Journeys in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Tablet VI. Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven

Location: Uruk

Journeys in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Characters present in Tablet VI:

Settings:

Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Ishtar, Anu, Antum, Bull of Heaven

Heaven: is the location in which the Mesopotamian Gods reside. Comparable to Olympus for the Greeks. It is a location in which the gods debate and hold assembly on actions that they concern themselves over such as the destruction of the world. In EoG, heaven is a setting in which Ishtar converses with her parent to obtain the Bull of Heaven in order to punish Gilgamesh.

Summary of events:

The two heroes arrived back to Uruk from their quest, the duo then cleanse themselves from the strenuous task. Gilgamesh's beauty provoked the desire of the goddess Ishtar and thus she proposes to be his wife. However Gilgamesh rejects and scorns Ishtar's advances as he has knowledge about the fates of her previous lovers. Ishtar hears these words and she "[went up] to heaven in a furious rage" from the humiliation she suffered from Gilgamesh. Ishtar went to her father, Anu, and mother, Antu. Ishtar asks for the Bull of Heaven to in order to enact vengeance upon Gilgamesh. She threaten to "smash [the gates of the Netherworld, right down]" and "bring up the dead to consume the living" if they do not comply. Fearing her threat, Anu concedes under the condition that Ishtar lets "the widow of Uruk gather seven years' chaff, [and the farmer of Uruk] grow seven years' hay." Ishtar says she has let them and is given the Bull of Heaven.

Ishtar descends from the heavens with the Bull of Heaven and lets it loose onto the lands of Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu goes to subdue and slay the Bull of Heaven. After they have slain it, they rip out its heart to make an offering to the god Shamash. Ishtar went up to the wall of Uruk and wailed in woe: "Alas! Gilgamesh, who mocked me, has killed the Bull of Heaven." Upon hearing these words Enkidu tars off a haunch from the Bull and throws it to her face, threatening to do the same to her as he has to the Bull. Ishtar and her followers begin mourning the Bull's death while Gilgamesh and Enkidu prepare a feast. That night Enkidu had a dream.

Tablet V. The Combat with Humbaba

Location: Forest of Cedar

Cedar Forest in Lebanon

Tablet VII. The Death of Enkidu

Location: Uruk

Characters present in Tablet V.

Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Humbaba

Settings:

Forest of Cedar: Basically similar to a boss stage that heroes have to fight the monster in. A cliche setting that gives the heroes a place to have their heroic battle against the monster. In EoG, the Forest of Cedar sets down the boss battle against Humbaba for Enkidu and Gilgamesh.

Summary of Events

The two heroes reached the Forest of Cedar and marveled at its size. Humbaba the demon confronts the two, accusing Enkidu of treachery. Enkidu urges swift action against Humbaba, the heroes defeated the demon with the help of Shamash. Humbaba pleas for mercy but Enkidu tells Gilgamesh to show no mercy, upon hearing this Humbaba curses the two and is then slain.

Enkidu and Gilgamesh travel further into the forest in which they cut down trees to create a "door, six rods in height, two rods in breadth, one cubit in thickness, whose pole and pivots, top and bottom, will be all of a piece." They made a raft and laid the doors upon it then sailed back to Uruk with head of Humbaba.

Characters present in Tablet VII:

Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Anu, Enlil, Shamash

Settings:

In Uruk. During Enkidu's Dream the gods are seen in the heavens, after Enkidu wakes up the characters are only seen in Uruk.

Summary of events:

At the start of tablet seven Enkidu is seen having a dream, during his dream the Gods Anu, Enlil and Shamash have decided that Gilgamesh and Enkidu have become too powerful of a duo and that on elf them must die. The gods debate on who they should kill and have decided to kill Enkidu. Enkidu awakes and tells Gilgamesh what he has seen. Gilgamesh begins to cry and then both of them become enraged with anger and begin to curse Enlil, Shamat and the trapper. Shamash tells the both of them to stop cursing them and tells them that Shamat is the reason why you too have become such great friends. He tells Gilgamesh to make a statue of Enkidu and that people will worship it. Enkidu tells Gilgamesh about another dream he had where he was taken too the underworlds by a lion-headed eagle, in the underworld he saw fallen kings under the control of the gods and they were eating clay and drinking dirt. Gilgamesh became scared of Enkidu's dream. Enkidu became very sick and layed in his bed for twelve days and eventually died. Gilgamesh promises to mourn Enkidu's death.

