Be it noted also that Enkidu, not Gilgamesh,
is punished for the insult to Ishtar. Enkidu must therefore in the
original form of the episode have been the guilty party, who is
stricken with mortal disease as a punishment to which after twelve
days he succumbs. [95] In view of this, we may supply the name of
Enkidu in the little song introduced at the close of the encounter
with the bull, and not Gilgamesh as has hitherto been done.
"Who is distinguished among the heroes?
Who is glorious among men?
[Enkidu] is distinguished among heroes,
[Enkidu] is glorious among men." [96]
Finally, the killing of lions is directly ascribed to Enkidu in the
Pennsylvania tablet:
"Lions he attacked
* * * * *
Lions he overcame" [97]
whereas Gilgamesh appears to be afraid of lions. On his long search
for Utnapishtim he says:
"On reaching the entrance of the mountain at night
I saw lions and was afraid." [98]
He prays to Sin and Ishtar to protect and save him. When, therefore,
in another passage some one celebrates Gilgamesh as the one who
overcame the "guardian," who dispatched Hu(m)baba in the cedar forest,
who killed lions and overthrew the bull, [99] we have the completion
of the process which transferred to Gilgamesh exploits and powers
which originally belonged to Enkidu, though ordinarily the process
stops short at making Gilgamesh a _sharer_ in the exploits; with the
natural tendency, to be sure, to enlarge the share of the favorite.
Pages:
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58