GILGAMESH WAS A DEMI-GOD, THE SON OF LADY WILDCOW NINSUN AND LUGULBANDA, A MORTAL.

GILGAMESH BUILT THE MAGNIFICENT CITY OF URUK AND SURROUNDED IT WITH LAYERS OF WALLS. INSIDE THE CITY WALLS WERE SPECTACULAR ZIGGURATS AND TEMPLES TO THE GODS AS WELL AS FERTILE FIELDS AND ORCHARDS.

HOWEVER, THINGS WEREN’T ALL ROSY IN URUK. GILGAMESH WAS ACTUALLY AN EVIL DESPOT WHO TORTURED AND KILLED ANYONE HE DID NOT LIKE. HE ALSO STOLE ANYTHING HE WANTED FROM HIS PEOPLE.

THE PEOPLE OF URUK COMPLAINED TO ARURU , THE GODDESS OF CREATION, WHO THEN TOOK SOME CLAY, MOISTENED IT, AND CREATED ANOTHER MAN CALLED ENKIDU. ENKIDU WAS BOTH HANDSOME AND MASSIVELY LARGE.

ENKIDU HEARS ABOUT THE DEEDS OF THE EVIL GILGAMESH AND GOES TO URUK TO CHALLENGE HIM. THE TWO MASSIVE MEN FIGHT. THE WALLS OF THE CITY SHAKE. EVENTUALLY, GILGAMESH PROVES TO BE THE STRONGER OF THE TWO AND PINS ENKIDU TO THE GROUND.

ENKIDU PLEDGES LOYALTY TO GILGAMESH AND BECOMES HIS BEST FRIEND. TOGETHER THE NEW FRIENDS LOOK FOR ADVENTURE.

ENKIDU SUGGESTS THEY GO OFF TO DEFEAT THE VILE MONSTER HUMBABA WHO ENLIL HAS PLACED IN CHARGE OF THE CEDAR FOREST.

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THE ELDERS OF THE CITY ARE HORRIFIED AT GIL’S PLAN. THEY SUGGEST THAT HE PRAY TO THE SUN GOD SHAMASH AT THE TEMPLE EGALMAH WHERE THE GODDESS OF MEDICINE, GULA, RESIDES. GILGAMESH DID SO.

IN THREE DAYS, THE FRIENDS WALK OVER 150 LEAGUES. MORTAL MEN COULD NOT COVER THAT DISTANCE IN 3 WEEKS. AT THE GATE OF THE FOREST, THE ADVENTURERS SEE A HUGE MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKGROUND. THIS IS WHERE THE GODS LIVE. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO MORTALS.

WHEN GILGAMESH AND ENKIDU REACH THE MOUNTAIN, THEY CUT DOWN SOME TREES. THIS ENRAGES THE MONSTER HUMBABA WHO ATTACKS THEM. THEY BOTH FIGHT VALIANTLY BUT THEY ARE OVERPOWERED BY THE MONSTER. IN DESPERATION, GILGAMESH PRAYS TO THE GOD SHAMASH.

SHAMASH SENDS 13 STORMS INTO THE FOREST WHICH DISABLE HUMBABA. ALTHOUGH HUMBABA PLEADS FOR HIS LIFE, GILGAMESH KILLS HIM ANYWAY.

OUT OF THE TALLEST CEDAR TREES, GILGAMESH MAKES A NEW CITY GATE AND A RAFT. THE FRIENDS FLOAT BACK TO URUK IN TRIUMPH.

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ANU, GOD OF THE HEAVENS, UNLEASHES THE BULL OF HEAVEN AS A PUNISHMENT FOR KILLING HUMBABA AND STEALING THE SACRED TREES. THE BULL BRINGS DOWN 7 YEARS OF FAMINE ON URUK. EVENTUALLY, GILGAMESH AND ENKIDU KILL THE BULL.

TABLET VI: ISHTAR AND GILGAMESH

Page 124: Ishtar is attracted to Gilgamesh’s fame and strength; he rejects her, however!

THE GODS ARE ANGRY THAT GILGAMESH AND ENKIDU KILLED THE MONSTER AND CUT DOWN THEIR TREES.

THEY DETERMINE THAT ONE OF THE FRIENDS MUST DIE. PAGE 128

ENKIDU FALLS ILL.

