kept life for themselves. Gilgamesh, fill your belly with food, be happy every day and every night and make every day a day of celebration. Dance every day and every night and rejoice. Wear clean clothes, have your head washed clean and bathe in water. Cherish the little one you holding your hand. Keep your spouse close to you and be happy, for that is what is given to men."
Gilgamesh continued his speech to the vintner and said:
"Tell me, vintner, which is the way to Utnapishtim? If it is possible, I will even cross the ocean itself, but if it is impossible, I will cross the desert."
The vintner answered him and said:
"There has never been a crossing before. No one who has come this far has ever been able to cross the ocean. Utu crosses it, of course, but who but Utu makes the crossing? The way is rough, and the waters of death are deep when you reach them. Gilgamesh, if by chance you manage to cross the ocean, what will you do when you reach the waters of death? Gilgamesh, there is a man called Urshanabi, the boatman of Utnapishtim. He has the ferry for the crossing. Go to him now and if it is possible to cross the ocean with him, then cross it, but if it is not possible, then go back to your home."
After Gilgamesh heard this, he set off for Urshanabi. But he was seized by a delusion (?). He went to the shore, to Urshanabi's boat. He took his axe in his hand and his dagger from his belt. He crept forward and lunged at the threat like a spear. Then he went into the forest and sat down. Urshanabi saw the dagger flash and heard the axe, and he struck his head, for Gilgamesh had smashed the rigging of the boat in his anger. Then Urshanabi spoke to Gilgamesh and said:
"Tell me your name, for I am Urshanabi, follower of the distant Utnapishtim."
Gilgamesh replied:
"Gilgamesh is my name. I come here from Uruk. I am one who has crossed the mountains, made an arduous journey of sunrise. Now that I have seen your face, Urshanabi, let me see Utnapishtim, the distant one!"
Urshanabi spoke to Gilgamesh and said:
"Why is your strength so weakened, why is your face sunken, why is your spirit so sad, and why has your cheerfulness ceased? I see there is sorrow in your belly! Like one who has traveled a long way, your face is weathered by cold and heat, like that of a man who has wandered through the desert."
Gilgamesh replied:
"Why should not my strength be spent and my face sunken, my spirit sorrowful, and my mirth ceased? Why should there not be sorrow in my belly and my face be like one that has traveled a long way, weathered by cold and heat as I wander through the desert?
Enkidu and I, together we overcame all obstacles, climbed the mountains, caught the heavenly bull and destroyed him. We overthrew Humbaba, who lived in the cedar forest. We slew the lions there in the mountain passes. He endured all the hardships with me. Enkidu was my comrade and his fate caught up with him. I mourned him for six days until his funeral. Only then was I able to bury him.
I feared death, so now I roamed the desert: the fate of my comrade lay heavy on me. How can I express my feelings? For the comrade I loved so much has become like dust. He whom I loved has become like dust. Should I not also lie down like him, for all eternity, never to return?"
Gilgamesh continued his speech to Urshanabi and said:
"Please tell me, Urshanabi, which is the way to Utnapishtim? If it is possible, I will even cross the ocean itself, but if it is impossible, then I will cross the desert."
Urshanabi spoke to Gilgamesh and said:
"Gilgamesh, your own hand has prevented you from crossing the ocean, you have destroyed the sails and wrecked the ferry. Gilgamesh, take your axe in your hand, descend into the forest and make one hundred and twenty poles, each five gar long. Make buttons out of bitumen, also sockets. Add them to the poles and bring them to me."
When Gilgamesh heard this, he took the axe in his hand and drew his sword, went into the forest and made poles five gar long each, made buttons out of bitumen, added sockets to the poles and brought them to Urshanabi.
Gilgamesh and Urshanabi set off in their boat. They launched it and got on board. In three days they covered the distance of a month and a half's journey, and Urshanabi saw that they had arrived at the waters of death. Urshanabi said to Gilgamesh:
"Gilgamesh, take the first pole, thrust it into the water and push the ship forward, but do not let the waters of death touch your hand. Gilgamesh, take a second, a third and a fourth pole, Gilgamesh, take a fifth, a sixth and a seventh pole, Gilgamesh, take an eighth, a ninth and a tenth pole, Gilgamesh, take an eleventh and a twelfth pole!"
