The epic of Gilgamesh - a treasure trove of poetry from Mesopotamia - was created over thousands of years by two peoples - the Sumerians and the Akkadians. Separate Sumerian songs about Gilgamesh and Enkidu have survived. They have the same adversary, Humbaba (Khuwawa), guarding the sacred cedars. Their deeds are followed by the gods, in Sumerian songs bearing Sumerian names, in the Epic of Gilgamesh - Akkadian. But Sumerian songs lack the connecting rod found by the Akkadian poet. The strength of character of the Akkadian Gilgamesh, the greatness of his soul is not in external manifestations but rather in relation to the natural man Enkidu. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest hymn to friendship in world literature, which not only helps to overcome external obstacles, but also transforms and ennobles.

Enkidu, a child of nature, getting acquainted with the benefits of urban civilization, by the force of fate collides with the king of Uruk Gilgamesh, a selfish man spoiled by power. Equal to him physical strength, but integral in character, uncorrupted natural man wins a moral victory over Gilgamesh. He takes him to the steppe and mountains, frees him from all superficial things, turns him into a man in the highest sense of the word.

The main test for Gilgamesh is not a collision with the keeper of the wild, untouched by an ax cedar forest Humbaba, but overcoming the temptations of the goddess of love and civilization, Ishtar. The powerful goddess offers the hero everything that he could only dream of before meeting Enkidu - power not in one city, but throughout the world, wealth, immortality. But Gilgamesh, ennobled by friendship with the man of nature, rejects the gifts of Ishtar and motivates his refusal with arguments that could be put forward by Enkidu: the enslavement of free animals by her is the curbing of a freedom-loving horse, the invention of traps for the king of animals, the lion, the transformation of a servant-gardener into a spider, whose lot becomes hopeless work.

Thus, for the first time already at the dawn of civilization, an idea was put forward, which poets and thinkers would then rediscover for centuries and millennia - the idea of ​​the hostility of civilization and nature, the injustice of the relations of property and power consecrated by the gods, turning a person into a slave of passions, the most dangerous of which were profit and ambition.

Debunking the merits of Ishtar in the development of nature in the interests of civilization, the author of the poem turns the ambitious Gilgamesh into a rebel-God-fighter. Knowing perfectly well where the danger comes from, the gods decide to destroy Enkidu. Dying, a child of nature curses those who contributed to his humanization, which brought him nothing but suffering.

It would seem that the death of Enkidu is the end of everything. And on this it would be natural to end the story of Gilgamesh, returning him to his native Uruk. But the author of the poem makes his hero perform a new, most outstanding feat. If earlier Gilgamesh denounced one goddess Ishtar, now he rebels against the decision of all the gods to kill Enkidu and goes to underworld to bring a friend back to life. In this way, he also rises against the age-old injustice - the gods kept immortality only for themselves.

The problem of life and death, as is clear from the funeral rites of the most distant times, has always worried mankind. But for the first time in world history, its formulation and solution are given at the level of a tragic understanding by a thinking person of the injustice of separation from the world and close people, his rejection of the immutable law of the destruction of all life.

Young Marx, who lived in an era when the texts of Sumer and Akkad had not yet been discovered, highly valued the image of the hero Greek mythology Prometheus, saying that he is "the noblest saint and martyr in the philosophical calendar." Now we know that Prometheus, the God-fighter, had a great predecessor, Gilgamesh. The feat of Gilgamesh, surpassing everything that a mortal could think of, does not lead to desired result. But, even after being defeated, Gilgamesh remains unconquered and continues to evoke in everyone a sense of pride in his humanity, loyalty to friendship, and courage.

Table I

Where the bright Euphrates rushes to the sea of ​​water, the city of Uruk rises. There are no walls more powerful than it anywhere in the whole world, as if not one of their rulers erected, but at once seven wise men put their spirit and work into them. Climbing these walls, walk between the battlements, feel the bricks with your hand. Remember Gilgamesh, who saw everything to the end of the universe, reported about the times before the flood, went around all the mountains, went on a long journey and returned to his city, where he built the temple of Eanna.

Gilgamesh of Uruk was a king, two-thirds god, one-third man. He had no equal among mortals and did not know where to apply his strength. He raged day and night with a faithful retinue, not leaving his son to his parent, and his mother to his daughter. And the people prayed to the great goddess Aruru:

You, who gave birth to Gilgamesh, gave him exorbitant strength as a gift, create a man to be equal to him. May Gilgamesh match his courage. Let him compete in strength so that we can taste peace.

And heeded this request Aruru. She created in her heart the likeness of Anu. Then she washed her hands in water, pinched off a lump of clay, threw it into the steppe, and with her own hands fashioned Enkidu. His body was covered with thick hair. Hair on the head, like Nisaba's. Together with the gazelles, he grazed in the steppes, crowded with animals at the watering hole, delighting the heart with moisture, like all earthly creatures.

One day, a young hunter saw him at a watering hole. I saw and froze motionless. His heart began to pound, his cheeks turned pale. Returning home, the hunter told his father about what had frightened him.

The parent, not deprived of wisdom, gave advice to his son:

Listen, my son! You will not be able to cope with the husband you met. But dwells in Uruk, fenced by a wall, the greatest warrior, similar to the immortal gods. As a stone of heaven, his hands are strong. Go, my son, to Gilgamesh, appearing under his eyes, and tell everything without concealment.

A hunter appeared in Uruk and told Gilgamesh about what he saw in the steppe.

The king became thoughtful, and his face became darker at night, wrinkles cut his forehead. But now the face brightened from the thought and from the decision that the gods had sent down. The hero went to the temple, to the house of the mistress Ishtar, to whose will both people and animals of the steppe are submissive. At the sight of the king, the harlots who meet in the temple with those who seek the mercy of Ishtar poured out to meet them and each tried to attract attention with a look and gesture. But he called only Chess, which, among the others, stood out for its beauty.

No, I did not come for this, - Gilgamesh said to her sternly, - for which strangers come to your famous temple. You will have to leave the temple and go to the steppe, where recently I had a rival. Attract his wild heart with the art that you possess, let him wander after you, like a lamb on shaky legs trailing behind its womb, or like a foal running after its mare in the field.

Six days pass, and each of them seemed to the hero as long as a month. Having abandoned the deeds and amusements that pleased his heart, the king waited at the gate, hoping that the lions would not touch the woman, that, having met with a giant who did not know female affection, she would win and show the way to Uruk.

Table II

And then he saw a walking giant in the distance. His whole body is covered with hair. On the head hair, like Nisaba. His shoulders are broad, his arms and legs are powerful, like cedars, which are delivered to the city from the mountains of distant Lebanon. And where is the harlot? She trails behind the giant like a lamb on shaky legs, like a foal in the field behind a mother mare.

Here comes the cry, familiar to everyone in Uruk. Hearing him, the husbands usually locked the doors so that Gilga-mesh would not see his wives, the fathers would take their daughters away and hide them anywhere. Now the doors are open. Forgotten fears. Citizens run to the walls to see the battle of great heroes from above. And many in their hearts wish the newcomer victory. Perhaps he will be able to free them from fear, and the new ruler of Uruk will be calmer than the previous one?

Meanwhile, the heroes grappled, trying to topple each other. Their feet entered the ground up to their knees. The earth groaned from pain, which it did not know from birth. The veins of the heroes swelled. Breathing became heavy. Drops of salty sweat covered their foreheads and cheeks.

What are we, like sheep, rested? - exhaled the king first and weakened his muscles.

And here they are facing each other, drying in the sun. Not only the people of Uruk, but even Shamash, who goes around the whole world from the time of the beginning, has not seen such a fight.

You taught me by force, said Gilgamesh to Enkidu. “Before, I thought I could beat anyone. But we were equal. Why do we have a quarrel?

Seeing the heroes walking in an embrace, the people of Uruk ran towards them, brought out baskets of bread, brought jugs of strong drink with a bow.

What is this? asked Enkidu, turning his face towards the harlot. - What is it, like a stone, which is smoothed by water?

Bread is human food! Chess Enkidu said. - Taste, born in the desert, and you will be like people.

And this? asked Enkidu, touching the jug.

Drink! - answered the harlot. - And you will immediately forget the desert, in which you grazed with gazelles. It is a drink that gladdens the soul. Whoever drinks it is like the immortal gods.

Enkidu tempted his fill of bread. Seekers drank seven jugs. The soul rejoiced. The face was beaming. He felt his hairy body. He anointed himself with oil, like people. Dressed in clothes. Became a man. Days passed. Gilgamesh took a friend around Uruk. Showed houses and temples. Enkidu was not surprised. The face was bored. And suddenly tears welled up from his eyes.

What's wrong with you, my brother? asked Gilgamesh.

Tears choke my throat, said Enkidu. - I'm sitting idle. Power is running out. Gilgamesh thought.

There is a business.

What's the deal? asked Enkidu. His tears dried up instantly, like dew from Shamash's gaze. - I heard that somewhere by the sea in the cedar forest lives the Ferocious Humbaba, the guardian of the forest. If we destroy it, we will expel all evil from the world.

I know that forest, Enkidu replied. - I was there in the neighborhood when I wandered with the animals. A ditch there is dug around the whole forest. Who will penetrate into its middle? The voice of Hum-baba is stronger than the storm. His mouth is fire. The battle in Humbaba's dwelling is unequal.

I want to climb the cedar mountain,” Gilgamesh said. - Together with you, we will master Humbaba.

And the king called for masters, for whom Uruk, fenced with walls, is famous, and addressed them:

Oh masters! Fan the furnace with bellows! Let them burn with hot fire! Throw green stones at them, which are delivered from the islands. And when copper pours out, make axes that are up to our hand, cast large daggers. The masters bowed to the king. And fire shot up over Uruk, and from afar the city seemed like a fiery furnace. Having learned what the lord intended, the people of Uruk left their houses. The elders walked sedately ahead. And the noise of the voices of those gathered was like the sound of the waters at the flood of the Euphrates.

And the king left the palace with Enkidu. Raising his hand, he addressed the people:

Listen, elders of Uruk! People of Uruk, listen! I want to see the one whose name, like fire, scorches the whole world. In the cedar forest of Humbaba I want to win. I will chop the cedar and glorify my name.

The elders answered together:

You are still young, Gilgamesh, and you follow the call of your heart. Humbaba is powerful. Moats surround his forest. Who will defeat Humbaba? The fight with him is uneven.

Hearing these words, Gilgamesh turned around, looked at Enkidu:

Should I be afraid of Humbaba now, O elders? One won't go up steeper - two will climb. A double-twisted rope will not break soon. Two lion cubs will overcome a lion. I found a strong friend. I am ready to go with him against the enemy against anyone.

