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Alexandra E. P. Dahl
Dr. Rambo
World Literature English 205-2
1 April 2016
The Epic of Gilgamesh: A Test of True Friendship
The Epic of Gilgamesh is represented like every story that we have been told. It consists
of characters, it contains conflict, there’s a journey, and there’s a conclusion. But with every
different story comes a different resolution, and we always want an ending result to the trials that
we experienced while reading. Those experiences can ultimately end up teaching us something in
return. “The Epic of Gilgamesh dates from more than four thousand years ago and is the oldest
work of literature available to humankind. The epic served as an inspiration for many stories that
followed, which dominate mythology to this day in more or less altered form, whether it is about
the motif of the flood or the quest for immortality”. (Sedlacek 19) The most important detail that
we can take away from The Epic of Gilgamesh is the foundation and the creation of a strong
friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Through their many quests, they become close
companions and discover life together. As a result, we can determine that Gilgamesh and
Enkidu’s trials in the epic are able to demonstrate and define the meaning of friendship and how
it is an essential part of life.
The Epic of Gilgamesh features a young, passive-aggressive, and horrid King of Uruk.
Gilgamesh was two-thirds god, and one-third human, and was on a quest for immortality. Since
Gilgamesh was solely focused on his “superhuman energy it was getting in the way of his being
a good king”. (King 18) By only focusing on what he desired circumstances arose that were
beyond a king’s measure. “Gilgamesh oppressed his people, indulging his sexual desires with

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any woman of his choosing (even if she is another man’s wife or young daughter”). (Chadwyck-
Healey) Gilgamesh out of control, needed to be stopped. Someone needed to stop him, and show
him what mattered in life. Aruru, the creator of humankind, took the people’s complaints into
consideration and created Enkidu. “Enkidu doesn’t only become Gilgamesh’s equal in strength,
but he becomes his exact opposite”. (King 18) Enkidu is described as
Shaggy with hair was his whole body
He was made lush with head hair, like a woman,
The locks of his hair grew thick as a grainfield.
He dressed as animals do.
He fed on grass with gazelles,
With beasts he jostled at the water hole,
With wildlife he drank his fill of water.” (tablet 1 lines 97-104)
Enkidu is illustrated and seems to be more animal than human being with his “hairy body, diet of
grass and water, and his alliance with wild gazelles whom he protects against human hunters”.
(King 18) Enkidu’s role in The Epic of Gilgamesh is to transform Gilgamesh into a more
civilized, caring human rather than his horrid god-like self. He wanted to teach Gilgamesh to put
others before himself. However, before Gilgamesh changed Enkidu learned how to become fully
human and to leave his animal tendencies behind. “Just as sex with one woman transformed
Enkidu from animal to human, so being restricted from sex with all women is the first step in
Gilgamesh’s becoming more human than god”. (King 19)
Gilgamesh,
was perfection in height, ideally handsome…/and had no equal,” (tablet 1 lines
54-57).

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Despite this, his people described him as a terrible, undeserving leader due to his sexual desires
and unruliness.
His teammates stood forth by his game stick,
He was harrying the young men of Uruk beyond reason.
Gilgamesh would leave no son to his father,
Day and night he would rampage fiercely.
This was the shepherd of ramparted Uruk,
This was the people’s shepherd,” (tablet 1 lines 58-63).
Gilgamesh’s people tolerated him because he was their king but they didn’t respect him because
of the way he ruled. Therefore, there needed to be someone created of equal value, as strong as
Gilgamesh, in order to shape him into a better person who is deserving of the love and respect of
his subjects. This person, was Enkidu. When the two met they fought with much intensity.
“Enkidu is enraged by Gilgamesh trying to have his way with a young bride, and he blocks
Gilgamesh’s way into the bridal chamber. They fight, and though equal in strength, Gilgamesh is
the victor. Nevertheless, they bond and become fast friends, vowing to always protect each
other”. (Adler 4) This presented Gilgamesh with a fight, one like he had never experienced
before. Being of perfect in strength, with the stubbornness of a bull Gilgamesh had met his match.
“[During the fight] is what marks the shift of each into humanity. For Enkidu it marks full
humanity- he is now established in the city, the locus of civilized life. Gilgamesh, on the other
hand, has met his near equal in strength, who has restricted his divine sexual license, and who
will not be his friend, something he has never had”. (King 19) By Enkidu standing his ground
and going toe-to-toe, Gilgamesh was taught an important lesson in respect for his fellow
opponent. Little did they know, this fight would result in a short lived companionship. Therefore,

