Sumerian Mythology

Polytheism

- Belief in many gods- Most cultures in the ancient world believed in many gods- It was revolutionary when people began to believe in one go (monotheism)- The Sumerians worshipped between 100 and 300 gods- Sumerian gods mixed with Akkadian and Babylonian gods, which is why there

are many different names for the same gods- Because each of these cultures mix with one another and take one another

over through a period of 3,000 years, some god’s roles change over time, depending on who is in charge

Major Gods and Goddesses of Mesopotamia

Enlil - (city: Nippur)

- One of the three chief deities of Sumer- “Lord of the Wind”?; “The Great Mountain”; “Father of the Black-Headed

People”; “Father of the Gods”- Takes over the role of king of the gods- God of the sky- Decreer of fates- Granted kingship - Caused the Great Flood- Wears a horned helmet (from his father)- Eventually evolves into Marduk

Anu/ An

- God of the sky- Known as the father of the Gods, which he passed on to his son Enlil- Kept everything in existence in order- The supreme God who eventually only lets his son Enlil visit him- Can give or take away power from other gods- Symbol is the horned crown

Enki/ Ea - (city: Eridu)

- One of the 3 original gods of the Sumerians- God of water, wisdom, and creation- Also in charge of the Earth- Lives in the ocean underneath the earth called Abzu- Protects humans from the flood by warning Utnapishtim of Enlil’s anger- Usually bearded- Wears a horned cap and long robes- Usually seen with fish- He helps humans connect with the Gods

Inanna-->Ishtar - (city: Uruk)

- Goddess of love, fertility, and war- Often seen with a lion, showing her courage- Some myths say she is the daughter of Enki, others say

she is the daughter of Nanna- Bringer of civilization to humans- Got Enki drunk and stole the “meh”, which is basically

what makes humans civilized- According to Sumerians, that is why Enki’s city, Eridu,

loses power to Inanna’s city, Uruk.- When she becomes known as Ishtar, she becomes the

most popular goddess in Mesopotamia

Ninhursag/Ninmah

- Sumerian Mother Goddess; Mother of the Gods and Mother of Men

- Wife of Enki (in some myths)- “Lady of the Mountain”- Perhaps the original Mother Earth figure;

goddess of fertility, growth, motherhood, creation, childbirth, and nurture

- She sends Enkidu to fight Gilgamesh

Nanna - (city: Ur)

- God of the moon and wisdom- Son of Enlil- Father of the sun, Utu-Shamash- Symbolized by the number 30,

the bull, and a lion dragon- Often shown with a beard of

lapis-lazuli- Keeper of time (since months

were counted by the cycle of the moon)

- The great Ziggurat at Ur was dedicated to him

Utu/Sammas/Utu-Shamash- Sun god- Known as the all-seeing- May have been the twin-brother of Inanna- Usually shown as an old man with a white

beard, but is also shown as a disc with wings or a disc with four directional points

- Is said to have provided humans with laws- There is nothing Utu cannot see- At some points throughout Mesopotamian

history, he was also thought to judge the dead, once the sun set.

- Thought of as kind and generous

- Heroes -

Etana of Kish

- A semi-legendary king of Kish in Sumer- The myth begins with the gods searching the city of

Kish for a king- Inanna chooses Etana, a shepard, to be king- Etana builds a shrine to Adad, the god of the

weather and rain- A poplar tree grows next to the shrine, and a eagle

makes a nest in the branches and a serpent makes its home in the roots

Etana of Kish - An Agreement

- The serpent and eagle make an agreement with the sun god (Utu/ Shamash) that they will be friends and take care of each other’s young

- The agreement works out until the eagle’s young are almost grown- The eagle decides to eat the serpent’s children, despite the eaglets warning

him not to- The serpent returns to find his nest destroyed, his young dead, and marks from

the eagle’s talons surrounding the destruction

Etana of Kish - Revenge

- The serpent calls out to Utu, asking for revenge- Utu tells the serpent to hide inside the carcass of a

dead ox- As instructed, when the eagle comes to eat, the

serpent attacks the eagle, cutting off his wings, pulling out feathers, and throwing him into a pit

- The eagle, now helpless, calls out to Utu- Utu explains that this is punishment for the eagle’s

cruel treatment of the serpent’s children. However, he will send Etana to help him out of the pit

Etana of Kish - Meanwhile, back in Kish...

