An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic — John Shaqi
An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh EpicJastrow, Morris
General
An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic
Jastrow, Morris
Epic poetry, Assyro-Babylonian
Similarly in the next episode, the struggle against Huwawa, the Yale
tablet makes it clear that in the original form of the tale Enkidu
is the real hero. All warn Gish against the undertaking--the elders
of Erech, Enkidu, and also the workmen. "Why dost thou desire to do
this?" [81] they say to him. "Thou art young, and thy heart carries
thee away. Thou knowest not what thou proposest to do." [82] This part
of the incident is now better known to us through the latest fragment
of the Assyrian version discovered and published by King. [83] The
elders say to Gilgamesh:
"Do not trust, O Gilgamesh, in thy strength!
Be warned(?) against trusting to thy attack!
The one who goes before will save his companion, [84]
He who has foresight will save his friend. [85]
Let Enkidu go before thee.
He knows the roads to the cedar forest;
He is skilled in battle and has seen fight."
Gilgamesh is sufficiently impressed by this warning to invite Enkidu
to accompany him on a visit to his mother, Ninsun, for the purpose
of receiving her counsel. [86]
It is only after Enkidu, who himself hesitates and tries to dissuade
Gish, decides to accompany the latter that the elders of Erech
are reconciled and encourage Gish for the fray. The two in concert
proceed against Huwawa. Gilgamesh alone cannot carry out the plan. Now
when a tale thus associates two figures in one deed, one of the
two has been added to the original tale. In the present case there
can be little doubt that Enkidu, without whom Gish cannot proceed,
who is specifically described as "acquainted with the way ... to the
entrance of the forest" [87] in which Huwawa dwells is the _original_
vanquisher. Naturally, the Epic aims to conceal this fact as much
as possible _ad majorem gloriam_ of Gilgamesh. It tries to put the
one who became the favorite hero into the foreground. Therefore, in
both the Babylonian and the Assyrian version Enkidu is represented
as hesitating, and Gilgamesh as determined to go ahead. Gilgamesh,
in fact, accuses Enkidu of cowardice and boldly declares that he
will proceed even though failure stare him in the face. [88] Traces
of the older view, however, in which Gilgamesh is the one for whom
one fears the outcome, crop out; as, for example, in the complaint of
Gilgamesh's mother to Shamash that the latter has stirred the heart
of her son to take the distant way to Hu(m)baba,
"To a fight unknown to him, he advances,
An expedition unknown to him he undertakes." [89]
Ninsun evidently fears the consequences when her son informs her
of his intention and asks her counsel. The answer of Shamash is not
preserved, but no doubt it was of a reassuring character, as was the
answer of the Sun-god to Gish's appeal and prayer as set forth in
the Yale tablet. [90]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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