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we can conclude that this is the first movement of the epic for Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as a team.
We saw how they experienced turmoil between themselves, but in the end we see how they came
together as friends and demonstrated the meaning of friendship and its essentiality.
In the beginning stages of their friendship Gilgamesh and Enkidu “vowed to always
protect each other”. (Adler 4) Their first encounter as companions was to go “into the wilds of
the forest…/to correct the order of the world – to kill Humbaba, the personification of evil”.
(Sedlacek 24) Humbaba, the guardian of the Forest of Cedar, was placed there by Enlil, the king
of the gods, to protect all of the cedar trees from the people. Gilgamesh believed that if he were
to defeat the fierce monster, he would receive all of the fame and glory for such a heroic feat.
But little did he know it wouldn’t be an easy task.
Enkidu made ready to speak,
Saying to Gilgamesh:
My friend, I knew that country
When I roamed with the wild beasts.
The forest is sixty double leagues in every direction,
Who can go into it?
Humbaba’s cry is the roar of a deluge,
His maw is fire, his breath is death.
Why do you want to do this?
The haunt of Humbaba is a hopeless quest. (tablet 2 lines 139-146)
In Enkidu’s eyes Humbaba represented a vile monster that no one should dare cross because they
would surely lose. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, was determined and ready for a fight, because

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he wanted to ensure his eternal name forever. After many horrifying nightmares Enkidu and
Gilgamesh unanimously decide they would be better off teaming up against Humbaba.
Gilgamesh made ready to speak,
Said to Enkidu
Humbaba […]
We cannot confront him separately…/
Take my hand, my friend, let us walk on together! (tablet 4 lines 169-181)
This leap of faith exemplified by Gilgamesh shows how he is changing. Before, Gilgamesh
would not have dared share the glory with another soul, but is now teaming up with Enkidu,
because of his trust and companionship with him. Gilgamesh is beginning to realize that the
elders were correct in saying trust not in your own strength, but to have the help of Enkidu. After
praying, Shamash, the sun-god, came to their assistance with helpful information and support.
Thus, when Gilgamesh and Enkidu take on Humbaba he decides to step in and assist them in
their fight.
Shamash raised the great winds against Humbaba,
South wind, north wind, east wind, west wind, moaning wind,
Blasting wind, lashing wind, contrary wind, dust, storm,
Demon wind, freezing wind, storm wind, whirlwind:
The thirteen wings blotted out Humbaba’s face,
He could not charge forward, he could not retreat
Then Gilgamesh’s weapons defeated Humbaba. (tablet 5 lines 39-45)
After a fierce fight, facing defeat Humbaba begged for his life. Gilgamesh was confused in
whether he should spare or end his life. Enkidu saw the dilemma and cried out to Gilgamesh.