- Etana’s wife is unable to have children- Etana worries that he will have no son to take over the kingdom when he dies- Shamash tell Etana to help the eagle- Shamash rescues the eagle and nurses him back to health- The eagle and Shamash become friends

Etana of Kish - The Dream

- The eagle is able to read Etana’s dreams- Etana dreams that he rides the eagle up to heaven- In heaven Etana is given the Plant of Birth by Inanna/Ishtar- This plant will help Etana and his wife have children- The eagle says that the meaning of this dream is that he and Etana should

actually try to fly to heaven

Etana of Kish - The Flight

- Etana grasps the eagle’s wings from underneath the eagle and they take off- Etana is carried up to the heavens

Etana of Kish - Etana’s Fear

- When almost at heaven, Etana looks down- "I looked but could not see the land! Nor were my eyes enough to find the vast sea!

My friend, I won't go up to heaven Set me down, let me go off to my city"- Etana lets go of the eagle and begins to fall to earth

Etana of Kish - A True Friend

- Luckily for Etana, the eagle swoops down and rescues him

Etana of Kish - The Flight, Take Two

- Back in Kish, Etana and his wife both dream about the heavens and the Plant of Birth

- The eagle tells them it is a sign that they MUST complete this quest- This time, Etana and the eagle reach the gates of heaven.- They arrive in the abode of the gods, and open the gates

Etana of Kish - The

- End? Nope. The tablet breaks off here. We have no idea how Etana’s quest ends.

- Archaeologist guess that he must have been successful, since according to the Sumerian King’s List (and we all know how reliable that is) Etana does have a son named Balikh (who rules for 1,500 years….)

Enmerkar - - A king said to have reigned 420 years or 900 years over Uruk (depending on

the version of the Sumerian King’s List)- It is said his grandfather was Utu- He is the grandfather of Gilgamesh- His story has been confusing to archaeologists because of the amount of

damage to the clay tablets- He wants to rule the people of Aratta, and asks Inanna for her permission and

her help- He promises that their tribute will decorate her temple in Uruk as well as build

Enki’s Abzu Temple in Eridu (yes, THAT temple…)- Inanna tells Enmerkar to send a herald to Aratta to demand this tribute of

precious stones

Enmerkar - Negotiations

- The herald is sent, and he tells the people of Aratta that they must submit to Enmerkar or suffer a wrath like that of Inanna’s

- He also says that all the people of Sumer will unite as one, using one language- The King of Aratta refuses, saying that Inanna made him King of Aratta, and

therefore he cannot lose his power- The herald tells the King of Aratta that Inanna now wishes Enmerkar to be King

because of the fine temple he built at Uruk for her- Aratta knows that he cannot go against the wishes of the gods, so he says he

will submit to Enmerkar so long as Enmerkar gives him a large amount of barley as proof that Inanna is now on the side of Uruk

Enmerkar - A Failed Deal

- Enmerkar gives Aratta the grain, but also demands even more precious stones- The King of Aratta angrily refuses, and tells Enmerkar to give HIM the precious

stones- Ten years later, an extremely beautiful and ornate sceptre is delivered to the

King of Aratta- The King knows now that Inanna is on Enmerkar’s side in order for such a

beautiful thing to be created- The King of Aratta proposes that he and Enmerkar fight in one to one combat

in order to decide who will hold power over Aratta

Enmerkar - The Invention of Writing

- Enmerkar agrees to the duel, and asks his people to make tributes to Inanna and Enki

- The messenger becomes confused because of so many messages going back and forth

