Gilgamesh And Enkidu -- The First Epic
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The Priestess And Enkidu: The Taming Of The Wild One
[Continued--Part 3]
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Days later, Enkidu and Shamhat, hand in
hand, entered the gates of Uruk. Shamhat
kept her head high, despite the storm she
felt was about to break out inside. It had
been lurking in the background since they
had left the woods, it had increased on the
road to Uruk, although she tried to ignore
it. She couldn't escape Truth now, and the
Truth was that Enkidu since they had left
the wilderness only thought of meeting
Gilgamesh, of experiencing a brand new life
in Uruk in all its facets. His enthusiasm for
the new doors that were open wide to him
was a thing to behold, but it instead made
Shamhat quieter and quieter. They were
already within Uruk's walls, soon she
would take Enkidu to Gilgamesh, the
conclusion of her Test almost as
guaranteed success. So why the storm
within, why was she at once glad and sad?
At the city gates, along the quays, the
gardens and streets of Uruk, at the sight of
Enkidu, the people stared open-mouthed:
' Look at the Newcomer! He is like
Gilgamesh in form: smaller in size, stronger
in bone. He is a match for Gilgamesh!'
Next the people of Uruk was standing
around Enkidu and Shamhat. The country
gathered around the Wild One Turned into
a Noble Man and the priestess-to-be, the
young men crowded over him, the maidens
whispered about him, children tried to kiss
his feet. All this Enkidu took great delight
in.
The turmoil drew the attention of
Gilgamesh the King, who was out in the
streets, in the company of his royal vizier.
The young ruler had left the palace and was
on his way to the Eanna, to the High
Chamber in the ziggurat, the Holy of Holies
where Inanna the Great Goddess of Love
and Battle reigned sovereign.
Enkidu saw Gilgamesh first. He released
Shamhat's hand and advanced in large
steps through the crowds towards the king.
Enkidu just stopped in front of the young
ruler, empty-handed, but fully armed with
confidence in his physical strength. He
blocked Gilgamesh's way, preventing the
king from p[proceeding to the temple
precincts.
The people of Uruk held their breaths.
Who dared to block the king's way? For
electrifying minutes Enkidu and Gilgamesh
stood in front of each other, legs slightly
apart, eyes locked, assessing each other's
strength: Enkidu, the Divine Animal turned
into a Man and Gilgamesh the King, who,
made angry by the stranger's daring, was
quickly displaying without the Beast he had
within. Both men circled around each
other, as if they were two fighting lions, two
fearless bulls ready to fight to the very end.
' Who is blocking my way to the temple?
Who is preventing me from approaching
the Sacred Marriage Bed? Who dares to
face the king's wrath?' shouted Gilgamesh.
' I dare! I, Enkidu, dare to oppose you!
For here I stand as your equal! Prove me
wrong if you can!
' No one dares to challenge me without
being reduced to dust afterwards! Insolent!
You'll get what you deserve!' responded
Gilgamesh, red with fury, and taking
fighting stance.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh grappled their belts
and wrestled like champions. Rushing wind
met rushing wind, heart to heart. Holding
fast like bulls they struggled. They fought in
the streets, they battled in the market, they
challenged each other along the canals and
waterways of the city. The combat
advanced through the streets, avenues,
alleyways and monuments of Uruk. The
people, clearly divided, cheered for both
opponents. Shamhat followed the struggle
with the people as it went on. How long the
memorable fight took place, no one could
tell. But in the end, Gilgamesh brought
Enkidu to the earth with a punch on the
heart. Off balance, Enkidu fell to the
ground.
' I won! ' exulted Gilgamesh, raising his
arms in a sign of victory to the people of his
city.
He then looked down at the defeated
Enkidu, who was trying to stand up.
Gilgamesh's eyes appraised the worthiest
opponent he had ever had in a combat, a
strong and courageous man like no other, a
defeated hero in his own right.
' I will spare his life,' he thought, ' Never
before had I fought such a worthy
opponent, never before had I been
challenged by someone who could equal
my strength and daring. I cannot kill this
stranger.'
Shamhat ran briskly towards the king:
' My king, I am the initiate of the temple of
Inanna, the Great Goddess you sent to
bring this man to your presence. The
mighty opponent my king defeated is the
Wild One first seen in the woods of the
land by the hunter, conversing with wild
beasts and freeing entrapped animals. He is
the man Your Majesty asked to be taught
the arts of woman and civilization before
coming to Uruk. Your wish was my
command, the Wild One is now turned into
a Full Man, and he is the perfect match for
you, my king, as you must have seen. So
my mission is complete. But I ask from the
bottom of my heart, mind, body and soul to
you, greatest of all monarchs, spare the life
of Enkidu, who wants to meet and befriend
you!'