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ENKIDU TELLS GILGAMESH OF A DREAM HE HAD ABOUT THE UNDERWORLD WHERE EVERYONE LIVES IN DARKNESS. ERESHKIGAL, GODDESS OF THE UNDERWORLD, SITS ON HER THRONE WHILE BELIT-SERI, SCRIBE OF THE GODS, WRITES IN THE BOOK OF FATE. ENKIDU SUFFERS 12 DAYS AND THEN DIES.

HE COVERED HIS FRIEND'S FACE LIKE A BRIDE,SWOOPING DOWN OVER HIM LIKE AN EAGLE,AND LIKE A LIONESS DEPRIVED OF HER CUBSHE KEEPS PACING TO AND FRO.HE SHEARS OFF HIS CURLS AND HEAPS THEM ONTO THE GROUND,RIPPING OFF HIS FINERY AND CASTING IT AWAY AS AN ABOMINATION.

I am going to die!—am I not like Enkidu?!Deep sadness penetrates my core,I fear death, and now roam the wilderness—I will set out to the region of Utanapishtim, son of Ubartutu, and will go with utmost dispatch! 

GILGAMESH WANDERS IN THE WILDERNESS MOURNING HIS FRIEND. HE DECIDES TO TALK TO UTNAPISHTIM WHO SURVIVED THE GREAT FLOOD THAT NEARLY WIPED OUT THE ENTIRE WORLD. GILGAMESH WANTS UTNAPISHTIM TO TELL HIM HOW TO OUTSMART DEATH.

EVENTUALLY, GILGAMESH ARRIVES AT THE SACRED MOUNTAIN MASHU WHICH IS GUARDED BY THE SCORPION-MAN AND HIS WIFE.

THEY TELL GILGAMESH THAT TO REACH HIS GOAL, HE MUST TRAVEL THROUGH THE SACRED TUNNEL USED BY SHAMASH EVERY NIGHT AS HE TRAVELS BACK TO WHERE HE RISES EACH MORNING.

SIN, THE MOON GOD, SENDS A DREAM TO GILGAMESH. IN THE DREAM, THE HERO IS SURROUNDED BY LIONS WHICH HE QUICKLY SLAUGHTERS WITH AN AX. THIS IS A GOOD OMEN.

IT TAKES GILGAMESH 12 DOUBLE HOURS TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN. WHEN HE DOES SO, HE ENTERS A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN. HE MEETS THE BEAUTIFUL SIDURI, GODDESS OF WINE AND BEER, WHO TELLS GILGAMESH THAT HE NEEDS TO CROSS THE SEA OF THE SUN GOD SHAMASH. NO MORTAL HAS EVER SURVIVED THIS JOURNEY.

"Now you, Gilgamesh, let your belly be full!Be happy day and night,of each day make a party,dance in circles day and night!Let your clothes be sparkling clean,let your head be clean, wash yourself with water!Attend to the little one who holds onto your hand,let a wife delight in your embrace.This is the (true) task of mankind(?)." 

SIDURI SUGGESTS THAT GILGAMESH ASK URSHANABI TO FERRY HIM ACROSS THE SEA.

ON THE WAY, GILGAMESH ATTACKS THE URNU-SNAKES AND THE STONE THINGS. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

URSHANABI AGREES TO HELP GILGAMESH ACROSS, BUT HE SAYS THE JOURNEY WILL BE EVEN HARDER BECAUSE HE ATTACKED THE SNAKES AND STONE THINGS. URSHANABI TELLS GILGAMESH TO BUILD A RAFT OF CEDAR TREES MADE OF POLES EXACTLY 60 CUBITS IN LENGTH.

GILGAMESH SAILS FOR THREE DAYS, A JOURNEY THAT WOULD NORMALLY TAKE 2MONTHS. WHEN HE REACHES THE WATERS OF DEATH, AN OLD MAN IS WAITING. GILGAMESH TELLS HIM ABOUT THE DEATH OF ENKIDU AND ASKS HIM FOR THE SECRET OF IMMORTALITY.

THE OLD MAN TELLS GILGAMESH THAT THE GODS DETERMINE THE DAY OF A PERSON’S BIRTH AND THE DAY OF A PERSON’S DEATH. THERE IS NO WAY TO ESCAPE ONE’S DESTINY.

NEXT, THE SURVIVOR OF THE FLOOD TELLS GILGAMESH WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.

