All
this has no connection with Gilgamesh, and it is evident that the
tale of Enkidu was originally an _independent_ tale to illustrate the
evolution of man's career and destiny, how through intercourse with
a woman he awakens to the sense of human dignity, how he becomes
accustomed to the ways of civilization, how he passes through the
pastoral stage to higher walks of life, how the family is instituted,
and how men come to be engaged in the labors associated with human
activities. In order to connect this tale with the Gilgamesh story,
the two heroes are brought together; the woman taking on herself,
in addition to the r?le of civilizer, that of the medium through
which Enkidu is brought to Gilgamesh. The woman leads Enkidu from
the outskirts of Erech into the city itself, where the people on
seeing him remark upon his likeness to Gilgamesh. He is the very
counterpart of the latter, though somewhat smaller in stature. There
follows the encounter between the two heroes in the streets of Erech,
where they engage in a fierce combat. Gilgamesh is overcome by Enkidu
and is enraged at being thrown to the ground. The tablet closes with
the endeavor of Enkidu to pacify Gilgamesh.
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