Enkidu information

Enkidu
𒂗𒆠𒄭
	Representation of Enkidu (2027–1763 BC) Aruru (creator)
Grouping	Mythic humanoids
Sub grouping	Wild man
Folklore	Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Country	Uruk
Region	Sumer
Details	Steppe (formerly)

Enkidu (Sumerian: 𒂗𒆠𒄭 EN.KI.DU₁₀)^[6] was a legendary figure in ancient Mesopotamian mythology, wartime comrade and friend of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Their exploits were composed in Sumerian poems and in the Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh, written during the 2nd millennium BC. He is the oldest literary representation of the wild man, a recurrent motif in artistic representations in Mesopotamia and in Ancient Near East literature. The apparition of Enkidu as a primitive man seems to be a potential parallel of the Old Babylonian version (1300–1000 BC), in which he was depicted as a servant-warrior in the Sumerian poems.

There have been suggestions that he may be the "bull-man" shown in Mesopotamian art, having the head, arms, and body of a man, and the horns, ears, tail and legs of a bull.^[7] Thereafter a series of interactions with humans and human ways bring him closer to civilization, culminating in a wrestling match with Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Enkidu embodies the wild or natural world. Though equal to Gilgamesh in strength and bearing, he acts in some ways as an antithesis to the cultured, city-bred warrior-king.

The tales of Enkidu’s servitude are narrated in five surviving Sumerian poems, developing from a slave of Gilgamesh into a close comrade by the last poem, which describes Enkidu as Gilgamesh's friend.^[8] In the epic, Enkidu is created as a rival to king Gilgamesh, who tyrannizes his people, but they become friends and together slay the monster Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven; because of this, Enkidu is punished and dies, representing the mighty hero who dies early.^[9] The deep, tragic loss of Enkidu profoundly inspires in Gilgamesh a quest to escape death by obtaining godly immortality.^[10]

Enkidu has virtually no existence outside the stories relating to Gilgamesh. To the extent of current knowledge, he was never a god to be worshipped, and is absent from the lists of deities of ancient Mesopotamia. He seems to appear in an invocation from the Paleo-Babylonian era aimed at silencing a crying baby, a text which also evokes the fact that Enkidu would be held to have determined the measurement of the passage of time at night, apparently in relation to his role as herd keeper at night in the epic.^[11]

^ Commons Link for Image.
^ Littleton, C. Scott (2005). Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology. Marshall Cavendish. p. 732. ISBN 9780761475651.
^ Marshall, John (1996). Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization: Being an Official Account of Archaeological Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro Carried Out by the Government of India Between the Years 1922 and 1927. Asian Educational Services. p. 389. ISBN 9788120611795.
^ Singh. The Pearson Indian History Manual for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Pearson Education India. p. 35. ISBN 9788131717530.
^ Richter-Ushanas, Egbert (1997). The Indus Script and the Ṛg-Veda. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 123. ISBN 9788120814059.
^ "Epsd2/Sux/Enkidu[1]".
^ Kalof, Linda (2007). Looking at Animals in Human History. Reaktion Books. p. 15. ISBN 9781861893345.
^ The death of Gilgamesh on the ETCSL lines 63-81
^ Wolff, H. N. (April–June 1969). "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the heroic life". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 89 (2). American Oriental Society: 392–398. doi:10.2307/596520. JSTOR 596520.
^ Jastrow, Morris (1911). "Eabani" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 788–789.
^ George 2003 , p. 143-144.

[1] Commons Link for Image.

[2] Littleton, C. Scott (2005). Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology. Marshall Cavendish. p. 732. ISBN 9780761475651.

[3] Marshall, John (1996). Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization: Being an Official Account of Archaeological Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro Carried Out by the Government of India Between the Years 1922 and 1927. Asian Educational Services. p. 389. ISBN 9788120611795.

[4] Singh. The Pearson Indian History Manual for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Pearson Education India. p. 35. ISBN 9788131717530.

[5] Richter-Ushanas, Egbert (1997). The Indus Script and the Ṛg-Veda. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 123. ISBN 9788120814059.

[6] "Epsd2/Sux/Enkidu[1]".

[LK-7] Kalof, Linda (2007). Looking at Animals in Human History. Reaktion Books. p. 15. ISBN 9781861893345.

[8] The death of Gilgamesh on the ETCSL lines 63-81

[9] Wolff, H. N. (April–June 1969). "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the heroic life". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 89 (2). American Oriental Society: 392–398. doi:10.2307/596520. JSTOR 596520.

[10] Jastrow, Morris (1911). "Eabani" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 788–789.

[11] George 2003 , p. 143-144.

Enkidu information

and 23 Related for: Enkidu information

Enkidu

Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh

Bull of Heaven

Humbaba

Shamhat

Cedar Forest

Ninsun

Mesopotamian mythology

Inanna

Elixir of life

Samson

Gilgamesh in the arts and popular culture

Lilith

Droit du seigneur

Wrestling

David

Indus Valley Civilisation

Sumerian disputations

List of characters in Epic of Gilgamesh

Marduk

Willow

List of literary cycles

Representation of Enkidu (2027–1763 BC)^[1] Aruru (creator)
Grouping	Mythic humanoids
Sub grouping	Wild man
Folklore	Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Country	Uruk
Region	Sumer
Details	Steppe (formerly)

Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Part of a series on
Chaos Monster and Sun God
Religions of the ancient Near East Anatolia Ancient Egypt Mesopotamia Babylonia Sumer Iranian Semitic Arabia Canaan
Primordial beings Tiamat and Abzu Lahamu and Lahmu Kishar and Anshar Mummu
Seven gods who decree Four primary Anu Enlil Enki Ninhursag Three sky gods Inanna/Ishtar Nanna/Sin Utu/Shamash
Other major deities Adad Dumuzid Enkimdu Enmesharra Ereshkigal Ki Kingu Geshtinanna Lahar Marduk Nergal Ninurta Šulpae
Minor deities Agasaya Anunnaki Asaruludu Ashnan Ashgi Bel Dumuzi-abzu Enbilulu Erra Erragal Gibil Hendursaga Igigi Isimud Išum Kajamanu Lahar Laṣ Lisin Lugala'abba Mami/Nintu Mamitu Maštabba Nabu Namtar Nanshe Nindara Ninmarki Nisaba Ninazu Ningal Ningirida Ningirima Ninkasi Ninkilim Ninlil Ninmug Ninšar Ninsikila Ninšubur Ninsun Nuska Paniĝinĝarra Sarpanit Shul-utula Šubula Šulpae Tišpak Uttu
Demigods and heroes Adapa Enkidu Enmerkar Gilgamesh Lugalbanda Shamhat Siduri Atra-Hasis Ziusudra Apkallu (seven sages)
Spirits and monsters Udug Lamassu/Shedu Asag Edimmu Siris Anzû Ušum Bašmu Mušmaḫḫū Ušumgallu Seven-headed serpent Humbaba Hanbi Kur Lamashtu Lilu Pazuzu Rabisu
Tales Mythology An = Anum Atra-Hasis Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta Enūma Eliš Epic of Gilgamesh
Terms Dingir Sukkal
v t e