Gilgeam the Horse-Eater
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.
Determined still to set things to rights, he goes in search of the Lurker in the Shadow, a creature he has heard hunts and kills unwary creatures near a dark crevice. Upon nearing the crevice, the Lurker speaks out to Gilgeam, enticing him to step closer to the crevice so that they may talk as equals. Gilgeam does not fall for the trick, instead he jabs a thorn bush with a wooden stick and uses his makeshift weapon to force the Lurker from his hideout. Gilgeam demands he stop attacking other creatures but the Lurker replies that he only does as is his nature, and that it is the gods who made it as it is. Gilgeam recognizes the Light of Life within the Lurker and knows he is right, their origin is the same. Angry at the gods for creating such a wicked creature, Gilgeam stabs the Lurker in the heart with his thorn bush, killing it. 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.
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 send 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 sense of smell, 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, dying as a result. Filled with grief, Gilgeam next climbed to the top of Mount Urum and made his bargain with the gods, surrendering his life so all his children who are mankind, may live.
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 to represent his kingship on his right hand and a plume of the first fire fire on his left hand. Rumors and stories abound of a supposed secret tomb of Gilgeam where all of his personal artifacts were hoarded by the people of Nasrad, but despite many expeditions by both scholars and fortune seekers, no such tomb has ever been located.
The golden Crown of the Highest is a crown that was, according to recorded sources, used by all of the kings of Nasrad going back as far as the mythical sons of Gilgeam who lived and learned at his feet. The crown was supposedly crafted for Gilgeam by his children immediately upon proclaiming him king after the killing of Enunu. While it may be just a creative story, similar crowns are observed in carvings and imagery of the kings of Nasrad dating at least as far back as the year 300 BC. The crown is made of solid gold and as such it is fairly heavy, it has no inlaid gemstones of any kind nor there appear to be any cavities where such could even have been placed. The crown is exquisitely decorated with patterns that are reminiscent of human hair and a small golden hair bun is affixed to the back of the crown, as was the royal style of the time.
Feats
The feats of Gilgeam are described in the Tablets of Fate and in other, lesser sources found in temples and vaults of Rusana's pre-Islamic civilization. An incomplete list of said feats below:
- Slew the beast of many limbs by tearing apart its body and created Mount Urum from its remains
- Defeated the Lurker in the Shadow with a thorny bush
- Created the first human woman, his wife Ahunatum and began humanity with her
- Created the first fruit trees and vegetables by planting snake eyes into the dirt
- Raised the Arik mountains with his bare hands to stop the Godswave
- Slew the Tiger of the Plains of Woe and used its skin, bones and sinew to build his abode
- Temporarily split into two in order to tame the first bull and the first cow
- Slew the winged horse Enunu with a rock and took its wings
- Defended Nasrad for five thousand years
Historical sites linked to Gilgeam
The cult dedicated to worshipping Gilgeam was the largest in ancient Nasrad and even after the destruction of the Muslim conquest, there are many structures and other architectural remnants of temples and fanes across Rusana.
The Bladed Altar
The Bladed Altar is a Nasrid ziggurat in present-day Radan governorate. It was raised around the 20th century BC by King Enmeragabisi the Hierophant. It is believed the structure was used for the ritualistic sacrifice of animals to Gilgeam. The sacrifice of a precious animal was believed to be an emulation of Gilgeam's ultimate sacrifice, it was carried out as a homage to him. The small altar at the top is the color of dried blood despite the passage of time and the erosion of being exposed to the weather. Inside the structure a cuneiform cylinder with ten faces was found, inscribed upon it are tallies of the number and species of animals sacrificed over a span of fifty years. The cylinder is believed to have been only one of a number of records of such that the priesthood of Gilgeam kept, however only the one has been found. The altar measures 64 m (210 ft) in length, 45 m (148 ft) in width and over 30 m (98 ft) in height. The height is mere speculation, as only the foundations of the ziggurat have survived and it is entirely possible it was much higher when it was first constructed. The altar is located 5km north of Nasrad, traces of an ancient road linking both sites have been uncovered, giving credence to the theory that the altar was used only on special occasions that necessitated preparation and significant travel time. The main staircase of the altar was damaged during the Rusani Civil War when an artillery shell landed some meters from it, knocking some of the brickwork loose; the damage was later fixed after the war.
