The Epic of Gilgamesh (short movie)

The Epic of Gilgamesh First written in Sumerian 2100 BC Compiled by Sin-leqi-unninni in 1300 BC Who named the story "Sha nagba imuru" "He who saw the deep" Once upon a time a king called Gilgamesh lived  in the city of Uruk. His mother was a goddess, his father was a man, thus Gilgamesh had divine  powers but was not Immortal as the pure gods. But nonetheless Gilgamesh was stronger than any  of his citizens and used his power to oppress and humiliate them.

One example was when Gilgamesh  routinely crashed weddings and stole the bride the first night. But people in Uruk grew tired  of their monarch and complained to the gods. The gods eventually listened and created  a man strong enough to challenge Gilgamesh.

They named him Enkidu, a Mesopotamian  tarzan who lived and ate with the animals. But before Enkidu could go to Uruk and  challenge Gilgamesh he had to become a man. Enkidu eventually met a lady, Shamhat, who took him to the shepherds.

The shepherds gave Enkidu bread and beer. "Eat  bread, Enkidu, the food of the gods. Drnk beer, Enkidu, the drink of the gods", Shamhat said.

Enkidu ate bread until he was full and drank seven jars of beer. His face was shining with happiness  and he started to sing. Enkidu washed his hairy body, anointed himself with oil, and was turned  into a human.

And this is so interesting because the act of eating bread and drinking beer was  eventually what turned Enkidu into a human. I've been experimenting with brewing Mesopotamian  beer for the last six months. In the next episode I will reveal the results and share some recipes  if you want to brew Mesopotamian beer yourself.

So make sure to subscribe to my channel now so you  don't miss out on anything. Anyway when Enkidu had turned into a human he finally went to Uruk  to challenge Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was striding to the wedding to spend the first night with the  bride as usual.

It was his right, or rather the right he had given himself as the undisputed  king of Uruk. The sand colored cobblestones almost vibrated beneath his steps. As the king  swiftly strolled along everyone moved out of the way.

As they always did whenever Gilgamesh showed  himself, except that is for a wild man with horns, Enkidu. He was unknown to Gilgamesh and the other  inhabitants of Uruk. Enkidu blocked the king's path and did not move an inch.

And Gilgamesh was  shocked. Nobody had ever blocked Gilgamesh's path. And he punished people for much less.

Everyone  watching knew that this would escalate any second. Gilgamesh peered into Enkidus eyes and without asking for permission he plunged into him. Violent chaos broke out in the streets of Uruk.

Doorsteps trembled,  walls shook. No one dared to intervene. Hundreds of soldiers watched as the heroes were  fighting.

And the fighting went on and on, neither of them gave way. But eventually, in the heat of the  battle, and perhaps because of Enkidu's strength, Gilgamesh calmed down. He hugged the wild man  realizing he had just found his first friend.

"Enkidu, in the forest lives the warlike Humbaba", Gilgamesh said. "Let us travel there and defeat him". "My friend, I saw him when I walked with  my animals in the mountains.

Humbaba's voice is a torrent. His speech is fire.  No one can defeat him", Enkidu answered.

The king frowned and replied, "why my friend do you  speak like a coward? You were born and raised with the animals on the steppe. The lions attacked you, the  strongest men avoided you".

Gilgamesh turned to the crowd around him, "listen to me, I will walk the long  way to Humbaba and fight a battle like no other. Give me your blessing before I go. When I return I  will arrange a feast where joy will be plentiful".

Enkidu turned around too and appealed to the  city's elders. "Tell him not to go to the cedar forest! " he insisted.

"The forest must not be seen by  human eyes". The elders stepped forward and spoke as one. "You are young Gilgamesh.

You let your emotions  guide you. Do not put trust in your strength alone". Gilgamesh ignored them.

"My friend, come. Let  us go to Queen Ninsun", he said to Enkidu. "She will give us good advice".

Ninsun was Gilgamesh's  mother and when she learned what her son was up to she got worried. Ninsun washed herself, changed  clothes, and climbed to the rooftop of her squared house made of clay bricks. There she offered food  to the sun god Shamash and asked him to help Gilgamesh on his journey.

The act of making food  and drink offerings to the Mesopotamia gods was a common practice. In fact it was the desire  to please the gods with food and drink that developed the Mesopotamian cuisine. Every god  in every Mesopotamian city was fed four times daily.

