Gilgeam the Horse-Eater

Ancient depiction of Gilgeam, he holds in his hands thunderbolts that he plucked from the heavens to create the first fire. In this specific relief Gilgeam is shown with the wings of Enunu but in earlier depictions he rarely has wings.

Gilgeam the Horse-Eater also known as Gilgeam the Man-Shaped, Gilgeam the Hero, and First King, is a mythical figure, demigod and cultural hero of the ancient civilizations of Rusana. Gilgeam is said to have been created by the pantheon to guard their creation, the world and the creatures within. In turn Gilgeam asked for boons from the gods to better carry out his mission, the boons of Sapience, Strength and a heart. As the guardian of creation Gilgeam carried out many dangerous tasks and hunted different fell beasts. Eventually Gilgeam turns against the gods and is cursed to become a mortal man of flesh and blood. In ancient Nasrid mythology, Gilgeam is reputed to be the first man, creator of the first woman and the progenitor of the entire species and later its first king. In modern Rusana, Gilgeam remains a cultural icon and revered figure in local folklore. In islamic traditions of both Sunni and Shia Muslims he is called Gilshan and is considered to be an angel who helped mankind survive through an era of pain and bleakness until the coming of the Prophet Muhammad. The majority of Gilgeam's mythology is recorded in the Tablets of Fate, a pair of clay tablets found by archeologists in 1968 in an ancient underground fane below Nasrad. The tablets were translated by professor Jamshed Fardin of the Rusana National Museum of Anthropology, the museum keeps the tablets and puts them on exhibition twice a year.

Mythos

Ancient sources tell of how the gods shaped Gilgeam from the trunk of a tree and breathed the Light of Life into him, making him come alive. At this stage he comes to be known in the stories as Gilgeam Man-Shaped, for he has the form of a man but no flesh, true sentience or emotions of his own; he is more akin to a golem. The gods instruct Gilgeam that he is to watch over all that they have created for eternity. To better understand that which he must keep safe, Gilgeam asks the gods to grant him the boon of Sapience, which they agree to. With this boon Gilgeam comes to understand the workings of the world and its creatures. Gilgeam sets out to guard the lands when he is confronted by a great beast that is described as a great heap of oozing flesh, with as many clawed limbs as there are stars in the sky. Gilgeam fights the beast but loses and is wounded greatly, he flees from the beast to recuperate. In order to defeat the beast of limbs, Gilgeam asks the gods for the second boon, that of Strength. With this boon Gilgeam first constructs a new body for himself, made of polished stone. With his new boon and body, Gilgeam goes out again to fight the beast of limbs. This time Gilgeam tears out the limbs of the beast before plucking out its singular eye with a sharpened stake, killing the creature. Gilgeam piles up the torn limbs of the beast, in this manner creating Mount Urum.

As he wanders creation Gilgeam comes across a dying deer, a victim of the beast of limbs. As Gilgeam knows the workings of all things, he knows that the dying creature cannot be saved; Gilgeam gives it the gift of rest. Gilgeam feels since he has failed his duty to protect all things, he should weep both for failing his duty and the death of the deer. However Gilgeam has no heart and so he cannot cry, he asks the gods to give him a heart. The gods grant this third boon uneasily, unsure of what might happen. With a heart beating in his chest now, Gilgeam resumes his mission and moves across the world doing all he can. He is witness to wonders beyond counting, the gods erecting the Sun and the Moon, the calming of the tempestuous seas, the birth of new life and he knows joy and contentment. He is also witness to dark deeds, violence and the shedding of blood; for however powerful he is, Gilgeam is one being and cannot be in all places. Gilgeam knows sorrow, anger, fear and the blackest of rages for the creatures that do fell deeds are also creations of the gods. With his heart filled with rage and outrage, he screams to the heavens, calling to his creators to account for their actions, and for giving him an impossible task. This defiant action outrages the gods, who strip his immortality from him and give him the curse of flesh and place the shadow of death upon him. In this moment Gilgeam becomes the first man, fated to die and pass from the world one day.