Significance of symbols:

"Don the skin of a lion and roam the wilderness": Foreshadowing of Gilgamesh's journey after Enkidu's death.

Lion-headed eagle: Represents the messengers of the gods taking him too heaven

Tablet IV. The Journey to the Forest of Cedar

Location: Desert

Tablet III. Preparations for the Expedition to the Forest of Cedar

Tablet VIII. The Funeral of Enkidu

Location: Uruk

Characters present in Tablet IV.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu

Settings:

The Wilderness : The setting for this tablet is set in the wild on , where Gilgamesh and Enkidu preform athletic feats which is impossible for any human to do , such as covering 50 leagues in a day which shows the greatness of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. This tablet is broken into six stages while in the wilderness.

Dreamworld : The Dreamworld comes out often in the epic this is where Gilgamesh is given signs about Enkidu and what to do in his journey .

Forest Of Cedar : The Forest of Cedar Is where Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight Humbaba and come out victorious this is also where they cut the wood for the gates of Uruk .

Summary of Events:

Gilgamesh and Enkidu depart from Uruk and begin their journey. Because Gilgamesh and Enkidu are demigods in a single day they cover in one day the same distance it would take for an average humans months to walk. Before they sleep that night Gilgamesh prays to Shamash to send him dreams, Enkidu performs a special ritual before he goes to sleep. Gilgamesh awakes from a nightmare that a bolder was thrown on top of them, Enkidu tells him that it is a sign that they will defeat Humbaba. They repeat the same process and throughout their journey Gilgamesh only receives nightmares whole Enkidu had good and peaceful dreams. Finally they have come to the edge of the Cedar forest, Gilgamesh becomes frightened to enter and starts crying and pleading Shamash for help but Shamash tells them to stop wasting time and to fight Humbaba now as he usually wears 7 layers of armour but is wearing 1 only today. Enkidu starts to become scared too but Gilgamesh gets a random burst of courage and manages to convince Enkidu and himself to enter Cedar forest

Characters present in Tablet VIII:

Gilgamesh

Characters present in Tablet III.

Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Ninsun, Elders

Settings:

Uruk : The setting for this tablet is the city of Uruk which Gilgamesh and Enkidu return after their battle with Humbaba. However There is a part of the tablet missing in which historians think Gilgamesh set off on his journey because tablet VIII begins with Gilgamesh in the Forest.

Summary of events:

As Enkidu passes away, Gilgamesh prepares for his funeral. Gilgamesh calls for his craftsmen to make a grand statue in honor of his friend and from his treasury, selects the finest gold and jewels for Enkidu to take into the Netherworld in order to be on the good side of the deities that dwell there. A great banquet is held and Gilgamesh mourns his friend while rituals for the funeral are being conducted.

Settings:

Ninsun's temple: A place where heroes can get blessings for safe return on their quest. In EoG, the duo goes to Ninsun's temple to get a blessing for the journey.

Summary of Events:

Seeing that they can't stop Gilgamesh from going on his quest, the elders instead give them advice for the quest. The duo then go "to the Palace Sublime, into the presence of the great Queen Ninsun" to ask for a blessing for the journey ahead. Ninsun gives the duo their blessing and adopts Enkidu as her son. Ninsun also enlists the help of the Sun God Shamash and his wife Aya to protect her sons. Gilgamesh gives instructions to the elders on how to govern his city during his absence and then the two left Uruk.

Tablet I. The Coming of Enkidu

Location: Uruk

Characters present in Tablet I.

Tablet IX. The Wanderings of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh, the trapper and his father, Shamhat the harlot, Enkidu

Location: Wild

Settings:

The wild- Shamhat is sent on a mission to tame the wild man Enkidu. Gilgamesh is a symbol of civilization while Enkidu is a symbol of our prior animalistic and primal side before we became civilized. The wild is also a setting commonly associated as a setting in which monsters and beasts inhabit. In EoG, the wild is where Enkidu is first spotted.