Gilgamesh looked at Enkidu and
understood it all. His instincts were right. If
this was the Wild One who ran and
conversed with the wild beasts of the land,
as well as fought with the strength and
courage of a warrior touched by the gods,
he the king wanted to know him better. He
would make the stranger welcome into his
palace, and later on decide on his destiny.
Gilgamesh nodded to Shamhat, who
released a sigh of relief. Then, with great
chivalry as befitted to the king he was,
Gilgamesh stretched his hand to help
Enkidu get up.
' I did win, but gone is my anger, for never
had I such a worthy opponent, never was a
victory so sweet yet so hard to conquer! I
claim you as a friend instead! '
Enkidu looked at the hand that had helped
him up, to the king who was ready to
accept him fully the way he were. How
alike the king was to his own self. Enkidu
embraced Gilgamesh in friendship.
' Who am I to you, my King?' Enkidu
dared to ask.
The king's reply came from the bottom of
his heart.
' The friend I've cried for in my loneliness,
the Companion I've always known that I'd
find! So come to the great palace of Uruk,
live with me: a place will be reserved from
now on only to you at my left hand.
Together we will achieve the world's
glories, the mightiest deeds'.
Shamhat had seen it all happen. Her heart
was at once glad and bleeding, yet she
knew she had succeeded in her Test.
Enkidu had truly been accepted by
Gilgamesh, as she had prayed so hard for
him to be. And more: because Enkidu also
truly deserved to eat food fit for the gods,
to drink wine fit for kings, to dress clothes
fit for aristocracy. He deserved a life in the
palace, new friends, he deserved it all. Yes,
she had clothed him nobly, she had taught
him a few things, but he had been adorable
and infuriating in his wild ways. Now he
had grown into a full man. She had brought
him to the king, the king had accepted him.
Time for her to withdraw. He needed to
discover a new world not through her, but
by his own choices and deeds. Shamhat's
heart was bleeding, although she was really
happy for him too. Hers perhaps now was
another Quest.
Enkidu must have captured some of
Shamhat's deep thoughts and emotions.
' My king, before I go with you, I should
lend my graces to the priestess who
brought me to you.'
Shamhat did not quite notice Gilgamesh's
assent or small bow in her direction. All she
had eyes for was Enkidu.
' Did I prove myself worthy of your trust?'
he asked, elation hardly concealed in his
voice . ' Am I not one with Gilgamesh
now? As you wished us to be from the
start? ' Enkidu asked her.
' Yes, one you are truly one with Gilgamesh
now,' replied Shamhat, and she meant what
she said with all her mind, body, heart and
soul.
Then she held her breath, overcome by a
flood of insight and revelation, the Goddess
touch in her forehead resonating in her
mind, body, heart and soul, branding her
whole Self forever. Inanna's Kiss, the high
priestess's unique understanding of the
Goddess to be revealed in a life of service
to the Her and to the people who loved the
goddess. Now she understood why she
had been sent to Enkidu, her role in the
Pattern the two of them had woven
together. For although she had initiated
Enkidu to civilization, he had also been the
catalyst for a major change taking place
within and without herself.
Shamhat experienced the depth of the
vows each high priestess or priest of
Inanna, the Morning and Evening Star,
Queen of Heaven and Earth, took when
she or he came into the full power of the
office. Many were the ways to swear the
Dedication Oath, and now she knew what
her own Oath would be: not to want love
to serve me, but to serve Love, and as
such become the embodiment of Joy,
Passion and Play not for my gain, but for
the wholeness of others and the glory of
Inanna, the Greatest of all Goddesses.
With deep emotion she understood the
ethics embedded in this: she would serve
Inanna by empowerment, by bringing back
to those who needed passion, healing and
relatedness as much as she could. As one
with the True Chosen of Inanna of 10,000
Names since the beginning of times, she
would never use the sacred office to
encourage promiscuity or
self-aggrandizement, because as a
hierodule she could not use her station for
power or personal gratification.
It suddenly became so clear to her the
deeply moved and serious stance of every
newly ordained high priestess she had
never before quite understood, why she
had sung so sad and yet with such
tenderness in the Dream that had
announced her encounter with Enkidu.
' Lady of Passion, Love and Many Dares,
now I understand the full extent of your
Mystery,' she said silently to Inanna.
The Lady's immense capacity for giving
was as huge as Her capacity for giving up
to ensure the continuity of life. Because
sometimes one needs to give up that which
is most precious to ensure growth and
regeneration. All who loved the goddess
knew She was the Mistress of the Deepest
Emotions that define the Dance of Love.
Enkidu had never been Shamhat's. They
had been the best of friends and passionate
lovers, he had been the Worthiest Initiator
a hierodule-in-training could wish for. A
thing of wonder and mystery, Enkidu had
truly initiated her into becoming a Sacred
Prostitute.