HE WAS ONCE KING OF A BEAUTIFUL CITY CALLED SHURPPAK.

NINURTA GOD OF WAR, ENNUGI GOD OF IRRIGATION, EA GOD OF WISDOM, ANU, AND ENLIL GOD OF EARTH, WIND AND AIR WERE ANGRY. THEY DECIDED TO DESTROY MEN VIA A TERRIBLE FLOOD.

ONE OF THE GODS WARNED UTNAPISHTIM ABOUT THE COMING FLOOD. UTNAPISHTIM WAS TOLD TO BUILD A HUGE BOAT 120 (TEN DOZEN) CUBITS HIGH WITH AN ACRE OF FLOOR SPACE AND LOAD IT UP WITH ALL THAT LIVED.

UTNAPISHTIM DID AS HE WAS TOLD AND SURVIVED THE FLOOD. HE LANDED ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AND WAITED 7 DAYS. HE THEN SENT A DOVE OFF TO SEE IF THE FLOOD WATERS HAD RECEDED. THE DOVE DID NOT RETURN. THEN HE SENT A RAVEN. THE RAVEN DID RETURN.

MOST OF THE GODS WERE FURIOUS THAT ANYONE HAD SURVIVED THE FLOOD.

ONE GOD EA CHASTISED THE OTHER GODS SAYING THAT THE PUNISHMENT WAS TOO HARSH AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT UTNAPISHTIM HAD SAVED THE HUMAN RACE.

THE OTHER GODS REALIZED THEIR ERROR AND MADE AMENDS BY MAKING UTNAPISHTIM AND HIS WIFE IMMORTAL. UTNAPISHTIM SUGGESTS THAT IF GILGAMESH REALLY THINKS HE IS WORTHY OF BECOMING A GOD, HE SHOULD TRY TO DO WITHOUT SLEEP FOR A WEEK.

GILGAMESH AGREES TO DO SO BUT, THAT NIGHT, HE IMMEDIATELY FALLS ASLEEP. GILGAMESH IS IN DESPAIR. BECAUSE SHE FEELS SORRY FOR HIM, UTNAPISHTIM’S WIFE BEGS HER HUSBAND TO GIVE GILGAMESH SOMETHING!

UTNASHPITIM DECIDES TO GIVE AWAY ONE OF THE SECRETS OF THE GODS.

HE TELLS GILGAMESH ABOUT A PLANT THAT GROWS BENEATH THE SEA THAT GIVES MEN ETERNAL YOUTH.

IMMEDIATELY, GILGAMESH TIES STONES TO HIS FEET AND JUMPS INTO THE SEA! GILGAMESH HARVESTS SOME OF THE PLANTS AND RETURNS TO SHORE INTENT ON RETURNING TO URUK TO TAKE THE PLANT HIMSELF AND GIVE SOME TO THE ELDERS SO THAT THEY ALL WILL BE YOUNG AGAIN.

ON THE WAY BACK TO URUK, GILGAMESH DECIDES TO SWIM IN A REFRESHING POOL.

A SNAKE IN THE POOL SMELLS THE PLANT IN GIL’S POCKET. THE SNAKE SLITHERS INTO HIS POCKET AND TAKES THE PLANT.

GILGAMESH SEES THE SNAKE IN THE GRASS SHED ITS SKIN. THE SNAKE HAS BECOME YOUNG AGAIN, BUT GILGAMESH NEVER WILL BE YOUNG AGAIN NOW THAT THE PLANT IS GONE. GILGAMESH WEEPS AS HE RETURNS TO URUK.

GILGAMESH MUST LEARN TO BE CONTENT TO RULE URUK AS BEST HE CAN AND HOPE THAT HIS FAMILY WILL GRIEVE FOR HIM WHEN THE GODS DECREE THAT HIS TIME IS UP.

"No one can see death,no one can see the face of death,no one can hear the voice of death,yet there is savage death that snaps off mankind.For how long do we build a household?For how long do we seal a document?For how long do brothers share the inheritance?For how long is there to be jealousy in the land(?)?For how long has the river risen and brought the overflowing waters, so that dragonflies drift down the river?The face that could gaze upon the face of the Sunhas never existed ever." 

• Civilization vs. the primitive

• humanity vs. the gods• evolution of Gilgamesh

• moral of story• lesson of the gods

the Sumerian hero