The Legacy of Enkidu

p. 40 (10 verses): “Because of her you eat the food and drink.... Gilgamesh the king will build a statue / to celebrate the fame of Enkidu.”

These words from Shamash come in response to Enkidu’s grief over his imminent death. The gods, enraged by the acts of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, decide that one of the two must die. They come to the conclusion that Enkidu must be the one to die after committing a most offensive act: searching for and cutting down the tallest cedar tree of the forest once guarded by Huwawa. The actions of Gilgamesh and Enkidu against nature make it clear to the reader that the conflict of human civilization vs. nature is central to the epic, with the gods being the “guardians” of nature.

In loathing and self-pity, Enkidu begins to curse many aspects of human civilization, particularly the hunter and the temple prostitute. The hunter represents the ingenuity of human technology; the peak of human adaptation. Meanwhile, the temple prostitute symbolizes the community that is essential to being a civilized human. Enkidu rationalized that had he never met or slept with the temple prostitute, and had the hunter never found him, that he would have still been alive and happy in nature. However, Shamash is quick to remind Enkidu of all the advantages he gained by becoming civilized. These advantages fall into the separate categories of material and communal. The material advantages Enkidu obtained are due in part to the actions of the temple prostitute: “Because of her you eat the food and drink the palace affords. Because of her you wear the garments suitable for a prince to wear…” (Ferry 40). Enkidu’s inclusion into the human community granted him access to materials and objects that not only provide him with luxurious comfort, but also give him an upper-hand against nature. The communal advantage can be seen in Gilgamesh’s grief: “The grief of Gilgamesh for you will be the cause of woe and wailing in the city, Gilgamesh the king will build a statue to celebrate the fame of Enkidu” (Ferry 40). Gilgamesh’s despair not only cause the city to mourn for Enkidu as well, but Gilgamesh establishes Enkidu’s fame in history by having a statue built in Enkidu’s honor. The emotions that Gilgamesh and the city feel as a whole highlight the communal aspect of being civilized

The human mind is powerful tool but, with knowledge, it becomes the driving force of revolutions. While Enkidu is quick to wish for ignorance, he takes for granted what being part of human civilization has given him: knowledge. That knowledge has given him a new understanding of other people, nature, and of himself. That knowledge allowed him to conquer nature. However, no human being can conquer death.