How Did Gilgamesh Change Mesopotamian Culture

Culture, a key component of every society, is one of the few aspects that drastically changes throughout the world. The Babylonian culture, in which The Epic of Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell was written, is one of unique value and power. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a historical poem, illustrates the Mesopotamian cultural beliefs about the gods, death, and women. Mesopotamian people display devotion to the gods because they are powerful. The gods control all life. Enkidu and Gilgamesh exchange dreams from the gods that they believe determine their destiny in killing Humbaba, the evil monster. After having a dream of his death, Gilgamesh tells Enkidu, “now I will pray to the great gods for help” (143). Gilgamesh replies, “I will beg them to show you mercy” (143). Later in the text, during the flood, the gods are shocked by their own power when “the water rose higher and higher until the gods fled to Anu’s palace in the highest heaven” (185). When the flood rises, the gods become scared of their own power and destruction. Readers can conclude …show more content…
Enkidu and Gilgamesh ask for Gilgamesh's mom's blessing before killing Humbaba. It is ritualistic in that “she entered her inner room, she bathed in water of tamarisk and soapwort, she put on her finest robe, a wide belt, a jeweled necklace, then put on her crown” (99). She then is ready to pray. Another example of ritual occurs through the travel to kill the beast. Every night that Enkidu and Gilgamesh sleep on the way to kill Humbaba, they dream. Readers see that “Enkidu did the ritual for dreams” (109). The narration explains that “He built a shelter for the night, placed Gilgamesh on the floor and spread a magic circle of flour around him, then sprawled like a net across the doorway” ( ). The Mesopotamian people believe that if they performed rituals, they could keep in touch with the gods, and the gods would bless them by revealing signs of their power in