After one hundred and twenty poles, Gilgamesh took off his robe, put the mast in its socket and used his robe as a sail. Utnapishtim looked into the distance and said to himself:
"Why are the sails of the ship destroyed, and why is someone sailing on the ship who is not in my service? This is no mortal who comes, but neither is he a god."
Utnapishtim asked Gilgamesh the same questions that Siduri and Urshanabi had already asked, and Gilgamesh replied with the same answers. Then Gilgamesh said to Utnapishtim:
"I have come here to find you, whom people call the 'Far One', so that I can ask you for help. I have traveled through all the lands. I have crossed the steep mountains and crossed all the seas to find you, to find eternal life."
Utnapishtim answered Gilgamesh and said:
"Does someone build a house that stands forever, or does he make a contract for all time? The dead are all equal, and death makes no distinction between servant and master when they have reached their allotted lifetime. Then the Anunnaki, the great gods, regulate the fate of mankind. Mammetum, the administrator of destiny, regulates our fate with them. They determine death and life, but the day of death is not revealed."
Gilgamesh said to Utnapishtim:
"I look at you with astonishment, Utnapishtim! Your appearance has not changed. You are like me. Your nature hasn't changed either. In your essence, you are like me, even though you now have eternal life. But my heart is still struggling with all the obstacles that no longer bother you. Tell me, how did you come to live here and receive eternal life from the gods?"
Utnapishtim answered Gilgamesh:
I will reveal to you the mysterious story, and I will tell you one of the secrets of the gods. The city of Shurippak is a city which, as you know, lies on the banks of the Euphrates. The gods in it decided to bring about a flood, even the great gods, however many there were.
But Enki, the lord of unfathomable wisdom, contradicted them. Although he could not tell anyone directly, he gave me a dream. In the dream, he first told their plan in a reed hut and said:
"I won't be able to stop the flood [and I'm not allowed to speak to you]: Reed hut, listen to me! Man of Shurippak, son of Ubara-Tutu, construct a ship. Build it as a house. Give up your possessions and take care! Give up your possessions, save your life, and bring the living seed of every kind of living creature into the ship. As for the ship you are to build, let it be well measured: let its breadth and its length be in proportion to one another, and then launch it into the sea."
I took care and said to Enki, my master:
"I will do, my Lord, what you have commanded. I will keep it and fulfill the commandment. But what shall I say when the city, the people and the elders question me?"
Enki said to me, his servant:
"Man, tell them this in response: 'I know Enlil hates me. I can no longer live in your city. I can no longer live safely in Enlil's territory either. I will go down to the sea and live with Enki, my lord. He will pour out abundant blessings. He will give birds in abundance and fish in abundance, herds of cattle and a rich harvest.'"
As soon as dawn broke, I dreaded the brightness of the day. I gathered everything I needed. On the fifth day, I drew the design. The sides were ten gars high in the middle. The deck was also ten yards wide. I added a canopy and finished it off. I built it in six storeys, making a total of seven storeys. I divided the inside of each floor into nine compartments. I cut out vessels for the water inside. I chose a mast and added everything I needed. I smeared three coats of pitch on the outside. I used three coats of asphalt for the inside. The men carried three pails of oil in containers. I kept one pail of oil outside and used it for sacrifices, while the other two pails were stowed away by the boatman. I slaughtered oxen for the temple of the gods. Day after day I slaughtered lambs. Jugs of cider, oil and sweet wine, large bowls like flowing river water, I poured out as libations. I made a feast for the gods like the New Year. I added rigging above and below, and when everything was finished, the ship sank two-thirds of its height into the water. I filled it with everything I had. I filled it with all the silver I had. I filled it with all the gold I had. With living creatures of all kinds I filled it. And I also embarked all my family and my relatives, the cattle of the field, the beasts of the field and the righteous people - I embarked them all.
Enki had determined a time, namely:
"When the rulers of darkness send a destructive rain at dusk, go into the ship and close its door."
