1 The Epic of Gilgamesh Narrator: Long ago in the land of Mesopotamia in the city of Uruk there lived a mighty king called Gilgamesh. Two parts god, and one part man, Gilgamesh strode through his palace as a remarkably strong and handsome king. All of his people were afraid of him because he forced them to fight in wars and work hard to build tall walls, towers, and temples for him. He had no friends, and loved no one. He forced his people to work so hard, that they cried out to the gods for help. People: (praying) Send someone who is like our king who can defeat him! Narrator: So the gods formed Enkidu out of clay a hairy man as large and strong and Gilgamesh himself. He was a wild man of the earth who grew up among the cattle and wild animals of the fields. He was like an animal himself. None of the people knew about him until one day a hunter came bursting into Gilgamesh s palace with a complaint. Hunter: There is an enormous Wildman in the forest. As large and strong as you, oh King. He keeps tearing up my traps. I haven t caught a single animal in three days.
2 Gilgamesh: Go into the city, take the prettiest dancing girl you can find, and have her tame the Wildman. Now get out! Narrator: So the hunter did as he was told and took Hatti, a beautiful, young woman to the forest to wait for the Wildman. She sat by the creek combing her long, black hair. When Enkidu saw her, he was enraptured by her beauty. She stroked his hair, gave him food and wine, and began to tell him about the city of Uruk. Hatti: There is good food fine and fine wine like this. There is also Gilgamesh our king who is as large and strong as you. Narrator: After spending seven days with her, Enkidu found that because he had been with another human, the animals would not go near him, so he agreed to go with Hatti to the world of men. They stopped at a shephered s lodge on the way home where Enkidu soon made friends with the men who took care of the sheep. Shephered 1: Ah, so you are headed towards the city, pray you do not fall under the tyranny of Gilgamesh
3 Enkidu: Who is this Gilgamesh? Shephered 2: He is a remarkable king, as large and as strong as you, but he works his people to the bone building the city for him, and he wastes their sons away in fighting his wars. Enkidu: No man should treat his people this way. I shall go to Uruk myself to teach him a lesson! Narrator: It was just a normal day in Uruk when King Gilgamesh saw a man as enormous as himself coming towards him. Enkidu tripped the king who then retaliated. The two massive men continued to fight for a full hour until Gilgamesh finally hurled Enkidu to the ground and stood back out of breath himself. Enkidu: There is no man like you, my friend. Narrator: The two embraced and became the best of friends from that day forwards. The people of the city were incredibly thankful now that their king knew what it was like to love a friend, he was no longer so harsh with them. Things were peaceful for a while, until Gilgamesh began to get restless.
4 Gilgamesh: We need to make our mark on the world, Enkidu we need an adventure. Enkidu: Oh? What did you have in mind? Gilgamesh: Let s go to the forest and kill the monster Hawawa. Enkidu: What! That s crazy! Gilgamesh: Come on, what are you afraid of? Death? Enkidu: How do I put this? Yes! You have only heard of that monster I ve actually seen him. He s enormous and covered in magic you can t get near him and live. Gilgamesh: Yes we can, I ve just been praying at the temple of the sun god and I am certain we have his blessing. Between the two of us we can conquer any monster. Narrator: Eventually, Enkidu gave in and the two of them, with their newly formed weapons, headed for the woods. After finishing a
5 journey of three days which would have taken normal men six weeks, they came to where Hawawa dwelt and spent the night in the shadow of his lair. Gilgamesh woke up in the middle of the night. Gilgamesh: Enkidu! I just had a terrible dream. I dreamt a gigantic bull was chasing you and I was helpless to do anything for you. Enkidu: I have no idea what this dream means Hawawa is not a bull. He is more like a lion. Narrator: As Enkidu spoke Gilgamesh fell into a deep sleep and would not wake up from it. Enkidu tried for twelve hours to wake him, but he was under the monster s spell. Finally, he found enough water to splash on Gilgamesh s face. Gilgamesh woke up as if nothing had happened. Gilgamesh: Well, let s go fight. Enkidu: You fight I m going home! Narrator: At that moment, they both heard the booming voice of the monster Hawawa.
