Category Archives: Gilgamesh

Now it was clear to see that once Gilgamesh met Inkidu it was a match made in heaven. They were made for each other. But one can’t overlook the homosexual undertone of their relationship. The seemed way too close for comfort, at least for my comfort. The way that their love toward each other was described was very peculiar. With that being said, you would think that we wouldn’t have such an issue with homosexuality to this very day. Why is it still taboo? People fighting in the army have to keep their sexual preference to themselves or they can be discharged. These people can fight for their country but must hide their true colors from their country. Gilgamesh and Inkidu were very powerful men, both part god, their relationship with one another didn’t weaken them nor did it cause people to look at them differently. Their bond caused them to want to do “manly” things such as fight and conquer. Their fear, when it was time to fight Humbaba, wasn’t them being feminine, it was them being human. It’s crazy how the first written story had traces of a homosexual relationship and now thousands of years later the Gay Rights moment is still being fought in the “land of the free.”

Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, who was two-thirds god and one-third man.  He built magnificent structures like temple towers and ziggurats that surrounded his city with high walls.  He was physically beautiful, fiercely strong, and very wise.  Even though Gilgamesh was god-like in mind and body, his desires were still human-like.  He started his kingship by raping any woman who attracted him physically and emotionally disregarding if they were single, wives of his warriors, or even daughters of the noblemen.  He did not care because he felt as if he had to be every women sexually whenever he wants to even though he did not get permission.  The epic begins with the birth of Enkidu who first lives his life like an animal.  Soon with the help of a hunter and a temple prostitute, Enkidu learns the characteristics of a man and becomes part of the human world.  Enkidu becomes enraged when he hears about Gilgamesh and wants to encounter Gilgamesh and challenge him.  Once Enkidu and Gilgamesh meet, they have an epic battle for a long time but soon becomes very close friends.  Gilgamesh and Enkidu both seek adventures together and they set out on a journey together.  The scene where Enkidu dies was very emotional because Gilgamesh’s cry for Enkidu is very touching.  Gilgamesh loses his close companion who shared many adventures with him.  Gilgamesh becomes heartbroken and tries to make up for the death of his best friend.  Gilgamesh becomes worried that his life may come to an end and attempts to find immortality.  Gilgamesh fails to find it but realizes the importance of life which is very meaningful. 

The prologue of Gilgamesh is an interesting part of the story. In it, the author discusses Gilgamesh’s awesome strength, and his relations to gods. The gods acknowledge Gilgamesh’s power and discuss that creating an equal for him will help to keep Gilgamesh levelheaded; so Enkidu is made to be his friend. Enkidu is made by gods, and is sent to Earth to become civilized and associated with humans. Once Enkidu finds his strength, and is pushed on by the harlot he slept with, he feels confident enough to battle Gilgamesh. Once the men fight, Gilgamesh wins and the men decide to become friends. Together the men fight monsters like Humbaba, and rule the city peacefully. Enkidu is made in order to soften Gilgamesh and his evil ways as ruler, and Enkidu succeeds in softening Gilgamesh. When Enkidu begins to go into a frail state and pass away, Gilgamesh learns how important love for those around you is. He even stays by Enkidu’s side long after he is dead. Gilgamesh is an old writing, but still teaches a current moral about friendship and love.

                Gilgamesh is a story about a half-human and half-god king. He thinks he is the most powerful person so he does whatever he wants and gets whatever he wants. He takes every woman there is, even the ones that are getting marry. Because of he is very arrogant and does not care about his people, the people complain to the gods. So what the gods created is an equal of Gigamesh,Enkidu . He is half-human and half-animal. So he is just as strong as Gilgamesh. After they became friends, they went to forest to kill the monster called Humbaba. After killing the monster, soon Enkidu is cursed. After Enkidu died, Gilgamesh realized he is afraid of death. He does not want to die yet, so he goes on a journey to search for eternal life. He is not satisfied with what he has right now. After he found the wise man, he tells him how to have an eternal life. He has to stay awake for days, but he failed. So he is planning to go back to Uruk, but the wise man’s wife tells him that there is a plant that can restore youth. But he lost it on his way back, but he finally learns to treat his people the right way after this journey.Below is some pictures of Gilgames and Enkidu.

This epic poem is about the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is 2/3 god and 1/3 human. Gilgamesh was strong, good looking and smart. He took any women that he wanted and raped her. He forced his people to work, and wasnt loved by his people. When the gods heard of Gilgameshs wrong doings, They created Enkidu, who was supposed to be Gilgameshs equal in terms of strength and beauty. They became friends, and when Enkidu died, Gilgamesh was distraught. He had never lost someone so close to him as Enkidu was to him before. This experience makes Gilgamesh more humbe, and teaches him that no matter how strong and powerful you are, you still must be humble and treat people with resopect.

This is a very important lesson, and it is something that everyone can learn something from. No matter who you are, it does not give you the right to belittle someone, even if you are more powerful then them. Sometimes it takes a catastrophic occurrence to make one realize what life is about. Gilgamesh was put into check after Enkidu died, and them he caught all of his wrong doings.

     Gilgamesh is one of the most transitional stories we have read so far. Unlike other myths, Gilgamesh has its own way of delivering characterization and their transition in time. For example, Enkidu is first presented as an uncivilized man and as menace for Gilgamesh, “Enkidu was created, there was virtue in him of the god of war. His body was rough, and covered with matted hair like Samuqan’s, the god of cattle. He was innocent of mankind he knew nothing of the cultivated land. He ate grass in the hills with the gazelle and lurked with the beasts at the water-holes.” (Part 1, pg. 13)This ilustrates how savage Enkidu was, until the day the seductive will of woman, turned him into something we would have never expected, a conceited man; “Then the woman said, ‘Enkidu, eat bread, it is the staff of life, drink wine, it is the custom of the land.’ So, he ate till he was full and drank strong wine, seven goblets. he became merry, his heart exulted and his face shone. He rubbed down the matted hair of his body and anointed himself with oil. He appeared like bridegroom.” (part 1, pg 16) It is important to conclude that, no matter how strong or savage Enkidu was, the weakness for a woman was always hidden inside him. And that made him a new man in a old world, a world that will transform his entire life.  

“hear me, great ones of Uruk, I weep for Enkidu, my friend, bitterly moaning like a woman mourning I weep for my brother, O Enkidu, my brother” (pg. 28). The image shows the low point of Gilgamesh’s life which caused him to go on a journey to find an internal life. Although he obviously failed in that, he did find achieve something much more important. Going off on that journey he was mourning, bitter, proud, and pretty much out of control as a ruler. When he returned he obviously made peace with himself and his fate. Gods gave him an Enkidu who was his equal and then the gods took him away when he became the most dear to Gilgamesh. The unfairness of this  might feel very familiar to anyone who ever lost a loved one.  The rage, the feeling of how very real death is, and how frightening. Gilgamesh saw death with his very own eyes in the eyes of his beloved brother. Using his immortal strength he tried to defeat death but fortunately, he makes peach with himself as a mortal and gathers wisdom from that  as king.

The overall story sounds like a balance of power. In the beginning Gilgamesh is corrupt as a ruler so Enkidu is made and he checks his Gilgamesh’s power. After Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh must go on this journey to learn to check his own power and comes back successful. The End.