This is exactly the sign that has come to pass. The rulers of darkness have sent a destructive rain at dusk. I saw the storm approaching and I was afraid to experience the storm. I entered the ship and closed the door. I entrusted the running of the ship to the boatswain, entrusting him with the big house and the contents inside. As soon as dawn broke, a black cloud rose on the horizon in which the weather god thundered. The king of the gods went before it. The destroyers marched over mountain and valley. They tore loose the shackles that held back the water. They caused the banks to overflow. The Anunnaki raised their torches and lit up the universe with their brilliance. The storm that the gods had conjured up swept up to the heavens and all light turned to darkness. The storm blew violently and flooded the land. In one day it rose over the mountains. Like an onslaught in battle, it pounced on the people. The brother could not save the brother. Even the gods were afraid of the storm. They retreated and took refuge in the sky of An. There the gods crouched like dogs, in the sky they sat cowering.
Then Inanna cried out like a woman in labor. The goddess wailed in a loud voice and said:
"The old world has become clay again because I consented to this evil in the council of the gods. Alas, that I consented to this evil in the council of the gods, alas, that I was for the destruction of my own people. Where is all that I have created, where is it? Like the spawn of fish, it fills the sea."
The gods wept with her. The gods were bowed down and sat there weeping. Their lips were pressed together in fear and horror. The wind blew for six days and nights. Storms and tempests swept the land.
When the seventh day came, the storm, the tempest and the battle they had waged like a great army began to subside. The sea calmed down. The storm and the tempest ceased. I looked out at the sea and raised my voice loudly, but all humanity had turned back to clay, just as the surrounding field had become the bed of the rivers. I opened the air hole and light fell on my cheek. Startled, I sank back and sat crying as tears streamed down my cheek. I looked in all directions, and lo and behold, everything was sea. Now, after twelve days, a strip of land rose out of the water. The ship drifted towards Mount Nisir. On Mount Nisir the boat remained fixed and did not slip away.
On the first day, on the second day, Mount Nisir held the ship firmly and did not let it slip away. On the third day, on the fourth day, Mount Nisir held the ship and did not let it slip away. On the fifth day, on the sixth day, Mount Nisir held the ship firmly and did not let it slip away. When the seventh day came, I sent out a dove and let it fly. The dove flew back and forth, but since there was no place for it to rest, it returned. Then I sent out a swallow and let it fly. The swallow flew back and forth, but as there was no place for it to rest, it too returned. Then I sent out a raven and let it fly. The raven flew away and saw that the water was receding. He flew away, settled down to eat and never came back.
Then I let everyone out of the boat and made an offering. I poured out a libation on the top of the mountain. I set up the incense burners and poured in calamus, cedar wood and sweet incense. The gods smelled the fragrance.
The gods gathered around the sacrifice like flies. But when the goddess Inanna came closer, she lifted up the precious necklace that An had made according to her wishes and said:
"I am the mistress of the world: all you gods here, by my necklace, I will not forget. These days I will remember, never will I forget. Let the gods come to sacrifice, but Enlil shall not come to sacrifice, for he carelessly caused the tidal storm and doomed my people."
When Enlil approached and saw the ship, he became angry. Anger against the gods filled his heart, and he said:
"Who escaped with their lives here? No one should survive the destruction."
Then Ninurta prepared to speak, and he spoke to Enlil:
"Who else but Enki could have planned this! For does Enki not know all the arts?"
Then Enki prepared to speak and spoke to Enlil:
"O wise one among the gods, how rash of you to conjure up a flood! Let the sinner visit his sin and the wicked his wickedness. But be merciful, be lenient, do not let everything be ruined! Be considerate! Instead of sending a flood, let lions come and diminish the people. Instead of sending a storm surge, let tigers come and diminish the people. Instead of sending a tidal storm, let a famine come and devastate the land. Instead of sending a tidal storm, let the plague come and diminish the people. I have not revealed the secret of the great gods. Utnapishtim saw this in a dream, and so he heard the secret of the gods."
Enlil then made a decision. Enlil got into the ship, took me by the hand and led me out. He also led my wife out and had her kneel down next to me. He turned us face to face, stood between us, blessed us and said:
"Before, Utnapishtim was just a man. But now Utnapishtim and his wife are said to be elevated like the gods. Utnapishtim should live far away from people."
Then they took us with them and let us live far away.
Then Utnapishtim said to Gilgamesh:
"And as for you, which of the gods will give you the power to attain the life you desire? Now sleep!"