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My Friend! Do not listen to what Humbaba says,
Do no heed his entreaties! (tablet 5 lines 56-57)
After much collaboration, Gilgamesh ultimately takes the power into his own hands, beheads the
monster, killing him. “Humbaba was defeated by the combined efforts of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.”
(Alder 5) This is a victory experience and celebration for Gilgamesh, in the fact that he was apart,
along with Enkidu, in taking down and defeating this unpleasant monster. They were able to
defeat Humbaba by working together as friends rather than opponents. With the help of the
antagonist Humbaba, Gilgamesh and Enkidu came together, no longer as two separate people but
as one unified order to demonstrate the essentials of friendship within their lives.
“Gilgamesh and Enkidu now had another mission to take on. They came to the rescue of
Uruk to kill the ferocious bull.” (Adler 5) After Humbaba’s death, Gilgamesh and Enkidu faced
their next trial with princess Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven. After defeating Humbaba, while
washing up and relaxing Gilgamesh and Enkidu were approached by a woman. This woman was
known as Princess Ishtar and as soon as she laid eyes on Gilgamesh she immediately fell in love
with his beauty, and urged to marry him.
Come, Gilgamesh, you shall be my bridegroom!
Give, oh give me of your lusciousness!
You shall be my husband and I shall be your wife. (tablet 6 lines 7-9)
Being a princess, as well as a god’s daughter she is very acquainted with getting what she desires.
This makes her bold and in charge when it comes to relationships. When it came time for
Gilgamesh to speak, “he insulted her by re-counting the many earlier lovers whom she had
betrayed.” (Ziolkowski 3) He wanted to make it known to Ishtar she didn’t know what real “love”
was and only “loves” for a short period of time. For whatever the reason, whenever Ishtar was

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over her “lovers”, she would abandon them, causing horrible punishments towards them.
Gilgamesh could only image what she would do to him once she was done with him.
For Dumuzi, your girlhood lover,
You ordained year after year of weeping.
You fell in love with the brightly colored roller bird,
Then you struck him and broke his wing…/
You fell in love with the shepherd, keeper of herds,
Who always set out cakes baked in embers for you,
Slaughtered kids for you every day.
You struck him and turned him into a wolf. (tablet 6 lines 43-58)
Ishtar became irritated and embarrassed by the negative comments made by Gilgamesh. Ishtar
confronted her father, Anu, the sky-god, with these rude accusations in hope that her father
would release The Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh. Ishtar desired to kill Gilgamesh in Uruk to
cause grief for the people of Uruk, because of his disrespect and his unwillingness to take her
hand in marriage. Though it was a hard and questionable decision, Anu released the dreaded Bull
of Heaven, giving in to his daughters will. Upon its release the Bull of Heaven left nothing but
destruction and devastation in its wake.
When it reached Uruk,
It dried up the groves, reedbeds, and marshes,
It went down to the river, it lowered the river by seven cubits.
At the bull’s snort, a pit opened up,
One hundred young men of Uruk fell into it.
At its second snort, a pit opened up,

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Two hundred young men of Uruk fell into it. (tablet 6 lines 110-116)
The Bull was on the move, killing and destroying everything in its path. This gigantic creature
was so overwhelming that it overpowered three hundred men and could have easily taken on
more. What’s to say that Gilgamesh and Enkidu, just the two of them, could take down this
creature and win the battle? Enkidu had a plan, for both him and Gilgamesh to defeat this
unbearable gigantic creature. Enkidu planning his moves very carefully was sucked up by the
creature’s breath, before being consumed he jumped out onto the bull’s horns. All during this
time he was thinking of ways that he and Gilgamesh could defeat The Bull of Heaven.
I have seen, my friend, the strength of the Bull of Heaven,
So knowing its strength I know how to deal with it.
I will get around the strength of the Bull of Heaven,
I will circle behind the Bull of Heaven,
I will grab it by the tuft of its tail,
I will set my feet on its […],
Then you, like a strong, skillful slaughterer,
Thrust your dagger between the neck, horn, and tendon, (tablet 6 lines
124-131).
“Gilgamesh’s joining forces with Enkidu’s to battle the Bull from Heaven represented an
attempt to conquer the problems of nature with masculine strength and intelligence” (King 24)
while remaining a strong and devoted team. As Enkidu instructs Gilgamesh, we see Gilgamesh
trust in him and follow his lead, a characteristic we didn’t see before the presents of Enkidu.
Enkidu is taking charge of the situation in the little amount of time that they have and Gilgamesh
accepts the fact that Enkidu has control and respect him because of it. Gilgamesh shows Enkidu