6 Hawawa: I will kill whomever has come into this forest! Narrator: The monster emerged from his house he was so enormous even Gilgamesh was afraid. The two heroes fought valiantly, but the magic of Hawawa s house and his seven cloaks was too much for them to bear. It was not until Shamash, the sun bound the monster with the wind that he was at their mercy. Hawawa: Spare my life, Gilgamesh, and you can have all the cedar trees for your city that you want. Gilgamesh: I think I should listen. Enkidu: Don t let him fool you. Finish him! Narrator: Gilgamesh killed the monster, and then proceeded to offer a bowl of water to the sun god in thanks. Gilgamesh looked magnificent in the sunlight with the glow of victory all over him a little too magnificent. Very soon the goddess of love herself, Ishtar appeared. Ishtar: Marry me Gilgamesh!
7 Gilgamesh: Heh Heh, I don t think so Ishtar: Why not! Gilgamesh: Oh where do I begin? I know, lets start with your first husband who now lives in the under world because of you. what about the shepherd you fell desperately in love with. Did he enjoy being turned into a wolf when you lost interest in him? How about the king of the lions you loved him, then killed him in a trap. How about the gardener I hope he s loving life as a mole. You see lady, you are very quick to fall in love, but also very quick to fall out of it and pity the man you have when you do. Ishtar: Oh! (runs off) Narrator: Ishtar was so furious she ran straight to her father, the god Anu. Ishtar: Kill him, Daddy! He was so mean to me! Anu: Did he say anything that was not true?
8 Ishtar: Well, um well it does not matter! I want him dead for insulting me. Give me the bull of heaven for my revenge. Anu: But if the bull of heaven marches on the city, they will have famine for seven years. Ishtar: They have enough grain stored up, they will survive. Anu: Alright, but it is a pity to punish a man for speaking the truth. Narrator: No sooner had Gilgamesh and Enkidu returned to Uruk, that they felt the earth shake under them with the approach of Ishtar riding on a bull that was bigger than several elephants. It stamped once and the earth split open and swallowed a hundred men. It stamped again and the earth swallowed another two-hundred along with the river Euphrates. Enkidu leapt onto the bulls back, but the bull threw him off and he grabbed the bulls tail distracting him long enough for Gilgamesh to drive his sword into the bulls neck. Ishtar was infuriated even more now that they had killed the bull of heaven. She returned to the gods enraged the revenge she would receive now would be far worse than even she had anticipated. That evening Enkidu had a dream where he saw the gods talking with one another about what to
9 do with him and Gilgamesh which one of them must die for killing Hawawa and the bull of heaven against the gods will. When he awoke he found he was terribly ill. As the days wore on he grew worse. Gilgamesh never left his side. Gilgamesh: You ll be well, you ll recover. I will go at once to the goldsmith and have him make a golden statue of you, which I will offer to the gods in your place. You can t die my friend! Narrator: But Enkidu s fate was already sealed he knew he was going to die. Enkidu: Oh I wish that girl who first brought me to this city would suffer a miserable life I was happy before she brought me here. Narrator: At that moment, Enkidu heard a voice on the wind speak to him saying, why curse Hatti for bringing you to a place where you have found glory and a friend so dear to you that he will not cease grieving your death.
