Prologue
Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third man. His mother was a goddess named Ninsun. His father was a mortal named Lugalbanda.
Ch.1
Gilgamesh ruled the strong walled city of Uruk. He built the temple of Ishtar and Anu, but he was harsh on his people.
The gods decided to make a mortal equal to the strength of Gilgamesh, to teach him a lesson. They chose Nintu to make this mortal. She made him in the image of Anu, her husband.
This man, who the gods named Enkidu, ran wild over the plains. One day a hunter saw him, he was scared of Enkidu. When the hunter returned home that evening he told his father about the wild man.
The hunter’s father got a priestess from the temple and brought her to a watering hole where all the animals came to drink. Enkidu saw the priestess and was attracted by her beauty.
“Come,” she said, “I will teach you to behave like a civilized man.”
Ch.2
When Enkidu understood the language and customs of Uruk the priestess brought him to the city. The priestess had told him of Gilgamesh. Enkidu assumed Gilgamesh must be an evil tyrant from the way the priestess described him.
When Gilgamesh started to enter the temple Enkidu blocked his path; they wrestled like two wild bulls. After awhile they were both tired. They decided to become friends.
Ch.3
After several weeks, Enkidu felt sad.
“What’s wrong?” asked Gilgamesh.
“I have lost my strength,” replied Enkidu.
“I know what would cheer you up!” said Gilgamesh. “We will go to the Cedar forest and kill the giant, Humbaba!”
“You may not be afraid of death Gilgamesh, but I am not yet ready to die,” answered Enkidu.
After a lot of arguing, Enkidu finally agreed to go. Gilgamesh had weapons made. Axes and many swords. Then he went to ask the sun god, Shamash for help.
“Please Shamash, help me to kill the giant Humbaba,” cried Gilgamesh.
Shamash, hearing Gilgamesh plead, agreed. “All right Gilgamesh, I will help you kill Humbaba.”
After thanking Shamash, Gilgamesh recruited 50 of his countrymen for the adventure. Then he went with Enkidu to his mother for her blessing.
“Let Enkidu lead the way, he is experienced,” said Ninsun.
Ch.4
It took three days of traveling 150 miles a day to reach the cedar forest.
One night Gilgamesh had a dream. In his dream a mountain fell on him and a man helped him. He woke up and told Enkidu about his dream.
“It means we will kill Humbaba!” Gilgamesh went back to sleep, he had another dream. In his dream he had a fight with a bull but then the bull helped him. “It means Shamash will help defeat the giant,” replied Enkidu.
When Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the fifty men entered the cedar forest, Gilgamesh cut down a tree.
Then a voice said:
“Who has dared enter the Cedar forest and cut down a tree!?!”
“I have come to banish evil!” said Gilgamesh, “and you’re the only evil in the land!”
Just then 8 winds that Shamash had sent hit Humbaba. Humbaba pretended to be a good guy and pleaded to Shamash for help. Then he begged Gilgamesh to let him be his servant, but Enkidu said:
“Don’t listen, he’s trying to trick you.” Gilgamesh listened to Enkidu and cut Humbaba’s head off. (With the help of Enkidu) Humbaba is dead and Gilgamesh and Enkidu were heroes.
Ch.5
They returned to Uruk victorious. When Ishtar the goddess of love saw Gilgamesh she fell in love with him and wanted to marry him.
“Gilgamesh,” she said, “You are a hero now and I love you, so would you marry me?”
“I will not marry you. Everyone you loved, you either turned them into something or you left them. Shall I list them for you?”
“There was Tammuz the young man, you left him. It broke his heart. A shepherd, you turned him into a bird and cut off his wing. A stallion you made him run twenty miles each day and drink muddy water, he died. A herdsman, you turned him into a wolf. And finally a gardener, you turned him into a mole,” finished Gilgamesh. Ishtar was so furious she went to her father, Anu and complained to him.
“Let the bull of heaven loose or else I will open the gates of the underworld and let free all the lost souls. They will take over the living world.”
“The Bull of Heaven will bring a seven year famine. Do you have enough food and water for the people and animals of Uruk?” said Anu.
“Yes I do,” answered Ishtar.
“Fine you may take the Bull of heaven,” said Anu.