Summary of events

Gilgamesh, King of Uruk was a tyrant to his people. The citizens prayed to the gods for help, Anu answered the call and asked Aruru to create a being on par with Gilgamesh. Enkidu was created as a wild man and began terrorizing the farmlands. A trapper spotted Enkidu near a waterhole, frighten by his presence the trapper goes to Uruk to plea to the King for help. Gilgamesh tells the trapper to take Shamhat the harlot with him to tame the wild beast. Once Enkidu was tamed, Shamhat asks him if he wants to go to Uruk. Meanwhile Gilgamesh was having dreams about Enkidu and asks his mother Ninsun for the meanings behind his dreams.

Tablet II. The Taming of Enkidu

Characters present in Tablet IX:

Gilgamesh, Shamash, scorpion-men

Enkidu

Location: Wild

Settings:

Mashu's twin mountains: This setting can be assumed as a mountain passing into the far distant lands from Mesopotamia. Back then people used to think that the world had an ending. The twin mountains in EoG can be perceived as the gates to a different realm similar to the Gates of the Underworld guarded by Cerberus in Greek mythology, but in EoG guarded by two scorpion-men.

Summary of events:

While Gilgamesh was mourning the death of Enkidu, he realizes that he would also suffer the same fate as Enkidu. Fearing the inevitable, Gilgamesh decided to wander the wild in search for the immortal Uta-napishti for the secret to his immortality. Wandering the wild, Gilgamesh slaughters a den of lions and "clad himself in their skins, he ate their flesh." Seeing Gilgamesh in such a distress Shamash became worried and came down to ask him why and where is he going. Gilgamesh says to Shamash: "After roaming, wandering all through the wild, when I enter the Netherworld will rest be scarce? I shall lie there sleeping all down the years!"

Moving onwards to the end of the world, Gilgamesh encounters Mashu's twin mountains 'whose tops [support] the fabric of heaven, whose base reaches down to the Netherworld.' There were two scorpion-men guarding its gate, Gilgamesh walked up to them telling of why has made his journey there. Unable to discourage Gilgamesh with the dangers he would face, the scorpion-men allowed him to pass. Gilgamesh is forced to race against time to complete the Path of the Sun before the Sun can catch up to him. '[At twelve double hours Gilgamesh came] out just before the Sun and discovers himself in a garden of jewels.

Gilgamesh

Characters present in Tablet II.

Enkidu, Shamhat, shepherds, Gilgamesh, Council of Elders, Ninsun

Summary of events:

Shamhat takes Enkidu to a shepherds' camp in order to civilize him. Enkidu was taught to eat bread, drink mead and was groomed and dressed to be a warrior. One day a passing stranger happened, Enkidu was curious and asked him where he was going. The stranger tells Enkidu that he is going to a wedding in Uruk, where the king by right can take the first night of the bride. Enkidu is shocked by this statement and goes to Uruk and interrupts the wedding to challenge Gilgamesh. Enkidu is defeated but his strength amazes Gilgamesh in which they both became best friends.

One day Gilgamesh decides to go on a quest for fame and glory. He decides to go to the Forest of Cedar and slay the demon Humbaba. Enkidu warns Gilagmesh of the dangers of such a quest but is ignored. The duo armed themselves with axes and daggers, Gilgamesh tells the elders his plan during an assembly and they too, tried to stop Gilgamesh.

Settings:

Shepherd's camp: This is considered to be the first sign of civilization that Enkidu meets. In the camp this is also when Enkidu starts his transition from a wild man to a civilized man. Shamhat introduces him to bread, mead and also dresses him in garments all which are human creations.

Ninsun's temple: This setting can be considered to be a cliche for stories of heroes. In some stories, notably the Grecian ones, tend to have heroes either getting a vision from a higher being or have temples of gods/goddess as a major setting for the protagonist to venture to in his/her quest. In the EoG, Gilgamesh goes to his mother's temple in order to consult her of his dreams.

Assembly of Uruk: This setting is often found in stories of which the hero does a quest for a city. Usually given by the governing party such as the king or council of elders to the hero for the sake of the city. In the EoG, Gilgamesh and Enkidu tells the council of elders their quest to venture into the Forest of Cedar to kill the demon Humbaba.