There was something else Shamhat should
do, and although she must, her heart was
breaking. Now that Enkidu had met
Gilgamesh, his Soul Brother and
Complement, now that he had being
befriended by the king of Uruk, Shamhat
was no more needed. It was time for her to
disappear graciously. From the start, she
had never wanted Enkidu for herself, as
any jealous or possessive lover would, but
prepared him for a world Enkidu had to
discover by his own choice and doing. His
place was in the palace, hers would be in
the temple full time for the coming months,
not in the palace as well, to prepare for the
sacred rites to priestesshood. She would
report to the Wise One first, then send the
auspicious news of having succeeded in the
Challenge to her parents in the palace.
They would understand and see her in the
temple as soon as they could. For a brief
moment she felt an even deeper sadness:
would Enkidu always be able to see them
as what he had been to each other, the best
friends and lovers for a time along a road
that had led them to many inner and outer
discoveries? She shook her head and
dismissed these gloomier thoughts.
' Inanna, Lady of my Heart, Companion of
my Soul, ' she prayed silently, ' I hope I
have succeeded in this great test by being
spiritual, practical and joyfully sexual. '
Loud, she said very gently:
' You may leave me now. I will be safe in
the temple. Gilgamesh is waiting for you to
go to the palace. No words can describe
the gifts you brought to ensoul my life. You
were truly a worthy Companion, Friend the
Very Best along this Quest. I lend you
graces, Enkidu, Star Fallen from Heaven
and Soul-Counterpart to Gilgamesh. May
the Goddess guide your steps, may your
faith in Her forever last.'
Enkidu wanted to say something else, but
words did not come out of his mouth.
Somehow he intuitively understood much
had changed now that they were finally in
Uruk. His eyes fell on Shamhat's for a long
last time. Then he took the young priestess'
hand and kissed it, not with the gallantry of
a friend and lover, but with the humility and
reverence of a mortal man faithful to the
goddess acknowledging the future holder
of the most prestigious temple office, the
High Priestess of Uruk.
[End]
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In this translation I see Gilgamesh and Enkidu
As Great Lovers
-- Equal in Every Respect --
much more so than in other translations.
Historically speaking:
"Enki"
Contrary to the translation of his name,
"Ennki"
is not the lord of the earth,
but of the abzu
(the watery abyss and also semen)
and of wisdom.
This contradiction leads
Kramer and Maier to
postulate that he was once known as
En-kur,
lord of the underworld,
which either contained
or was contained in the Abzu.
He did struggle with Kur
as mentioned in
the prelude to
"Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Underworld",
and presumably was victorious and thereby able
to claim the title
"Lord of Kur"
(the realm).
He is a god of water, creation, and fertility.
He also holds dominion over the land.
He is the keeper of the "me,"
The Divine Laws.
(Kramer & Maier Myths of Enki 1989: pp. 2-3)
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The "me" were assembled by Enlil in Ekur and
given to
Enki to guard and impart to the world,
beginning with Eridu, his center of worship.
From there, he guards the "me" and imparts them
on the people.
He directs the "me" towards Ur and
Meluhha and Dilmun, organizing the
world with his decrees.
Later, Inanna
comes to Enki and
complains at having been given too
little power from his decrees.
--
In a
different text, she gets
Enki drunk and he grants her more powers,
arts, crafts, and attributes
-a total of ninety-four "me."
Inanna parts company with Enki to deliver
the "me" to her cult center at Erech.
Enki recovers his wits and tries to
recover the "me" from her,
but she arrives
safely in Erech with them.
(Kramer & Maier 1989: pp. 38-68)
Enki sails for the Kur, presumably to
rescue Ereshkigal after she was given over to Kur.
He is assailed by creatures with stones.
These creatures may have been an extension of Kur
itself.
He is friendly to
Inanna and rescued her from Kur by sending
two sexless beings to
negotiate with, and flatter Ereshkigal.
They gave her the Bread of Life and the
Water of Life,
which restored her.
He blessed the paradisiacal land of Dilmun,
to have plentiful water and palm trees.
With
Ninhursag, he created eight new types of
trees there.
He then consumed these children and
was cursed by Ninhursag, with one
wound for each plant consumed.
Enlil and a
fox act on
Enki's behalf to call back
Ninhursag in order to undo the damage.
She joins with Enki again
and bears eight new children,
one to cure
each of the wounds.
At the direction of his mother
Nammu
and with some constructive
criticism from Ninhursag,
he created man
from the heart
of the clay over the Abzu.
Several
flawed versions were created before the
final version was made.
(See also Ea)
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For further research
Find other descriptions of Summarian
terms and translations and other stories
about Mesopotamian History.