Limestone relief depicting Ahunatum, wife of Gilgeam

Despondent and afraid, Gilgeam retreats into a large cave where he broods for ten thousand years. At long last Gilgeam wakes from his reverie and begins clawing at the muddy floor of his cave, digging down and down. In the depths of the world he constructs a secret chamber, where even the gods cannot see him. Using the boon of Sentience, Gilgeam fashions the first woman out of mud; in this way he defies the gods and their dictate against creating new life. Gilgeam breathes into her, giving her half of the Light of Life still within him, halving his lifespan. Gilgeam also shares his boon of Sentience and part of his heart, further reducing his lifespan. He gives the first woman the name of Ahunatum, and makes her his wife. Eventually Gilgeam and Ahunatum leave the chamber of creation and return to the surface world, here they procreate and have a multitude of children. Upon seeing what Gilgeam's defiance has wrought, the gods are filled with rage. They send a shower of thunderbolts to destroy Gilgeam's home but he catches them in his hands and uses them to create the first fire. Next the gods send a great flood from the east, intending to wash out Gilgeam and his brood. Gilgeam puts his hands into the ground and pulls with all his might, pulling a part of the world into place as mountains that stop the incoming waves. The mountains referenced here are believed to represent the Arik mountain range that stands between Rusana and Daxia. Undeterred, the gods sent a multitude of snakes to eat Gilgeam, who thwarts this by hopping atop a large rock and rolling it around, crushing all of the snakes. Gilgeam then plucks out the snakes's eyes and plants them, creating the first fruit trees.

Tired of the gods and their petty schemes, Gilgeam resolved to strike back against his oppressors. He decided to kill Enunu, a winged steed beloved by the gods for his beauty and grace. He stalked Enunu all the way to where it slept at the top of a mountain. To avoid being detected by Enunu's powerful nose, Gilgeam put mint herbs on his hair. Gilgeam killed Enunu by striking it in the temple with a sharpened rock and afterwards dragged the carcass to his home. Once there he gathered all his descendants about him and the dead Enunu whereupon he set upon the corpse with a knife, carving himself a generous portion of its meat and instructing his brood to take from the gods as they pleased for the gods would give them nothing willingly. In this moment his brood stopped calling him Father and instead began calling him King. Gilgeam also took the wings of Enunu for himself, using them to soar through the sky, further showing his defiance of his creators. Gilgeam called the city that was growing outside his home Nasrad, which in the ancient tongue of that city meant the Mouth of Creation, for it sat outside the mouth of the cave where Gilgeam created Ahunatum. After five thousand years of defending Nasrad against the depredations of the gods, Gilgeam grew tired and knew the Life within him was ebbing away faster than ever before. To save his progeny and protect them, he resolved to make a bargain with the gods: exchange his Life and that of his beloved wife Ahunatum, for the forgiveness of the gods towards his progeny. After spending a last moment together, Ahunatum breathed the Light of Life inside her back to Gilgeam. Next he climbed to the top of Mount Urum and made his bargain with the gods, surrendering his life for all his children who are mankind.

Artifacts

Gilgeam is usually depicted as a warrior king, with an armored tunic embroidered with patterns of royalty and divinity, the helm-crown of kings, his sword Anzû sheathed and in his hands, the two thunderbolts he stole with from the gods. On his left hand he wears a gold bracelet upon which is mounted the desiccated eye of the beast of many limbs. On the rare depictions that have been found of Gilgeam seated upon a throne, he is clothed in the very same manner but carries no weapons, instead he holds a scepter of office on his right hand and a plume of fire on the left.

Cultural Significance

The cave reputed to be the one where Gilgeam took shelter is today a tourist attraction

Despite the mythology describing him as a partially divine construct of the gods, Gilgeam was worshipped as the chief deity and protector of Nasrad, the god of humanity, sacrifice and strength. The people of Nasrad and the surrounding regions would cling to the worship of Gilgeam so ferociously that the invading Muslims saw no choice but to surreptitiously integrate him into Islam. Gilgeam's mythos represents the indomitable will of man to persevere through adversity and ultimately thrive. The survival of the cult of Gilgeam and its adoption into local Islamic doctrine reflects a more pragmatic side of early Oduniyyad commanders campaigning in the frontiers, being far from the imperial metropole, keeping the peace was more important than theological stricture. This equation allowed elements of Rusana's pre-Islamic culture and religion to survive to the present day.

Modern day Rusani celebrate the life and sacrifice of Gilgeam as the Festival of Sacrifice (Jashnvareh Eesaar), four days of festivities. On the first day takes place the Feast of Enunu, where a horse is sacrificed and its flesh is cooked and shared by all in the community; mosques and municipalities set up large tents to feed those who cannot sacrifice a horse of their own. On the second day take place the Feats of Strength, where the men of the community participate in various activities such as tug of war and wrestling. This is meant to keep the men fit and strong, as Gilgeam was known to be. The third day is spent in prayers at the mosque, thanking God for sending Gilgeam to protect the world before the Prophet was revealed. The fourth day is a day of quiet, personal reflection on the trials Gilgeam faced and his ultimate sacrifice. The Jashnvareh Eesaar is a recognized festivity by the government and as such all who observe it have a right to four days off from their work.