Tablet X. At the Edge of the World

Location: Seaside

Characters present in Tablet X:

Gilgamesh, Shiduri, Ur-shanabi, Uta-napishti

Ur-shanabi

Settings:

Sea of Death: This setting is the obstacle blocking Gilgamesh from attaining his goal. Gilgamesh commandeered the services of the ferryman Ur-shanabi to reach Uta-napishti. This can be equated to the passing of the River Styx with the ferry Charon. The journey may also be an indication of Gilgamesh's attempt in conquering Death.

This setting often associates with the hero journeying into the underworld and returning, often with a quest item, loved one or gained heighten knowledge. The ability to traverse to the underworld while still alive and come back shows that heroes are more than human. In EoG, Gilgamesh goes through the Sea of Death to meet Uta-napishti and comes back out with a better understanding of his mortality.

Summary of events:

Beyond the garden of jewels, by the sea-shore, lives a wise old goddess named Shiduri who was also a tavern-keeper. As Gilgamesh comes into view 'clad in a plet, and fearful [to look on.]' Shiduri was intimidated as she assumed him to be a 'hunter of bulls' and asked herself why he is coming towards her home. Shiduri barred her gate and went up onto the roof. As Gilgamesh approached the inn, he found the gate to be barred. He demands to the tavern-keeper why she has barred the gate and threatens to break in. When Shiduri asks who he is; Gilgamesh tells her how his friend has died and how much he fears death now. Gilgamesh also asks for her aid in crossing the sea to find Uta-napishti. Shiduri warns Gilgamesh of the dangers he would face and gave him the location of Uta-napishti's ferryman, Ur-shanabi, with his crew of Stone Ones.

Gilgamesh rushes down to the location to find the ferryman, but as he reaches the location he frightens the Stone Ones and they begin to fight. Gilgamesh deposes of the Stone Ones and went on to explain his quest to Ur-shanabi while also asking for his help. Ur-shanabi reveals to Gilgamesh that he has hindered his own progress by smashing the Stone Ones, he instructs Gilgamesh to "go down to the forest and [cut three hundred] punting-poles, each five rods in length" then bring them to him. They embark on the boat with the poles. When the poles are all gone Gilgamesh uses the ferryman's garment to make a sail, and they cross the Waters of Death. Having landed Gilgamesh tells his story to Uta-napishti. Utanapishti reminds Gilgamesh of the duties of kings and discourses on the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life.

Tablet XI. Immortality Denied

Location: Seaside to wild then back to Uruk

Characters present in Tablet XI:

Gilgamesh, Uta-napishti and wife, Ur-shanabi

Settings:

Washing pool: The washing pool is the location of when Gilgamesh cleanses himself but also the place in which his quest item is stolen by a passing snake. Through this event happening it makes Gilgamesh realize now that he cannot escape death. Ever since Enkidu died he has been ignoring his duties as the King of Uruk, with the loss of the plant Gilgamesh is freed from his delusions of wanting be immortal and start taking responsibility for his city.

Uruk: Gilgamesh realizes that his place is in Uruk overseeing his people. Uruk is the final destination of Gilgamesh's quest and also the marvel of human endeavors and ingenuity to make a monument that would stand against the test of time.

Summary of events:

Gilgamesh questions Uta-napishti on how he obtained eternal life, and hears how he survived the Deluge and was given immortality as a reward. Uta-napishti challenges Gilgamesh to go without sleep for a week and asked his wife to bake a loaf of bread for each day Gilgamesh is asleep for. Gilgamesh fails the test and in despair realizes that if he cannot beat Sleep then he has no chance of conquering Death. Uta-napishti tells his ferryman to have Gilgamesh bathe and dress himself in more royal garments, and also to escort him back to Uruk. Uta-napishti's wife counsels him to give Gilgamesh the customary present for his journey. Uta-napishti tells Gilgamesh about a plant deep under the sea that has to property of rejuvenation. Gilgamesh dives to the bottom of the seabed and retrieves it. On the way home to Uruk Gilgamesh stops at a pool to bathe but a snake ate the plant as he was distracted. Knowing that he would never rediscover the spot for the plant, Gilgamesh realizes that all his labors had been in vain. His hopes destroyed, Gilgamesh finds that he wasn't meant to live forever and as they arrive in Uruk he shows the ferryman the walls that would be his legacy.