friendship quotes from the epic of gilgamesh

By taking part in those battles, he was expressing his friendship. Especially during the fights against Humbaba and Bull of Heaven, Enkidu devoted his life unexpectedly to save Gilgamesh. Because Enkidu was showing great loyalty and self-sacrifice to Gilgamesh against the events. That benefit based relation turned to almost a real friendship, after a few adventures. Gilgamesh evaluated Enkidu, and found him enough talented and powerful to be his companion through his aims, getting fame and immortality. At this point, it seems that this friendship started as a benefit relation. Upon the first meeting they fought, abruptly stopped and embraced. ” (Tablet I) The formation of the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu was very interesting and abrupt. Gilgamesh was quiet at this interpretation. A companion who is your equal… Will never wish to leave. These came from the dreams of Gilgamesh, which were interpreted by his mother, Ninsun. Enkidu knew only of animals, and Gilgamesh had never treated anyone as his equal.īoth of them had been informed of the future friendship from the harlot and the mother of Gilgamesh. Up to this point, neither Gilgamesh nor Enkidu had ever had a real friend that was a man before. After that relation, he became civilized and went to a civilized place, Uruk. This is not an example of a real one but this caused his civilization. The second friendship was with the harlot, which lasted only for a few weeks.

The first friendship in the story is not the companionship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.Įnkidu was as a protector of animals, before knowing anything about the world and he had no differences from animals.

While trying to get immortality, he learnt what friendship is and the unnecessity of the other efforts. Fame and immortality were the aims of Gilgamesh but friendship was not. Lacking Gilgamesh’s arrogance, pride, Enkidu was tough and strong – a man of the jungle (Abusch).Role of Friendship in The epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh, the first and most important epical writing of Mesopotamia, narrates the efforts of finding fame and immortality of Gilgamesh, the king of the city of Uruk, and the advancement of friendship between Gilgamesh and the steppe man, Enkidu. Despite bearing resemblance to Gilgamesh, in character he was totally different. Enkidu was more like a star fallen down from heaven into the wild. The Great Mother made him nothing like his brother.

'So that rushing winds meet rushing winds' (Zeman), that the two would meet, unite and live in mutual understanding and immense friendship. Besides Gilgamesh, the Great Gods, namely Ninhursag-Ki, have made a decision to create a “second” Gilgamesh. But he was also selfish, arrogant and never listened to any advice or order from his father. Of course, he did have some ground to make his statement: fair visage, handsomeness, physical power ad dare. The latter get spoilt enough and grows up to be into something called arrogance. This makes Gilgamesh half-blood of divine birth. Part 1 Quotes When next he comes down to drink at the wells she will be there, stripped naked and when he sees her beckoning him he will embrace her, and then the wild beasts will reject him.įrom the epic, we find out that Gilgamesh is a son of a higher priest-king and a goddess. Below you will find the important quotes in The Epic of Gilgamesh related to the theme of Friendship, Love, and Sexuality.

No son is left with his father, for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the children yet the king should be a shepherd to his people. Part 1 Quotes Gilgamesh sounds the tocsin for his amusement, his arrogance has no bounds by day or night. Many years ago through loss I learned that love is wrung from our inmost heart until only the loved one is and we are not.” Anonymous, The Epic of Gilgamesh. Anonymous, The Epic of Gilgamesh “Friendship is vowing toward immortality and does not know the passing away of beauty (Though take care!) because it aims for the spirit. In this sense, both stories have far-reaching implications for understanding the role of women and men in societies. The relationship between Eve and Adam is similar to that between Enkidu and the harlot. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Genesis remain the two most cited stories of creation in classic literature. Masculinity and Feminism in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Genesis.

Friendship quotes from the epic of gilgamesh