Ninanna snorted.
' Daughter, by now I thought you had
already learnt never to ask the striking
obvious! Don't you know the answer
already?' replied the Wise One, humour
and love hinted in the slight irritated tone
that was Ninanna's trademark.
Shamhat laughed, feeling a bit more
relaxed.
' I won't say I am not a bit afraid,' she said
honestly. ' But I am also dying to have a go
at my Challenge. '
Ninanna's eyes were laughing, but the voice
had her well-known (and sometimes
feared) tone of quiet command:
' Leave this old woman, pack light, fulfill
this Quest and come to us right back.'
The young priestess-in-training chuckled
and rushed to obey her orders. Only the
Wise One could have said exactly what she
needed to get herself ready without further
ado, delay or much haste.
Shamhat and the hunter travelled together
until they stood quite still at the sight of the
lake in the middle of the woods where
Enkidu and the wildest beasts were known
to quench their thirst. Once there, the
young priestess-in-training ordered the
hunter to come back home where he
belonged. She wanted to meet Enkidu by
herself, totally alone, no interference's were
required to do the goddess' bidding. That
same night, by her campfire under the
highest tree, Shamhat sang to the Moon, to
Nanna's brightness and the Stranger, as she
had done in a very special Dream.
A movement, light as a summer breeze told
Shamhat Enkidu was nearby. Anticipation,
faith and dare filled Shamhat. Would he
accept her? She did not know, but trusted
Inanna's designs, Nanna's full brightness
that night and her role in the Pattern to
Unfold. Without fear or prejudice, Shamhat
opened up to the watchful Stranger lurking
in the dark. She took off her garments, one
by one. She let the moonlight cover her
body as she bathed for the Wild One. She
showed her self to Him, vibrant and free,
and later, as the Morning and Evening Star
announced the New Day, bringing
Fulfillment and Promises to stay, Shamhat
rose her arms in Trust, Delight and Dare to
invite the Wild One into the Sweetness of
her Lair. In swift movements she swam
then to the shore. and on solid ground,
stood waiting Enkidu's next move.
He, who had been speechless in hiding
adoring the sight of Shamhat, Enkidu, the
Divine Wild One approached the waiting
young priestess-in-training. Not knowing
exactly how to act, Enkidu made a full
circle around Shamhat, considering the
beauty he had in front of his very eyes.
' Small but perfect,' he said more to himself
than to the expectant Shamhat, wonder in
his deep, sexy male voice, ' different and
yet so similar to a desire until now I did not
know I had within my heart. What is in you
that makes my heart beat, my head spin,
my blood sing? '
Shamhat did not say a word, just smiled
and stood on the ground, holding her small
breasts in cup, in the ritual stance of the
goddess as the Holy Grail, the Ever
Flowing Cup of Love, Boundless Delights
and Life Force. Suddenly Enkidu
understood: as the tiger met his tigress, as
the lion mated with the lioness, finally
Enkidu had found his mate, the one who
kept the closest resemblance he knew to
his Mother Goddess seen once as he came
into being. He put his hand on her hand, he
pressed his neck close against hers. Lips
met untutored lips.
Shamhat laughed in pure delight. Gone
were her worries about performing for the
first time the Sacred Marriage Rite. Time to
put the theory of Love into practice. She
incited Enkidu to love her, she welcomed
his eagerness, his touch and kiss, all in kind
reciprocating as Inanna, the Great Goddess
of Love and Battle dictated.
For six days and seven nights, as the
planets and the stars travelled the skies,
Enkidu and Shamhat shared all flesh's
delights. A world of touch, tastes, senses
and experiences exploded around them as
they shared the pleasures of body, mind ,
heart and spirit. So many things they learnt
with each other, they taught each other.
Shamhat showed him how to cook and eat
from the table food prepared with precious
spices , she taught him how to drink from
sources other than springs and lakes.
Clothing they shared, one piece for him,
another for her. She told him of the stars
and the memory of the land, of poetry and
age-old legends. Enkidu showed her in
return the music of rushing winds, the roar
of thunderstorms and the magic of the
wilderness, from huge beasts to the tiniest
crawlies. Together, Shamhat and Enkidu
ran the hidden pathways of the forests, they
ate the sunsweet berries of the Earth, they
swam the longest rivers and climbed the
highest mountains of the land. Who taught
whom was impossible to say: from the
moment Shamhat and Enkidu caught sight
of each other, more and yet so fully human
they were: a woman and a man , Lover and
Beloved bonded in Freedom for as long as
they wanted this bond to be.
When the seventh dawn came, Enkidu,
holding Shamhat asleep in his arms, felt the
full impact of having surrendered to this
Wondrous Stranger, who refused to tell
him her very name. Gently he disentangled
the arms around his neck, heading to the
woods. Enkidu felt the need to come back
to where he once belonged.
