Mortality and The Epic of Gilgamesh Kayla Dixon

I believe the theme of death in Gilgamesh is an indicator to how mortality was seen in

ancient Mesopotamian society. Death is prevalent throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh and is one

of the main themes of the story. The theme of death is seen in Gilgamesh’s fear of death, the

references to the afterlife, and the way death is portrayed as a punishment. The Epic of

Gilgamesh begins with the introduction of Gilgamesh. The story tells of Gilgamesh who was

described as “two-thirds of him god and one third human.” (Sandars 2) Gilgamesh was powerful

and often used his authority to exploit his subjects. The townspeople complained and the gods

create a powerful man to help control Gilgamesh. The gods create a man named Enkidu. Enkidu

is described as a man “Coated in hair like the god of the animals.” (Sandars 5) Enkidu and

Gilgamesh become great friends and share adventures together. When Enkidu becomes ill as a

punishment from the gods, he is faced with death. Enkidu passes and Gilgamesh is stricken with

grief. This is when Gilgamesh sets off on his quest for immortality. Death and one’s mortality

plays a large role in The Epic of Gilgamesh and it can be found in every part of the story.

Gilgamesh is fearful of death after watching Enkidu die. Gilgamesh is overwhelmed with

grief when he says, “I shall weep for Enkidu, my friend.” (Sandars 64) Losing his friend causes

Gilgamesh to consider his own mortality and his control over it. Gilgamesh says, “I shall die,

and shall I not then be as Enkidu?” Then, the powerful Gilgamesh admits to his fear by stating,

“I am afraid of death, so I wander the wild.” (Sandars 70) Gilgamesh cannot control his

mortality or anyone else’s. This causes him distress along with the fear of the unknown of what

comes after death. Gilgamesh becomes obsessed with death and embarks on a journey to find the

key to immortality. He hears of Úta-napíshti, a survivor of the floods who was granted

immortality. When Gilgamesh reaches Úta-napíshti, he tells him “For there in my bed-chamber

Death does abide, and wherever [I] turn, there too will be death.” (Sandars 97) Úta-napíshti tells
him the story of the floods, tests him, and tells him of a flower that will grant youth. Gilgamesh

fails Úta-napíshti’s test and loses to flower when a snake steals it on their journey home.

Gilgamesh returns to Urek without achieving immortality however, he brings home the story of

the floods. The story of Gilgamesh could tell us if the Mesopotamia feared death and if the story

of Gilgamesh was told to bring comfort to those who feared death. I believe that the unknown

aspect of dying could be frightening to the Mesopotamian people and they too might have tried

to seek immortality as Gilgamesh did. The story of Gilgamesh shares a valuable lesson which is

how we all must face our mortality one day, and it is inevitable. The story of Gilgamesh may

have been told to explain that death is inescapable and not to dwell on int.

The unknown and unexplained aspect of the afterlife could have been the cause of some

of Gilgamesh’s fear of his mortality as well as the fear of death that some Mesopotamians faced.

The Epic of Gilgamesh references the afterlife a handful of times as the Netherworld. Gilgamesh

says, “when I enter the Netherworld will rest be scarce?” (Sandars 71) When Enkidu dies,

Gilgamesh says, “ May Ereshkigal, the [queen of the teeming Netherworld,] accept this, may she

welcome [my friend and walk at his side!]” (Sandars 67) Gilgamesh sent Enkidu away with a

ceremony where he was sent off to the Netherworld with offerings. This gives us an idea of

what type of beliefs the Mesopotamians believed during this time when it came to funerals and

the afterlife. It could be assumed that offerings were a common sight at ceremonies for the dead.

This also indicates that these people believed they could take food, belongings, and other items

with them into the Netherworld. It is referenced in the story that these goods are brought to be

offerings to the gods in the Netherworld. These gods live and rule over the Netherworld. This

can help us conclude that polytheism was prevalent in Mesopotamian culture and their beliefs of
the afterlife. Gilgamesh gives us an insider experience of the not only the death of one in the

community but the grieving and thought of mortality that was present during this time period.

Death is used as a punishment for Enkidu after he and Gilgamesh slay the Bull of

Heavens. Enkidu’s death could be compared to The Code of Hammurabi. The Code of

Hammurabi are a collection of rules written in Babylonian times. These rules vary from “If any

one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not prove it, then he that ensnared him

shall be put to death” to “If any one be guilty of incest with his mother after his father, both shall

be burned.” (King 6-20) These rules cover many topics from murder, to family matters, to land

ownership however, a common theme is that many of the punishments of these crimes is death.

The threat of ending one’s life was used a common deterrent for those wanting to commit

misconduct. This is relevant when talking about Mesopotamian society because it helps us

understand their relationship with death. Death was feared and death was to be avoided. I

believe this is because of the reasons stated above, the fear of death and more importantly, the

fear of the unknown afterlife. When Úta-napíshti spoke to Gilgamesh, he said, “No one at all

sees Death, no one at all sees the face [of Death,] no one at all [hears] the voice of Death, Death

so savage, who hacks men down.” (Sandars 86) Death is portrayed as violent and mysterious

throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh. When describing the beast Humbaba, the story says, “His

speech is fire, his breath is death.” (Sandars 19) If death is on the breath of this beast, it must

mean that death is comparable to a dangerous monster. The role of death as a punishment is

interesting in this story because Gilgamesh also learns that death is inevitable. If to live is to die,

it is interesting that when this story was in circulation, death was also being used a common

punishment for the criminals in Mesopotamian society. Building off of the fear of death,
officials used this idea to create rules and the ending of one’s life was enough to prevent people

from committing crimes.

Some might say that the role death in The Epic of Gilgamesh cannot be compared to role

of death in Mesopotamian society. They might say that The Epic of Gilgamesh is simply just a

story of its time and it cannot help us understand the lifestyle of the people who were sharing the

story. I have to disagree because I believe that The Epic of Gilgamesh is a reflection of opinions,

experiences, and lessons that were in circulation during this time period. I believe the discussion

of mortality and the attempt to understand death was a large part of Mesopotamian society.

Some might have feared death and feared the great unidentified secretes of what happens after

one dies. Using this fear, those in charge of the civilizations used the threat of death as a

punishment to encourage the citizens to not to commit crimes such as murder. The Epic of

Gilgamesh is far from a fable of the time, it is an accumulation of stories that represent the

culture and the lifestyles of the Mesopotamian era.

In conclusion, the theme of death in Gilgamesh is an insight to how death was perceived

and understood in Mesopotamian society. Gilgamesh’s fear of death helped us make

assumptions about people’s feelings surrounding their impending end. The description of the

afterlife in The Epic of Gilgamesh taught us that the Mesopotamians believes that the

Netherworld was run my many gods who could be pleased by bringing offerings with you when

you cross over. Lastly, we learn that death was used as a punishment for Enkidu, similar to those

who committed crimes during that time period. Mortality was not only on the mind of

Gilgamesh but on the minds of the people telling his story. These connections between

Mesopotamian society and the story of Gilgamesh are no coincidence. The art we create is
reflective of the society we live in and The Epic of Gilgamesh is a reflection of mortality in

Mesopotamian society.
 Works Cited

Sandars, N. K., trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin, 1972.

Hammurabi, , and L W. King. Ancient History Sourcebook: The Code of Hammurabi,

C.1780 Bce. Champaign, Ill. (P.O. Box 2782, Champaign, 61825: Project Gutenberg,

1990. Internet resource.