Poem Three: Epic of Gilgamesh

Back in October of last year, I laid out the first two poems of the Epic of Gilgamesh, told in a southern-like story.  It's a legend of sorts which has been handed down for four-thousand-plus years, and it's possible that the story has been told around campfires for 10,000 years.

Gilgamesh, to refresh your mind, was two-thirds God, and one-third human.  I know it doesn't make sense, but in the campfire way of telling stories....you just have to accept that part of the story.

If you remember the introduction...Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk, and tended to run into trouble.  At some point, he was going to get his ass beat by this new guy.....Enkidu.  Things got rough but they turned out to be buddy-buddy.

So in the third poem, is the next part of the story:

One night, the elders of the Gilgamesh tribe spoke up, and warned the young king not to put so much trust in his 'vast strength'.  They urged him to always keep a sharp eye out and when struck by someone.....always strike back with the same amount of force.

Then they kinda hinted to him that his junior associate....Enkidu....ought to always walk ahead because he's capable of saving the king.  They also noted that Enkidu seemed to know roads and trails well....so it just made sense to follow Enkidu.

So they (the elders) turned to Enkidu, and just laid it on pretty heavey.....you gotta bring Gilgamesh (the king) back to us alive.  This is no 'pony-farm' operation....you gotta be serious.

It's hard to say if Enkidu was a nutcase or prone to doing stupid things.....of if the elders just felt they needed to say something ahead of time.

After all this elder talk.....Gilgamesh said to Enkidu....something to the effect....we gotta go and visit the Egalmah Temple, where Ninsun the Queen resides.  Ninsun, the Queen, was the moma of Gilgamesh.

As the story goes.....folks felt that Ninsun was fairly clever and capable.  If she said something was going to pass....it generally occurred.

So the boys arrived at the Temple, and Gilgamesh noted to her that he's got things on his mind.  Chiefly, he's going to be out on some trail that he's never traveled.  There's apparently some bad folks along this road, and he's a bit worried.

Gilgamesh also notes that he's supposed to whoop up on this guy Humbaba (the Terrible).  We are never told how Humbaba got this reputation, and it might be interesting to know how you get labeled as terrible.  Maybe he's got some 40 line story to explain his legendary status as 'terrible'.

In this note though.....Gilgamesh is indicating in a straight direct way.....this isn't going to be a plain whooping.....it's to the bitter end.  In a way....eradication. And at some point in the poem, Gilgamesh says once all this extreme killing and whooping is done....he intends to put some kind of monument.  There around the campfire, it's left for the guy telling the story what this would look like or how tall it'd be.

All this fighting talk worried the Queen.  She took a pause and walked around the Temple.  Then she washed up with some fairly good scented soap, put on a new fresh robe, tossed on some fine jewels, and put on her crown.  Then she took fresh water (not the stuff that'd been sitting there for hours), and sprinkled some on the ground.

Then she went up to the loft of the Temple and did some praying.  She has a conversation with the Lord, and says that this is all kinda unfair, and imposed upon the young lad.

So she asked the Lord to send out the Watchmen of the Night, the stars, and at night your father, Sin. She wants all of them to watch over the boy.

It's hard to say who the Watchmen of the Night are, but they might be sword-carrying folks, or just strong guys.

Then the Queen turns to Enkidu.  She actually says in some title here....."Enkidu the Mighty", which probably pumped him up a notch or two.

The Queen tells Enkidu in pretty strong words, it's you that will bring my son back in one piece.  Don't screw this up.

From the tablet at this point.....that exists with the poem, we are now left with a fair mystery.....because there's around eleven lines of the poem missing at this point.

Yes, you don't get the entire story.

Then you get a bit of the story....talking about a gate made out of cedar, and some comment on Enkidu.

Then the poem kinda ends with a quote to Enkidu.....'protect your friend, and bring him back to his wives.'  Note, plural wives, not singular.

Then the lads left on the great adventure.