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The Battle Of Humbaba In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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In the second chapter of the epic, Gilgamesh and Enkidu set out on their journey to destroy Humbaba, the guardian of the forest. Gilgamesh felt a compulsion to fight Humbaba and take over the forest that Humbaba watched over. With this urge Gilgamesh prayed to Shamash in order to gain Shamash 's approval of this journey that he is about to do with Enkidu. Due to the approval and assistance gained by the prayer, Gilgamesh ordered the armourers to provide himself and Enkidu the strongest armor possible for their battle. When they left with their weaponry and assistance, Enkidu lead the way to the land of Humbaba. After their journey through the forest to the land of Humbaba Enkidu felt fear due to the loss of strength that he felt when touching the gate leading to the territory. Gilgamesh reassured Enkidu through saying "Let your courage be roused by the battle to come; forget death and follow me, a man resolute in action, but one who is not foolhardy. When two go together each will protect himself and shield his companion, and if they fall they leave an enduring name" (9). …show more content…

Despite Humbaba 's efforts both of the warriors made it to his layer and inflicted a fatal wound onto him. After this the demigod** begged for them to spare his life. After Enkidu told Gilgamesh to not let Humbaba live, they both did the last blows to Humbaba and killed him. In result to the guardian of the forest being killed the hills and forest felt the lack of his presence. Gilgamesh and Enkidu then felled the trees of the forest and explored sacred places within the

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In this tale, a godly man, Gilgamesh, develops a friendship with beast-turned-man, Enkidu, who begins to teach Gilgamesh about the world and helps him to grapple with challenges. After one challenge in particular, a battle with the giant Humbaba, Enkidu dies abruptly, leaving Gilgamesh alone again, and forcing him to overcome adversities by himself. Gilgamesh is initially despondent, but these adversities eventually give him the strength to grow in wisdom and appreciation. Gilgamesh flourishes from his failures because he can finally understand the meanings of life and death, accept

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When Gilgamesh decides that he wants to fight Humbaba, he refuses to listen to Enkidu’s worries and protests, “You [Enkidu] speak unworthily…I must set my hand to cutting a cedar tree,/I must establish eternal flame” (Putchner et al 111). This displays Gilgamesh’s impatience because he will not listen when his friend wants him to slow down and think about his choices. He refuses to stop when people ask him to nor will he think about anything else than what he wants to do. Gilgamesh’s impatience when asked to think about what he is doing showcases that he is not a virtuous

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What does Enkidu want? What is his intention? (p. 9, lines 215-223) Enkidu wants to fight Gilgamesh.

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During the fight between Enkidu and Gilgamesh, they wrestled and held each other like bulls (6). When Enkidu and Gilgamesh first meet, they fight each other to show off their strength. Another instance is in Gilgamesh’s dream when he grabs hold of a wild bull. The bull responds by kicking up dust, seizing his arm, and biting his tongue (9). Even though this conflict is in a dream, the aggression between Gilgamesh and the bull can be seen.

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In comparison, it’s always observed on how different scholars find the similarity of especially marital settings, characters, and as well as the wanderings of the mythological world. Different events within the life of these characters cover broadly a huge range of epic encounters that are heroic. The character, emotional and psychological development of Gilgamesh can be borrowed especially from the ancient heroic perspectives of mortality and death while comparing with Achilles. Mesopotamian civilization has had several phases in which hero Gilgamesh has been in existence, however having similar attributes. One of the earliest stories of Gilgamesh is developed from Sumerian texts, one of the most influential and well-known poems (Michelakis & Pantelis 2007).

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When Ishtar cries out, Enkidu cast one of the bull’s buttocks at her. The city of Uruk celebrates, but Enkidu has a sinister dream about his future failure. Gilgamesh is also an epic hero because he survived a 6-day 6-night flood. Gilgamesh tore his house down. Gilgamesh then built a boat out of his house.

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Enkidu is forced into civilization after being disowned by nature for sleeping with Shamhat. We see him transformed from a wild beast into a civilized person. As we follow Enkidu’s transformation, we see how he changes for the better, but also experiences some downfalls. The transition was not smooth, it took time to fully adjust, and although there are many disadvantages of leaving the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, the benefits made it worthwhile. Through Enkidu’s exposure to Gilgamesh, he changes from a human that lives among nature, to this great warrior that is willing to kill beasts for no other reason, but glory.

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The Epic of Gilgamesh shows and describe the journey of a successful hero. Throughout his quest, Gilgamesh goes through a departure, initiation, and a return stage. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu sets out to go on the heroic journey to defeat Humbaba he experiences the first departure stage. The initiation stage occurred when Enkidu died and Gilgamesh started the second heroic journey searching for immortality. Gilgamesh search for immortality was beyond the initiation stage he searched for it through every quest and journey he encountered.

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He ranges over the hills with wild beasts and eats grass.” The father told his son to find Gilgamesh, and when he did find the harlot to seduce Enkidu. Soon the trapper came back with the harlot, and the harlot and Enkidu stayed together for six days and seven nights. After the seventh day, the harlot said to Enkidu, “You are wise, Enkidu, and now you have become like a god. Why do you want to run with the beasts in the hills?”(N.K. Sanders 65)

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In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh and Enkidu go on a journey to fight the ferocious Humbaba in the great Cedar Forest. The journey to fight Humbaba is not justified. Humbaba is the guard of Cedar Forest. Fighting Humbaba won’t help Gilgamesh’s people. “O my lord, you do not know this monster and that is the reason you are not afraid.

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As a result Enkidu ended up severely hurt. The Bull of Heaven symbolizes how unpredictable nature is. “Through the death of Enkidu, we are made aware of how scared Gilgamesh is of death however he still learns to survive, and evolve, but it also destroys an innocence that might have made death less painful. With death comes the knowledge of one’s own mortality”, “It was I who cut down the cedar, I who leveled the forest, I who slew Humbaba and now see what has become of me.” (Book 8)

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(P47.115) Each learns the importance of friendship in life through the killing of Humbaba and then learning of wisdom through the experience of turning down Ishtar. This unleashes the Bull of Heaven and with the death of the bull, Enkidu is punished. So for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the end, Enkidu says to Gilgamesh, “I feared the battle but will die in my bed.

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The gods punish the two heroes by ending Enkidu’s life and leave Gilgamesh behind. After twelve days of suffering, he dies in a slow, inglorious death (62). Enkidu represents the wildness in humanity. After his journey with Gilgamesh, he becomes civilized, more mature and closer to humanity. Enkidu was afraid of confronting Humbaba, but because of their friendship he overcomes his fear (29).

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People of Uruk suffered from tyranny and were brutally oppressed. They complained to Aruru, the goddess of creation, that she must make someone stronger than Gilgamesh. Aruru listened and made Enkidu. Enkidu was made of clay and Aruru’s saliva, and had nearly equal power as Gilgamesh. Hairy and brawny, Enkidu lived with animals in the wilderness.

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Enkidu is not the only one trying to discourage this adventure. The elders and Ninsun also try to discourage the adventure. Gilgamesh is given many opportunities to make a different choice, but does not choose to. He continues on to make a name for himself. Even in the midst of the battle Gilgamesh is given the opportunity to spare the life of Humbaba.

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