' She is a thing of wonder,' he thought, '
untamed heart within a most polished
surface, she widens my boundaries to limits
unknown. Yet she freely gave herself to
me, satisfying all my fantasies . But before I
surrender to designs I feel she has for me,
once again I'll converse with my fellow wild
ones, and relish in their company . '
But the gazelles scattered at his sight, and
he seemed not to be recognized anymore
by the beasts of the wild. Disconcerted, but
not totally displeased, he realized he had
deeper feelings within. The forest, the wild
beasts were dear to him, but somehow he
needed more than to eat, bask in the sun or
sleep. So Enkidu returned to Shamhat,
who, having woken up, was seated on a
tree's exposed root combing her hair.
While she did so, she also hummed a song
as she went along. Enkidu sat on the
ground, playing with a piece of wood.
After a time he raised his head to ask
Shamhat:
' What is in you that makes me forget time
and yet feels so much alive? The hills, the
wild beasts have no appeal to me anymore.
Yet I feel a different kind of strength,
Thoughts in my heart, a man's heart. What
is it in you that has strengthened me and
makes me rejoice by just sitting at your
feet?'
Shamhat's heart, mind, body and soul
delighted in Enkidu's straightforwardness.
She called him now Bright Eyes, not only
for the real light Enkidu's gaze reflected
from within, but also for having opened for
her windows to realities before unseen. A
thing of wonder was his tenderness and
lovemaking skill. Now Wisdom was also
growing and surfacing from the depths
within, so perhaps it was time for her to tell
him of Gilgamesh, Uruk and all the rest.
' We've been together for six days and
seven nights, Enkidu, so now you have
Wisdom! Now you are as a god! But there
is much, much more: I bid you to come to
Uruk of the strong walls, to Inanna's
Temple of Love, and to the Eanna, where
the Sky God An can be found. Gilgamesh
is there, the king of our city, strong and
raging like a wild bull, for he is so alone.
But I, the Keeper of the secrets of the
heart, mind, body and soul, know that
Gilgamesh longs to find a friend, equal in all
respects and perfect in strength. I believe
this friend he needs is you, Enkidu. So I bid
you to come with me to Uruk, and see
come into being this Great Truth.'
' A friend, very much like myself, strong
and alone? ' Enkidu asked.
Shamhat knew she had captured his
interest, touched a need Enkidu had finally
begun to acknowledge he had. He needed
to connect, give as much as to receive. She
had been the first human he had met in his
life. Now Enkidu longed to meet others.
Like her and himself too. And more. From
his questions (now a string of them!), she
could see he longed to experience other
realities she had started to tell him about..
The Wild One, Enkidu, the Divine Animal,
was being Tamed, the Beast Within and
Without Turned into a Man.
' Now that we've been together, Enkidu, I
truly believe you and Gilgamesh need each
other. Indeed, so much alike the two of
you are. The reason why I was sent to you
was a request made by Gilgamesh the king
to the temple of Inanna, the Goddess I
serve, to bring you to Uruk, to meet him,
who is our king and Shepherd of the Land
fully prepared. Not as a Wild One, but as
the man you've become and I am so very
proud of. '
' Were you truly sent for me? Sent by your
king to find me and take me to his presence
?´ Enkidu's surprise and delight were
evident.
' Yes, Enkidu. Your coming was
announced in dreams, and I came to fulfill a
very special request from Gilgamesh. So,
what do you say? Would you like to come
with me to Uruk, to the holy Eanna and to
Gilgamesh, our sovereign and king? '
' If it is so, then take me to Uruk, where
lives Gilgamesh of perfect strength,' agreed
Enkidu. ' I'll summon him forth and
challenge him. We'll see who is the
mightiest. We'll see whether we can be the
best of friends! '
Shamhat took to her feet and stretched her
hand to Enkidu:
' Yes! I'll take you to Gilgamesh! You are
so like him, Enkidu! When I look at you,
Enkidu, You seem to be like a god. Like
Gilgamesh, whom you'll love like yourself.
But before we go, give me your hand, so
that we can go to the Sacred Place of the
Sheepfold. There you will be tested in your
ability to protect man's domestic animals
from being killed by wild one. This is the
sacred rite all kings should pass to become
Shepherds of the Land, and you are our
king's soul-counterpart. We will then eat at
the Table The Earth's gifts labored by man
and drink from the seven cups the beer of
the Wise. Come, Enkidu, let's go together
to Uruk!
Continue reading -- The Priestess And Enkidu: The Taming Of The Wild One
In "Enkidu 3" section of this website.