Gilgamesh summary

2. GILGAMESH WAS A
DEMI-GOD, THE SON
OF LADY WILDCOW
NINSUN AND
LUGULBANDA, A
MORTAL.

3. GILGAMESH BUILT THE MAGNIFICENT CITY OF URUK AND SURROUNDED
IT WITH LAYERS OF WALLS.
INSIDE THE CITY WALLS WERE SPECTACULAR ZIGGURATS AND TEMPLES
TO THE GODS AS WELL AS FERTILE FIELDS AND ORCHARDS.

4. HOWEVER, THINGS WEREN’T ALL ROSY
IN URUK. GILGAMESH WAS ACTUALLY AN
EVIL DESPOT WHO TORTURED AND
KILLED ANYONE HE DID NOT LIKE. HE
ALSO STOLE ANYTHING HE WANTED
FROM HIS PEOPLE.

5. THE PEOPLE OF URUK
COMPLAINED TO ARURU ,
THE GODDESS OF
CREATION, WHO THEN
TOOK SOME CLAY,
MOISTENED IT, AND
CREATED ANOTHER MAN
CALLED ENKIDU. ENKIDU
WAS BOTH HANDSOME
AND MASSIVELY LARGE.

6. ENKIDU HEARS ABOUT THE DEEDS OF THE
EVIL GILGAMESH AND GOES TO URUK TO
CHALLENGE HIM. THE TWO MASSIVE MEN
FIGHT. THE WALLS OF THE CITY SHAKE.
EVENTUALLY, GILGAMESH PROVES TO BE
THE STRONGER OF THE TWO AND PINS
ENKIDU TO THE GROUND.

7. ENKIDU PLEDGES LOYALTY TO
GILGAMESH AND BECOMES HIS BEST
FRIEND. TOGETHER THE NEW FRIENDS
LOOK FOR ADVENTURE.
ENKIDU SUGGESTS THEY GO OFF TO
DEFEAT THE VILE MONSTER HUMBABA
WHO ENLIL HAS PLACED IN CHARGE OF
THE CEDAR FOREST.
Page 112

8. THE ELDERS OF THE CITY ARE
HORRIFIED AT GIL’S PLAN. THEY
SUGGEST THAT HE PRAY TO THE SUN
GOD SHAMASH AT THE TEMPLE
EGALMAH WHERE THE GODDESS OF
MEDICINE, GULA, RESIDES. GILGAMESH
DID SO.

9. IN THREE DAYS, THE FRIENDS WALK OVER 150 LEAGUES.
MORTAL MEN COULD NOT COVER THAT DISTANCE IN 3
WEEKS. AT THE GATE OF THE FOREST, THE
ADVENTURERS SEE A HUGE MOUNTAIN IN THE
BACKGROUND. THIS IS WHERE THE GODS LIVE. IT IS
FORBIDDEN TO MORTALS.

10. WHEN GILGAMESH AND ENKIDU REACH THE MOUNTAIN,
THEY CUT DOWN SOME TREES. THIS ENRAGES THE
MONSTER HUMBABA WHO ATTACKS THEM. THEY BOTH
FIGHT VALIANTLY BUT THEY ARE OVERPOWERED BY THE
MONSTER. IN DESPERATION, GILGAMESH PRAYS TO THE
GOD SHAMASH.

11. SHAMASH SENDS 13 STORMS INTO THE
FOREST WHICH DISABLE HUMBABA.
ALTHOUGH HUMBABA PLEADS FOR HIS
LIFE, GILGAMESH KILLS HIM ANYWAY.
OUT OF THE TALLEST CEDAR TREES,
GILGAMESH MAKES A NEW CITY GATE
AND A RAFT. THE FRIENDS FLOAT BACK
TO URUK IN TRIUMPH.
Page 122

12. ANU, GOD OF THE HEAVENS, UNLEASHES THE BULL OF
HEAVEN AS A PUNISHMENT FOR KILLING HUMBABA AND
STEALING THE SACRED TREES. THE BULL BRINGS DOWN 7
YEARS OF FAMINE ON URUK. EVENTUALLY, GILGAMESH
AND ENKIDU KILL THE BULL.

13. TABLET VI: ISHTAR AND GILGAMESH
Page 124: Ishtar is attracted to Gilgamesh’s fame and strength; he
rejects her, however!