And as you can imagine the food and drink  that was offered on the table of gods was the most delicious food and drink at the time. Which is  why I've decided to make a cookbook Table of Gods, inspired by the world's oldest recipes written on  clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia 4 000 years ago. If you'd like to try three of the recipes  from my book go to tableofgods.

com/gilgamesh Ninsun hung a chain of symbols around Enkido's neck and  said "Strong Enkidu, I did not give birth to you, but I take you as my son, and Gilgamesh  takes you as his brother". A defining moment for Enkidu who never had a father, mother, or  brother. Gilgamesh and Enkidu said goodbye to their mother and began their journey toward the  cedar forest where the monster Humbaba lived.

After hiking up mountains and walking for  20 double hours they stopped to eat bread. Enkidu started complaining. "My friend, my arms  are numb".

"My friend, why do you speak like a coward? Forget death! Together we will achieve  eternal fame".

The friends continued their journey and didn't stop until they stood  at the entrance to the primeval forest. Humbaba's footprints had formed a wide path. The two friends  entered warily inhaling the fragrant scent of the cedar trees whose tall crowns obscured the  sunlight.

Suddenly a voice came from the forest. "Gilgamesh, you fool! ".

Gilgamesh and Enkidu drew their weapons. The  voice rang out again. "Enkidu, the fatherless son.

When you were little I saw you, but I let you be. Now  you lead Gilgamesh here and stand as an enemy". Humbaba suddenly emerged.

He looked Gilgamesh in the eyes  and said "Gilgamesh, I will slit your throat and let the eagles eat your flesh. " Gilgamesh froze when he  saw Humbaba. "My friend, Humbaba has transformed".

Enkidu cast him a glance. "My friend,  why do you speak like a coward? When the smith pours the glowing ore, can the  glow wait?

Now the moment of truth has come". Dark clouds circled over the cedar  forest. Death was about to rain upon them.

And Gilgamesh realized there was no turning back. He plunged toward Humbaba, toward death, and Enkidu followed him like the shaft of an arrow. Suddenly,  hurricane strong winds swept over the cedar forest.

It was the sun god Shamash. He responded to  Ninsun's prayers. The winds immobilized with Humbaba.

"Enkidu! ", Humbaba pleaded. "You know my forest, its ways, and all its secrets.

Tell Gilgamesh to spare me! " Enkidu turned to Gilgamesh. "My friend, do not listen to  Humbaba's pleadings.

Kill him! You will obtain eternal fame. You will obtain an eternal name.

" The  rain kept pouring down and the wind still held Humbaba fast. "Before the supreme Enlil hears, put an  end to Humbaba! Enkidu thundered.

Gilgamesh swung his ax and forced it through Humbaba's neck and separated  Humbaba's head from his body. Humbaba was dead. The gods held a council.

They had created  Humbaba to protect the cedar forest and Humbaba's death was a tragedy. So the gods decided  that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu would have to die. The people of Uruk cheered and celebrated as  Gilgamesh and Enkidu returned with Humbaba's head.

Gilgamesh walked the streets of Uruk  with a straight back. His long hair hung on his wide shoulders and his golden crown  shone. His beauty and courage spread all the way to heaven attracting the goddess of love,  Ishtar, also known by her Sumerian name Inanna.

Ishtar descended from the sky and proposed to  Gilgamesh. But Gilgamesh was not interested. He arrogantly refused the proposal which made Ishtar,  who was also the goddess of war, furious.

She became so upset she decided to kill Gilgamesh. Ishtar left earth and when she returned to Uruk an earthquake followed. A chasm opened and 300 people  fell in.

Ishtar had arrived with the bull of heaven, Gugulanna, who was looking for Gilgamesh. Panic  spread through the streets and the inhabitants of Uruk fled for their lives. Gugulanna was aggressive. 

He destroyed everything that came in his way. Enkidu was first to challenge him. He took the  bull by his horns and shouted after Gilgamesh.

"My friend, stabb the bull in the neck". Enkidu  rushed behind the wild bull and grabbed his tail. And as Gugulanna turned to crush and Enkidu,  Gilgamesh jumped onto the bull and thrust his dagger between the horn.

Gugulanna fell to the  warm ground and stopped breathing. Ishtar climbed the wall of Uruk and cried aloud "Gilgamesh  has defiled me and killed the bull of heaven. " When Enkidu heard her he tore off the bull's  shoulder and threw it at Ishtar's face.

