The Epics of Gilgamesh, translated by N. K Sanders is an ancient book written by an unknown author lost to time. This “book” is really a series of clay tablets found in Mesopotamia, which was located in modern day Iraq. These clay tablets contained the entire Gilgamesh story and were written in cuneiform with a stylus, which means that characters were pressed into a clay block to create language. Cuneiform was the main form of documentation during that time period and all of the twelve tablets that were found were all written entirely in cuneiform. These tablets are truly ancient and originated around 2700 BC. These tablets come together to tell the oldest story ever currently documented. The tablets tell a tale of a half god named Gilgamesh
…show more content…
He has harems of women and deflowers all the women of the village. The villagers, sick of Gilgamesh’s wrongdoings pray to the gods to make it stop. In response, the god Anu cried “You made him, O Aruru, now create his equal: let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self, stormy heart for stormy heart. Let them contend together and leave Uruk in quiet.” (The Epics of Gilgamesh 62). The god Aruru created a wild man, Enkidu out of clay to be Gilgamesh’s equal. It was a feasible choice to create him so Gilgamesh and Enkidu would balance each other’s flaws out. When Enkidu is first on earth he acts like a wild like an animal. The man is only tamed when he sleeps Shamat, a prostitute for seven days and nights. The prostitute was one of the few main female characters in this story and by sleeping with Enkidu, she calms him and teaches him the ropes of society. For her to be the first woman introduced in the story leaves a somewhat bitter taste in one’s mouth because, although she helped Enkidu, she is still a prostitute and any women who read this story would not be overly thrilled that the first woman introduced into this book is a …show more content…
She offers advice for Gilgamesh during his quest for immortality after Enkidu was killed. She tells Gilgamesh that only gods life forever and that he should value his mortal life and just enjoy it. After Gilgamesh makes it clear that he will not give up, she tells him where Utnapishtim, the only mortal who was granted immortality dwells. She informs him that no mortal has ever reached him and offers critical advice on how what to do to get there. While Gilgamesh doesn’t listen to all of her words, she proved to be a critical recourse for Gilgamesh to find Utnapishtim. Like all of the other women mentioned Siduri aids Gilgamesh by providing him with knowledge and help. She is unlike Ninsun because she is not a goddess and is one of the only mortal woman in the story who is mentioned. Overall, women in this book all play very different roles in helping Gilgamesh and Enkidu through their quest, while their class in society is different they were all still critical points in the story. They provided knowledge, advice and nourishment to the men, which in some ways women do in today’s society. While women were not equal back then, in books as old as time can record still include women in their stories and make them important characters in the books. While we have come a long way since then, it’s still curious to look at how women
He has harems of women and deflowers all the women of the village. The villagers, sick of Gilgamesh’s wrongdoings pray to the gods to make it stop. In response, the god Anu cried “You made him, O Aruru, now create his equal: let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self, stormy heart for stormy heart. Let them contend together and leave Uruk in quiet.” (The Epics of Gilgamesh 62). The god Aruru created a wild man, Enkidu out of clay to be Gilgamesh’s equal. It was a feasible choice to create him so Gilgamesh and Enkidu would balance each other’s flaws out. When Enkidu is first on earth he acts like a wild like an animal. The man is only tamed when he sleeps Shamat, a prostitute for seven days and nights. The prostitute was one of the few main female characters in this story and by sleeping with Enkidu, she calms him and teaches him the ropes of society. For her to be the first woman introduced in the story leaves a somewhat bitter taste in one’s mouth because, although she helped Enkidu, she is still a prostitute and any women who read this story would not be overly thrilled that the first woman introduced into this book is a …show more content…
She offers advice for Gilgamesh during his quest for immortality after Enkidu was killed. She tells Gilgamesh that only gods life forever and that he should value his mortal life and just enjoy it. After Gilgamesh makes it clear that he will not give up, she tells him where Utnapishtim, the only mortal who was granted immortality dwells. She informs him that no mortal has ever reached him and offers critical advice on how what to do to get there. While Gilgamesh doesn’t listen to all of her words, she proved to be a critical recourse for Gilgamesh to find Utnapishtim. Like all of the other women mentioned Siduri aids Gilgamesh by providing him with knowledge and help. She is unlike Ninsun because she is not a goddess and is one of the only mortal woman in the story who is mentioned. Overall, women in this book all play very different roles in helping Gilgamesh and Enkidu through their quest, while their class in society is different they were all still critical points in the story. They provided knowledge, advice and nourishment to the men, which in some ways women do in today’s society. While women were not equal back then, in books as old as time can record still include women in their stories and make them important characters in the books. While we have come a long way since then, it’s still curious to look at how women