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a lot of respect and trust in this situation because Enkidu took control and two of them are
companions. If their roles were reversed and Gilgamesh was the one on the bull things may not
have worked out. For this reason, we see Gilgamesh and Enkidu furthering themselves as a
unified team. Gilgamesh is learning to let go of being the person in charge, learning to trust and
rely on his new friend, Enkidu. Working together they were able to divide the tasks between
themselves in order to help one another, and in the end we can see how they came together, as
true united friends to demonstrate the meaning of friendship and how it is essential in life.
Victory ensued for the two friends because Gilgamesh’s willingness to listen and follow
Enkidu’s guidance.
And Gilgamesh, like a strong, skillful slaughterer,
Thrust his dagger between the neck, horn, and tendon! (tablet 6 lines 135-136)
This was a celebration for not only the two fighters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, but for the city if
Uruk. “[Unfortunately], victory over the Bull was the last happy moment the two friends had
together.” (King 24) That night Enkidu had a horrible nightmare, one in which describes his
strength is running out. As the next day came to be, Enkidu fell sick at heart and was slowly
dying. “Enkidu had related to Gilgamesh a dream vision that he had had, in which he hears Anu,
the sky-god, decree that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu must die because they killed Humbaba and
the Bull of Heaven. Enlil chose Enkidu, which is logical since he is fully human while
Gilgamesh is part divine.” (King 25) Seeming unfair, not having a say was hard for Gilgamesh,
he did not understand why this was happening to his friend. Twelve days after getting sick
Enkidu died. After the tragic death, Gilgamesh was no longer a part of a team, but rather back to
being alone. He became so upset at the loss of Enkidu that he wished for his return, but sadly
Enkidu had already passed and there was no bringing him back. “Gilgamesh’s first response to

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Enkidu’s death is to tell his story in a long lament, thus creating a memorial in words. Second he
creates a magnificent statue, that is, a permanent image.” (King 25) This is the third time in the
epic that we see how Gilgamesh has truly changed due to his companionship and loss of Enkidu.
This shows us the importance, that a bond of friendship can have on our everyday lives. From
the beginning, Enkidu’s goal was to transform, mold and change Gilgamesh into becoming a
more civilized, caring and acceptable human being. I believe Enkidu certainly exceeded
expectations with his goal, and ultimately changed how Gilgamesh viewed the rest of his life.
Gilgamesh with the guidance of Enkidu, became the king Uruk needed, as well as the person
creation needed him to be.
Through The Epic of Gilgamesh, we learned a lot about what it means to be a friend and
in the long run how important it is to have a friend. It also teaches us that with the help of
another we can be shaped and molded into a much better person. Enkidu was the one to teach us
that even when he was scared he did what he had to do in order to help his friend. While
Gilgamesh taught us that mourning the loss of a friend is acceptable, and it’s never something we
want to feel, yet he honored and showed love and respect towards him, just as a true friend
would. We see friendship grow in this epic and how it should continue to grow, and most
importantly how it is an essential part of life. We see how putting the other person first, and
thinking about their needs ahead of yours is key to having a strong friendship. This describes the
journey and also conclusion of not only The Epic of Gilgamesh, but the Epic of two heroic
companions.

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Works Cited
Adler, Jack. Soulmates from the Pages of History: From Mythical to Contemporary, 75
Examples of the Power of Friendship. New York, NY, USA: Algora Publishing, 2013.
ProQuest ebrary. Web. 29 March 2016.
King, Katherine Callen. Ancient Epic. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Chichester, U.K.: John Wiley &
Sons, 2009. Print.
Puchner, Martin, et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: The Epic of Gilgamesh, New
York and London, 2013. Print.
Sedlacek, Tomas. Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from
Gilgamesh to Wall Street. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
Ziolkowski, Theodore. Gilgamesh Among Us: Modern Encounters With The Ancient Epic.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 31 Mar.
2016.