"If I got hold of you I would do to you as I did to this one. I would hang the bull's intestines over your arms. " When everything had settled the friends  took out Gugulanna's heart and offered it to Shamash, the sun god, who saved  them in the battle against Humbaba.

In the evening, Gilgamesh did as he promised. He organized a great feast in his palace and during the feast Gilgamesh asked the young  women "Who is the most beautiful of all men? " "Gilgamesh is the most beautiful of all  men", they answered.

Then Gilgamesh asked "Who is the proudest of all men? " "Enkidu is the  proudest of all men", the women answered. After the great feast, Gilgamesh and Enkidu fell  asleep.

That night Enkidu had a dream. He awoke in the middle of the night and told Gilgamesh  that the great gods had taken counsel. Enkidu explained his dream to Gilgamesh.

"The sky god Anu  spoke to the wind god Enlil and said that since they have killed the bull of heaven, killed Humbaba,  and cut down the cedar trees. One of them must die". Gilgamesh eyes filled with tears.

Although he had  divine blood, he was not a pure god and only the pure gods were immortal. "My brother, I will pray  to the great gods. I will call upon Shamash, I will pray to Anu and Enlil", Gilgamesh said.

"My friend,  when Enlil has spoken his word it does not change. As birds leave the earth, so does the man". The judgment of the gods was inevitable.

But it did not fall on Gilgamesh but on Enkidu  who died 12 days later. Gilgamesh cried until his cheeks were red. He covered his friend like  a bride and circled above him like an eagle.

"You are silent. You can't hear me. Your heart is no  longer beating".

Gilgamesh paced back and forth. Tore his hair and threw away his jewelry. "Enkidu, my only  friend.

The painter of the steppe. Together we climbed to the top of the mountains. You were the shield  that protected me.

The sword at my side". Gilgamesh wandered about in the wasteland and cried out to  the gods. "Shall I also die?

Am I not like Enkidu? " Enkidu's passing caused Gilgamesh to  think about his own death. So he decided to make the long journey to Utnapishtim.  

The only man who could give him eternal life. Gilgamesh went on a journey away from Uruk again. This time in search of immortality.

After wandering for months, killing lions, and dressing in their  skins Gilgamesh faced his most difficult challenge. The Mashu mountain. Scorpion creatures dressed  in white mantles guarded the mighty entrance.

Gilgamesh froze in fair when he saw them. The scorpion man told the scorpion woman "somebody has arrived. His body is of divine  flesh.

" "He is two-thirds god, one-third human", the scorpion woman replied. "Who are you? Where  are you going?

Why have you come all this way? ", the scorpion man asked Gilgamesh. "I am Gilgamesh.

My  errand is to see Utnapishtim, he who sought and received eternal life. " The scorpion man recognized  Gilgamesh by his name. "That's impossible Gilgamesh.

Nobody has ever passed the Mashu mountains  narrow passage". But Gilgamesh insisted. He told the scorpion man the grief he had been through and the  scorpion man sympathized with him.

"Don't be scared. The Mashu mountain gives you permission to go",  the scorpion man said. Gilgamesh walked through a dark tunnel in the mountain pass and after  12 double hours he felt the wind in his face.

Gilgamesh came out on the other side of the  mountain. The race of the sun lit up the vast ocean below him. And by the seashore he saw the beautiful  bear brewer Siduri.

Gilgamesh went to her. "Brewer, why did you lock the door when you saw me? I  will smash it and break open the door lock.

I am Gilgamesh who killed Humbaba. " "If you are  Gilgamesh, why are you dressed in lion skin? Why do you look like a wanderer?

Why  is your face so worn with sorrow? " "Why wouldn't my face be worn with sorrow? My friend  whom I loved, Enkidu, has become earth again.

Am I not like him? Now tell me brewer, where  is the way to Utnapishtim? " "There never was a way Gilgamesh.

Since time immemorial no one has  traveled across the sea with the waters of death. But go to the ferryman Ushunabi. If possible  travel with him, otherwise turn back!

" Gilgamesh found the ferryman Urshunabi and built him a ship.  Together they traveled across the waters of death and came to the end of the world, to Utnapishtim, who was not happy to have visitors. "Why are you prolonging the suffering Gilgamesh?

What have you  achieved? You have only filled yourself with sorrow, you have only allowed the last day to come closer.  Death is inevitable.

