Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the
nether world (excerpted)
(Preface:
Sumerian Creation) In those days, in those distant days, in those nights,
in those remote nights, in those years, in those distant years;
when the
necessary things had been for the first time properly cared for, when bread had
been tasted for the first time in the shrines of the Land, when the ovens of
the Land had been made to work, when the heavens had been separated from the
earth, when the earth had been delimited from the heavens, when the fame of
mankind had been established, when An had taken the heavens for himself, when Enlil had taken the earth for himself, when the nether
world had been given to Ereshkigal as a gift; when
he set sail, when he set sail, when the father set sail for the nether world,
when Enki set sail for the nether world -- against
the king a storm of small hailstones arose, against Enki
a storm of large hailstones arose
The keel of Enki's
little boat was trembling as if it were being butted by turtles, the waves at the
bow of the boat rose to devour the king like wolves and the waves at the stern
of the boat were attacking Enki like a lion.
(flood
yields worldtree?)
27-35 At that time, there was a single tree, a single halub
tree a single tree, growing on the bank of the pure Euphrates, being
watered by the Euphrates. The force of the south wind uprooted it and stripped
its branches, and the
At its roots, a snake immune
to incantations made itself a nest. In its branches, the Anzu bird settled its young. In its trunk, the phantom maid
built herself a dwelling, the maid who laughs with a joyful heart. But holy Inana cried!
(47-69) When
dawn was breaking, when the horizon became bright, when the little birds, at
the break of dawn, began to clamour, when Utu had
left his bedchamber, his sister holy Inana said to
the young warrior Utu: "My brother, in those days when destiny was
determined,
(repeat creation, tree planting, etc.)
holy Inana
cried!" Her brother, the young warrior Utu, however, did not stand by her
in the matter.
(2nd
repeat)
(136-150: Gilgamesh rids the tree of Anzu, etc.) He
strapped his ...... belt of 50 minas
weight to his waist -- 50 minas were to him as 30 shekels. He took his bronze
axe used for expeditions, which weighs seven talents and seven minas, in his
hand. He killed the snake immune to incantations living at its roots. The Anzu bird living in
its branches took up its young and went into the mountains. The phantom maid
living in its trunk left (?) her dwelling and sought refuge in the wilderness.
As for the tree, he uprooted it and stripped its branches, and the sons of his
city, who went with him, cut up its branches and bundled them (1 ms. has
instead: piled them up). He gave it to his sister holy Inana
for her chair. He gave it to her for her bed. As for himself, from its roots,
he manufactured his ellag and, from its branches, he
manufactured his ekidma (the correct pronunciation of
this word is unknown) .
(151-165) He played ellag in the broad square, never wanting to stop playing
it, and he praised himself in the broad square, never wanting to stop praising
himself. (mss. from Urim add: The young men of
his city were playing ellag.) For (?) him who made
the team of the widows' children ......, they lamented: "O my neck!
O my hips!"
As the evening came, he marked the spot where the ellag had been placed, and he picked up his ellag from in front of him and took it home. But early in
the morning as he ...... the place marked, the widows' accusation and the
young girls' complaint caused his ellag and his ekidma to fall down to the bottom of the nether world.
He tried with his hand but could not reach
(166-175) At the gate of Ganzer,
in front of the nether world, he sat down. Gilgamesh wept, crying bitterly:
"O my ellag! O my ekidma!
O my ellag, I am still not satiated with its charms,
the game with it has not yet palled for me! If only my ellag
waited still in the carpenter's house for me! I would treat the carpenter's
wife like my own mother -- if only it waited still there for me! I would treat
the carpenter's child like my little sister -- if only it waited still there
for me! My ellag has fallen down to the nether world
-- who will retrieve it for me? (1 ms. has instead: Who will retrieve my ellag from the nether world?) My ekidma
has fallen down to Ganzer -- who will retrieve it for
me?
(176-183) His servant Enkidu
answered : "My king, you weep; why does your heart worry? Today I shall
retrieve your ellag from the nether world, I shall
retrieve your ekidma from Ganzer."
Gilgamesh answered Enkidu: "If today you are
going to go down to the nether world, let me advise you! My instructions should
be followed. Pay attention to my words!
(184-198) "You should not
put on your clean garments: they would recognise
immediately that you are alien. You should not anoint yourself with fine oil
from a bowl: they would surround you at its (or your) scent. You should not
hurl throw-sticks in the nether world: those struck down by the throw-sticks would
surround you. You should not hold a cornel-wood stick in your hand: the spirits
would feel insulted by you. You should not put sandals on your feet. You should
not shout in the nether world. You should not kiss your beloved wife. You
should not hit your wife even if you are annoyed with her. You should not kiss
your beloved child. You should not hit your son even if you are annoyed with
him. The outcry aroused would detain you in the nether world."