- Enmerkar writes his messages on clay tablets for the King of Aratta to read- The King of Aratta cannot read them- Suddenly Adad creates a large storm, causing a lot of wild wheat and

chickpeas to grow.- The King of Aratta takes this as a sign that Inanna has not given up on him

Enmerkar and Aratta -

- Again, we have lost of the last lines of the legend- In one piece of the story, a sorceress sent by Aratta is mentioned that makes

all of Uruk’s cattle stop producing milk- Utu sends a second sorceress to undo the damage done- It seems, however, based on other stories that Enmerkar wins and Inanna

gives him the throne of Aratta

Utnapishtim/Ziusudra/Atrahasis and the Flood- Each of these 3 men appear in different versions of the Mesopotamia flood myth- Utnapishtim is the name of the hero in Gilgamesh- Ziusudra was the king of Shuruppak- Atrahasis is the hero in the Akkadian version- Perhaps because humans were making too much noise, the gods decide to flood

the area and erase the human race- Enki (Ea) disagrees with this plan and tells Utnapishtim- He tell Utnapishtim to build a boat and put as many animals as he could inside- Utnapishtim, his family, and the people who helped build the boat rode out the

7-day long storm- The flood was so violent, that even the gods were afraid and regretted their

decision

The Flood - Continued...

- On the eighth day, the storm stopped- The boat was left on a mountain for 7 days until the water subsided- He released a dove, a swallow, and a raven to see if they could find land- The raven never returned, indicating it was safe to leave the boat- The gods and goddess went to a feast Utnapishtim had in celebration- When Enlil came he was enraged because no one was supposed to survive- Enki berated Enlil, saying he had no compassion and the punishment was far

worse than the crime- Enki grants Utnapishtim and his wife immortality- Gilgamesh tries to find Utnapishtim in order to learn the secret of immortality

Gilgamesh

- One of the most famous heroes of Mesopotamia- Also, he is the topic of the EARLIEST known written piece of epic literature(!!!)- According to the Sumerian King List, he was the 5th king of Uruk, who ruled

around 2600 BCE- He MAY have actually existed, but the king list said he was king for 126 years…- ...And he was supposedly ⅔’s god and ⅓ human- Helped the goddess Inanna with her Huluppu Tree- Became a judge in the afterlife - BEFORE this, though...

The Epic of Gilgamesh

- King of Uruk, a great city with mighty walls- Blessed with divine strength (from the sun god Utu), courage (from Adad, god

of storms) and beauty - However, he is a cruel ruler.

Gilgamesh Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=606&v=2pGhEu9elnA

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Pleas of the People

- Ninhursag hears the pleas of the people of Uruk

- She creates a wild man, named Enkidu, to challenge Gilgamesh

- Enkidu lives in the wild with animals, bothering local shepards and hunters

- Gilgamesh sends a woman named Shamhat to seduce and tame Enkidu

- Through Shamhat, Enkidu learns the ways of civilized men and moves to Uruk

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Enkidu vs. Gilgamesh

- Enkidu and Gilgamesh attend the same wedding

- Enkidu confronts Gilgamesh regarding his cruelty

- Enkidu and Gilgamesh wrestle, but are unable to defeat one another

- Gilgamesh learns mercy, and humility from Enkidu

- They become best friends and inseparable

The Epic of Gilgamesh - A Second Adventure- Uruk is peaceful, but it has become boring- Gilgamesh decides that he will travel to the Cedar Forest to cut some trees and

face the demon Humbaba- Enkidu dislikes this plan, since the Cedar Forest is sacred and for the gods only- The demon Humbaba guards the forest for the gods, especially Enlil- His “roar is a flood”, his mouth “is fire” and his “breath is death”- Known as a “seven-fold terror”- Gilgamesh remains determined, saying that whoever “overcomes terror, it is well

for him with Shamash for the length of his days”- When he announces his plan, the elders of Uruk say Gilgamesh is getting