Table III

The elders blessed the brothers, they said a word on the road:

Don't rely on your strength, Gilgamesh. Be cool and precise in your movements. Let Enkidu walk ahead, for he knows the paths of the steppes and finds the way to the cedars. Take care of your friend, Enkidu, turn your back to him on a rough road, be the first in battles. You know their laws better. We entrust the king to you, you are obliged to return Gilgamesh.

When the friends left the city, this word came out of the mouth of Gilgamesh:

Friend, let's visit Egalmah to stand before the eyes of the great goddess Ninsun2. There is nothing hidden in the world for her.

Having appeared in Egalmakh, they entered the house of Ninsun. Gilgamesh said to her with a bow:

Oh mother! I entered the road, the outcome of which is in the fog. With Humbaba I want to fight, with the formidable keeper of the cedars. I will not return as long as evil remains in the world. So lift up, goddess, to Shamapgu your eyes and voice! Say a word for us before him!

Leaving the heroes alone, the goddess went to her chambers. Ninsun washed her body with a soapy root, changed clothes and put on a necklace that was worthy of her breasts, girded herself with a ribbon, crowned her head with a tiara and climbed the stairs to the roof. There she made a libation in honor of Shamash and raised her hands to him:

Shamash, fair and bright, illuminating heaven and earth. Why did you give me Gilgamesh? Why did you put an indefatigable heart in his chest? Why a feat on the road that threatens his life? Why does Gilgamesh need to fight the evil that nests in the world? But if you did, take care of him! Remember our son, making your daily journey! When you go into darkness, entrust it to the guards of the night!

Having said a prayer, the goddess returned to her brothers. Enkidu put a talisman around her neck, and handed her son a magic loaf, baked by herself, saying that it would be enough for both of them on the road.

Table IV

And the sworn brothers moved along the road of Shamash, guarded by his gaze. Having completed the day, they stopped for a halt, broke off a chunk, after it they broke off another and ate it. By morning, the loaf became round, as if it had come out of the oven.

And another day passed, and again a piece was broken off, after which another was broken off and eaten. By morning, the loaf became round, as if it had come out of the oven.

Having traveled six weeks to the third day, they saw a mountain. Gilgamesh climbed the mountain to offer her a prayer for a dream:

Mountain! Mountain! Send me a prophetic and auspicious dream, so that we can reach our goal, not knowing fear, in order to find out whose victory the fight will end.

Down to the foot of the mountain, Gilgamesh saw Enkidu. Without wasting time, Enkidu set up a hut, similar to a bird's nest, made a bed of leaves. Gilgamesh sat down on the leaves, rested his chin on his knee, sleep overcame the hero - the fate of man. Enkidu, sitting outside, guarded him vigilantly, until he heard the excited voice of his friend at midnight.

Did you call me, my guardian? Gilgamesh asked Enkidu. - If you didn't call, why did I suddenly wake up? In a dream, I saw a mountain under which you put a hut. We are standing with you at the cliff, and the mountain has collapsed on us. Explain this dream, Enkidu!

Enkidu, turning away for a moment to hide his alarm from his friend, began to interpret the dream:

My friend, your dream is beautiful, it is precious to us. Everything that you saw in a dream does not inspire fear in me. We will seize the evil Humbaba, knock him down, as if we would bring him down from the mountain. Let's throw his remains to predators for desecration. Now let's lie down so that in the morning we can meet Shamash's eyes and hear his word.

And the brothers set off again. Having completed the day, they stopped for a halt, dug a well in front of the face of Shamash, took water from it, broke off one slice of bread, broke off another slice, quenched hunger and thirst. Gilgamesh again fell into a dream and, waking up, told about the dream:

In a dream I saw the earth, all in deep wrinkles, like an old man's forehead. The animals were scared of something. From someone they were saved. I chased the bull, grabbed its horn. He led me to a watering place. I bent down to drink, and when I got up, I did not see the bull.

My friend! Your dream is beautiful,” Enkidu told his brother. - After all, it wasn’t a bull that appeared to you, but Shamash himself, the bright one, who disappears at the end of the day, the god who saved Lu-galbanda when he stayed in the mountains. Shamash has quenched your thirst for us to perform a deed that the world did not know. - And again the sworn brothers go along the thorny road of Shamash, kept by his gaze.

Table V

And now they cross the ditch, that the forest surrounds the cedar, enter under the canopy of trees. Everything is quiet around. Humbaba silently sneaks up to the heroes. The mighty body is dressed in magical robes. They radiate death. But what is it? A storm suddenly struck from a clear sky. Shamash, noticing the danger, released eight winds. Thunders rumbled. Lightning crossed like giants' swords. And Humbaba spun like a chip in a whirlpool. A terrible cry escaped from its open mouth. And with him a plea for mercy.

Do not listen to him, my friend, said Enkidu. - This evil monster is worthy of destruction. But it is necessary to neutralize first his robes. They radiate death. Without them, Humbaba is not terrible.

Oh no! Gilgamesh replied. - If you catch a bird, the chickens will not scatter. They will gather at the corpse, and we will easily defeat them.

Gilgamesh lifted his ax, weighing three talents, pulled out his sword from his belt, hit Humbaba with the ax right in the back of the head. Enkidu raised his ax and struck Humbaba in the chest. On the third powerful blow, Humbaba fell to the ground. Monsters violent members no longer moved. And the cedars suddenly swayed and groaned like people, for their overseer had perished.

Now let's get to the chickens! - said Gilgamesh, and at once he tore off one robe from the body of Humbaba and threw it into a pit with water. And the water boiled in the pit, emitting hot steam. Enkidu threw the net over the other six garments, which, like snakes, crawled through the grass, and threw them into the same hole.

Now let's get to the cedars! - said Gilgamesh, and he hit the trunk with his axe.

The cedar forest trembled from the impact. Covering his face with his hands, Enkidu fell to the ground.

What are you doing, my friend?! You are destroying a living body. I smell blood. It is similar to human, only a different color.

Table VI

Enkidu, immersed in sleep, wandered through the steppe with the gazelles together, Gilgamesh, waking up, washed himself, threw his curls from his forehead onto his back, parted with everything dirty, put on clean clothes. Shining with his beauty, he sat down next to his sleeping friend. Ishtar descended from the sky. In the heart of the ferocious lioness, something stirred that seemed new to her, although it had visited her many times before. With these words she addressed the hero:

I want you, Gilgamesh, to be my husband. As a gift you will receive from me a chariot - golden wheels, amber drawbars. And hurricanes of mighty mules will harness it. They will take you to our house. And as soon as you step on its threshold, the cedars of resin will intoxicate you with aroma. You will see what others cannot see. You will sit on the throne of gold. The kings and lords of the earth will kneel before you. All the hills and plains will pay tribute to you. Goats and sheep will give you twins and triplets. Your donkey, even with the burden of an onager, will catch up. And your chariots will be the first in the run, and the oxen under the yoke will have no equal in the world.

Shut up! I won't marry you! Gilgamesh interrupted the goddess. You are like a brazier that goes out in the cold. The door is thin, that the wind outside lets in. The house that collapsed on the owner, the elephant that trampled on its blanket, the resin with which its porter was scalded, the fur is full of holes, the sandal that squeezes the foot. Better remember whom you loved and who kept your gratitude for love. Dumuzi, whom you loved first, suffers year after year. You loved the shepherd bird - you beat him, broke off his wings. He lives in the middle of the forest, filling it with a cry: “Wings! Where are my wings? You loved the mighty lion. What did he get from love: there are seven traps in the steppe. You fell in love with the horse, brave in battle. You drove him into the stable, rewarded him with a bridle and a whip, deprived him of transparent streams, gave him muddy water to drink, ordered him to gallop until he fell. She also gave her love to the goatherd shepherd. He baked you cakes in the ashes, he brought suckers daily. You turned him into a wolf. The shepherds are chasing him, the dogs are guarding the sheep, they are grabbing him by the thighs. Ishullanu, the keeper of the father's garden, was loved by you. He brought bunches of dates to you in the morning to your bed. He rejected your claims, you turned him into a spider, condemned him to weave a web between trees, to be afraid of the earth. And now your lust has turned to me. You will treat me like those.

Hearing these speeches, the goddess became furious, soared into the sky like a wasp and appeared before the throne of the heavenly parent Ana.

Oh my father! she yelled, sobbing. - Gilgamesh insulted me. Listed all my sins. He shamed me, and let him be punished.

But you were the first to offend King Gilgamesh with your proposal.

Let him be punished! the goddess roared. - Create a bull so that he tramples the wicked in his chambers. If mortals offend us, immortals, the gifts that they bring daily will be scarce, your throne will be shaken, father! Therefore, you must help in my revenge. If you do not wish, I will descend into the lower kingdom and release the dead from there so that they can devour all the living.

I agree! said Anu in fright. - There will be a bull for you, just leave the dead in the lower world so that they do not mix with the living.

And at the same instant, with a wave of the hand of the lord of heaven, a mighty bull was created, and the goddess drove him straight to the ground in her hated city. Having reached the Euphrates, the bull drank its water in seven gulps, and he entered Uruk on dry land. From his breath, a hole arose. One hundred men fell into this pit. From his second breath, another pit opened up. Two hundred Uruks perished in it. Having heard the noise, the twin friends came out to meet the bull. Enkidu, rushing from behind, grabbed the bull by the tail, and the bull turned around. Gilgamesh stabbed him between the horns with his dagger. The bull fell to the ground already lifeless. And with the same dagger, Gilgamesh ripped open the side of the bull and pulled out a huge heart. He brought it as a gift to Shamash.

Woe to you, Gilgamesh! You dishonored me by killing the bull!

Enkidu heard these speeches, pulled out the tail from the bull and threw it right in the face of the goddess with the words:

If you were closer, I would have dealt with you in my own way, I would have wrapped the intestines of the bull that you let into Uruk.

The goddess sobbed and called on the harlots of the city, who faithfully served her, to mourn the bull. Gilgamesh called the masters to straighten the bull's horns. They included six measures of oil. The hero gave this oil to his father Lugalbanda, and nailed the horns over the bed.

Having washed their hands, the twin brothers walked through the crowded streets of Uruk. Then Gilgamesh arranged a great feast in the palace. Tired, the heroes fell asleep nearby.

Table VII

Waking up in the middle of the night, Gilgamesh told his brother of his dream:

I dreamed of a heavenly palace. It contains the assembly of immortal gods. The conversation was led by three gods - Anu, Enlil and Shamash, our patron, Anu Enlil said:

And why did they kill the bull that I created? But this is not their fault alone. They stole the cedars of Lebanon, which were guarded by Humbaba. Let them pay for it with their lives.

No! Enlil objected. Let Enkidu alone die. Gilgamesh deserves forgiveness.

Why should he be punished? - Shamash intervened in the conversation. - Was it not your decision, Enlil, that both the bull and Humbaba were destroyed?

You better keep quiet, defender of murderers! Enlil was furious. - I know that you are their adviser.