(205-220) Enkidu,
however, did not heed not his master's words. He put on his clean garments and
they recognised that he was alien. He anointed
himself with fine oil from a bowl and they surrounded him at its scent. He
hurled throw-sticks in the nether world and those struck down by the
throw-sticks surrounded him. He held a cornel-wood stick in his hand and the
spirits felt insulted by him. He put sandals on his feet. He caused irritation
in the nether world. He kissed his beloved wife and hit his wife when he was
annoyed with her. He kissed his beloved child and hit his son when he was
annoyed with him. He aroused an outcry and was detained in the nether world.
(221-229) Warrior Gilgamesh, son of Ninsun(a),
directed his steps on his own to E-kur, the temple of
Enlil. He cried before Enlil:
"Father Enlil, my ellag
fell down into the nether world, my ekidma fell down
into Ganzer. Enkidu went
down to retrieve them but the nether world has seized him. Namtar
did not seize him, the Asag did not seize him; but
the nether world has seized him. The udug demon of Nergal, who spares nobody, did not seize him, but the
nether world has seized him. He did not fall in battle on the field of manhood,
but the nether world has seized him." Father Enlil
did not stand by him in the matter, so he went to Eridu.
(230-237) In Eridu he directed
his steps on his own to the temple of Enki. He cried
before Enki: "Father Enki,
my ellag fell down into the nether world, my ekidma fell down into Ganzer. Enkidu went down to retrieve them but the nether world has
seized him. Namtar did not seize him, the Asag did not seize him; but the nether world has seized
him. The udug demon of Nergal,
who spares nobody, did not seize him, but the nether world has seized him. He
did not fall in battle on the field of manhood, but the nether world has seized
him." Father Enki stood by him in this matter.
(238-242) He said to the young warrior Utu, the son born
by Ningal: "Open a hole in the nether world
immediately, and then bring up his servant from the nether world!" He
opened a hole in the nether world and brought up his servant with his breeze
(?) from the nether world.
(243-25: the comrades
reunited) They hugged and kissed.
They wearied each other with questions: "Did you see the order of the
nether world? -- If only you would tell me, my friend, if only you would tell
me!" "If I tell you the order of the nether world, sit down and weep!
I shall sit down and weep!
(254-267;
joy of fathers) "Did you see
him who had one son?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?"
"He weeps bitterly
." "Did you see him who had two sons?"
"I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He sits on a couple
of bricks, eating bread." "Did you see him who had three sons?"
"I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He drinks water from
a saddle waterskin." "Did you see him who
had four sons?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?"
"His heart rejoices like a man who has four asses to yoke." "Did
you see him who had five sons?" "I saw him." "How does he
fare?" "Like a good scribe he is indefatigable, he enters the palace
easily." "Did you see him who had six sons?" "I saw
him." "How does he fare?" "He is a cheerful as a
ploughman." "Did you see him who had seven sons?" "I saw
him." "How does he fare?" "As a companion of the gods, he
sits on a throne and listens to judgments."
"Did you see the woman who never gave birth?" "I saw her."
"How does she fare?" "Like a (broken?) pot, she is thrown away violently,
she gives no man joy." "Did you see the young man who never undressed
his wife?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "You
finish a rope, and he weeps over the rope." "Did you see the young
woman who never undressed her husband?" "I saw her." "How
does she fare?" "You finish a reed mat, and she weeps over the reed
mat." "Did you see him who had no heir?" "I saw him."
"How does he fare?" "
[badly]
"Did
you see him who fell in battle?" "I saw him." "How does he
fare?" "His father and mother are not there to hold his head, and his
wife weeps." "Did you see the spirit of him who has no funerary offerings?"
"I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He eats the scraps
and the crumbs ...... tossed out in the street." "Did you see my
little stillborn children who never knew existence?" "I saw
them." "How do they fare?" "They play at a table of gold
and silver, laden with honey and ghee."
"Did you see him who was
set on fire?" "I did not see him. His spirit is not about. His smoke
went up to the sky."
[[A
version from Urim (UET 6 58)
8-19 "Did you see him who had no respect for the word of his mother and
father?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?"
""O my body! O my limbs!" he never ceases to cry."
"Did you see him who was reached by the curse of his mother and
father?" "I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He is
deprived of an heir. His spirit roams about."
20-28
"Did you see him who lied to the gods while swearing an oath?"
"I saw him." "How does he fare?" "He drinks ......
which has been drunk ...... the libation place at the entrance (?) to the
nether world." "Did you see the citizen of Jirsu
who refused (?) water to his father and his mother?" "I saw
him." "How does he fare?" "In front of each of them are a
thousand Amorites, and his spirit can neither ...... nor ....... The Amorites
at the libation place at the entrance (?) to the nether world ......."
"Did you see the citizens of