The Journey Begins
This story is so ancient that it dates back to a time when human civilization was perhaps not yet fully developed. Yet, in that era, there might have existed a city far more advanced than any tribal or nomadic societies of the time—and that city's name was "Uruk." The tale of Uruk is over 5,000 years old, and we learn the most about it from the clay tablets of the Sumerian people. The Sumerians began writing on these clay tablets during the reign of Uruk's first king, Enmerkar. But this story is neither about Enmerkar nor about kings like Solomon. This is the story of a king who embarked on a quest to find the plant of immortality, who harbored hatred toward the gods because his thoughts were utterly different from theirs—a king who, in his final moments, taught the true meaning of life. His name was "KING GILGAMESH."
We learn the most about King Gilgamesh from Sumerian mythology. It is an epic inscribed on 12 tablets—one that no one could ever forget.
The story begins with Gilgamesh's birth. His father was "Lugalbanda," a mighty and great king of Uruk. Both father and son possessed some divine powers, but Lugalbanda was not immortal. It is said that he departed this world like an ordinary king, with honor, and lived on as a spirit. His mother was "Ninsun," the goddess of wisdom and dreams. She was a deity who fell in love with Lugalbanda and remained alive even after her husband's death, for she was immortal. From the very beginning, Gilgamesh was no ordinary child—he was two-thirds god and one-third human. As a boy, he was powerful and caring, an ideal king for his people. But as he grew older, the intoxication of power began to corrupt him. Arrogant and haughty, he came to see his subjects as mere playthings—exploiting them and forcing them to labor like oxen. It was said that he possessed the world's greatest treasures, and in his arrogance, he claimed all the beautiful women as his own, whether they were married or not, taking them by force.
It is obvious that the people grew weary of this oppression and cried out to the gods for help. "Anu," the god of the sky, heard their pleas. The people lamented, "Neither the father's son is safe, nor the nobleman's wife, nor the mother's daughter, nor the warrior's bride." One elderly man among them declared, "What kind of shepherd is this, who feeds his flock only to slaughter them afterward?"
Hearing all this, Anu decided to put an end to Gilgamesh's tyranny. To slay him, the gods fashioned a wild man from clay named "Enkidu." When Enkidu was sent to earth, he had no idea why he had been created or what his purpose was. His body was bound by the chains of heaven—an infinite divine power, specially crafted to kill Gilgamesh. Meanwhile, in Uruk, Gilgamesh continued his reign of terror over the people. One night, he had a dream: He saw a star fall from the sky, possessing immense power like that of Anu. He tried to lift it, but at that very moment, all the people of Uruk gathered around it. His mother, Ninsun, appeared and said, "Soon, you will gain a companion who will be as powerful as you, as wise as you, and may even show you a new path." Gilgamesh awoke, pondering: A new path...
Gilgamesh sent Shamhat in search of this being—Shamhat, who was a courtesan.
Shamhat found Enkidu wandering in the jungles. He ate like the beasts, surviving on animals and fruits; he was utterly uncivilized. Shamhat civilized him, and afterward, she brought him to Uruk. There, Enkidu witnessed the suffering of the people under their king's oppression. He learned that Gilgamesh followed a cruel custom: No matter whose wedding it was, on the first night, he claimed the bride for himself. Enraged by this, Enkidu thought, "I will stop Gilgamesh." One night, a girl's wedding was taking place, and Enkidu resolved to intervene. He stood guard outside the bride's chamber. When Gilgamesh arrived, Enkidu blocked his way and declared, "I will not let you enter."
Gilgamesh saw this as a grave insult and flew into a rage. "Who is this wild, beast-like man?" he snarled. Then, the two took to the streets—it was an epic wrestling match, like a clash between two savage bulls! They grappled, shoved, and crashed against the city walls. Gilgamesh lifted Enkidu and slammed him to the ground; Enkidu yanked Gilgamesh by the hair and hurled him against the walls. The entire city of Uruk shook—people fled in terror, the walls trembled as if an earthquake had struck. The battle raged for hours, with no weapons, only fists, feet, and raw strength! In the end, Gilgamesh overpowered Enkidu, pinning him to the ground with his face pressed into the earth, claiming victory. Enkidu was defeated but did not raise his hand again.
After the fight, the anger subsided. Gilgamesh did not kill Enkidu—instead, he lifted him up, embraced him, and said, "You are my equal!" Enkidu acknowledged Gilgamesh's strength and replied, "You are the king; I will be your companion."
This was just one part of the story—the next installment will come soon.
Thank you so much for reading!