carried away. If he must go however, Enkidu should go with him and protect him

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Queen of Ninsun- The Great Queen Ninsun is a goddess, known as “the lady of the wild

cow”- She is also Gilgamesh’s mother- Gilgamesh and Enkidu go to Ninsun to ask her blessing- Ninsun is saddened that Gilgamesh has decided to do this, and so

asks Utu (Shamash) why he put this idea into Gilgamesh’s head- Ninsun begs Utu and his wife Aya (goddess of light) to protect him on

his journey- She also asks Utu to unleash the 13 winds (south, north, east, west,

hurricane, tempest, typhoon, gale, frost-wind, devil-wind, blast, counterblast, and the tornado) to help Gilgamesh defeat Humbaba

- She also adopts Enkidu- Enkidu and Gilgamesh set off to the Cedar Forest

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Bad Dreams

- On the way to the forest, Gilgamesh has four bad dreams- He dreams that mountains fall, fires spread, and storms spread- Each time, Enkidu tells Gilgamesh that the dreams are telling him he will defeat

Humbaba

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Cedar Forest

- At the entrance to the Cedar forest, Gilgamesh’s courage fails him and he begins to cry

- Enkidu encourages Gilgamesh- Utu/Shamash tells the duo to go directly into the forest to confront Humbaba,

because he is not fully prepared to fight- Then it is Enkidu’s courage that fails- Gilgamesh encourages him and they rush into the forest

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Battle“We have arrived a place forbidden to men. Let us set our weapons upon the gate of Humbaba.” Enkidu said unto his friend Gilgamesh, “Humbaba is as violent as the oncoming storm; like the god of the storms, he will destroy us.”

Humbaba opened his mouth to speak, and he said to Gilgamesh: “Only fools would seek counsel from vulgar brutes. What bringeth thee before me? Enkidu, thou art the spawn of the fish, a man who knoweth no father, the hatchling of a turtle, who suckled not his mother’s milk. In thy youth, I saw and watched thee, though I did not go over unto thee. ……. in my belly. Traitor! Thou bringest before me Gilgamesh and standeth before me as warrior and stranger. I will cut the throat of Gilgamesh, the corpse to be devoured by the vultures!”

Gilgamesh opened his mouth to speak, saying unto Enkidu: “My friend, the countenance of this monster Humbaba has changed. Though we came here to defeat him, I fear my heart will not let me.”

Enkidu opened his mouth to speak, saying unto Gilgamesh: “Why, my friend, speaketh thou as a coward? Your fearfulness causeth me to lose faith. We have but one task, and the copper runneth already into the mold. To send forth the Flood is to crack the whip! Retreat not! Do not withdraw! Make mighty thy blow!”

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Battle and a PleaHe smote the ground and faced the monster. At their feet, the earth gave way, and in their throes they broke the mountains of Sirion and Lebanon. The very clouds turned black and rained death upon them all. Against Humbaba Shamash unleashed all the winds, the winds of the south, north, east, and west, the hurricane, the tempest, the typhoon, the gale, the frost-wind, and the devil-wind, the blast and counterblast, and the tornado. The thirteen winds darkened the face of Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could reach him with his weapons. Humbaba pleaded for his life, saying unto Gilgamesh:

“Thou art but a youth, Gilgamesh, but truly a son of the wild cow Ninsun. By the command of Shamash, thou hast flattened the great mountains, O son of Uruk, Gilgamesh the king! Spare my life, Gilgamesh, and allow me to live out my days in the Forest of Cedar. Take as many trees as you desire; I will guard the wood that will be the pride of thy palace.”

