Obasuyi 1

The [Epic] Mourning of Enkidu and its Effects

For decades, many scholars, students, and readers alike have analyzed the epic manner in which Gilgamesh reacts and mourns in The Epic of Gilgamesh when his friendEnkidudies. However, when analyzing the text excessively, one could potentially overlook one important aspect of the epic: Gilgamesh's mourning of Enkidu not only displays his capacity to care for another human being, but it also generates his awareness of his own morality, and it is through these means that we see the gradual transformation of Gilgamesh as he accepts the fact that death is inescapable. When Tablet (whatever) begins, Gilgamesh wastes no time in epically and lovingly mourning Enkidu. In fact, he begins by giving a very extensive eulogy that praises his fallen friend and in the middle of that eulogy, he says something rather out of character: I shall weep for Enkidu, my friend/like a hired mourner-woman I shall bitterly wail (Tablet VIII, 44-45). Now, if one pays close attention to the words used in those lines, specifically mourner-woman and wail, one can see that they carry some slight, yet important significance in this case. Take a moment to imagine Gilgamesh, who has been previously described as powerful, pre-eminent, expert [and mighty], in all of his epic glory (Tablet I, 90). Now, imagine that same epic hero wailing like a mourner-woman. It is one thing to cry or mourn, but it is another notion entirely to wail and mourn like a mourner-woman and such a statement highlights the changes that are beginning to take place in Gilgamesh. This is not the same man who had been previously described as a a violent flood-wave, smashing a stone wall (Tablet I, 34). No longer is he trying to build upon his overflowing bravado. Instead, he is focusing all his care, love and attention on his deceased friend and this provides the audience with a clear example that Gilgamesh can and does in fact care for others, which did not appear that way at the beginning of

Obasuyi 2 the epic. However, Gilgamesh's mourning is far from over and his transformation is far from done. After wailing like a mourner-woman, he moves on to adorn Enkidu's dead body with numerous jewels, objects and artifacts, starting specifically with Enkidu's face: He covered, like a bride, the face of his friend/Like an eagle he circled around him./Like a lioness deprived of her cubs,/He paced to and fro, this way and that (Tablet VIII, 59-62). The words used in this reference from the text and the care in which he carries out these proceeding are, again, not what would be normally expected of Gilgamesh. It is hard to imagine Gilgamesh, who has never been known to being gentle in anyway, covering Enkidu's face as he would do a bride. The word bride warrants a particular reaction and particular emotions. When one normally thinks about the word bride, ideas like love, purity, and sacredness usually come to mind. So, if we as an audience apply the same connotations of the word bride to the way in which Gilgamesh is mourning Enkidu, we can again see how much he really did care for Enkidu and this serves to give way to the fact that this ordeal is seriously affecting him. Like referenced earlier, while mourning, he does a lot of pacing. Traditionally, pacing in this sense is never a good thing, because when it is done, the pacer is usually either anxious, scared, or both. And in this case, it can be argued that Gilgamesh is in fact both. For with Gilgamesh mourning Enkidu so intensely, his anxiousness and fear is most definitely manifesting as a direct result of Enkidu's death and his subsequent mourning, which serves to bring himself face-to-face with his own morality. When the audience moves onto to Tablet IX, we see that Gilgamesh's mourning of Enkidu has begun to have profound effects on how Gilgamesh sees himself and his morality. No longer does he view himself as an unstoppable, undeniable force. Instead, he proceeds to compare himself to Enkidu, lamenting about how he is no better than him and fears that he may face the same fate, all the while retreating into the wild: For his friend Enkidu Gilgamesh/did bitterly weep as he wandered the wild:/'I shall die, and shall I not then be as Enkidu?/Sorrow has entered my heart!/I am afraid of death...'

Obasuyi 3 (Tablet IX, 1-5). This is a very sharp contrast from Gilgamesh's previous beliefs and actions. Earlier in the poem, Gilgamesh was rather brash and at most times, vain. He thought himself to be nearly invincible and the fact that he is two thirds god and one third human did not help the swelling of such pride (Tablet I, 48). Of course, Enkidu was inserted into the chaos as somewhat of an inhibitor to Gilgamesh, but it is interesting to see that Enkidu has more of an effect on Gilgamesh after his death versus when he was alive. Despite the fact that they shared some epic adventures, the fact the Enkidu dies, (despite how unstoppable he was), shows Gilgamesh that such too, can happen to him. This effectively establishes Enkidu as a type of mirror or foil to Gilgamesh, making him realize what is to befall him if he does not come to terms with his own morality and limitations, thus cementing his transformation as he resolves to become a better king and individual. In closing, one can see that the effects of Gilgamesh's mourning of Enkidu come to fruition in Gilgamesh's final transformation. Gilgamesh goes from being irrational and rather callous in nature to becoming more wise and caring overall, effectively turning his life around. Because of this, it can be argued that not only does Gilgamesh's mourning of Enkidu serve to be the focal point of his transformation, but it also reminds Gilgamesh and all alike that no matter who a person is, despite being two thirds god and one third human, death serves to be the great equalizer to all. And after that, all that is left to do is to merely except the fact and make the most of it.

Obasuyi 4 Works Cited

George, A. R.. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin Books, 2003. Print.