On hearing this story, Enkidu turned pale and turned away. His lips fluttered like a fly's wings. Tears rolled down Gilgamesh's face.

I do not understand, said Enkidu, why I must die. I did not cut down the cedars and I urged you not to touch them. Why will punishment fall on me?

Don't worry! Gilgamesh said to his brother. I pray to the gods to save your life. I will bring riches to their altars. I will adorn their idols with gold and silver.

Don't waste gold and silver, Gilgamesh! The word spoken in the mouth will not return. God will never reverse his decision. Such is the fate of man! People leave the world without a trace.

Well! I'm ready to leave! Enkidu agreed. - But I ask you, O Shamash, to take revenge on all those who made me a man. Let the hunter, who told me about the meeting, be punished! Let his hand weaken and he won’t be able to pull the bowstrings! Let the arrow from his bow fly past the target! Let the animal traps bypass it! May he remain hungry all his life! Cursed be the harlot that brought me into the city! Let the drunken vagabond flood her bosom with strong drink! Let him pluck her from her neck and take her red beads for herself! Let the potter throw a lump of clay at her back! And let silver not be kept in her house! Let the wasteland in the backyard be her bed! Let her know no other protection, except for the shadow of the wall! And let the cripple beat her on the cheeks! Let her wives blaspheme that they have remained faithful to their spouses! For, pure, she brought dirt to me, and over me, blameless, she committed a deceit.

You, Enkidu, are wrong, - Shamash responded. - I remove your curse on the harlot. After all, she fed you with bread, which the gods deserve. And gave drink to drink, which is worthy of kings. And she gave you Gilgamesh as your brother. And now you will die! And Gilgamesh will lay you on a bed of sorrow. On it will surround you with royal honor. And he orders the people of Uruk to mourn you. And with joy, as the gods please, the mournful rite will be performed.

Table VIII

As soon as the radiance of the morning dawned, Gilgamesh, standing at the bed, sang his funeral lament:

Enkidu! My brother! Your mother is an antelope, your father is an onager, they gave birth to you! With their milk, the animals made you drunk on distant pastures. Paths in the cedar forest, Enkidu, you are remembered day and night tirelessly. The ledges of the wooded mountains are crumbling, along which we climbed together! The cypresses and cedars are leaking with resin, among which we made our way together with you! Bears roar, hyenas and tigers, ibexes and lynxes, deer, gazelles and every creature of the steppe moan! And together with them grieves the sacred Yevlei, remembering your steps, Enkidu, and the bright Euphrates, where we drew water and filled our furs. And the elders are crying in the fenced Uruk that we were escorted to the battle with you! The tears of a woman cannot be appeased, in front of whom we killed a bull. Sobs the one who fed you with bread. The slave girl who anointed you is crying. And the servant who brought you the cup of wine is crying. How can I not cry about you if we are brothers! You, Enkidu, are my powerful axe, my impeccable dagger, my reliable shield, my festive cloak, my armor. What kind of deep sleep possesses you? You have become dark, you do not hear me. Touched your heart, it does not beat. My friend, I will erect an idol for you, such as has never been in the world.

Table IX

Not satiating his heart with weeping, Gilgamesh fled into the wilderness. Having reached the hills of sand, he fell to the ground. He immediately forgot himself in a dream, but sleep did not bring Enkidu back. Waking up from a lion's roar, he sees that the lions are frolicking, playing like puppies.

Why do you not know grief? - Gilgamesh turned to the lions. - Where is your friend, with whom you crowded together at the watering hole? Enkidu, who saved you all by destroying traps?

Without waiting for an answer from the lions, Gilgamesh grabbed the axe, fell like an arrow between the lions, crushing the unconscious4.

And again he walked through the desert, until the mountains appeared5 - the border of the world. A cave is punched into the rock and locked with a copper door. That door was guarded by guards, more terrible than which people can hardly imagine. On thin legs spider scorpion has a hairy body, and the head is human.

The hero became terrified. But, having overcome his fear with courage, he says this to the scorpion:

Open doors for me if you can. There is no life for me on earth. I want to see a friend, a friend that has become dust.

There is no road for mortals and no road for the dead either. From here Shamash comes out and, going around the whole earth, comes in from the other side. And how will you go, think about it, the path of Shamash himself?

I will go, - Gilgamesh answered, - as sadness passes into the liver. I will go with a sigh and weep, with the thought of Enkidu alone...

The doors opened silently, yielding to an inexorable will. Gilgamesh entered the cave, and darkness covered his soul. And he walked, counting his steps in order to measure the path that the Sun passed in the darkness from sunset to sunrise. And what was one for the sun short night, for Gil-gamesh was a dozen years without light.

And yet the dawn broke, and yet the breath of the wind touched Gilgamesh's cheeks. So, going towards the wind, he left the gloomy cave. The grove opened before his eyes. Fruits hung from the trees, similar to those of the earth, which gladden the hearts of mortals with their wondrous beauty. Stretching his hand towards them, Gilgamesh injured his fingers, leaving drops of blood on the dead fruit of the likeness. And it became clear to him that the trees had turned to stone, the trunks had become a black stone, and the leaves, the fruits of topaz and jasper, ruby ​​and carnelian, had become lapis lazuli, that this garden had been made dead to remind souls of the sweet, of the upper life.

Table X

Leaving the deceitful grove, Gilgamesh the Ocean saw the great lower abyss. Over the abyss he saw a cliff, on the cliff a low house, without windows, with a flat roof. He approached him and saw that the doors of the house were closed, but someone's breathing outside the door did not hide from hearing.

Who is there? he asked loudly.

I am not an unknown tramp, - the hero answered the hostess, - although I saw everything in the world. My name is Gilgamesh. From the city I am Uruk, which I have glorified. With my friend Enkidu I killed the evil Humbaba, that the forest was guarded by cedar. We also slew the bull that was sent to us from heaven. I scattered the mighty lions that have no memory and do not grieve like people. Two-thirds god, one-third man I am.

And at once the door opened. The hostess came out of the house, said the following word:

You who killed Humbaba and killed the bull that was sent from heaven, why is your face somber? Why are your cheeks sunken? Why is the head down?

How can my head not droop, my face does not fade, - Gilgamesh answered the hostess, - if my friend Enkidu, with whom we shared labors, became the earth, if my younger brother, the great hunter of the desert, the persecutor of mountain onagers and spotted panthers, became dust? That's why, like a robber, I roam the desert. The thought of a dead friend haunts me.

I don't know what you are looking for?! - the mistress of the hero broadcasts. - I don't know what you're looking for! The gods, having created man, made him mortal. They kept their immortality. Leave empty worries! Dispel sad thoughts! Fill your stomach. Have a cup of tea with your friends! Let me fill your cup, Gilgamesh, two-thirds full.

I don't need your sickers! I'm not looking for your advice. Tell me better, mistress, how to cross this sea. The mistress of the hero broadcasts:

From the century there is no crossing. The leaden waters of death Shamash flies like a bird, and the boatman Urshanabi floats on a boat, which transports the dead. He knows the way to Ut-napishti, which one of the mortals kept alive forever.

The hero said goodbye to the hostess, directing his feet to the forest. He went out of the forest to the river and there he saw a shuttle and in the shuttle - Urshanabi7.

Why are you wandering, lagging behind the dead, - said Urshanabi to the hero. - Sit down, I'll take you to where the realm of the dead is.

I did not lag behind the dead, - answered the hero Urshanabi. - Yes, my cheeks withered and my head drooped. But it's beating living heart in my chest. Listen!

Here is a miracle! Urshanabi said. - Really beating heart. Why did you come here?

I came, driven by sadness, - Gilgamesh Urshanabi answered. - I want to find a friend and make him immortal. Now put me in the boat and take me to Ut-napishti.

Get in! Urshanabi said. - I'll take you to Ut-napishti. Here is six. Help, but don't touch the water if you want to get to the place.

Gilgamesh unfastened his belt and, having undressed, he tied his clothes to a pole, as to a mast. And the boat of Urshanabi was driven so that Gilgamesh did not even touch the fatal moisture of death with a pole.

Ut-napishti walks around the island, surrounded by the waters of death. For hundreds of years, he has bypassed his possessions in the same way. The leaden sea is motionless. Birds do not fly over the island. No fish will jump out of the wave. And news does not come to him from the country where he lived as a man. Only the boat of Urshanabi passes, and in that boat are the souls of the dead. This boat, seeing off his gaze, learns Ut-napishti that everything in the world is unchanged.

Hey wife! Ut-napishti suddenly shouted. - What happened to my eyes? Look, this is Urshanabi's boat. But the sail rises above him. From time immemorial, it has not happened that a sail was raised here.

Don't worry, your eyes are sharp-sighted, Ut-write the wife broadcasts. - They are just as sharp-sighted as in those years when you saw the mountain. And my eyes see the sail. And the dead man holds this sail. Look how pale his cheeks are! The sailor drowned, probably that he cannot live without a sail. And Urshanabi takes him to the country where the souls of the dead are.

You say you don't know! - answers his wife Ut-napishti. - For many hundreds of years I have been watching how the souls of the dead are transported. Who hasn't been here! And the king, and the plowman, and the flutist, and the blacksmith, and the carpenter. And they are transported without a crown, without a hoe, without a flute. Judge who asks the dead what he loves, what he does not love.

Gilgamesh comes ashore, leaving Urshanabi's boat. He walks, and you can immediately see that he has a living soul, and not a dead one.

What are you looking for? asked Ut-write. - Why did you come here, as if alive, on a boat for the dead? Why are your cheeks sunken? Why is the head down? How did you come to me, answer!

They call me Gilgamesh. I am from the distant city of Uruk. Two-thirds god, one-man I am. Together with my friend Enkidu, we killed the evil Humbaba, who guards the cedar forest. But in saving me from death, Enkidu's friend became its victim. And I'm looking for him around the world, bypassing all the seas and countries.

Ut-napishti shook his head and uttered a sad word:

Why don't you want to put up with the human pitiful lot? No chair was left for you at the meeting of the immortals. You understand that the immortal gods are full-fledged grains of wheat, but people are only chaff. Death gives no mercy to people. The human house will not last long. We do not seal forever. Even our hatred is momentary...

Table XI

Well, what about you? - Gilgamesh Ut-napishti said. - You're no better than me. Tired, you lie down on your back. I'm not afraid to fight you. Tell me how you ended up at the council of the gods, how you achieved immortal life.

Well, said Ut-napishti. - I'll tell you my secret. I once lived on the Euphrates. I am your countryman and distant ancestor. I am from the city of Shuruppak, which you know well. Somehow the gods decided to exterminate the living on earth. They came to the meeting, held a council among themselves. After a long argument, their hearts bowed to the flood. Having made their choice, they vowed to keep it secret. Ea did not break that oath, I was kind to his heart. And, sinking to the ground, he told this secret not to me, to my mute house:

The walls are reeds, hear me. Wall, dare, I give a sign. Shuruppak must leave Your master, my faithful slave. And let him build a ship, Because from the flood of waters All that lives will give up the spirit. Let him load his good. His people and silver.