The Epic of Gilgamesh - No Mercy- Humbaba begs Gilgamesh to spare his life, but

Enkidu warns that if they do not kill him the god Enlil will find out they fought Humbaba and get angry

- Humbaba overhears, and then curses both Gilgamesh and Enkidu

- Gilgamesh finally kills Humbaba and he and Enkidu chop down all the trees in the forest to bring back to Uruk

- Wisely, however, Enkidu makes a door out of some of the wood for Enlil’s temple in Nippur that only the gods may use

- Gilgamesh brings home the head of Humbaba as a trophy

The Epic of Gilgamesh - A Proposal

- Inanna/Ishtar, impressed with Gilgamesh’s bravery, offers to marry him

- Gilgamesh asks her what happened to all her other husbands she promised to love forever, and tells her she’s the “frost that freezes no ice, the door that stays not the wind...a water skin that cuts it’s holder’s hands, limestone that weakens that wall it builds, a battering ram that destroys all walls, (and) a shoe that cuts the feet of its wearer”... Ouch!

The Epic of Gilgamesh - DON’T INSULT THE GODS!

- Inanna/Ishtar goes to Anu and asks him to punish Gilgamesh for insulting her

- Anu points out that Gilgamesh had a point about her past lovers

- Inanna says that if he doesn’t give her the bull of heaven she will “crush the gates of Hades and free the dead so they can “consume the living”

- Anu gives her the Bull of Heaven to destroy Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh - A Goddess Scorned

- Inanna brings the bull to Uruk- The bull drinks the marsh and forests dry, and lowered the

river- The bull snorts, creating cracks in the earth that hundreds

of men fell into- Enkidu falls into one of these cracks up to his waist- From here, he grabs the bull’s horns and the bull spits in his

face

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The End of the Bull

- Enkidu tells Gilgamesh he has a plan- He sneaks up behind the bull and grabs its tail- Enkidu also locks the bull’s leg under his own- Gilgamesh then kills the bull- Again, intelligently, they offer the bull to Utu as a sacrifice

The Epic of Gilgamesh - A Fatal Error

- Inanna/Ishtar wails that the Bull of Heaven has been killed- Unwisely, Enkidu throws a piece of the bull at Ishtar and says he would do the

same to her- After a great feast in Uruk, Enkidu has a dream

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Enlil and Anu’s Wrath

- In his dream, Enkidu sees a council of the gods- Anu tells Enki/Ea that one of the friends must die since they killed Humbaba

and the Bull of Heaven- Enlil agrees, and says Enkidu must die- Utu/Shamash reminds Anu that Anu ordered them to do it (remember, he

keeps existence in order)- Anu snaps at Utu/Shamash, reminding him that Utu helped them almost every

step of the way- Enkidu curses the door he built Enlil and wishes he had never become civilized- Gilgamesh says he will beg to gods for forgiveness- Enkidu reminds Gilgamesh that Enlil decides the fates of men

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Accepting Fate

- Shamash comes to Enkidu and tells him not to curse the day he became civilized. Not only will Gilgamesh care for him as he dies, but people will remember him, his bravery, and his strength for years to come. Most importantly, his friend Gilgamesh will mourn for him for a long time

- Enkidu then has a nightmare about the afterlife.

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Enkidu’s Dream“What a dream I dreamed in my night’s sleep! The stars of heaven fell upon the earth. Frightened, I stood there. A man there stood as well, and his face became disturbed. His countenance was as frightening as the Thunderbird. Like a lion’s paws were his hands; like an eagle’s talons were his nails. By my hair he grabbed me, but though I struck at him, he overpowered me, capsizing me like a raft. He crushed me beneath his feet like a mighty bull, drowning me in his venomous spittle. Save me! He struck me and turned me into a dove and bound my arms as though they were wings.