Gilgamesh slept for six days and seven nights. Sleep came over him like a storm wind. Then Utnapishtim said to his wife:
"Look, here is the hero whose wish is eternal life! Sleep came upon him like a storm wind."
His wife replied to Utnapishtim:
"Give him health before he returns by the way he came. Let him go back through the great gate to his own land."
Utnapishtim spoke to his wife:
"The man's suffering pains you. Cook food for him and lay it at his feet."
While Gilgamesh slept on board the ship, she cooked the food to put at his feet. While he slept on board the ship, firstly, his food was prepared. Secondly, it was peeled. Thirdly, it was moistened. Fourth, his food was cleaned. Fifth, spices were added. Sixth, it was cooked and seventh, suddenly the man was restored after eating the magical food. Then Gilgamesh spoke to Utnapishtim:
"I had collapsed and slept and you somehow cast a spell on me."
Utnapishtim replied to Gilgamesh:
"I restored you when you ate the magic food."
Gilgamesh replied to Utnapishtim:
"What should I do, Utnapishtim? Where should I go? The demon of death has taken possession of my friend. Only death awaits on my couch."
Utnapishtim spoke to Urshanabi, the ferryman:
"Urshanabi, you allowed a man to cross with you, you let the boat carry you both. Whoever tries to board the boat, you should have stopped him. This man's body is covered with wounds, and the wounds on his skin have disfigured the beauty of his body.
Take him with you, Urshanabi, and bring him to the place of purification, where he can wash his wounds with water to make them white as snow. Let him rub off his bad skin and the sea will carry it away. His body will then look healthy and well. The turban on his head and the robe covering his nakedness will be put back on him. Until he returns to his city, until he arrives at his home, the robe shall not tear, but shall remain as new."
Urshanabi took him and brought him to the place of purification, where he washed his wounds with water so that they became as white as snow. He rubbed off his bad skin and the sea carried it away. His body appeared healthy and well again. He also replaced the turban on his head and dressed him in the robe that covered his nakedness. And until he returned to his city, until he arrived at his house, the robe did not tear. It remained as good as new.
After Gilgamesh and Urshanabi had returned from the place of purification, the wife of Utnapishtim spoke to her husband and said:
"Gilgamesh has struggled for a long time. What will you give him now, before he returns to his country?"
Then Utnapishtim spoke to Gilgamesh and said:
"Gilgamesh, you have labored long and hard. What shall I give you now before you return to your land? I will reveal a secret to you, Gilgamesh. I will tell you a secret of the gods. There is a plant that looks like a buckthorn and whose thorns prick like those of a bramble. If you eat this plant, you will regain the strength of your youth."
When Gilgamesh heard this, he tied heavy stones to his feet which dragged him down to the sea, where he found the plant. Then he reached for the magic plant. He untied one heavy stone from his feet and it sank into the sea. He threw the second stone down to the first. Gilgamesh said to Urshanabi, the ferryman:
"Urshanabi, this plant is a plant of great power. I will bring it to Uruk, the fortress, cultivate it there and then harvest it. Its name will be: 'Even an old man will be rejuvenated!' I will eat this plant and regain the strength of my youth."
Gilgamesh and Urshanabi set off for Uruk. They had a meal every forty miles. Every sixty miles they took a rest. Gilgamesh saw a well filled with cool and refreshing water. He approached it and drew out some water. A snake jumped out. The plant slipped out of Gilgamesh's hands. The snake came out of the well and took the plant with it. He uttered a curse. Gilgamesh then sat down and wept. Tears flowed down his cheeks and he said to Urshanabi, the ferryman:
"Why, Urshanabi, did my hands tremble? Why did the blood stop in my heart? It is not for myself that I have received any benefit. The snake now has all the benefit of this plant. After a journey of only forty miles, the plant was snatched away when I opened the well and lowered the vessel. I see the sign. This is an omen for me. I must return and leave the vessel on the shore."
Then they continued to take a meal every forty miles, and every sixty miles they took a rest until they arrived in Uruk. Then Gilgamesh spoke to Urshanabi, the ferryman, and said:
"Urshanabi, climb up and walk around the wall of Uruk. Inspect the cornerstones and examine its masonry, which is made of burnt bricks. See its firm foundation. One shar is the size of the city, one shar is the size of the gardens and one shar is the size of Eanna, the temple of An and Inanna. Three shar is the size of Uruk, the fortress."