10 Enkidu: You re right. It is better to die now than to have never met Gilgamesh. I take my curse back, may that girl have a wonderful blessed life. Narrator: Enkidu then laid back and died in peace. Gilgamesh found his friend laying still and tried to wake him. For seven days he wept and held his friend trying to wake him but Enkidu would not wake. Finally, he had him buried. Gilgamesh was not the same after that he had seen death snatch his dearest friend, and now a terrible fear pursued him the fear of his own death. Some day Gilgamesh too would die. He was so terrified that he set out at once to find how he could escape death and live forever he would find the one man who had been granted immortality the man who survived the great flood, whom the gods had allowed to live forever. His name was Unapishtim, and he lived on the island of paradise far away. It did not matter how far or how dangerous Gilgamesh would find him and learn the secret. He set out and journeyed in the wilderness for weeks. He did not eat nor sleep much, so his body began to waste away. His hair turned white and he became as thin and haggard as an old man. One night he slept in a tree and saw a pack of lions coming to the stream to drink. He was so jealous of their health and their enjoyment of life, that he came down from the tree and killed the whole pack of them. He then
11 continued on until he came to a dark cave s entrance guarded by the scorpion man and his wife. Scorpion man: Turn back, mortal. It is so dark in there you will go crazy. Gilgamesh: I don t care I must find Unapishtim and learn the secret of eternal life! Scorpion wife: Go home, your quest is a hopeless one. Aren t you afraid? Gilgamesh: Terrified! I had a friend a dear friend who died, and now I know that I must die. Death has made a coward of me, and I will do anything to escape it. Let me pass! Narrator: the Scorpions stepped aside and let him through. Gilgamesh wandered for miles in the dark horrible intense darkness until he saw a light up ahead. Running towards the light, he entered the garden of the gods a beautiful garden with jewels instead of fruit. Wandering farther still he saw the sea for the first time. Next to the sea, he found the lady who made wine for the gods.
12 Wine maid: Give of up this foolish quest. Get married, have a family live your short life and make it a good one. The gods never intended us to live forever. Gilgamesh: No! I will not give up! Tell me where to find Utnapishtim. Wine maid: He lives across the waters of death but if you so much as touch that water you will die. There is only one who crosses over in his boat, Urshanabi who serves the gods. But he will not take you over. Narrator: Gilgamesh was determined to get his ride across the waters of death the way he got everything else by force. As soon as Urshanabi s boat touched the shore, Gilgamesh was upon him smashing at his boat and destroying the magic articles surrounding it. Urshanabi: What is it that you want! Gilgamesh: You must take me to Utnapishtim on the island of paradise.
13 Urshanabi: Well you have made pretty sure that I can t take you now! Look what you ve done smashed the magic rudder that would have guided us safely there. But look if you want to get across you must cut and make twelve poles slotted at both ends. Narrator: Gilgamesh did what he was told although he did not really understand why twelve poles were needed. He soon found out. As they set out using the first pole to push them across the water, they soon found that it was too short and added the second pole, then the third. Soon, when the island was in sight, they found that Urshanabi had miscalculated the twelve poles were not long enough. In desperation, Gilgamesh tore off the mast of the boat to make a thirteenth pole, then used Urshanabi s shirt as a sail. Gilgamesh: I will be the mast! Narrator: He stood tall with his arms out so that the shirt would billow in the wind brining them safely to the island of paradise. When they arrived, Gilgamesh was surprised to find an old man and his wife sitting at peace in a garden. Gilgamesh: Are you Utnapishtim the immortal?
14 Utnapishtim: I am. Gilgamesh: I thought you would be younger more lively, out having adventures and conquering monsters. Utnapishtim: When one has been given only a short time on earth, one must do as much as he can I have all the time I need. Gilgamesh: How did you come to be immortal? Utnapishtim: Ah now that is a long story. Long ago when the gods began forming the earth, they found that the work was very hard for them, so they created human beings to do the work on earth for them. Humans were very convenient, when then could work no more they just died, and they were always giving birth to new ones. But soon humans became so numerous and noisy with all their business, that they greatly annoyed the god Enlil, who then ordered Ea to send a plague to get rid of some of them. Ea, however, went to warn the people. The next day the people all spoke not a word. They did all their business in mime and so Enlil spared their lives. Soon, however, people became noisy again and again he sent Ea to destroy them
