An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh EpicJastrow, Morris
General
An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic
Jastrow, Morris
Epic poetry, Assyro-Babylonian
Again, as a further indication that Enkidu is the real conqueror of
Huwawa, we find the coming contest revealed to Enkidu no less than
three times in dreams, which Gilgamesh interprets. [91] Since the
person who dreams is always the one to whom the dream applies, we may
see in these dreams a further trace of the primary rôle originally
assigned to Enkidu.
Another exploit which, according to the Assyrian version, the two
heroes perform in concert is the killing of a bull, sent by Anu at
the instance of Ishtar to avenge an insult offered to the goddess
by Gilgamesh, who rejects her offer of marriage. In the fragmentary
description of the contest with the bull, we find Enkidu "seizing"
the monster by "its tail." [92]
That Enkidu originally played the part of the slayer is also shown
by the statement that it is he who insults Ishtar by throwing a
piece of the carcass into the goddess' face, [93] adding also an
insulting speech; and this despite the fact that Ishtar in her rage
accuses Gilgamesh of killing the bull. [94] It is thus evident that
the Epic alters the original character of the episodes in order to
find a place for Gilgamesh, with the further desire to assign to the
latter the _chief_ rôle. Be it noted also that Enkidu, not Gilgamesh,
is punished for the insult to Ishtar. Enkidu must therefore in the
original form of the episode have been the guilty party, who is
stricken with mortal disease as a punishment to which after twelve
days he succumbs. [95] In view of this, we may supply the name of
Enkidu in the little song introduced at the close of the encounter
with the bull, and not Gilgamesh as has hitherto been done.
"Who is distinguished among the heroes?
Who is glorious among men?
[Enkidu] is distinguished among heroes,
[Enkidu] is glorious among men." [96]
Finally, the killing of lions is directly ascribed to Enkidu in the
Pennsylvania tablet:
"Lions he attacked
* * * * *
Lions he overcame" [97]
whereas Gilgamesh appears to be afraid of lions. On his long search
for Utnapishtim he says:
"On reaching the entrance of the mountain at night
I saw lions and was afraid." [98]
He prays to Sin and Ishtar to protect and save him. When, therefore,
in another passage some one celebrates Gilgamesh as the one who
overcame the "guardian," who dispatched Hu(m)baba in the cedar forest,
who killed lions and overthrew the bull, [99] we have the completion
of the process which transferred to Gilgamesh exploits and powers
which originally belonged to Enkidu, though ordinarily the process
stops short at making Gilgamesh a _sharer_ in the exploits; with the
natural tendency, to be sure, to enlarge the share of the favorite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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