Gilgamesh (Kalkamish) - Ruler of Uruk - A Tyrant on Earth

Gilgamesh (Giligamish) - the ruler of Uruk - was a tyrant on earth, proud of his towering height, his massive body, and his captivating beauty that enchanted people. He was two-thirds divine and one-third human, descended from the sun goddess Nishtin, the only immortal creature who survived the flood. No one resembled him in appearance, his insight into the secrets of the unseen, or his ability to see all things, even those at the edges of the unknown world.

He had a deep yearning for love. Because of his relentless quest to quench his thirst, fathers and husbands complained daily to the goddess of love and beauty, Ishtar, about Gilgamesh's attempts to seduce their wives and maidens. They begged her for protection from him.

Ishtar responded to the pleas of the people. She went to the goddess Aruru, Gilgamesh's patron, and asked her to create another being with the strength and power of Gilgamesh, someone capable of engaging him in a long conflict, so that the fathers and husbands throughout Uruk could find peace.

Aruru accepted Ishtar's request. She molded lumps of clay, breathed life into them, and fashioned Enkidu. Enkidu was a man with the strength of a wild boar, the mane of a lion, and the ferocity of a bird. His body was covered with thick hair, and he had long hair like a woman's, golden as the wheat deity's.

From the moment of his creation, Enkidu had no interest in associating with human beings. He distanced himself from them, living among the wild animals, grazing grass with the deer, playing with sea creatures, and quenching his thirst with the beasts of the fields.

One day, a hunter named Tsaidou tried to trap him with a net but failed. The hunter repeated his attempt the next day, but Enkidu was always skillful in escaping. Frustrated, the hunter went to Gilgamesh and explained the situation, saying that Enkidu had never been caught in a net before, but there was one net that could ensnare him - the net of a woman.

Gilgamesh responded, "What do you want from me? The woman or the net?"

The hunter said, "Enkidu claims he is stronger than you, and I want to bring him here so you can show him that his strength is nothing compared to yours. Therefore, I beg you to provide me with a beautiful priestess who can entrap Enkidu with her love and lead him to you."

Gilgamesh replied, "Go then, hunter, and take with you the priestess ‘Akhtou’. When you bring the wild beasts and Enkidu to the watering place, have her reveal her face and legs. Then, you hide, and everything will be as you wish."

The hunter and the priestess ‘Akhtou’ went to the place where Enkidu and his wild companions came to drink.

When the beast-man arrived, the beautiful priestess extended her hand and began to remove her garments, one by one. She stood before him naked, with her body trembling with desire.

Enkidu turned his head toward the beauty and stopped, gazing at her with longing and excitement, and a fiery passion ignited deep within him.

The hunter, from his hiding place, urged the priestess ‘Akhtou’ to get closer to Enkidu and offer him all that would make him forget himself, his friends, and his wilderness.

Enkidu stayed with the priestess for six days and seven nights, indulging in pleasure. When boredom eventually set in and he became aware of his surroundings, he noticed that all the wild animals, his friends, had dispersed from around him. Sadness filled Enkidu's heart. The priestess, however, urged him:

"O you who have reached the greatness of the gods, how can you enjoy living among the wild beasts and their women? Come with me to the kingdom of Uruk, where Gilgamesh, unmatched in his might, resides. Come with me to the magnificent palace where the god Anu and the goddess Ishtar will grant you the secrets of strength and grandeur."

Enkidu found the offer tempting and began to yearn to meet Gilgamesh. He agreed to follow the woman to the city of Uruk and said to her, "Lead us to where Gilgamesh lives. I will fight him and defeat him, showing him my strength and might."

The three of them set out on their way to Uruk - ‘Akhtou’, Enkidu, and the hunter.

At that time, Uruk was celebrating the festival of "Ishtar", and the people were noisy and joyous when they received news of Enkidu’s arrival, the rival of Gilgamesh.

The people danced more and the gods rejoiced. They were pleased that Gilgamesh, the thief of wives and maidens, would be defeated and cast down from the tainted throne.

Indeed, Enkidu had the strength to defeat Gilgamesh. However, something else had changed. Ishtar had seen Gilgamesh and admired him. She decided to prevent the fierce battle that was supposed to happen. In Enkidu's dream, she whispered that Gilgamesh was stronger than him and advised him to seek wisdom and avoid the conflict.

Similarly, Gilgamesh had a dream in which his mother warned him of the confrontation with Enkidu and urged him to befriend him.

