Hero myths across cultures and traditions

¶ … Epic of Gilgamesh

In a time when natural disasters were the whims of the Gods, when hunger, disease, and death stalked ones life as surely as the wild beasts of the land, the epic poem of Gilgamesh found its way across the ancient landscape. It was unearthed as part of a library collected thousands of years before our time, yet "reflects an ancient range of human experience and emotion not so far removed from our own" (Jackson, xi). In a cultural context of nomadic life and city-states, ancient Iraqis worshipped numerous gods. Every aspect of their life depended upon the favor their gods bestowed. The Epic of Gilgamesh illustrates an understanding of the human spirit unbent by fickle gods and powerful kings. This is a story of human growth and acceptance for a difficult life and violent time in human history.

The ancient Iraqi society was "mostly illiterate," passing on history through recitation, according to Maureen Kovacs, in her introduction to the Epic. Yet, there were libraries containing collections of works carved into clay tablets in cuneiform. Those who lived within the walls of ancient city-states preserved their stories. Traders carried volumes between kingdoms and kingdoms seized treasures from each other. Life was uncertain and their culture at risk, "at least in part, a(s) a consequence of the insecurity of life in Mesopotamia, and of those 'overtones of anxiety' which Henri Frankfort described as being due to a 'haunting fear that the unaccountable and turbulent powers may at any time bring disaster to human society'"(Sandars, 22). The Epic embodies the characteristics needed for a kingdom to be successful.

Gilgamesh is a young man, a king, and a god. His interests lay in self- aggrandizement and wars of conquest. He is stronger than any young man in the town is, and irresistible to every young woman without regard to her social standing. His strength and beauty come from the gods. He is two-thirds god himself, as depicted in the Epic, full of unrestrained energy. He is extremely successful as a warrior, but less so as a king because of his energy and arrogance. Gilgamesh was a tyrant. He had an "over-riding preoccupation with fame, reputation, and the revolt of mortal man against the laws of separation and death" (Sandars, 22). In the pattern of mythical heroes, Gilgamesh must endure a remarkable transformation to alter his personality. He must grow. His subjects pray to the gods for an answer. That answer comes in the form of Enkidu, an untamed man of the forest.

Where Gilgamesh is the embodiment of corruption, Enkidu symbolizes purity. He is a creature untainted by the ways of the city and man. Enkidu is lured to the knowledge of men by a whore from the city. Through his involvement with the whore, "Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him and the thoughts of man were in his heart" (Sandars, pg. 65).

The knowledge he now has also makes him like a god. The animals of the forest run from him. He becomes a protector to the other shepherds. What does this say about this culture's perception of knowledge? One can infer that the wisdom of the day believes that knowledge leads to corruption. One might also infer that society held negative perceptions concerning certain activities performed by women, that there were social mores and class divisions.

The poem continues and Gilgamesh and Enkidu wrestle their way into friendship. Enkidu provides the catalyst for Gilgamesh to grow. It is through Enkidu that Gilgamesh first learns of the great cedar forest and the evil guardian therein.

With Enkidu by his side, Gilgamesh begins his journey. His interest is in conquest and wealth. The cedar of the great forest will help him enlarge the great wall of Uruk. An accomplishment for which he will be remembered. If Gilgamesh can defeat Huwawa, the evil guardian, and show his superior strength to his subjects he has achieved greater glory. In this part of the epic Gilgamesh is a warrior-king.

Nevertheless, Enkidu is afraid of Huwawa. He understands the power of evil better than Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is corrupted by evil and is blind to anything but his own power.

He laughs at Enkidu's fear. He has no concern for death. This all changes when Enkidu dies.

The primary reason, then, for Gilgamesh to enter the forest is to obtain a wealth of wood to enlarge the wall of Uruk. Yet, on another level, the Epic is a wonderful adventure. While it is true that these two friends are young and might seek challenge, the context of the story leads the reader to believe that more is at stake than fame and fortune. The battle with Huwawa pits Gilgamesh and Enkidu against the will of the gods to keep their forest sacred. Gilgamesh and Enkidu prevail against Huwawa, but in doing so they anger Enlil, the storm-god. Nature is the enemy. Ancient societies were subject to flood, drought, and famine at the whim of the weather. Only the gods can control it. "We know from many ancient Mesopotamian sources, in Sumerian and in Akkadian, that the Babylonians believed the purpose of the human race to be the service of the Gods" (George, xxxvii). The gods are responsible for men's fate. While it appears that Gilgamesh has power, it is evident that he has no control over the events of the world.

After Gilgamesh defeats Huwawa, the goddess of love, Ishtar, wants him for her own. Gilgamesh does not believe that Ishtar will treat him differently than she has treated her past lovers, none of whom seemed to fare very well. Angered, Ishtar threatens to release the dead back to earth if her father does not create the Bull of Heaven. The bull is symbolic of a seven-year drought. Her father thus creates the drought which Gilgamesh defeats.

It seems that Gilgamesh's union with Enkidu has given him the personal fortitude to prevail against the temptations of the gods, represented by Ishtar. However, when "Enkidu refuses the prayer of Huwawa for mercy, and he insults Ishtar" his council to Gilgamesh to kill Huwawa leads to deadly consequences for him (Sandar, 35).