And I realized that it was Ea, the light-eyed one, who gave the command to the wall in order to give me salvation. Many sacrifices did I make to Ea, so he chose me from thousands.

And I began to build a ship, similar in shape to a box, standing out with four corners. I patched up the cracks in its walls and filled it with thick pitch. I divided the entire space inside into nine compartments. And he filled many sweet vessels with water, stocked up on various foods, preparing for a long siege. And then, bringing all the animals in pairs, he filled the compartments with them so that they would not eat each other. Captured masters and their wives with children. He was the last to go up with his family and closed the doors behind him.

Morning has risen. A cloud came up. So black that even the gods of blackness were afraid of her. Numbness enveloped the earth. And then the downpour hit, pounding on the roof mercilessly. Soon I heard a crack, as if the earth had split like a bowl. My ship was lifted by the waves and driven by the whistling wind.

For six days, seven nights it carried and drove the ship across the sea. And then the wind calmed down and the turbulent sea calmed down. I opened the window. The day light shone on my face. The sea spread everywhere. I fell to my knees. I understood: humanity has returned to clay.

And then I'm at sea open uphill Nitsir saw and sent a ship to her. The mountain held him back, preventing him from swinging. When the seventh day came, I brought out the dove and let it go. Soon the dove returned. I took out the swallow and let go. Finding no place to sit, she returned. I took out the raven and let it go. The raven saw land first. He did not return to the ship.

That's when I left the ship. He looked all over the world and offered a prayer to the immortals. A family of seven put incense burners. He broke in them fragrant branches, reeds, myrtle and cedar. And lit it. And the gods smelled a smell that they almost forgot. And they flocked like flies to honey, and surrounded the incense burners.

Enlil alone was dissatisfied that there were living souls. My patron Ea addressed him reproachfully:

You made a flood in vain. If there was a surplus of people, he would set lions on them predatory. Could call on sickness and hunger. Now show Ut-napishti and his wife a place where they can live without knowing death.

Enlil approached the ship, where I hid from fear of the gods, and, taking my hand, brought me to the ground and said:

You were a man, Ut-napishti, and now with your wife you are like immortal gods. In the distance at the mouth of the streams from now on is your dwelling. Even death will not find you there.

Suddenly Gilgamesh fell asleep, and he did not hear the end of the story. Sleep breathed into him like a haze of the desert. And the wife of Ut-writeshti said:

Wake him up! Let him return to earth! Ut-napishti shook his head:

Let him sleep, and you mark the daytime notches on the wall.

Seven days have passed. And seven notches lay over Gilgamesh's head. He woke up, and when he woke up, he said to Ut-napishti:

Death took possession of my flesh, for sleep was like death.

From weariness this sleep is long, Gilgamesh. You slept for seven days. Life will return to you. Wash by the stream. Throw the torn skins into the sea. Cover your nakedness with white linen and get into Urshanabi's canoe.

And when Gilgamesh left, the wife of Ut-napishti said:

He walked, got tired, worked. You didn't give him anything for the road. Let me bake him some bread.

One who has a restless liver cannot be sated with bread forever. That man lives not by bread, but by his foolish daring. Instead of bread, I will give Gilgamesh one hidden word.

Gilgamesh washed himself with spring water and changed his clothes. His body became beautiful. But the seal of sadness did not leave his face. Gilgamesh sank into the canoe, but before he had time to sail away, he heard a loud voice:

There is a flower at the bottom of the ocean with fiery petals on a tall thorny stem. If you, restless Gilgamesh, get that famous flower, evil old age does not threaten you, death will bypass you. Here it is, the hidden word that I give you as a farewell.

Gilgamesh, having heard this word, how the arrow rushed to the well, tied stones to his feet and dived to the bottom of the ocean.

He saw a beautiful flower on a tall thorny stem. And reached for that flower. The thorns pricked his hand, and the sea was stained with blood. But he, feeling no pain, tore out that flower with force and threw it over his head like a torch. Cut off the heavy stones, Gilgamesh rose from the water. On land, he turned to Urshanabi:

Here it is, the famous flower, which makes life eternal, which brings youth to the old man. It will be delivered to Uruk. I will test it on people. If the old man becomes younger, I will taste it, I will become young.

They wandered through the desert. Sat down by the pond. To cool his body, Gilgamesh sank into the reservoir. When he went upstairs, he saw a snake. The snake crawled away, carrying away the flower, changing its skin as it went.

Gilgamesh burst into tears and through his tears said to Urshanabi:

For whom did I suffer, work? I brought no good for myself. Can't find Enkidu now. With nothing I return to Uruk.

Where the bright Euphrates rushes to the sea of ​​water, a hill of sand rises. The city is buried under it. The wall turned to dust. The tree has become rotten. Rust has eaten away the metal.

Traveler, climb the hill, look into the blue distance. You see, the herd wanders to the place where the watering place is. The song is sung by a shepherd. No, not about the formidable king and not about his glory. Sings about human friendship.

1 Nisaba - in the Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, the goddess of the harvest, the daughter of Ana. She was depicted with flowing hair, wearing a crown adorned with ears of corn. Spikes sprouted from her shoulders. In her hand was a date fruit - a symbol of inexhaustible fertility.

2 Ninsun - according to one version, the mother, according to another - the wife of Gilgamesh.

3 In stories about Ishtar's lovers, she is not only the goddess of fertility, but also the goddess of hunting, war, and the patroness of culture. Hence - the lion she caught, the tamed horse, the animal of war, the connection with the gardener, who later turned into a spider.

4 Gilgamesh was considered the enemy of lions and was often depicted on clay figurines fighting lions. This visual image was perceived by the Greeks and embodied in the image of Hercules, who was considered the winner of a monstrous lion and was depicted in a lion's skin.

5 The mountains through which Gilgamesh passed, according to the ideas of the Sumerians and Akkadians, were at the end of the world, supporting the heavenly dome. Through a hole in these mountains, the sun god descended after the end of the day into the kingdom of night, so that the next morning he would pass through the same mountains on the other side of the earth.

6 The impressions of visiting underground caves could be reflected in the ideas about the garden of the underworld.

7 The image of a boatman - a conductor of souls, which first appeared in the myths of Mesopotamia, was perceived by the Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, in whose myths he bears the name Harun (Charon).

All nations have their heroes. In ancient Mesopotamia, such a famous hero was King Gilgamesh - warlike and wise, seeking immortality. The found tablets with inscriptions telling about him, perhaps, are the very first monument of literary skill.

Who is Gilgamesh?

The legend of Gilgamesh is also invaluable about Sumerian beliefs. In ancient Mesopotamia, the king of Uruk (a strong and developed inhabited city-kingdom at that time) was Gilgamesh, who was cruel in his youth. He was strong, stubborn, and had no respect for the gods. His strength was so superior to the strength of an earthly man that he could overcome a bull or a lion with one hand, as the biblical hero Samson did. He could go to the other side of the world to perpetuate his name; and cross the sea of ​​Death to give people hope for immortal life on the ground.

Most likely, after his death, the people exalted their king so highly in the legends that they called him two-thirds a god, and only one-third a man. He achieved such veneration through an irrepressible thirst to find the gods and claim for himself eternal life. This is the story that describes Babylonian legend about Gilgamesh.

This legend about a hero who experienced many troubles in his travels is analyzed by philosophers and theologians, in the hope of finding answers to eternal questions about life and death, which the Sumerians probably knew.

Gilgemesh's friend - Enkidu

Another chief is the strong Enkidu, who came from the gods to kill Gilgamesh. The king of Uruk treated the people so cruelly that people prayed to the supreme goddess to create an enemy for their king, so that the young warrior had something to do with his young enthusiasm and martial strength.

And the Sumerian goddess created at the request of the suffering half-beast and half-man. And his name was Enkidu, the son of Enki. He came to fight and defeat Gilgamesh. But when he failed to defeat his opponent in a duel, Enkidu and Gilgamesh resigned themselves to the fact that their mighty powers were the same. Subsequently, Gilgemesh became Enkidu's best friend. And Gilgamesh even brought him to his mother - the goddess Ninsun, so that she would bless the half-beast as a brother for her son.

Together with Enkidu, the hero went to the land of cedars. Apparently, modern Lebanon was called the country of cedars. There they killed the guardian of the cedar forest - Humbaba, for which the son of Enki suffered.

According to legend, he died of illness 12 years later. hard days instead of Gilgamesh himself. The king mourned bitterly close friend. But Gilgamesh himself was destined to continue his journey on earth. The brief summary of the epic about Gilgamesh gives an idea of ​​how much the friendship with this creature changed the irreverent Gilgamesh to the gods. And after the death of this hero, the king again radically changed.

Tablets with legends

Scientists of all countries are interested in the question of where the Epic of Gilgamesh was created. The epic was written on clay tablets. There is an assumption that the legend was written somewhere in the 22nd century. BC. 12 tablets with cuneiform texts were discovered at the end of the 19th century. The very first of them (the one that tells about the flood) was found during excavations of the library of the ancient Assyrian king Shurbanipall. At that time, this place was the city of Nineveh. And now it is the territory of present-day Iraq.

And then the researcher George Smith recovered in search of other tables in the territory Ancient Sumer. There are 12 songs in the epic, each of which contains 3000 poetic lines of text. Now all these clay tablets are kept in the English Museum of World History.

Later, after the death of D. Smith, other tablets were found and deciphered. Found the Sumerian "Epic of Gilgamesh" in Syriac, Akkadian and 2 other ancient languages.

Who recorded the epic: versions

Who wrote the poem is unknown to Assyriologists. The tale of a hero who is able to endure the most terrible hardships for the sake of a higher goal is Sumer's most valuable book. Some legends say that Gilgamesh himself, after his arrival from unknown countries, undertook to write with a chisel on clay about his adventures, so that the ancestors would not forget about them. But this is an unlikely version. A person who had the mentality of an artist and an artistic style could write a poem, one who believed in the power of words, not weapons.

Someone among the people who possessed a clear literary talent, united all disparate legends into a single history and wrote it in the form of a poem. This poem about Gilgamesh, which has survived to this day, is considered the first literary work.

The poem about Gilgamesh begins with a description of how the young and eccentric king conquered Uruk and refused to obey the king of the city of Kish Agga. Together with young warriors, he defends his kingdom, orders to build a stone wall around the city. This is the first mention of Gilgamesh. Further, the myth tells about Gilgamesh and the huluppu tree (willow planted on the banks of the Euphrates River by the gods), in the trunk of which the demoness Lilith hid. And in the root of the tree planted by the gods, buried huge snake. Gilgamesh is shown here as a brave defender who did not allow the mighty tree to be cut down, which was loved by the Assyrian goddess of love, Inanna.