And so it was that the two who were meant to be enemies became loyal friends. They walked side by side every day, protecting Uruk from the attacks of Elam, and returned victorious together after performing great deeds.

However, Enkidu could not endure city life for long. He grew dissatisfied and longed to return to the forest where he had lived. In a dream, the spirit of the sun god Nishtin appeared to him, convincing him to stay on earth and guiding him towards the benefits of life there. The sun god said:

“Gilgamesh is your friend and brother. He will provide you with a huge bed to sleep in and a seat like a throne beside his left side. He will make all the kings of the earth bow at your feet in admiration and respect.”

Enkidu was persuaded by the temptation and agreed to stay by Gilgamesh’s side. He no longer complained about his life in Uruk.

Gilgamesh was pleased to have Enkidu by his side and declared that peace had arrived. He removed his armor and donned sacred white robes, adorned himself with royal insignia, and wore the crown.

At that moment, Ishtar saw him and was struck by his beauty and majesty. She gazed at him with her large eyes and said to him:

“Come, Gilgamesh, be my husband. Let us exchange cups of passion and love. I will place you in a chariot of lapis lazuli and gold with sides encrusted with carnelian, drawn by seven lions. You will enter our home with incense from cedar wood surrounding you. Come, I will grant you dominion and make your feet embrace all lands near the sea, and the kings will bow to you, bringing you tributes from the mountains and plains, submissive and obedient.”

But Gilgamesh knew Ishtar well and was aware of her notorious and fearsome stories. He shook his head and said:

“You are treacherous, Ishtar. My head will not rest easy if I trust in your love and surrender to your seductive arts.”

Ishtar asked, “What do you know about my betrayals?”

Gilgamesh replied, “Everyone here speaks of what your treacherous love has done to those who fell into its trap. You loved the eagle and then clipped its wings. You adored the horse until it perished. You filled the cups of love for the lion until it lost its mane.”

Ishtar interrupted, “But have you heard of the sacrifices I have made for those I love? Have you heard of my story with my beloved Tammuz?”

Gilgamesh shrugged. The goddess of love and beauty began to recount her tale.

Tammuz was a young shepherd full of vigor, descended from the great god Ea. Ishtar saw him as he tended his flocks under the sacred tree of Eridu, which shaded the land. She fell in love with him and chose him as her husband while she was still young.

The lovers lived a long, wonderful love story that the heavens had never witnessed before. Until one day, Tammuz went out to graze his flocks and was attacked by a wild boar, fatally wounding him. He fell into the underworld, the dark realm of Aralu.

The goddess Ereshkigal, Ishtar’s sister, ruled the underworld. She was envious of her sister and filled with jealousy. As soon as Tammuz descended into her domain, she locked the doors and swore he would never return to the earth alive.

Ishtar decided to descend into Aralu in a desperate attempt to retrieve her beloved. She embarked on a long, harsh journey, facing terrifying dangers, until she reached the gates of Aralu and requested entry.

Ereshkigal summoned Ishtar and ordered the gatekeeper not to open the doors for her. Ishtar angrily demanded, threatening to destroy the gates and smash the locks if she was not allowed to enter.

The gatekeeper, terrified and panicked, ran to Ereshkigal, pleading for her

to open the gates.

Ereshkigal agreed, but with a condition: Ishtar had to sacrifice her divine power and beauty in return for Tammuz’s life.

Ishtar accepted the condition and entered the underworld. Ereshkigal stripped her of her divine ornaments and cast her into the dark realm of the dead. Ishtar was forced to live as an ordinary woman, subject to the same fate as others.

For three days and three nights, the earth fell into mourning for Ishtar's disappearance. The crops ceased to grow, the trees withered, and the animals were silent. The gods of the heavens were worried, fearing that the world would remain in darkness forever.

Finally, the great god Ea intervened and devised a plan to rescue Ishtar. He sent a messenger to the underworld, instructing Ereshkigal to release Ishtar and restore her to her place among the gods. In return, he offered to retrieve Tammuz from the depths of the underworld and restore him to life.

Ereshkigal agreed, and Ishtar was resurrected. Tammuz was also revived and returned to the earth. The joy of their reunion spread across the heavens, and the gods rejoiced, praising the great Ea for his wisdom and power.

Gilgamesh, witnessing the goddess's betrayal and suffering, became even more cautious and wary of Ishtar. He realized that her love was unpredictable and fleeting, and he remained steadfast in his decision to avoid her.