Enkidu was formed from clay & water
by Aruru, the goddess of creation,
to rid Gilgamesh of his arrogance;
In the story he is a wild man, raised by
animals & ignorant of human society
until he is bedded by the ******* Shamhat;
Part of a series on Ancient Mesopotamian religion:
Mother Female Chaos Monster & Father Male Sun God;
giving birth to the Primordial Seven gods who decree
the existence of the Other major & Minor deities:
Agasaya, Anunnaki, Asaruludu, Ashnan, Bel, Enbilulu, Isimud, Lahar, Mami/Nintu, Mamitu, Nabu, Namtar, Nanshe, Nidaba, Ningal, Ninkasi, Ninlil, Ninshubur, Ninsun, Nuska, Sarpanit Uttu; Demigods and heroes, Spirits and monsters, Tales & Related topics of Ancient Near Eastern, Sumerian & Babylonian religion: Shamhat or Šamhat, also called Shamkat in the old Babylonian version of Gilgamesh;
[Shamhat is a female character appearing in Tablets I and II of the Epic of Gilgamesh & mentioned in Tablet VII; Shamhat is a sacred ******* who plays a significant role in bringing the spirit-born wild man Enkidu into
contact with civilization]:
Shamhat's name literally means "the luscious one"
Her role in bringing Enkidu from nature to civilization
through *** has been widely discussed; Rivkah Harris argues
that "the intermediate role of the ******* in transforming
Enkidu from one at home with nature and wild animals
into a human being is crucial". According to classicist
Paul Friedrich, Shamhat's ****** skills establish the connection
between artful, or sophisticated sensuousness and civilization.
Her ****** arts lead Enkidu to understand how basic animal urges
can be transformed into something sophisticated, or civilized.
Mesopotamians believed that prostitution was one of the basic
features of civilization: "a prime representative of urban life";
Shamhat then becomes Enkidu's urbane "mother", teaching him
the basics of civilized life, eating, drinking wine, and dressing himself.
In the epic Shamhat plays the integral role in Tablet I,
of taming Enkidu, who is created by the gods as rival
to the mighty Gilgamesh. Shamhat, a harimtu [a professional *******]; uses her attractiveness to tempt Enkidu from living among the animals in the wild [like Tarzan], [and his 'wildness'?], civilizing him through
continued ****** *******; Unfortunately for Enkidu,
after he enjoys Shamhat for "six days and seven nights",
his former companions, the wild animals, turn away from him
in fright at the watering hole where they congregate.
Shamhat then persuades him to follow her and join the civilized world in the city of Uruk, where Gilgamesh is king;
rejecting his former life with the wild animals of the hills; henceforth, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become the best of friends and undergo many adventures; starting with the Cedar Forest and the encounter with Humbaba...
When Enkidu is dying he expresses his anger at Shamhat for making him civilized; blaming her for bringing him to the new world of experiences
that have led to his death; He curses her to become an outcast; But the god Shamash reminds Enkidu that Shamhat has fed and clothed him.
Enkidu relents and instead blesses her,
saying that all men will desire her and
offer her gifts of jewels forevermore...