Mouth of Creation
The mythical cave where Gilgeam is said to have hidden from the gods for ten thousand years is called the Mouth of Creation. Ancient sources placed it as a limestone cave near the city of Nasrad. The cave is a large circular chamber with a high ceiling, the chamber is exposed to the outside and as a result its walls have become smooth due to the flow of air. The cave is made mostly of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. If there ever existed the tunnel to the fabled Chamber of Creation where Gilgeam created his wife Ahunatum, any record of it has been lost to time.
The cave has continuously functioned as a site of religious pilgrimage for hundreds of years, the Nasrid king Xvim the Black is reputed to have visited the cave and left chests filled with gold and the newborn foal of his most prized steed as tributes to Gilgeam. During the Oduniyyad conquest the cave and tunnels adjacent to it are known to have served as a refuge for people escaping the war or refusing to convert to Islam. In the present day access to the cave is more regulated, both pilgrims and tourists must acquire a day permit with a cost of 400 darics to visit, taking pictures is not permitted nor is taking any dirt or stones from the site as souvenirs. A guide is also present with the visitors at all times to prevent wandering, people are known to have wandered into side passages that lead to dangerous pitfalls or simply have gotten lost in the dark and going missing.
Gilgeam's Ascent
.jpg)
Gilgeam's Ascent is a shrine dedicated to Gilgeam's own climb of Mount Urum at the end of his life. It is believed to have been built in 128 BC during the reign of King Pu-Nergal with royal funding. Its likely that during Pu-Nergal's reign and that of his immediate successors, Gilgeam's Ascent was used for human sacrifice. Pu-Nergal is recorded as believing that sacrificing animals was impure and did not show proper reverence to Gilgeam. By sacrificing the hearts of people, Gilgeam's own halved heart would one day be restored to its original size. Pu-Nergal's view was not challenged during his lifetime, leading up to the sacrifices of slaves and political enemies. Pu-Nergal's great-grandson Pu-Zuzu repudiated his ancestor's practice and posthumously condemned him to be reburied in an unmarked grave for his sin. There is a relief image near the bottom of the staircase of Pu-Nergal being held upside down by a grotesque goat-man hybrid, his supposed punishment in the afterlife.
The shrine is 52 meters (171 ft) tall and 33 meters (108 ft) wide and is surrounded by a spiral staircase, there is a small shrine at the top with a short pillar in the middle atop which sits a flame beacon. Pilgrims ascend the 785 steps late at night and pray near the beacon until the sun comes up before descending. In this manner they mimic and honor Gilgeam's moonlit climb up Mount Urum to commune with the gods. Making the ascent is not without its risks for pilgrims, the spiral staircase has no railing, when it rains the steps are slippery and some have eroded and crumbled away. The steep climb is taxing on even healthy individuals, older pilgrims have been known to die partway through the ascent and several people have fallen from the staircase to their deaths.
Cultural Significance
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. During the Oduniyyad conquest the followers of other gods accepted Islam with various degrees of reluctance but the people of Nasrad and the surrounding regions would cling to the worship of Gilgeam ferociously. His followers would flee into the wild to continue their worship, or rigged their temples in the cities to collapse when Muslim soldiers came to harass them. The invading Muslims saw no choice but to surreptitiously integrate him and only 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.
The culinary tradition of raising horses for human consumption comes from the myths surrounding Gilgeam who ate the first horse. Horse meat consumption is not widespread practice across most of the world, horses are seen as having a different role alongside man. The people on Rusana on the other hand have reasoned that if horse was good enough for the first man to ever live, it is good enough for people to eat now.