Enkidu's Journey In Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh, the story of a tyrannical god-king of Uruk, is dense with symbolism and motifs. The motif of journeys and the symbolism of thresholds are a key element as Enkidu and, eventually, Gilgamesh, change and mature. The epic depicts one primary quest taken on by Gilgamesh, that challenges him physically and mentally; this journey is also broken up into multiple quests that start with a threshold of some sort, like a door to a family house or the entrance to the Cedar Forest. Throughout the entire epic, there are journeys where choices must be made as Gilgamesh matures. Journeys are not only seen within Gilgamesh, but the epic itself is one. The entire story is made up of the quest of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, then solely Gilgamesh

Thresholds are also seen hand-in-hand with journeys throughout Gilgamesh representing not only transitions but also decisions to go forward or go backward. When Enkidu challenges Gilgamesh, he blocks his way to the doorway of the Family House, inducing a fight between the two, that ends the King’s right to the virgin brides (23). His tyrannical ways were changed after the two men discovered their equal in each other, even ending the altercation in a tie. This shows that Gilgamesh, in the beginning, is almost instantly matured by Enkidu’s presence. Even though the conflict ended without him winning or losing, he still chose to revoke his law of sleeping with the virgin brides. Instantly bonded, Gilgamesh insists on a quest to the cedar forest in order to get cedar for a gate for Urak and to conquer its guardian, Humbaba (39). Enkidu was unsure and afraid of the forest; however, Gilgamesh reassures him and he agreed in hesitation (27). As the pair enter the threshold of the forest, there is a gate that inflicts harm to Enkidu, paralyzing his hand (34). Gilgamesh pushes onward, reassuring his friend