When the goddess of fertility Ishtar (Isis among the Greeks) appreciated the courage of the young king, she ordered him to become her husband. But Gilgamesh refused, for which the gods sent a formidable and huge bull to the earth, eager to destroy the hero. Gilgamesh, together with a faithful and enduring friend, overcome the bull, as well as the giant Humbaba.

And the king's mother, when he planned the campaign, was extremely alarmed and asked not to go into battle against Humbaba. But still Gilgamesh did not listen to anyone, but decided everything himself. Together with a friend, they defeat the giant guarding the cedar forest. They cut down all the trees, uproot the huge roots. Friends did not use these trees for construction or for anything else. Cedars have only some sacred meaning in the epic.

Then, for killing the giant and cutting down the sacred forest, the gods kill Enkidu. He died from an unknown disease. Despite all the pleas, the gods did not have mercy on the half-beast. So tells the Sumerian epic about Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh puts on a sackcloth and goes on an unknown path in order to find about it and beg from higher powers eternal life. He crossed the waters of death, was not afraid to come to its other shore, where Utnapishtim lived. He told Gilgamesh about the flower that grows at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Death. Only the one who picks a marvelous flower can prolong his life, but still not forever. Gilgamesh ties heavy stones to strong legs and throws himself into the sea.

He managed to find a flower. However, on the way home, he plunges into a cool pond, and leaves the flower unattended on the shore. And at this time, the snake steals the flower, becoming younger before the eyes of the hero. And Gilgamesh returned home shattered by his defeat. After all, he never allowed himself to lose. Here is a summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The Biblical Flood in the Legend of Ancient Sumer

The first ruler undoubtedly existed. The myth of Gilgamesh is not entirely fiction. However, after millennia, the image of a real person and fiction have merged in such a way that it is not possible to separate these images today.

The poem about Gilgamesh contains a detailed story about the Flood. Walking along the path that is open only to one Sun, Gilgamesh comes for answers to his questions to the kingdom of Utnapishtim - the only immortal among people. The great ancestor Utnapishtim, who knew all the secrets, told him about the terrible flood in antiquity and the built ship of salvation. The prototype of Utnapishtim's great-ancestor is the Old Testament Noah. How the Sumerians know this story about the biblical flood is not clear. But according to biblical stories, Noah really lived for more than 600 years, and could be considered immortal for representatives of other peoples.

Found in the lands that were formerly Assyrian, "The Legend of Gilgamesh, the Seeker" is a find of unprecedented significance, as it provides food for thought. This legend is compared in meaning with the "Book of the Dead" of the Egyptian people and even with the Bible.

The main idea of ​​the poem

The idea of ​​the poem is not new. The transformation of the character of the hero is inherent in many old legends. For such studies, the found epic about Gilgamesh is especially valuable. Analysis of the beliefs of the Sumerians, their ideas about life and gods, their concept of what life is like after death - all this continues to be explored to this day.

What is the main idea behind the legend? As a result of his wanderings, Gilgamesh does not get what he was looking for. At the end of the story, as the myth of Gilgamesh describes, the flower of immortality is in the hands of a cunning snake. But the spiritual life in the hero of the epic is born. From now on, he believes that immortality is possible.

The summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh is not subject to a strict logical presentation. Therefore, it is not possible to trace sequentially how the hero developed, what interests he had. But the legend says that Gilgamesh strove for glory like no one else. Therefore, he goes to a dangerous battle with the giant Humbaba, from whom the hero is saved only by a request to the god Shamash, his mother goddess. The god Shamash raises the wind that obscures the vision of the giant, and thus helps the heroes in their victory. But Gilgamesh needs glory again. He goes on. Goes into the waters of death.

Yet at the end of the poem, the king finds peace of mind when he sees the almost finished walls around the kingdom of Uruk. His heart rejoiced. The hero of the epic discovers the wisdom of being, which speaks of the infinity of the soul, working for others. Gilgamesh is relieved that he was able to do something for future generations.

He listened to the advice of the gods that was given to him in the garden: a person is mortal by nature, and you need to appreciate your short life, be able to rejoice in what is given.

Analysis of some philosophical problems raised in the epic

The heir to the throne and the hero in such an ancient source as the poem about Gilgamesh goes through various trials and is transformed. If at the beginning the king appears in the form of an unbridled, wayward and cruel youth, then after the death of Enkidu he is already capable of deep heartfelt grief for his friend.

For the first time realizing the fear of the death of the body, the hero of the poem turns to the gods to learn the secrets of life and death. From now on, Gilgamesh cannot simply rule his people, he wants to learn about the secret of death. His soul comes to complete despair: how could the irrepressible strength and energy in the body of Enkidu die? This fire of the soul leads the hero farther and farther from his native land, gives strength to overcome unprecedented difficulties. This is how the epic of Gilgamesh is interpreted. Philosophical problems being and non-being are also illuminated in these verses. Especially in the passage about the lost flower, supposedly bestowing coveted immortality. This flower is clearly a philosophical symbol.

A deeper interpretation of this epic is the transformation of the spirit. Gilgamesh turns from a man of earth into a man of heaven. The image of Enkidu can be interpreted as the bestial instincts of the king himself. And fighting with him means fighting with yourself. Ultimately, the king of Uruk conquers his lower beginning, acquires the knowledge and qualities of the character of a being two-thirds of the divine.

Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh with the "Book of the Dead" of the Egyptians

A vivid allusion can be found in the story of Gilgamesh crossing the waters of the dead with the help of Charon. Charon in Egyptian mythology- this is a deep skinny old man who transports the deceased from the mortal world to another world and receives payment for this.

Also, the legend of Gilgamesh mentions what, according to the beliefs of the Assyrians world of the dead. This is an oppressive abode, where water does not flow, not a single plant grows. And a person receives payment for all deeds only during his lifetime. Moreover, his life is obviously short and meaningless: “Only the gods with the Sun will abide forever, and man - his years are numbered ...”

Egyptian or " book of the dead"- a papyrus where various spells are recorded. The second section of the book is devoted to how souls get into the underworld. But if Osiris decided that the soul had done more good, it was released and allowed to be happy.

Gilgamesh, after communicating with the gods, is sent back to his world. He takes a bath, puts on clean clothes, and although he loses the flower of life, he is in his native Uruk a renewed, sanctified blessing.

Epos translated by Dyakonov

Russian orientalist I.M. Dyakonov in 1961 began to translate the epic. In his work, the translator relied on the already prepared translation by V.K. Shileyka. The Epic of Gilgamesh was the most accurate. He worked through a lot of ancient materials, and by this time it was already known scientific world that the prototype of the hero still existed.

This is a valuable literary and historical document - the Epic of Gilgamesh. Dyakonov's translation was republished in 1973 and again in 2006. His translation is the skill of a philological genius, multiplied by the value of an ancient legend, a monument of history. Therefore, all those who have already read and appreciated the Babylonian legend, the legend of Gilgamesh, left wonderful reviews of the book.

The Epic of Gilgamesh was translated into all languages ​​spoken in Sumer, Akkad, Babylon and Assyria. During the time from the end of the 4th to the end of the 1st millennium BC, several powerful empires flourished and fell into decline on the territory of Mesopotamia. All this time, the myths about Gilgamesh were transmitted with approximately the same status with which the Bible has been honored in Christian countries for the last two thousand years.

"The Epic of Gilgamesh" is undoubtedly the pinnacle for Mesopotamian literature, which is a complex fusion of different genres, telling about the legendary accomplishments of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king of Uruk, about his hopeless campaign for immortality.

To call the "Epic of Gilgamesh" an epic would not be entirely accurate: in this work epic heroes And mythological characters, and it uses a number of epic stories in origin, but it is not dedicated to events folk history but the ways of the individual, the fate of man in the world.

The opening lines briefly describe Gilgamesh's accomplishments:

He saw the secret, he knew the secret,

He brought us news of the days before the flood,

I went on a long journey, but I was tired and resigned

The story of the labors carved on the stone.

These words are followed by evidence for the authenticity of the message:

Enclosed with a wall is Uruk fenced,

The bright barn of sacred Eana. -

Examine the wall, whose crowns, as if by a thread,

Touch the thresholds that have been lying since ancient times,

And enter Eana, the home of Ishtar,

Even future king will not build such

Rise and walk the walls of Uruk,

Look at the foundation, feel the bricks:

Are his bricks not burned?

And the walls are lined not with seven wise men?

The last lines demonstrate a situation that is strange from the point of view of a modern person - the wise men burn bricks and cover the wall. Wise men serve as masons, artisans. The result of the work of the sages is the city wall, the perfection of which serves as the main proof of the greatness of King Gilgamesh.

The words about the wall in this passage correspond to the "archaeological" view. Exclamation type: "Even the future king would not build such a thing!"- apparently implies greatness in the past, in addition, it is proposed to survey the "base of the wall", which has clearly already undergone destruction.

Ancient Uruk is a city-state that rose before Babylon and served as a prototype, forerunner of cities in general. What is the essence of the city, why did people begin to settle so densely, to gather together? The walls are the border of the city, the sacred border that separates the world of culture, the world mastered and inhabited by man from external dangers, allows you to preserve cultural information.

After the introduction, where the burnt bricks serve as confirmation of the words, the introduction of Gilgamesh himself follows:

Two-thirds god, one-third man

In this statement there is not only an idea of ​​the possibility of combining the divine and human in one being, there is also an amazing proportion of such a connection!? The question arises: how did the world represent and what did people believe in for thousands of years? Is the consciousness of man the subconscious of God, or is it the other way around?

The description of Gilgamesh's "genetics" is followed by aesthetic, physical and erotic descriptions of him. First, it is said about the "image of the body", then about strength, fitness and militancy, and only then - about the incredible abundance of love. "Gilgamesh will not leave a maiden... to her husband!"- a similar practice is known to us as "the right of the first night." However, there is more to it here:

Only to Gilgamesh, king of fenced Uruk,

Marital peace is open sometimes, -

He has a betrothed wife!

If we take the above at face value, then the king finds himself in intimate relationships with all the townspeople, their subjects. A Christian would accuse Gilgamesh of violating a well-known commandment. The city is not a harem: wives formally belong to their husbands, the social functions of marriage are preserved. The fact that the marital peace "is open only to Gilgamesh" means, among other things, the existence of a love relationship between the king and everyone, a special informational connection.

The most intimate secrets of his subjects are revealed to the king. Remember that he is two-thirds god. The tsar is the father in all families, the depth of the tsar's connection with the "masses" is unprecedented...

It is clear that such a situation, no matter how plausible it may be, cannot be sustainable. This situation causes criticism and complaints - not everyone likes the total cohabitation of the king with other people's wives. The text contains the position of humility of a city dweller, who talks about this situation:

So it was: I say: so it will be,

The council of the gods is the decision,

Cutting the umbilical cord, so he was judged!