14. THE GODS ARE ANGRY THAT GILGAMESH
AND ENKIDU KILLED THE MONSTER AND
CUT DOWN THEIR TREES.
THEY DETERMINE THAT ONE OF THE
FRIENDS MUST DIE. PAGE 128
ENKIDU FALLS ILL.
Page 132

15. ENKIDU TELLS GILGAMESH OF A DREAM HE HAD ABOUT
THE UNDERWORLD WHERE EVERYONE LIVES IN
DARKNESS. ERESHKIGAL, GODDESS OF THE
UNDERWORLD, SITS ON HER THRONE WHILE BELIT-SERI,
SCRIBE OF THE GODS, WRITES IN THE BOOK OF FATE.
ENKIDU SUFFERS 12 DAYS AND THEN DIES.

16. HE COVERED HIS FRIEND'S FACE LIKE A BRIDE,
SWOOPING DOWN OVER HIM LIKE AN EAGLE,
AND LIKE A LIONESS DEPRIVED OF HER CUBS
HE KEEPS PACING TO AND FRO.
HE SHEARS OFF HIS CURLS AND HEAPS THEM ONTO THE GROUND,
RIPPING OFF HIS FINERY AND CASTING IT AWAY AS AN ABOMINATION.
I am going to die!—am I not like Enkidu?!
Deep sadness penetrates my core,
I fear death, and now roam the wilderness—
I will set out to the region of Utanapishtim, son of
Ubartutu, and will go with utmost dispatch!

17. GILGAMESH WANDERS IN THE
WILDERNESS MOURNING HIS FRIEND. HE
DECIDES TO TALK TO UTNAPISHTIM WHO
SURVIVED THE GREAT FLOOD THAT
NEARLY WIPED OUT THE ENTIRE WORLD.
GILGAMESH WANTS UTNAPISHTIM TO
TELL HIM HOW TO OUTSMART DEATH.

18. EVENTUALLY, GILGAMESH ARRIVES AT
THE SACRED MOUNTAIN MASHU WHICH
IS GUARDED BY THE SCORPION-MAN
AND HIS WIFE.
THEY TELL GILGAMESH THAT TO REACH
HIS GOAL, HE MUST TRAVEL THROUGH
THE SACRED TUNNEL USED BY
SHAMASH EVERY NIGHT AS HE TRAVELS
BACK TO WHERE HE RISES EACH
MORNING.

19. SIN, THE MOON GOD, SENDS A DREAM
TO GILGAMESH. IN THE DREAM, THE
HERO IS SURROUNDED BY LIONS WHICH
HE QUICKLY SLAUGHTERS WITH AN AX.
THIS IS A GOOD OMEN.

20. IT TAKES GILGAMESH 12 DOUBLE HOURS
TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN.
WHEN HE DOES SO, HE ENTERS A
BEAUTIFUL GARDEN. HE MEETS THE
BEAUTIFUL SIDURI, GODDESS OF WINE
AND BEER, WHO TELLS GILGAMESH
THAT HE NEEDS TO CROSS THE SEA OF
THE SUN GOD SHAMASH. NO MORTAL
HAS EVER SURVIVED THIS JOURNEY.
"Now you, Gilgamesh, let your belly be full!
Be happy day and night,
of each day make a party,
dance in circles day and night!
Let your clothes be sparkling clean,
let your head be clean, wash yourself with water!
Attend to the little one who holds onto your hand,
let a wife delight in your embrace.
This is the (true) task of mankind(?)."

21. SIDURI SUGGESTS THAT GILGAMESH
ASK URSHANABI TO FERRY HIM ACROSS
THE SEA.
ON THE WAY, GILGAMESH ATTACKS THE
URNU-SNAKES AND THE STONE THINGS.
NOT A GOOD IDEA.

22. URSHANABI AGREES TO HELP GILGAMESH ACROSS, BUT
HE SAYS THE JOURNEY WILL BE EVEN HARDER BECAUSE
HE ATTACKED THE SNAKES AND STONE THINGS.
URSHANABI TELLS GILGAMESH TO BUILD A RAFT OF
CEDAR TREES MADE OF POLES EXACTLY 60 CUBITS IN
LENGTH.

23. GILGAMESH SAILS FOR THREE DAYS, A JOURNEY THAT
WOULD NORMALLY TAKE 2MONTHS. WHEN HE REACHES
THE WATERS OF DEATH, AN OLD MAN IS WAITING.
GILGAMESH TELLS HIM ABOUT THE DEATH OF ENKIDU AND
ASKS HIM FOR THE SECRET OF IMMORTALITY.

24. THE OLD MAN TELLS GILGAMESH THAT
THE GODS DETERMINE THE DAY OF A
PERSON’S BIRTH AND THE DAY OF A
PERSON’S DEATH. THERE IS NO WAY TO
ESCAPE ONE’S DESTINY.

