Gilgeam the Horse-Eater: Difference between revisions
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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. | 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. | ||
==Significance== | ==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 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== | |||
[[File:Cave entrance at Bell Caves.jpg|thumb|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. | 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. | ||
[[Category:Rusana]] | [[Category:Rusana]] | ||
[[Category:Culture]] | [[Category:Culture]] | ||