The gods are angry. They decide that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu must die.

Enkidu hears his fate in a dream and succumbs to death. Gilgamesh is distraught. His fear of death overwhelms him. He envisions Enkidu as dust and mourns. He clothes himself in animal skins, throwing off the wealth of his kingdom, and enters the nomadic life in his quest for immortality. The transformation of Gilgamesh from warrior-king to compassionate human is beginning. He experiences the death of his friend with great fear of death for himself. He becomes more like Enkidu and replaces his cavalier attitude with one of commitment. Gilgamesh throws the trappings of god-king and warrior-king away and becomes a nomad in search of immortality. He is experiencing a new stage of growth as an epic hero.

Until now, Gilgamesh could not see past his own greatness. By spurning the offer of Ishtar to become her consort, and as such, the God of the Underworld, Gilgamesh has given away his chance at being a god-king. He must learn how to be a mortal man. However, Gilgamesh does not accept the fate of death. He decides, "to find Utnapishtim whom they call the Faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods" (Sandar, 97). Utnapishtim is immortal. According to the Flood story, Utnapishtim learned, in a dream, that the gods were going to flood the earth. He was instructed to build a boat. Thus, he became the only human to survive the deluge. The gods gave him immortality. Gilgamesh is in search of his secret. During his journey Shamash, Gilgamesh's mentor-god, tries to dissuade him by saying, "You will never find the life for which you are searching" (Sandars, 100).

Gilgamesh encounters Siduri, a woman who makes wine in a golden bowl with golden vats given to her by the gods. Siduri recognizes him as the warrior-king who defeated Huwawa, and the Bull of Heaven. She tells him that his search for immortality is worthless. Gilgamesh is not ready to hear the wisdom she imparts. She tells him that his life is valuable, not because he seeks immortality, but because of the things he already has. She tells him to enjoy his life as a man and understand that the gods keep immortality for themselves. This is the truth of man. Unhappily, Gilgamesh cannot bear his fear and his fear is still greater than his wisdom. Siduri tells him that Utnapishtim is unreachable. Then she tells him where to find a ferryman who crosses the waters of death. Angered by her truth, Gilgamesh rages through the forest and destroys the very items that he needs to make the crossing with the ferryman.

Throughout the Epic Gilgamesh destroys that which he seeks. His headstrong unwillingness to obey his fate leads him from one catastrophe to the next. He creates havoc in Uruk until Enkidu is created, then he battles with Huwawa, gains glory, which turns to tragedy in the death of his friend. He does not listen to Shamash, his personal god-friend, nor does he take the advice of Siduri. Gilgamesh, like most humans, has to learn the hard way. He learns from each mistake as the reader follows him through his journey of life. The death of Enkidu is the point at which personal introspection overtakes his bravado. Yet, Gilgamesh is still subject to outbursts of immature rage. He is learning that his will does not create his reality.

The ferryman, Urshanabi, takes him across the waters of death to meet Utnapishtim. Gilgamesh uses his body as the sail to replace the tackle he destroyed. One begins to realize that he is increasingly willing to suffer for his cause. Utnapishtim meets Gilgamesh and explains the reason that he has immortality. Gilgamesh is surprised that Utnapistim is a regular man. He is different from Gilgamesh thought he would be. It is at this point that the hero realizes that his assumptions about life, death, and immortality are incorrect. He assumes that Utnaptistim would be a great king figure, adorned and godlike. This realization is critical to Gilgamesh's growth as a human being. He realizes that his efforts toward greatness have been folly. Utnaptistim has him washed and dressed. In a way, Gilgamesh has been reborn. He accepts the clothing that never ages, allows his body to be cleaned, and hears adoration for his human form. Finally, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh the secret of the gods.

This is where the Flood story appears. "The flood story, presumably told in the first place because of its intrinsic interest, and serving in Atrahasis to explain the origin of infant mortality and other problems is used in the epic to help explain why the god's gift of immortality to Utnapishtim is not repeatable" (Tigay, p.249). Gilgamesh understands, but is still unwilling to accept death as part of life. Utnapishtim's wife urges her husband to tell Gilgamesh how to gain immortality for him - since this is all he wants to hear. It is interesting that the hero is given great wisdom from those around him, yet only hears the truth he desires.

Gilgamesh dives for the plant of immortality. He throws it ashore, but does not eat it. Now the reader experiences a new hero. Gilgamesh, for the first time, is thinking of someone other than himself. He is bringing the plant back to the elderly of Uruk so that they can become young again. Only after they eat, will he eat. This is an astounding transformation. He has grown from an arrogant warrior- king interested only in his own reward, to an empathetic king who has concern for his subjects. Sadly, a snake steals the plant while Gilgamesh is resting. It sheds its skin, gaining new life, and disappears. Gilgamesh laments that his entire journey has been for nothing. Of course, the reader knows otherwise.

When Gilgamesh reaches Uruk, he realizes that the walls of the city are great. He shows the ferryman everything that he has accomplished, not as an immortal but as a man. He sets down to record his adventures so that everyone can know them. This is not the young warrior-king who first set out in search of glory; this is a mature being who has endured great hardship. He has returned to the city empty-handed, yet he has the wisdom he needs to live as a mortal.