“I have descended to the house of darkness, the dwelling of the goddess Irkalla; to the house, whence he that enters goes out no more; to the road, whose way turns not back; to the house, whose inhabitants are deprived of light; to the place where dust is their sustenance, their food clay. They are clothed, like a bird, with feathered raiment. Light they see not; they sit in darkness. In the house, my friend, which I have entered, in that house crowns are cast down on the ground, and there live those who had worn crowns, who in days of old had ruled countries; to whom Anu and Enlil had given roasted meat to eat. Now, cold meals are prepared, and water from leather bottles is poured out for them. In the house, my friend, which I have entered, there dwell also priests and ministers. There dwell soothsayers and enchanters; there dwell the temple-anointers of the great gods. There dwells Etana, and there dwells Shakkan; there dwells also the queen of the earth (i.e., of Hades), the goddess Ereshkigal. There dwells the scribe of the earth, bowed down before her. He holds a tablet and reads before her, and Ereshkigal lifted up her head and saw me. (The rest of the dream is lost)

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Death of Enkidu- Enkidu’s strength fails him and he lays on Gilgamesh’s couch for 12 days- On the 11th day, Enkidu laments that he doesn’t die a warrior’s death, as

warriors are always remembered who die in battle- The lines describing Enkidu’s death are lost- Gilgamesh is so devastated by Enkidu’s loss, that he orders everyone in Uruk

to mourn with him- He offers gifts to the gods, praying they will watch over him in the afterlife- He refuses to let anyone bury Enkidu for seven days, as Gilgamesh sits beside

him- Watching his friend decay, Gilgamesh vows not to allow the same fate to

happen to him- He decides to go to find the secret of everlasting life.

The Epic of Gilgamesh - A New Quest- Gilgamesh decides to find Utnapishtim and learn the secret of immortality- Utu/Shamash warns Gilgamesh that what he hopes to find is impossible- Gilgamesh says that he might as well wander for the rest of his life, as he will

do nothing but wander in the darkness in death- He travels for miles, living off of wild animals and wearing their skins- He wanders to a double mountain called Mashu, which two giant scorpions

guard- The guards are surprised to see Gilgamesh and wonder why he would come

all this way- When Gilgamesh tells them his mission they warn him of how impossible it is- The path between the mountains is where the sun travels over night. It takes

“twelve double hours” to pass through the night- Gilgamesh tells them he is determined, and they let him pass

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Path through MashuGilgamesh hear the words of the scorpion-man, and he ventured onto the path of the Sun God. One double-hour he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Two double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Three double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Four double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Five double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Six double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Seven double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. At eight double-hours he begins to quicken his pace; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. At nine double-hours the wind begins to blow in his face; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. Ten double-hours he marches; thick is the darkness, not does it grow light. At eleven double-hours, but one double-hour’s travel remained. Two double-hours he marches; Gilgamesh emerges ahead of the Sun.

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Other Side

- When Gilgamesh emerges from the darkness, he finds himself in a paradise- There was brilliance. And as he saw it, he ran toward the trees of the gods. One great tree, carnelian it bore as fruit,

branches were hanging low with fruit, beautiful to behold. Lapis lazuli the branches of another bore; with fruit it was laden, dazzling the eye of the hero. Other precious trees are also there, and Gilgamesh reached out to touch their fruit.

- Gilgamesh meets Sirudi, a wine maker- At first she is afraid of Gilgamesh because he looks so haggard and wild- Once he tells her who he is and why he is here, she warns him about the

further dangers ahead, including the Waters of Death - Gilgamesh insists that he continue, so she tells him that he needs to find

Urshanabi so that he can cross the Waters of Death- Gilgamesh continues on his way

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Oops...

- Gilgamesh sees Urshanabi surrounded by stone giants

- Urshanabi sees Gilgamesh and he and the giants attack him

- Gilgamesh destroys the stone giants and defeats Urshanabi

- Gilgamesh introduces himself to Urshanabi and asks how to cross the Waters of Death

- Urshanabi informs Gilgamesh that he has killed the oarsmen (the stone giants) who are the only being that can cross the Waters of Death

The Epic of Gilgamesh - A Solution

- Urshinabi informs Gilgamesh that he must make 300 punting poles, as the Waters of Death will destroy them. It is the only way to cross.