However, the beginning of the intrigue of the whole "Tale" is precisely in the fact that the complaints of the inhabitants were heard by the gods of heaven. They called out to the great Arura:

Aruru, you created Gilgamesh

Now create a likeness for him!

When his courage equals Gilgamesh,

Let them compete, let Uruk rest.

This appeal is one of the most striking passages in the whole work, and, perhaps, in all world literature. We see here in two sentences complete recipe problem solving. The request of the gods is specific. With Gilgamesh, their favorite, the gods intend to do as with a beloved but spoiled child: they want to divert his attention. He loves training, competition in strength and courage: let him get it.

Our hero is so "raging in the flesh" that he makes the heavens "take action". The sky gods "program" Arura to complete the task. It may be up to Aruru to do or not do this program, but the goddess essentially has no choice. The gods remind the mother that she should give her beloved son a toy. There is a challenge in this reminder that love cannot fail to answer.

The love of people and gods for Gilgamesh gives energy to the story, it implicitly moves ancient tradition and takes it through several millennia to our time.

Aruru, hearing these words,

The likeness of Anu created in her heart

Washed Arura's hands,

She pinched off the clay, threw it on the ground,

Blinded Enkidu, created a hero.

The goddess did not doubt for a moment the necessity of the matter and happily set to work on it. First of all, she creates a "project" in her heart - the likeness of the supreme god Anu, a model according to which people are made. Sculpts from clay on the ground, sculpts Enkidu (which means "king of the earth" or "king of the steppe"). A description of what Enkidu looks like follows immediately:

His whole body is covered with wool,

Like a woman, she wears her hair

The hero, the likeness of a god, probably, may well be both woolly and hairy, most likely, we are talking about an internal likeness, and not about purely external signs.

Strands of hair, like thick bread;

I didn't see people or the world

An interesting fact is: where does the new hero end up?

Together with the gazelles he eats herbs,

Together with the animals, crowding to the watering hole,

Together with the creatures, the heart rejoices with water.

A man - a catcher-hunter meets him in front of a watering place.

The hunter saw - his face changed,

He returned home with his cattle,

Frightened, silent, he became numb

The message about the appearance of a monster in the steppe reached Gilgamesh, but before that, some events took place, which we will learn about later in the text. Gilgamesh begins to have strange dreams. It's like something is falling from the sky. The dreams are repeated: first something like a stone falls, then an axe. In a dream, this object comes to life. And each time the dream ends with Gilgamesh's love for this heavenly guest. For the interpretation of dreams, Gilgamesh turns to his "human" mother - and she prophesies that he will meet a friend.

The king thereby prepares for certain important events. Prepared through sleep and interpretation. Dreams are sent by the gods, interpreted by people. By joint efforts, the gods and people outside and the divine and human principles inside the hero lead him through life, and the most important moment his behavior is attention to dreams, getting information from dreams. The king's dreams become known to people. The exchange of information between the inhabitants of the city of Uruk is intense - and very deep level. It turns out that the dreams of the king are as open to the townspeople as the entrance to the bedrooms of their wives is open to him. The structure of "informal" communication in the city of Uruk looks unusual.

Let's return to the plot: the hunter returns home and complains to his father about the appearance of an "animal protector" in the steppe, who does not allow him to hunt animals - he pulls out traps and fills up holes.

The father not only sends the hunter to Gilgamesh - which is not surprising - but also announces in advance the solution to the problem: it is necessary to send a harlot to seduce the hairy protector of animals. The smell of a city woman will turn the beast away from a person. An older person successfully predicts the actions of the king. Here we encounter the competence of Gilgamesh's subjects.

Everything happens according to prediction. Gilgamesh singles out the harlot Shamhat for the "capture" of Enkidu. A harlot with a hunter hunt down Enkidu, then - "the cause of women." After that, Enkidu has no choice but to listen to the speech of the harlot:

You are beautiful, Enkidu, you are like a god,

Why do you roam the steppe with animals?

Let me take you into the fenced Uruk,

To the bright house, the dwelling of Anu,

Where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength,

And like a tour, it shows its power to people!

She said - these words are pleasant to him,

His wise heart is looking for a friend.

It is in search of an equal to himself, in search of a friend, that he goes to the city of Enkidu - and already comes up with the intrigue of a meeting with Gilgamesh in advance:

I will call him, I will proudly say,

I will shout in the middle of Uruk: I am mighty,

I'm the only one who can change fate

Who is born in the steppe, his strength is great!

In these words one can hear "valiant daring." The harlot Shamhat rejoices and tells her idea of ​​the city:

Let's go, Enkidu, to Uruk fenced,

Where people are proud of their royal dress,

Every day they celebrate a holiday...

Here we see the harlot's understanding of the city: this is a place where people celebrate a holiday every day (by the way, not so far from the current representation of civilization in the minds of mass culture ...).

Then we learned that Uruk is a special city: the harlot knows the dreams of the king. After the victory, overjoyed at the accomplishment of the task, the harlot told Enkidu about prophetic dreams Gilgamesh - in which he felt the approach of a friend.

In the city, Enkidu first of all blocks the way for Gilgamesh to the bridal chamber of Ishkhar:

Grabbed at the door of the nuptial chamber,

They began to fight in the street, on a wide road -

The canopy collapsed, the wall shook.

Gilgamesh bowed his knee to the ground,

He humbled his anger, calmed his heart...

Each felt before him an equal opponent: the good fellows reconciled with the power and reconciled. The battle ended in noble fraternization, Gilgamesh brought Enkidu to his mother and proudly told her how this orphan, who had neither mother nor friend, enlightened him.

When Enkidu is royal palace, received with honor and respect by the mother of the king, listens to himself good words, the seemingly unbelievable happens:

Enkidu stands, listens to his speeches,

Upset, sat down and cried

His eyes filled with tears:

Sitting idle, power is gone.

Both friends hugged, sat down next to each other,

They held hands like brothers.

Enkidu explained the reason for his sadness:

Screams, my friend, tear my throat:

I'm sitting idle, my strength is gone.

Idleness turns out to be a heavy burden for the hero: the hero cannot stand idle in vain - he was created for exploits, the powerhouse is looking for applications.

The story of Uruk is an allegory: Enkidu goes through all the stages that lead humanity from savagery to civilization. The great friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, which began with the Battle of Uruk, is the link that connects all episodes of the epic. After meeting Gilgamesh, Enkidu becomes his " younger brother", "dear friend". It is Enkidu who brings news of the mysterious cedar forest and its monster watchman.

"My friend, there are mountains of Lebanon far away,

Those mountains are covered with cedar forest,

The fierce Humbaba lives in that forest Humbaba is a monster_giant who protects cedars from people.

Let's kill him together, you and I

And everything that is evil, we will drive out of the world!

I'll chop the cedar, - mountains overgrown with it, -

I will create an eternal name for myself!"

And the victory won:

They struck down the guard, Humbaba, -

Cedars groaned for two fields around:

Together with him, Enkidu killed forests and cedars.

The main test for Gilgamesh is not a collision with the keeper of the wild, untouched by an ax cedar forest Humbaba, but overcoming the temptations of the goddess of love and civilization, Ishtar. The powerful goddess offers the hero everything that he could only dream of before meeting Enkidu - power not in one city, but throughout the world, wealth, immortality. But Gilgamesh, ennobled by his friendship with the man of nature, rejects the gifts of Ishtar and motivates his refusal with arguments that could be put forward by Enkidu: the enslavement of free animals by her is the curbing of a freedom-loving horse, the invention of traps for the king of animals, the lion, the transformation of a servant-gardener into a spider, whose lot it becomes a hard work.

Here it is worth noting that for the first time already at the dawn of civilization, an idea was put forward, which then over the centuries and millennia will be rediscovered by poets and thinkers - the idea of ​​the hostility of civilization and nature, the injustice of the relations of property and power consecrated by the gods, turning a person into a slave of passions, the most dangerous of which were profit and ambition.

Debunking the merits of Ishtar in the development of nature in the interests of civilization, the author of the poem turns the ambitious Gilgamesh into a rebel-God-fighter. Understanding perfectly where the danger comes from, the gods decide to destroy Enkidu:

Anu said: "It is fitting to die

To the one who stole the cedars from the mountains!“

Ellil said: "Let Enkidu die,

But Gilgamesh must not die!

Dying, a child of nature curses those who contributed to his humanization, which brought him nothing but suffering:

"Come on, harlot, I'll assign you a share,

That will not end forever and ever in the world;

I will curse with a great curse,

So that soon that curse would befall you ... ".

It would seem that the death of Enkidu is the end of everything. And on this it would be natural to end the story of Gilgamesh, returning him to his native Uruk. But the author of the poem makes his hero perform a new, most outstanding feat. If earlier Gilgamesh denounced one goddess Ishtar, now he rebels against the decision of all the gods to kill Enkidu and goes to the underworld to return life to his friend:

Under the rule of Utnapishti, son of Ubar_Tutu,

I have taken the path, I go hastily.

I'll ask him about life and death!

In this way, he also rises against the age-old injustice - the gods kept immortality only for themselves.

The problem of life and death, as is clear from the funeral rites of the most distant times, has always worried mankind. But for the first time in world history, its formulation and solution are given at the level of a tragic understanding by a thinking person of the injustice of separation from the world and loved ones, his rejection of the immutable law of the destruction of all life:

The thought of Enkidu, the hero, haunts me -

Long way I wander in the desert!

How can I be silent, how can I calm down?

My beloved friend became the earth!

Enkidu, my beloved friend, has become the earth!

Just like him, and I will not lie down,

So as not to get up forever and ever?

Gilgamesh yearns for his beloved friend and for the first time feels that he himself is mortal. He passes the underground path of the sun god Shamash through the ridge of mountains surrounding the inhabited world, visits a wonderful garden and crosses the waters of death to the island where Utnapishti lives - the only person who has gained immortality. Gilgamesh wants to know how he did it. Utnapishti tells Gilgamesh the story of the global flood, of which he was an eyewitness:

I will reveal, Gilgamesh, the hidden word

And I will tell you the secret of the gods.

Shurippak city you know

What lies on the banks of the Euphrates, -

This city is ancient, the gods are close to it.

The gods of the great flood to arrange their hearts bowed.

And after which he received eternal life from the hands of the gods:

“Up to now Utnapishtim was a man,

From now on, Utnapishti is like us gods,

Let Utnapishti live at the mouth of the rivers, in the distance!“

But for Gilgamesh, says Utnapishti, the council of the gods will not meet a second time. Utnapishtim proves to Gilgamesh that his search for immortality is futile, since man is unable to overcome even the semblance of death - sleep. Utnapishti's wife, pitying the hero, persuades her husband to give him something as a parting gift, and he reveals to the hero the secret of the flower of eternal youth:

This flower is like a thorn at the bottom of the sea,

Its thorns, like those of a rose, will prick your hand.