15 with famine. But again, Ea warned the people, and then were silent. But eventually the noise built up again until Enlil was furious. Destroy them all with a flood! he bellowed And this time, Ea, you are not to warn them. Ea obeyed. He did not warn them, but he did come to my house. At that time I was king of a great city. He whispered the plan to the reeds of my walls so that I could hear about the great flood in a dream, and knew what I must do to save my family and the animals. I built a great ark with enough room for two of every species of animal. When the flood arrived, my family, me, and all the animals were safely inside. The god, Ea warned me not to sleep for seven days as the flood destroyed the earth. So I stayed awake that entire time. At the end of it I looked out the window of the ark and saw nothing but water all around. I sent a dove out from the ark, but she returned having found no place to rest. The next day I sent out a swallow, who also returned. The next day I sent out a raven when the raven did not return I knew it was save to leave the ark. Knowing that the gods might be angry that a single human survived, I immediately made a sacrifice to the gods, and they gathered around the sweet smell of it. Ishtar was so pleased that she took the necklace of colorful jewels from her neck and hurled it into the sky. It became the first rainbow to remind her of this day. Enlil was furious that we had not all been destroyed. who warned him! he bellowed. Ea came forward, I did not warn him, he said,
16 Utnapishtim was warned in a dream, and he kept awake during the whole flood. Why would you kill such a man? Enlil then came to my wife and I and granted us eternal life they told us to live here forever like the gods. I will give you a test, could you keep from sleeping seven days and seven nights? Gilgamesh: Of course! Narrator: Although exhausted, Gilgamesh attempted to stay awake. He soon failed, however, and fell into a deep sleep. Utnapishtim then had an assignment for his wife. Utnapishtim: Saba, make him a loaf of bread for breakfast. Saba: But, Husband, he is so exhausted he will not awake for seven days. Utnapishtim: Bake it anyway. Narrator: so each morning for seven days, Saba placed a loaf of bread beside Gilgamesh while he slept. When he awoke Utnapishtim was waiting for him.
17 Utnapishtim: You finally awake. Gilgamesh: I did not sleep I was only resting. Utnapishtim: My friend, you have slept a full week, look beside you. Each morning, my wife baked you a new loaf. The first is moldy; the last is hot just like the life of a man. Which loaf are you. Narrator: Gilgamesh kicked the moldy loaf into the sea he had failed his test and felt miserable. Utnapishtim: Come now, forget your quest. Have breakfast with us is that not what a good life is made up of good food and company? Gilgamesh: No! You must tell me how to attain eternal life. Utnapishtim: I am not a god I cannot grant you this. Saba: You could tell him about old man young. Gilgamesh: What?
18 Utnapishtim: Old man young is a plant down at the bottom of the sea it is full of sharp thorns, but if attained, it has enough magic to restore the youth of a hundred old men. Narrator: Determined to find this plant, Gilgamesh left in the boat with Urshanabi. Urshanabi was banished from Paradise Island for bringing Gilgamesh there. He took Gilgamesh to the spot where he would dive for the plant. In a mad frenzy to attain this plant of youth, Gilgamesh dove into the water using rocks to hold him down. When he found the plant and gripped it with his bare left hand, the thorns cut into him, but he was too determined to give up. With one hand he wrenched the plant free, and with his other hand he undid the rocks that weighed down his feet. He swam to the surface as fast as he could and just barely reached Urshanabi s boat with the precious plant. Gilgamesh: I found it, Urshanabi, this plant will grant youth not only to me, but to all the old men of my city! You must come to Uruk with me also I feel responsible that you were banished. Come back with me to the greatest of cities. Urshanabi: I believe I will.
19 Gilgamesh: Right now, I would really like to bath, let s stop on the shore by that stream. Narrator: Gilgamesh set the plant down on a rock and bathed in the water. As he swam dreaming about what he would do when he returned to Uruk, He looked out across the water and saw a snake slither up to the plant and swallow it whole. Gilgamesh: Don t! Narrator: But it was too late. The snake became young again and slithered off. Gilgamesh sat and wept all he had been through had been wasted. He then began the long journey home with Urshanabi. When he arrived home his people were shocked to see how old he had become how greatly he had changed. People: Is that our king? He looks so old and haggard. I hope he does not put us back to work on the city and send our sons to war. Narrator: But Gilgamesh had changed. He was glad to be home and no longer had the energy for war he did not want to see his people
20 suffer from seeing their men die the way he suffered from seeing Enkidu die. He did marry and have children. When his first born son came into the world, Gilgamesh held him up and realized that through his son, his name would continue this was a form of immortality any father could have. He also had his story written in cuneiform on twelve tablets it became a great epic that people still read today. Gilgamesh died but his story lives on.