25. NEXT, THE SURVIVOR OF THE FLOOD
TELLS GILGAMESH WHAT HAPPENED TO
HIM.
HE WAS ONCE KING OF A BEAUTIFUL
CITY CALLED SHURPPAK.

26. NINURTA GOD OF WAR,
ENNUGI GOD OF IRRIGATION,
EA GOD OF WISDOM, ANU,
AND ENLIL GOD OF EARTH,
WIND AND AIR WERE ANGRY.
THEY DECIDED TO DESTROY
MEN VIA A TERRIBLE FLOOD.

27. ONE OF THE GODS WARNED UTNAPISHTIM ABOUT THE
COMING FLOOD. UTNAPISHTIM WAS TOLD TO BUILD A
HUGE BOAT 120 (TEN DOZEN) CUBITS HIGH WITH AN ACRE
OF FLOOR SPACE AND LOAD IT UP WITH ALL THAT LIVED.

28. UTNAPISHTIM DID AS HE WAS TOLD AND
SURVIVED THE FLOOD. HE LANDED ON
THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AND WAITED 7
DAYS. HE THEN SENT A DOVE OFF TO
SEE IF THE FLOOD WATERS HAD
RECEDED. THE DOVE DID NOT RETURN.
THEN HE SENT A RAVEN. THE RAVEN DID
RETURN.

29. MOST OF THE GODS WERE FURIOUS
THAT ANYONE HAD SURVIVED THE
FLOOD.
ONE GOD EA CHASTISED THE OTHER
GODS SAYING THAT THE PUNISHMENT
WAS TOO HARSH AND THAT THEY
SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT
UTNAPISHTIM HAD SAVED THE HUMAN
RACE.

30. THE OTHER GODS REALIZED THEIR
ERROR AND MADE AMENDS BY MAKING
UTNAPISHTIM AND HIS WIFE IMMORTAL.
UTNAPISHTIM SUGGESTS THAT IF
GILGAMESH REALLY THINKS HE IS
WORTHY OF BECOMING A GOD, HE
SHOULD TRY TO DO WITHOUT SLEEP
FOR A WEEK.

31. GILGAMESH AGREES TO DO SO BUT,
THAT NIGHT, HE IMMEDIATELY FALLS
ASLEEP. GILGAMESH IS IN DESPAIR.
BECAUSE SHE FEELS SORRY FOR HIM,
UTNAPISHTIM’S WIFE BEGS HER
HUSBAND TO GIVE GILGAMESH
SOMETHING!

32. UTNASHPITIM DECIDES TO GIVE AWAY
ONE OF THE SECRETS OF THE GODS.
HE TELLS GILGAMESH ABOUT A PLANT
THAT GROWS BENEATH THE SEA THAT
GIVES MEN ETERNAL YOUTH.

33. IMMEDIATELY, GILGAMESH TIES STONES
TO HIS FEET AND JUMPS INTO THE SEA!
GILGAMESH HARVESTS SOME OF THE
PLANTS AND RETURNS TO SHORE
INTENT ON RETURNING TO URUK TO
TAKE THE PLANT HIMSELF AND GIVE
SOME TO THE ELDERS SO THAT THEY
ALL WILL BE YOUNG AGAIN.

34. ON THE WAY BACK TO URUK,
GILGAMESH DECIDES TO SWIM
IN A REFRESHING POOL.
A SNAKE IN THE POOL SMELLS
THE PLANT IN GIL’S POCKET.
THE SNAKE SLITHERS INTO
HIS POCKET AND TAKES THE
PLANT.

35. GILGAMESH SEES THE SNAKE IN THE
GRASS SHED ITS SKIN. THE SNAKE HAS
BECOME YOUNG AGAIN, BUT
GILGAMESH NEVER WILL BE YOUNG
AGAIN NOW THAT THE PLANT IS GONE.
GILGAMESH WEEPS AS HE RETURNS TO
URUK.

36. GILGAMESH MUST LEARN TO BE
CONTENT TO RULE URUK AS BEST HE
CAN AND HOPE THAT HIS FAMILY WILL
GRIEVE FOR HIM WHEN THE GODS
DECREE THAT HIS TIME IS UP.
"No one can see death,
no one can see the face of death,
no one can hear the voice of death,
yet there is savage death that snaps off mankind.
For how long do we build a household?
For how long do we seal a document?
For how long do brothers share the inheritance?
For how long is there to be jealousy in the land(?)?
For how long has the river risen and brought the overflowing
waters,
so that dragonflies drift down the river?
The face that could gaze upon the face of the Sun
has never existed ever."

37. • Civilization vs. the primitive
• humanity vs. the gods
• evolution of Gilgamesh
• moral of story
• lesson of the gods
the Sumerian hero