If your hand reaches this flower, -

You will always be young.

Gilgamesh hardly takes out a flower, but does not have time to use it: while he was swimming, a snake dragged the flower away and immediately, shedding her skin, rejuvenated:

The flower snake smelled the smell,

She rose from the hole, dragged the flower,

Returning back, shed her skin.

Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and finds comfort in admiring the sight of the wall built around the city.

And they arrived at Uruk fenced.

Gilgamesh tells him, the shipbuilder Urshanabi:

"Get up, Urshanabi, walk along the walls of Uruk,

Look at the foundation, feel the bricks -

Are his bricks not burned?

And the walls were laid not by seven wise men? "

Most outstanding work Babylonian literature was the "Poem of Gilgamesh", in which, with great artistic power the eternal question is raised about the meaning of life and the inevitability of death of a person, even a glorified hero. Separate parts of this poem date back to Sumerian antiquity. This is the story of Gilgamesh's struggle with the monster Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar grove. This is the legend of Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven.

The story of Gilgamesh's conversation with the shadow of his deceased friend Enkidu is preserved in the Sumerian poem Gilgamesh and the Willow. Finally, another Sumerian legend describes Gilgamesh's struggle with Akka, king of Kish, who laid siege to Uruk. It is possible that in Sumer there was a whole cycle of legends about the exploits of Gilgamesh. Artistic images of Gilgamesh, illustrating individual episodes of the poem, are carved on seals dating back to the Sumerian era.

The name of Gilgamesh, the semi-legendary king of Uruk, is preserved in the lists ancient kings Sumer. Judging by one fragment, one of the editions of this poem was compiled during the 1st Babylonian dynasty. The most complete, however, is the Assyrian edition, written in Akkadian in Assyrian cuneiform in the 7th century BC. BC e. for the Nineveh Library of King Ashurbanipal.

The whole poem is divided into four main parts: 1. The story of Gilgamesh's cruel rule in Uruk, the appearance of the second hero, Enkidu, and the friendship of the two heroes. 2. Description of the exploits of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. 3. Wanderings of Gilgamesh in search of immortality. 4. The final part, containing the conversation of Gilgamesh with the shadow of the deceased Enkidu.

Indeed, some episodes could be distant echoes historical events described in ancient legends. These are the episodes about the reign of Gilgamesh in Uruk, about his struggle with Humbaba, about the relationship of Gilgamesh to the goddess Ishtar, which indicates the struggle between the royal power and the priesthood. However, mythological and legendary stories are inserted into the poem about Gilgamesh, borrowed from ancient legends about the flood and the creation of man.

At the beginning of the poem, it is told how Gilgamesh - "two-thirds god and one-third man" - reigns in the ancient city of Uruk and cruelly oppresses the people, forcing them to build city walls and temples to the gods. The gods, heeding the complaints of the people of Uruk, create the hero Enkidu, endowed with supernatural power and living among the beasts. In an effort to lure this primitive hero to him, Gilgamesh sends a temple slave to him, who tames Enkidu's wild temper and leads him to Uruk.

Here, both heroes enter into single combat, but cannot defeat each other. Having become friends, they accomplish their feats together. They head to the cedar forest, engage in combat with the keeper of the cedar grove, Humbaba, and kill him.

The goddess Ishtar, seeing the victorious hero, offers him her love. However, the wise and cautious Gilgamesh rejects the gifts of the goddess of love, reminding her of how much grief and suffering she caused her former friends:

You doomed Tammuz, the friend of your youth,

Year after year for bitter tears.

Offended by Gilgamesh's refusal, Ishtar asks her father, the supreme god Anu, to create a heavenly bull that would destroy the recalcitrant hero. Yielding to the urgent requests of Ishtar, the god Anu sends a monstrous bull to Uruk, which destroys several hundred people. However heroes kill it scary monster. After washing their hands in the waters of the Euphrates, they return to Uruk, where the inhabitants of the city greet them with a triumphal song:

Who is the best among the heroes?

Who is majestic among men?

Gilgamesh is great among heroes.

Enkidu is great among men!

After the festivities in the royal palace, Enkidu sees prophetic dream which portends his doom. Indeed, Enkidu falls mortally ill. He complains to his friend about the fate that dooms him to an inglorious death from illness, depriving him of the opportunity to die in a fair fight on the battlefield. Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend and for the first time feels the wind of the wings of death over him.

Gilgamesh performs funeral rites on the body of a friend.

Tormented by the fear of death, driven by deathly sorrow, Gilgamesh sets off on a long journey. He directs his steps to his ancestor Ut-napishtim, who received from the gods a great gift of immortality. The difficulties of a long journey do not frighten Gilgamesh. Neither the lions guarding the gorges of the mountains, nor the fantastic scorpion people, "whose eyes are death", nor the Garden of Eden with trees on which precious stones bloom, nor the goddess Siduri, who urges him to forget about death and surrender to all joys, can detain him. life. Gilgamesh sails on a ship through the "deep waters of death" and reaches the monastery where the immortal Ut-napishtim lives.

A brave hero tries to find out from his ancestor the secret of eternal life. Answering Gilgamesh's questions, Ut-napishtim tells him about the global flood, about how the god Ea taught him to build an ark and save himself from water chaos in it. This ancient legend about the flood, during which only one person escaped and received immortality from the gods, who took “the seed of all life” (that is, various animals and birds) into the ark, is inserted into the text of the poem as a special episode.

It is possible that this legend reflected the eternal struggle of the Sumerians with the spontaneous floods of the rivers, which, flooding the lowlands of Mesopotamia, threatened with great destruction, but at the same time provided abundant harvests for the ancient farmers.

Taking pity on Gilgamesh, Ut-napishtim tries various magical methods to make Gilgamesh immortal. However, everything turns out to be in vain.

Then Ut-napishtim reveals to Gilgamesh the "secret word" and advises him to sink to the bottom of the ocean to pluck the grass of immortality. Gilgamesh, on his way back to Uruk, takes out this miraculous herb. But carelessness destroys the hero. Seeing a pond on his way, Gilgamesh plunges into its cool waters. At this time, a snake creeps up and steals the grass of immortality. The saddened hero, having returned to Uruk, asks the gods for the last favor - to see at least the shadow of his deceased friend Enkidu. Then the god of wisdom Ea orders the lord of the underworld Nergal to release the shadow of Enkidu onto the earth. The poem ends with a final dialogue between friends. In response to Gilgamesh's passionate entreaty to tell him the "law of the earth," Enkidu describes the afterlife of people in the darkest colors.

For the first time, with the utmost clarity and with great artistic power, the idea of ​​the inevitability of death is expressed, to which all people are subject, even the heroes who committed greatest feats, in which "two-thirds of God and one-third of man."

The Poem of Gilgamesh occupies a special place in Babylonian literature. In her in art form clothed with the idea of ​​man's eternal desire to know the "law of life", the mystery of life and death. Deep pessimism permeates the words of the poem, in which afterworld drawn as the abode of sorrow and suffering.

Even famous hero Gilgamesh, "mighty, great and wise," cannot obtain the highest mercy from the gods and obtain immortality. Bliss in the afterlife is given only to those who fulfill the commandments of religion, the requirements of the priests, the rites of a religious cult. This is the main idea of ​​the whole poem, the roots of which go back to folk artistic creativity, but which largely reflected the later ideology of the aristocratic priesthood.

The same idea of ​​eternal life, the same striving for immortality pervades the Poem of Adapa. It tells how perfect a wise man, “the seed of mankind” - Adapa, the son of the god of wisdom Ea, who supplied the temple in Eridu with bread, drink, game and fish as a priest, once broke the wings of the south wind and was summoned to the court of the supreme god Anu for this.

Following the advice of his father, Adapa wins over the gods - the gatekeepers of heaven, and then the supreme god. But at the same time he refuses the food of eternal life and the drink of immortality. So Adapa, due to his own excessive caution, is deprived of that immortality that was intended for him from above.

5. THE TALE ABOUT GILGAMESH

The clay tablets on which the earliest records of the folk tales of Gilgamesh were made date back to the middle III millennium BC e.

There is reason to believe that Gilgamesh was real historical personality. His name is preserved in the list of the most ancient kings of Sumer. The real Gilgamesh ruled in the city of Uruk at the end of the 27th - beginning of the 26th centuries BC. e. Legends call Gilgamesh the son of the Uruk king Lugalbanda and the goddess Ninsun. This statement is not as fantastical as it might seem, since in ancient Sumer there was a custom for the king to enter into a "sacred marriage" with a priestess, who was considered the living embodiment of the goddess she served.

The name "Gilgamesh" supposedly means "ancestor-hero". There are several versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The most complete and interesting is the so-called "Nineveh version", written in Assyrian cuneiform in Akkadian for the Nineveh library of King Ashurbanipal. This entry was made in the 7th century BC. er ... but, according to the scribe, it is an exact copy from an older original. According to tradition, the Uruk spellcaster Sinlikeunninni, who lived at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, is considered the author of this original. e.

The Nineveh version of the poem about Gilgamesh is called "About the All-Seen." This is one of the most remarkable works of ancient Eastern literature. Disparate legends and tales are brought here to a coherent plot unity, the characters of the heroes are given in psychological development and the whole story is permeated philosophical reflections about life, death and the meaning of human existence.

At the beginning of the poem, Gilgamesh is a young and frivolous ruler. Not knowing where to put his strength, he brutally oppresses his subjects, and he indulges in revelry.

Driven to despair, the inhabitants of Uruk turned to the gods with a prayer to create a worthy adversary for Gilgamesh.

The goddess Aruru molded from clay a powerful half-man-half-beast named Enkidu. Enkidu was endowed with bestial speed and agility, he had long hair and the body is covered with hair.

For the time being, Enkidu did not know anything about the world of people, he lived in the forest, eating grass, and wild animals considered him theirs.

Once Gilgamesh had a dream that a heavy stone fell from the sky, to which all the inhabitants of Uruk bowed, and Gilgamesh himself fell in love with him, like a living being, and brought him to his mother.

Gilgamesh's mother, the wise goddess Ninsun, interpreted the dream in this way: Gilgamesh will find a powerful friend whom he will love like a brother.

Soon a hunter came to Gilgamesh with a complaint that a wild man had appeared in the forest, who frightened the hunters and took away their prey, filled up the hunting pits and freed the animals from the snares.

Gilgamesh advised the hunter to lure wild man from the forest with the help of a woman.

The hunter hired a beautiful harlot named Shamkhat in the city and went with her to the forest.

The harlot seduced Enkidu and took him to Uruk. There he tasted human food - bread and wine - and thus joined the world of people, having lost his bestial essence.

Enkidu resigned himself - he, as before, did not run!