Gilgamesh Explores Life After Death
In order to get in touch with the deceased Enkidu, Gilgamesh turned to the architect of the temple of Uruk. He asked him what he had to do to prevent the return of a spirit. The architect answered Gilgamesh and said:
"Gilgamesh, when you go to the temple, don't wear a clean robe to avoid the spirits. Wear a robe that is dirty so that you do not attract them. You must not anoint yourself with sweet oil, otherwise they will gather around you at its scent. You must also not lay a bow on the ground, otherwise those shot by the bow will circle around you. You must also not carry a stick in your hand, otherwise the spirits that have been struck will chatter around you. You must also not wear a shoe that would make a loud echo on the floor. You must not kiss the woman you love and you must not chastise the woman you hate. You must not kiss the child you love and you must not chastise the child you hate, for you must mourn that the spirits have lost the world."
Then Gilgamesh went to the temples, put on clean robes and anointed himself with sweet oil: the spirits gathered around the scent. They gathered around him. He placed the bow on the ground and the spirits circled around him. Those who were hit by a bow hissed at him. He carried a stick in his hand, and the spirits who had been struck chattered at him. He put on a shoe and made a loud echo on the ground. He kissed the woman he loved, chastised the woman he hated. He kissed the child he loved and chastised the child he hated. The spirits mourned the loss of the world, but Enkidu was not among them.
Then Gilgamesh went to the temple of Enlil:
"Enlil, my father, the net of death has stricken me also, holding me down to the earth. I ask you to raise Enkidu from the earth. Enkidu was not seized by the god of plague or lost in a mortal battle. It was only the earth that seized him."
But Enlil, the father, gave no answer. Gilgamesh went to the moon god:
"Moon God, my father, the net of death has stricken me also, holding me down to the earth. I beg you to raise Enkidu from the earth. Enkidu was not seized by the god of plague or lost in a mortal battle. It was only the earth that seized him."
But Nanna, the moon god, gave no answer. So Gilgamesh went to Enki:
"Enki, my father, the net of death has stricken me also, holding me down to the earth. I beg you to raise Enkidu from the earth. Enkidu was not seized by the god of plague or lost in a mortal battle. It was only the earth that seized him."
Enki, the father, heard him, and he spoke to Nergal, the warrior-hero:
"Oh Nergal, oh warrior-hero, hear me! Open a hole in the ground so that the spirit of Enkidu can rise from the earth and speak with his brother."
Nergal, the warrior hero, listened to the words of Eas. He opened a hole in the ground and the spirit of Enkidu emerged from the earth like a wind. They embraced and grieved together. Gilgamesh said:
"Tell me, my friend, what have you seen of the laws of the underworld?"
Enkidu replied:
"Don't ask, I won't tell you, because if I told you what I've seen of the laws of the netherworld, you'd sit down crying!"
Gilgamesh said:
"Then let me sit there crying."
Enkidu replied:
"That's how it should be: The friend you cared for now has worms in his body. The bride you loved is now filled with dust. Bitter and sad is all that once gladdened your heart."
Gilgamesh said:
"Have you seen a hero slain in battle?"
Enkidu replied:
"Yes, when the hero died, his father and mother supported his head, and his wife knelt by his side weeping. The spirit of such a man is at rest. He lies on a couch and drinks pure water. But the man whose body lies unburied in the field, you and I, we have often seen such a man, his spirit finds no rest in the underworld. The man whose spirit has no one to care for him, you and I have often seen such a man, consumes the dregs of the bowl, the broken remains of food thrown into the street."
The fate that Enlil, the father of the gods, had determined for Gilgamesh on the mountain was fulfilled:
"In the underworld, the darkness will show you a light: Of all men known, none will leave a memorial for future generations to compare with yours. The heroes, the wise, like the new moon, have their waxing and waning. People will say, 'Who has ever ruled with might and power like him?' As in the dark month, the month of shadows, so without you there is no light.