For Gilgamesh and for the fool. " "When I look at you Utnapishtim, I see that  you are just like me. Tell me how did you end up among the gods and received eternal life?

". Utnapishtim told  Gilgamesh of the flood the Enlil caused to destroy humanity and how Utnapishtim, with the  help of the god of wisdom Ea, built an ark that allowed him to survive. A fun fact is that the  flood story in the Epic of Gilgamesh is almost identical to the flood story that appears much  later in the Old Testament.

Gilgamesh felt silent at Utnapishtim's story of the ark. But he didn't  accept it as to leave and live a mortal life. Utnapishtim gave him a chance to get eternal life.

"Try to stay  awake for seven nights. " Gilgamesh was shocked at how easy that challenge was. He sat down with his  head on his knees and immediately fell asleep.

"Look at the young man seeking eternal life. Sleep  has fallen upon him like a mist. " "Wake him up and let him travel back in peace to his people", Utnapishtim wife  answered.

"Man is clever. Bake a piece of bread for every night he sleeps. " Then Utnapishtim touched Gilgamesh  who woke up and denied that he had fallen asleep.

"Look here. Count the pieces of bread . Then you'll know how many days you were asleep.

" Then he showed Gilgamesh the seven pieces of bread.  The first was dry, the seventh was freshly baked. I actually tried to recreate Utnapishtim's  wife's bread for my upcoming cookbook Table of Gods by using ingredients that  were available in Uruk 5000 years ago.

If you want to try making this lineseed  bread go to tableofgods. com/wifebread Gilgamesh was heartbroken. He just lost  his chance to become immortal.

"What can I do Utnapishtim? Everywhere I look death  stares at me. " "Let me reveal a secret Gilgamesh.

There is a plant with thorns in the great sea. If  you can catch this plant you will be young again. " Gilgamesh didn't hesitate.

He tied stones  to his feet, took a deep breath, and sank to the bottom and found the plant. Then he  removed the stones and floated up again. For the first time since Enkidu  died, Gilgamesh felt happiness.

"Urshunabi, Urshunabi! This plant can cure all troubles.  I shall call it old becomes young.

" Urshanabi set course to Uruk. Gilgamesh  plan was to let an old man eat the plant first so that he could see that it worked before he ate it himself. But before they arrived Gilgamesh wanted to freshen up.

So he  left "old becomes young" under his supervision and bathed in a small woodland lake. Then all  of a sudden a snake came by and ate the plant. The snake shed its skin and disappeared.

Gilgamesh  cried in despair. He took hold of Urshunabi and said "For whom have I tired my hand? For whom have I  shed my heart's blood?

" When Gilgamesh returned to Uruk he saw his city with new eyes. He noticed the  great walls that he had been blinded to see before. Gilgamesh asked the god of wisdom Ea if he  could bring Enkidu up to earth just one last time.

So Ea opened a hole to the  underworld and let Enkidu's spirit rise. Gilgamesh didn't believe his eyes. He  embraced and kissed his beloved friend.

"Tell me, tell me my friend, tell me about the  underworld. " "I cannot tell you my friend. If I were to tell you about the underworld as  I've seen it you would fall down and cry.

" "Then I will fall down and cry". Enkidu sighed. "The spirits of the dead have different destinies in the underworld.

Some  have a good existence, others live in misery. Those who have left mourners behind are  those who live a good life as spirits. " With that said Enkidu went down to the  underworld again.

It was the last time the two friends saw each other on earth. Today they  likely live together as spirits in the underworld. A few days ago I told my four-year-old  son Sargon the Epic of Gilgamesh as a bedtime story.

Sargon listened intensely with his eyes  wide open. Then Sargon asks if I can retell the story and change it so that Gilgamesh gets  the plant. I said no I can't do that, because that's not how the story unfolds.

Then Sargon  started to cry as four-year-olds do when they don't get what they want. And I just simply had  to retell it or he would never go to sleep. So I retold it and told him that Gilgamesh got  the plant.

And then Sargon fell asleep. Even four-year-olds can conceive the concept of  death. And I think it's interesting that it's so intrinsic to humans that we don't want to  die.

As a matter of fact we live our lives as if we had endless of time. But if you count  how many weeks you have left until you die statistically or until you're too old to live  life fully, you'd be surprised that the number. Think about that for a moment.

And think about  Enkidu's last words to Gilgamesh and ask yourself. Who will mourn when you die? Or maybe  more importantly, what will they say about you?