But he became smarter, deeper understanding.

(Translated by I. Dyakonov)

After some time, Enkidu met Gilgamesh. There was a fight between them, but neither could overcome the other. They recognized that their forces are equal - and fraternized. Gilgamesh took Enkidu to his mother Ninsun, who blessed both of them as her sons.

Despite this favorable turn of his fortunes, Enkidu "disappointed, sat down and wept." And when Gilgamesh asked him about the reason for such sadness, he answered:

“Screams, my friend, tear my throat:

I’m sitting idle, my strength is gone.”

Then Gilgamesh suggested that together they go to the Lebanese mountains, covered with cedar forests, and destroy the monster Humbaba living there.

Enkidu was afraid. In his former forest life, he approached Humbaba's dwelling and knew that "the hurricane is his voice, his mouth is a flame, death is his breath." In addition, the god Enlil endowed Humbaba with the ability, at will, to deprive anyone of courage.

Enkidu began to dissuade his friend from a hopeless enterprise. He was joined by the wise men of Uruk. They said to Gilgamesh, “Why would you want to do this? Unequal fight in Humbaba's dwelling! And the mother of Gilgamesh, the wise Ninsun, exclaimed, addressing the god of the sun:

“Why did you give me Gilgamesh as a son

And put a restless heart in his chest?”

But Gilgamesh had already made up his mind. He said to Enkidu:

“I will go before you, and you shout to me:

"Go, don't be afraid!" If I fall, I will leave a name;

Gilgamesh took the fight to the ferocious Humbaba!"

Enkidu then swore that he would fight alongside Gilgamesh, and the brothers set off. In three days they traveled for six weeks and reached the forest where Humbaba lived.

The monster appeared before them surrounded by "seven radiances", and these magical radiances instilled irresistible fear in the heroes. But then the sun god Shamash himself came to the aid of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Courage returned to the heroes, they defeated Humbaba, slew the seven lights, cut down the magic cedars, which contained the remnants of evil power, and uprooted the stumps.

After hard work, Gilgamesh bathed in the stream, "he parted from the dirty, he put on the clean," and the goddess Ishtar noticed his beauty. She descended from heaven and offered herself to Gilgamesh as his wife. But he refused due to the bad reputation of the goddess.

"What glory are you being given?

Let me list who you fornicated with!”

Some historians see in the conflict between Gilgamesh and Ishtar a reflection of the real conflict between royal and priestly power.

The offended goddess asked her father, the god Anu, to create a gigantic bull that would destroy the impudent Gilgamesh. The bull appeared. But Gilgamesh, with the help of Enkidu, defeated this monster, and the heroes returned in glory to Uruk.

At night, Enkidu saw in a dream the Council of the Gods. The gods were angry because Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed Humbaba, who was under the auspices of Enlil, and the bull created by Anu, and argued whether both heroes should be punished or only one of them. In the end, the gods decided.

"Let Enkidu die, But Gilgamesh must not die."

Enkidu told his dream to Gilgamesh, and both of them were sad. Gilgamesh tried to propitiate the gods with sacrifices, promised to decorate their idols with gold, but the gods replied: “Do not spend, O king, on gold idols, God will not change the words that are said ...” By the will of the gods, Enkidu fell ill and died. Gilgamesh mourned his friend bitterly:

"I cry for Enkidu, my friend,

Like a weeper, I sob bitterly.

My beloved friend became the earth!

Enkidu, my beloved friend, has become the earth!”

Gilgamesh called the best craftsmen from all over the country and ordered them to make a statue of Enkidu: the body is made of gold, the face is made of alabaster, the hair is made of lapis lazuli.

After burying Enkidu with honors, Gilgamesh donned rags and fled into the desert. He was tormented not only by grief for his dead friend, but also by the thought of his own mortality, which he only now realized: “Won't I die like Enkidu? Longing has penetrated into my womb, I am afraid of Death and run into the desert ... ” Gilgamesh decided to find the wise Utnapishti, the only immortal among people, and learn from him the secret of immortality.

Gilgamesh walked for many days, and at last he came to high mountains, the tops of which propped up the sky, and the bases went to the underworld. Here the world of people ended and an unknown path began, along which the sun rose to the sky at dawn, and went into darkness at sunset.

This path was guarded by scorpion people. They tried to apprehend Gilgamesh:

“Never, Gilgamesh, has there been a road,

No one has yet walked a mountain course ...

The darkness is thick, no light is visible.

But Gilgamesh answered:

"And in the heat and in the cold, in the dark and in the gloom,

In sighs and weeping - I will go forward!

He rushed into the darkness and, passing through it, went out to the light of another world. He saw a wonderful garden, where the leaves on the trees were of lapis lazuli, and the fruits were of carnelian. Behind the garden stretched an endless sea - the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bDeath, and on its shore, on a steep cliff, lived the mistress of the gods Siduri.

Learning that Gilgamesh wants to find immortality, Siduri did not approve of his intentions:

"Gilgamesh! Where are you aiming?

The life you seek, you will not find.

The gods when they created man

"Day and night, may you be cheerful,

Celebrate every day...

Look how the child is holding your hand

Make your friend happy with your hugs -

That's just the business of man."

But Gilgamesh refused to return to the human world and continued on his way. Having crossed the dark waters, he appeared before the immortal Utnapishti, who lived on the other side of the Sea of ​​Death.

Utnapishti, as well as Siduri, tells Gilgamesh that the gods determined life and death for man and commanded "to live alive." The wise old man reproaches Gilgamesh for neglecting the duty of the ruler and leaving his people: “Turn your face, Gilgamesh, to your people. Why does their ruler wear rags?” This is followed by an inserted episode: Utnapishti tells that during the Great Flood it was he who built the ark, saved his family and a couple of all the animals and birds, not allowing life to fade on earth. For this, the gods rewarded him with immortality.

The legend of the Great Flood is not connected with the epic of Gilgamesh and was included in the narrative only to emphasize the idea that only through an exceptional, unprecedented feat in the past and impossible in the future, a person could gain immortality, that this is the only case.

Gilgamesh falls into despair:

“What shall I do, Unapishti, where shall I go?…

Death dwells in my chambers,

And wherever I look, death is everywhere!”

Wishing to console Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim told him that at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Death a flower grows that restores youth. The one who obtained it, although he will not gain immortality, will still lengthen his life.

Gilgamesh tied two heavy stones to his feet, dived to the bottom of the sea and plucked a wonderful flower. With the precious booty, Gilgamesh safely reached the world of men.

He stopped at the lake to bathe in earthly water, but then a snake crawled out of the hole and stole a wonderful flower. The snake shed its old skin and gained new youth, and Gilgamesh returned to his hometown empty-handed.

But when he saw the mighty walls of Uruk, once erected at his command, his soul was filled with pride.

The end of the poem is difficult to interpret, but most researchers tend to see here the optimistic idea that the true immortality of a person lies in his deeds accomplished during his life.

From the book The Most Incredible Cases author

THE LEGEND ABOUT THE CITY OF KITEZH For many years scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery of the small Russian lake Svetloyar. According to legend, on its banks once stood the city - Big Kitezh. Fate decreed that he gained a special symbolic meaning, becoming a mystical mystery

From book Incredible Cases author Nepomniachtchi Nikolai Nikolaevich

THE LEGEND ABOUT THE CITY OF KITEZH For many years scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery of the small Russian lake Svetloyar. According to legend, on its banks once stood the city - Big Kitezh. Fate decreed that it acquired a special symbolic meaning, becoming a mystical secret.

From the book Big Soviet Encyclopedia(IN) author TSB

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (SK) of the author TSB

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (CO) of the author TSB

From the book 100 Great Myths and Legends author Muravieva Tatiana

1. THE LEGEND OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD The Assyro-Babylonian legend of the creation of the world is traditionally called "Enumaelish". These are the first words of the legend, and they mean “when above”: When the sky above was not named, And the land below was nameless (Translated by V. Afanasyev) These lines

From the book All Masterpieces of World Literature in summary the author Novikov V I

2. THE TALE OF ATRACHASIS In the myths of almost all peoples of the world there is a story about the Great Flood sent by angry gods to earth to destroy the human race. This story reflects real memories of floods and river floods that occurred in

From the author's book

3. THE LEGEND ABOUT ERESHKIGAL AND NERGAL The universe, in the view of the ancients, was divided into three parts: the upper one - the sky, where the gods and heavenly bodies lived, the middle one - the earth inhabited by people, and the lower one - the underworld, the world of death and dark forces. In Sumero - Akkadian mythology

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27. THE LEGEND ABOUT THE HEAVENLY ARROW AND One of the most popular heroes Chinese mythology is Hou-I - Shooter I. In ancient times, there was not one sun in the sky, but as many as ten. Their father - the heavenly lord Di-jun - strictly ensured that they ascended to heaven in turn,

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51. TALE ABOUT SIGMUND Sigmund is one of the heroes of the Old Norse "Völsunga Saga". The word "saga" is derived from a verb that means "to tell". In Old Norse, any prose work was called a saga. Old Norse sagas were created in XIII-XTV

From the author's book

52. THE LEGEND ABOUT SIGURDE King of the Franks Sigmund, the great-grandson of the god Odin himself, was a glorious warrior. But his hour came, and he died in battle. Enemies seized his country, a foreign king Lungvi took his throne. The widow of Sigmund Hjördis found shelter with the king of Denmark, Hialprek. Hjerdis was

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55. THE TALE OF CUHUAINE Cuchulainn - main character Irish epic. The Irish are a people of Celtic origin. In the middle of the first millennium BC. e. Celtic tribes inhabited a significant part of Europe, in the VI century BC. e. they took over the British Isles, subjugating the local tribe

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60. LEGEND ABOUT THE HOLY GRAIL In the Middle Ages in European countries, along with the canonical religious plots known from the scriptures, that is, the books of the Old and New Testaments, folklore legends appeared, created in the traditions of folk tales. Vetikhle-gendah, except for the well-known

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94. THE LEGEND ABOUT PETER AND FEVRONIA Prince Peter of Murom and his wife Fevronia lived early XIII century. They left by themselves so good memory that after death they were revered as saints. At first - only in the Murom lands, and later - throughout Russia. To

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The legend of Siavush From the poetic epic "Shahnameh" (1st ed. - 994, 2nd ed. - 1010) They say that once in the morning sometimes the valiant Tus and Giv, famous in battles, accompanied by hundreds of warriors with greyhounds and falcons, galloped to the plain Dagui amuse yourself with hunting. having shot

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The legend of Sohrab From the poetic epic "Shahnameh" (1st ed. - 944, 2nd ed. - 1010) Once Rostem, waking up at dawn, filled his quiver with arrows, saddled his mighty horse Rekhsh and rushed to Turan. On the way, he smashed the onager with a mace, roasted it on a skewer from the trunk