Oh Gilgamesh, that was the meaning of your dream. You were given kingship, that was your destiny. Eternal life was not your destiny. Therefore, do not be sad, do not be grieved or depressed. He has given you the power to bind and loose yourself, to be the darkness and the light of mankind. He has given you an unprecedented dominion over men, a victory in battle from which no fugitive has ever returned, victories in forays and attacks from which there is no turning back. But do not abuse this power, act justly with your servants in the palace, act justly before the face of the sun."
The king has laid down and will not rise again. The Lord of Uruk will not rise again. He has overcome evil, he will not return. Although he had a strong arm, he will not rise again. He had wisdom and a beautiful face, but he will not return. He went up the mountain, but he will not come back. He lies on the bed of destiny, he will not get up again.
The people of the city, big and small, do not remain silent. They lament. All people of flesh and blood lament. Fate has spoken. He lies stretched out on the bed like a hooked fish, like a gazelle caught in a snare. Inhuman Namtar lies heavy upon him, Namtar that has neither hand nor foot, that drinks no water and eats no flesh.
For Gilgamesh, the son of Ninsun, they brought their offerings: his beloved wife, his son, his concubine, his musicians, his jester and his whole house, his servants, his stewards, all those who lived in the palace brought their offerings for Gilgamesh, the son of Ninsun, the heart of Uruk. They weighed their offerings for Ereshkigal, the queen of death, and for all the gods of the dead. For Namtar, who is fate, they weighed the offerings. Bread for Ned, the keeper of the gate, bread for Ningizzida, the god of the serpent, the lord of the tree of life. They also weighed the offerings for Dumuzi, the young shepherd, for Enki and Ninki, for Endukugga and Nindukugga, for Enmul and Nimnul, all ancestor gods, ancestors of Enlil. A feast for Shulpae, the god of feasting. For Samuqan, the god of herds, for the mother Ninhursag and the gods of creation at the place of creation. Priests and priestesses weighed the offerings of the dead for the hosts of heaven.
Gilgamesh, the son of Ninsun, lies in his grave. At the place of sacrifice they weighed the bread offering, at the place of libation they poured out the wine. In those days the Lord Gilgamesh, the son of Ninsun, the incomparable, who had no equal among men, died. O Gilgamesh, Lord of Uruk, great is your praise.
To understand the meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh, you have to look at it from the perspective of the gods.
Inanna and some other Anunnaki gods planned to extend the kingdom of the gods in heaven to earth. To this end, they built a magnificent residence for the gods in a remote cedar forest. The residence was Inanna's sanctuary. Inanna planned to rule over kings and princes from there. She planned to establish the kingdom of the gods on Earth.
The gods protected their residence and the surrounding cedar forest with a strong wall so that it could only be entered through a gate. The fierce giant Humbaba, who was twice the size of a man, was given the task of guarding the cedar forest by Enlil. But Utu, the god of justice, could not approve of this. He therefore helped Gilgamesh to defeat the giant Humbaba so that humans could continue to claim the earth for themselves.
The desperate Inanna wanted to save the project of the gods in the cedar forest by making Gilgamesh the king at her side. In the cedar forest, the residence of the gods, he was to rule with her over kings and princes. But Gilgamesh, who was aware of Inanna's volatile nature, refused. As Inanna could not have the great Gilgamesh at her side, she had no choice but to destroy him. She therefore unleashed the heavenly bull on the earth to defeat Gilgamesh. However, Gilgamesh and Enkidu managed to kill the bull as well. Enlil, who had entrusted Humbaba with guarding the cedar forest, therefore personally decided that Enkidu must die. Gilgamesh was not to die, as he was destined for a different fate.
Enkidu died and Gilgamesh realized that he too would have to die at some point. Gilgamesh therefore began to look for a way to become immortal. Gilgamesh then set off to Utnapishtim to ask him how he had attained immortality. Utnapishtim reported that Enlil had given it to him. He explained to Gilgamesh that he too had to find a god who was willing to give him eternal life.
To cheer Gilgamesh up, Utnapishtim told him that there was also a plant that, like a tonic, could give him back the strength of his youth. Gilgamesh found this plant, but then lost it again without having tested its effect. In the end, Gilgamesh died as someone who, without knowing it, had prevented the kingdom of the gods on Earth.
