Enkidu and Gilgamesh: The Function of Heroic Friendship on the Path to Enlightenment

According to G.S. Kirk, "the main underlying theme" of the early Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh "is mortality" (Kirk 141). The hero Gilgamesh embarks upon a quest to find the secret of eternal life after witnessing the death of his dearest friend. At the beginning of the saga, the leader Gilgamesh is confident in his abilities because he is able to struggle and overcome the wild man of the forest Enkidu. At first, the representative of kingly authority Gilgamesh and 'nature' in the form of Enkidu are adversaries; then they become friends. But the polarization of nature and civilization shows that Gilgamesh, despite his strength, has much to learn from Enkidu. When Enkidu and Gilgamesh encounter Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar forest, Enkidu urges his friend not to kill the creature. Gilgamesh ignores Enkidu and brings the wrath of the gods upon the two men -- Enkidu is killed in punishment for Gilgamesh's crime.

This death changes Gilgamesh. Taming Enkidu made Gilgamesh more confident. Knowing his arrogant actions brought about the death of someone whom he loved and respected as much as Enkidu shakes Gilgamesh to his very core. No longer certain of his greatness, now that he knows he can die, he embarks upon a quest that does not yield him the answer he is seeking, but brings him wisdom and understanding. Gilgamesh's heroic struggle for knowledge is a classic depiction of the heroic quest of death and rebirth ("Heroic quest cycle," 2005). The underworld, as it is portrayed in Gilgamesh, is a dark and terrible place, a place from which all individuals shy away from -- but Gilgamesh finds it within himself to accept what Enkidu and eventually he will become after death. Radical acceptance of the cyclical processes of life, rather than resistance is the only answer. Befriending Enkidu leads Gilgamesh on a path to true knowledge, in a way that is far more profound than winning a physical contest.

Works Cited

Kirk, G.S. Myth: its meaning and functions in ancient and other cultures. CUP Archive, 1970

"Heroic quest cycle." 2005. November 9, 2009.http://www.questcycles.com/hqcycle.html

"Mesopotamian underworld." Nyboria. November 9, 2009.

http://www.nyboria.de/meso_under.htm