The Role Of Enkidu's Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Though the two epics occur in opposite ends of the world, Mesopotamian and Anglo-Saxon cultures both honor the dead with different funeral rites. In the epic of Gilgamesh, the funeral of Enkidu adheres to the traditional beliefs of the Mesopotamians. Gilgamesh “veil[s] Enkidu’s face like a bride’s” (Gilgamesh 154; VIII), presumably as a way to dress him for burial. The action also has an air of irony, as it seems more like Gilgamesh is wedding Enkidu than preparing him for the afterlife, and weddings are traditionally a ceremony of new beginnings. Honoring Enkidu’s death is also very elaborate. Gilgamesh wants a statute to be made of Enkidu that is “more splendid than any statue that has ever been made” (Gilgamesh 154; VIII). This is likely not a …show more content…
He heaps up “priceless, jewel-studded weapons and tools, with inlaid handles of ivory and gold” (Gilgamesh 155; VIII); he also “gather[s] fattened oxen and sheep [and] butcher[s] them” (Gilgamesh 155; VIII). This is all to ensure Enkidu arrives in the underworld safely. The offerings are critical to ancient Mesopotamian funerals, and they define the significance of death to their culture. In the case of Beowulf, which details Anglo-Saxon funeral rites, there are some differences, but also similarities. For the Danish Beowulf’s funeral, they put his body on a boat “to ride afar [...] / [o]ut o’er the waves at the will of the sea” (Beowulf lines 41-42). The Anglo-Saxons do not bury their dead, rather they cast them off into the ocean. However, like the Mesopotamians, they provide their dead with many riches. The Danes “heaped-up treasure / [g]athered from far” (Beowulf lines 36-37) to put on Beo’s boat. It is not stated if it is an offering to the gods, or simply a means of indicating his former wealth and glory. Either way, burying the dead with precious objects seems to be a common Anglo-Saxon funeral