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Gilgamesh. Analysis. Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh and Enkidu form a complete person by unifying their dual natures. Enkidu: Nature (female force) Gilgamesh: Civilization (male force). Enkidu. Enkidu once lived with the members of nature, lions, bulls, ect…
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Gilgamesh Analysis
Gilgamesh and Enkidu • Gilgamesh and Enkidu form a complete person by unifying their dual natures. • Enkidu: Nature (female force) • Gilgamesh: Civilization (male force)
Enkidu • Enkidu once lived with the members of nature, lions, bulls, ect… • Now he lives with human society and he starts to confront the same fears as the people of Uruk- the fear of the unknown, or the fear of that which is different from the self. • Now that Enkidu is man, he has learned to fear nature, since nature is more powerful than himself.
The Journey • Trip takes from “new moon to the full moon” • 14-15 days plus 3 additional days (17-18 travel days)
Moon Symbolism • Full Moon: height of danger and evil, since the moon represents the dark side of life • New Moon: (invisible to the eye) most favorable interpretations • As they travel upstream the moon grows bigger and bigger, representing the bad days quickly approaching
Numbers • Shamash conjures up 13 winds that restrain Humbaba. • North wind, south wind, east wind, west wind, icy wind, whirlwind, scorching wind, hurricane, gale, devil wind, blasting wind, storm wind, and typhoon • The number 7 is also mentioned several times throughout Gilgamesh. • What does it all mean?
Significance with the number 13 • 12 constellations of the Zodiac plus the sun =13 • Buddha and his 12 disciples • Jesus and his 12 apostles • Thirteen represents power whether it be lucky or otherwise
Seven • The number represents the amount of godly power the creature, person, or god has (the power is called holy me) • Seven also represents the seven moving lights in the sky that follow more roving patterns than do the more distant (fixed) stars, so divinities often held powers in multiples of seven.
Battle with Humbaba and the seven me • Society v.s. Nature • If Humbaba had 7 me, and Humbaba represents nature, then the opposite force of nature must contain the same amount of power, since dualities balance themselves.
Battle with Humbaba and the seven me • Shamash tells Gilgamesh that he will remove 6 me from Humbaba, and adding them to his own pool of me, then he can attack Humbaba with 13 total me, manifesting into 13 winds that Shamash used to hold Humbaba in a state of suspended animation.
Battle with Humbaba and the seven me • Humbaba has to have at least one me because he represents the ugly side of nature, and nature is not powerless.
Metaphor • “First entrap the bird, and where shall the chicks run then?” • Enkidu tells Gilgamesh to kill Humbaba because if he does not kill him, then Humbaba will continue to kill other people. • Enkidu is saying, if Gilgamesh kills Humbaba (the bird) then the chicks (society) can roam free. • If you kill the top guy then no one else has to die.
Killing of Humbaba • Enkidu forgets his own nature and replaces it with the more male dominate ones of his king. • Now, both Enkidu and Gilgamesh are of one mind, and no longer create the balance of civilization v.s. nature, as their original union represented.
Killing of Humbaba • Because Enkidu killed his own kind, he crossed into the opposite realm, and the balance of duality was lost. • Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu are firmly on the side of society.
Killing of Humbaba • With the two of them on the side of society the gods had to recreate the balance before society overtakes nature completely. • “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”
The Journey for Immortality • Gilgamesh seeks out the only man who has been granted immortality, Utnapishtim. • Utnapishtim means “He who saw everything” • Journey moved to the East • East: life and birth • West: death, the sun dies each day by thrusting itself into the western grave
The Return Home • When Gilgamesh wakes up from his sleep he finds seven loaves of bread around him. • Each loaf is in a different stage of decay. • Once again we see the number seven. • It symbolizes the mortality of his life and difficulty of the task and the extent to which he failed at it.
Symbolism • Magic flower of immortality is at the bottom of the ocean • Symbolism: flower, snake, water – feminine forces • Gilgamesh must learn to accept the feminine forces so that he can live his limited life in greater balance
Serpent Symbolism • The serpent steals the flower because death is the necessary side of the life/death duality. • Without death life is impossible to define. • The serpent is not evil at all.
Serpent Symbolism • The serpent has been looked at by nearly every culture as a symbol of life, displayed by the action of shedding its old skin, rebirthing into a new (better) creature.
Male Forces Looks like the male anatomy Tongue appears to be like fire Female Forces Slithering is a female action Body moves as smoothly as water Serpent Symbolism
Symbolism • Perfect Balance: serpent keeps Gilgamesh in balance by ensuring his death • Flower’s name: “The Old Men are Young Again” • Sumerian word for that is “Gilgamesh” • If our protagonist and the flower are called the same name, then what has Gilgamesh really found? • Himself