- Gilgamesh does as he as told and they both cross the Waters of Death, replacing poles as they disappear

- Even so, Gilgamesh and Urshanabi needed to turn the clothes off their backs into sails in order to finish the 3-day crossing

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Utnapishtim

- Gilgamesh reaches Utnapishtim, and just like Siduri and Urshanabi, Utnapishtim wonders why Gilgamesh looks so “ashen and pale...sunken and hollow”

- Gilgamesh replies just as he had to Siduri and Urshanabi- “Wherefore should I not appear ashen and pale? Wherefore should not my features be sunken and hollow, my

countenance so sickly? Wherefore should not my heart be heavy with grief, and my countenance like one who hath made a long journey? Wherefore should not my features be blasted by the weather, and I in lion’s skin wander? My friend, Enkidu wert a swift wild ass, a donkey of the mountains, a panther of the wilderness. My friend, whom I loved more than any man, accompanied me through every peril until the fate of all mortals befell him. For six days and seven nights I mourned him, I left his body unburied until from his nostril a maggot came forth. I feared death for myself, and so on the distant road I wander the wilderness. My friend’s fate was too grievous to bear, and so on the distant road I wander the wilderness. What happened to my beloved Enkidu was unbearable to me, and so on the distant road I wander the wilderness. Must I remain silent? The friend whom I loved has been turned to clay; Enkidu, my friend. And I will not, like unto him, lie down; not will I sink to where my friend is now.”

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Utnapishtim Continued- Unlike Siduri and Urshanabi, Utnapishtim wonders why he has let his grief

overcome him and reminds him of all the wonderful things he still has in life- He also asks Gilgamesh what was the use of torturing himself so. Death is what

is fated for all humans, so it’s no use letting death overcome him.- Gilgamesh is awed by seeing Utnapishtim and asks what is the secret to

immortality- Utnapishtim tells the story of the flood (which we already know)- He then warns/challenges Gilgamesh not to fall asleep- Gilgamesh sleeps for 6 days and 7 nights- Utnapishtim’s wife bakes bread for each day he is asleep to prove he did not

meet the challenge- When Gilgamesh wakes up, he finds 6 loaves of bread in various states of

decay

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Mrs. Utnapishtim’s Plea- Gilgamesh is in despair because he failed the trial- Utnapishtim sends Urshanabi into exile and take Gilgamesh

back across the Waters of Death himself- Utnapishtim’s wife asks Utnapishtim to take pity on

Gilgamesh, since he has traveled so far and suffered so much- After crossing the Waters of Death, Utnapishtim decides to

tell Gilgamesh about a stinging plant that lives on the bottom of the sea that grants everlasting life

- Gilgamesh ties stones to his feet, dives down, and retrieves the plant

- Gilgamesh’s rejoices that he no longer needs to fear death- Urshanabi travels back to Uruk with Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Journey Home

- After walking about 300 miles, Gilgamesh and Urshanabi come to a cool spring

- Gilgamesh goes for a swim, leaving the plant on the shore

- A snake, smelling the plant, appears and eats the plant- He sheds his skin, showing his new beautiful scales

underneath and slithers away- Gilgamesh, crushed, weeps that all of his trials and his

journey came to nothing

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Conclusion

- When they return to Uruk, Gilgamesh tell Urshanabi to look at the beautiful walls of Uruk

- It is assumed (remember, this has been pieced together from many different versions, because many “books” (i.e. clay tablets) telling the story have been damaged in different parts) that Gilgamesh realizes how amazing he is in spite of being human and what a great thing it is to be human and not a god

- This is based on how he brags about his walls to Utnapishtim

Gilgamesh - Tablet XII

- The twelfth tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh seems to be a side story- It tells how Gilgamesh lost some of his weapons and tools in the underworld,

and Enkidu went down to retrieve him- Gilgamesh begs the gods to save Enkidu- Enki hears Gilgamesh’s plea and orders Shamash to open the earth and let

Enkidu out- This story doesn’t seem to fit in the poem itself (it’s style is different) so it is

thought that this is a legend that exists separate from the main epic