Epic of Gilgamesh

A Response to Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh comes from ancient Mesopotamian religion. It concerns a king, Gilgamesh, whom the people revere as a good king. He is the strongest in all the land, for he is one-third god. He also built the magnificent wall around the city. However, some of Gilgamesh’s practices such as sleeping with virgin brides tick off the people of the land. They decide to seek out the help of Anu, the father of the gods, in order to create an equal to Gilgamesh. Anu answers with the creation of Enkidu, a wild, hairy man of nature with immense strength. Enkidu seeks out to challenge Gilgamesh after being tempted by a temple priestess. After a grappling session, Enkidu realizes that his strength has been sapped by...