When Ishtar sent the bull of heaven down to earth Enkidu fought it. Then Gilgamesh joined the fight. Finally they killed it.
That night Enkidu dreamed that he must die (Since they killed the bull of heaven). He told Gilgamesh that he didn’t want to die. The next night Enkidu dreamed of the house of darkness. (Death) Then he died. Gilgamesh was so sad, he cried and cried and cried.
Gilgamesh had a statue of Enkidu made in his city. Then he announced a day of mourning.
Ch.6
Gilgamesh left the strong walled city of Uruk. He decided to try and find Utanapishtim; Utanapishtim was a man who found everlasting life.
Gilgamesh came to Mt. Mashu, with its giant gate and scorpion guards. “Please scorpions,” said Gilgamesh, “let me go through the tunnel!”
“We will let you pass Gilgamesh, but why do you want to go through the tunnel?” said one scorpion.
“So I can find Utanapishtim. So he can tell me how to live forever.”
“Very well, good-bye Gilgamesh.”
After 36 miles of traveling, Gilgamesh came to the end of the tunnel. On the other side was a garden with trees hanging with jewels. Gilgamesh had come to the garden of the heavenly gods. Still he walked on. He met a fishwife named Siduri.
“Why are you here, Gilgamesh?” she asked him.
“I’ve come to find Utanapishtim so he can tell me how to live forever,” replied Gilgamesh.
“Why don’t you just accept your fate like everyone else does. Live a happy life, take a wife, have children and settle down,” said Siduri. “But if you won’t listen to me maybe Ushanabi, the boat man can help.”
Gilgamesh found Ushanabi’s stone figures and in his rage he destroyed them.
“Hey, what are you doing?!” yelled Ushanabi.
“Oh Ushanabi, please take me to Utanapishtim,” pleaded Gilgamesh.
“Fine, but I’ll need 120 poles each 100 feet long,” said Ushanabi. So Gilgamesh worked long and hard until he had made the poles. It took them three days to reach the river of death. Then Gilagmesh and Ushanabi used the poles to paddle through the river. At the end of the river stood Utanapishtim’s house.
Utanapishtim saw them and said, “Who are you?”
I am Gilgamesh and I have come to find out how to live forever. My friend Enkidu has died and I am now afraid of death.”
“But nothing lasts forever, Nothing is permanent. Human beings must experience life & death,” said Utanapishtim.
Ch.7
“So how did you get everlasting life?” asked Gilgamesh.
“Gilgamesh, I will tell you. My story is a secret of the gods.
“Enlil the god of rain, called an assembly. “People are noisy,” he said, “I want to destroy them.” Some of the gods agreed. But Ea did not want the humans destroyed, so he appeared to Utanapishtim in a dream. “Build an ark,” Ea said, “Bring your family, your relatives and the craft workers of your village.” Utanapishtim listened to Ea; it took him seven days to build the ark. When Adad the storm god came they closed the door. The gods watched the flood, it scared them; Nintu & Ishtar cried as they watched the humans turn to clay. The rain lasted seven days. At the end of the eighth day Shamash the sun god came out. The gods had destroyed the world but saved the ship. The ark floated for twelve days. Finally the ship lodged in Mt. Nisir. The ark stayed there for seven days. Then Utanapishtim released a dove, a swallow and a raven. The dove and swallow came back but the raven didn’t. When Enlil found out that some one survived the flood he was angry. Ea said that a dream had come to Utanapishtim. Enlil made Utanapishtim and his wife immortal because they were so smart.”
Ch.8
“You must possess the strength of a god to live forever. You must remain awake for 7 days & 6 nights,” said Utanapishtim.
After awhile Gilgamesh fell asleep. “For every day he’s asleep bake a loaf of bread and scratch a mark in the wall to prove he was asleep,” said Utanapishtim. After seven days he woke Gilgamesh up and Gilgamesh sat up and said,“I had just fallen asleep when you woke me.”
Utanapishtim proved to Gilgamesh that he had fallen asleep. Then he told Ushanabi to take Gilgamesh back to Uruk. But before he left, Gilgamesh got a plant that grants everlasting youth. When they stopped to take a bath a snake stole the plant. At first Gilgamesh was sad but when they got back to Uruk he said to Urshanabi:
“I built this!” pointing to the city.
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