The Domestication of Enkidu

Aruru washed her hands, pinched off a piece of clay, cast it out into the open country.

She created a primitive man, Enkidu the warrior: offspring of silence, sky-bolt of

Ninurta. His whole body was shaggy with hair, he was furnished with tresses like a woman, His locks of hair grew luxuriant like grain. Excerpted from S. Dalley, Myths from Mesopotamia (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), pp. 52-56, 138-39.

Mythological animals include a composite bull-elephant. Some seals suggest influence from or at least traits held in common with Mesopotamia; among these are the Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian epic) motif of a man grappling with a pair of tigers and the bull-man Enkidu (a human with horns, tail, and rear hooves of a bull). Among the most interesting of the seals are those that depict cult scenes or symbols; a god, seated in a yogic (meditative) posture and surrounded by beasts, with a horned headdress and erect phallus; the tree spirit with a tiger standing before it; the horned tree spirit confronted by a worshiper; a composite beast with a line of seven figures standing before it; the pipal leaf motif; and the swastika (a symbol still widely used by Hindus, Jainas, and Buddhists).

Chapter 10 of Hebrew Myths by Robert Graves and Raphael Pitai. (Greenwich House, 1983), p.67-69 notes:

1. The tradition that man's first sexual intercourse was with animals, not women, may be due to the widely spread practice of bestiality among the herdsmen of the Middle East, which is still condoned by custom, although figuring three times in the Pentateuch as a capital crime. In the Akkadian Gilgamesh Epic, Enkidu is said to have lived with gazelles and jostled other wild beasts at the watering place,

until civilized by Aruru's priestess. Having enjoyed here embraces for six days and seven nights, he wished to rejoin the wild beasts but, to his surprise, they fled from him.

Enkidu then knew that he had gained understanding, and the priestess said: 'Thou art wise, Enkidu, like unto a god!'

2. Primeval man was held by the Babylonians to have been androgynous. Thus the Gilgamesh Epic gives Enkidu androgynous features: 'the hair of his head like a woman's, with locks that sprout like those of Nisaba, the Grain-goddess.' The Hebrew tradition evidently derives from the Greek sources, because both the terms in a Tannaitic midrash to describe the bisexual Adam are Greek: androgynos, 'man-woman', and diprosopon, 'two-faced'. Philo of Alexandria, the hellenistic philosopher and commentator on the Bible, contemporary with Jesus, held that man was at first bisexual; so did the Gnostics. This belief is clearly borrowed form Plato. Yet the belief of two bodies placed back to back may well have been founded on observaation of Siamese twins, which are sometimes joined in this awkward manner. The two-faced Adam appears to be a fancy derived from coins or statues of Janus, the Roman New Year god.

(Because Gilgamesh is too energetic for the people of Uruk,
the gods decide to create a partner for him.)
They called upon great Aruru:
"You, Aruru, you created humankind!
Now create someone for him, to match the ardor of his energies!
Let them be regular rivals, and let Uruk be allowed peace!"
 
When Aruru heard this, she created inside herself the word of Anu.
Aruru washed her hands, pinched off a piece of clay,
cast it out into the open country.
She created a primitive man, Enkidu the warrior:
offspring of silence, sky-bolt of Ninurta.
 
His whole body was shaggy with hair, he was furnished with tresses like a woman,
His locks of hair grew luxuriant like grain.
He knew neither people nor country; he was dressed as cattle are.
With gazelles he eats vegetation,
With cattle he quenches his thirst at the watering place.
With wild beasts he satisfies his need for water.
 
A hunter, a brigand,
Came face to face with him beside the watering place.
The hunter looked at him, and was dumbstruck to see him.
In perplexity he went back into his house
And was afraid, stayed mute, was silent,
And was ill at ease, his face worried.
... the grief in his innermost being.
His face was like that of a long-distance traveler.
The hunter made his voice heard and spoke, he said to his father,
 
"Father, there was a young man who came from the mountain,
On the land he was strong, he was powerful.
His strength was very hard, like a sky-bolt of Anu.
He walks on the mountain all the time,
All the time he eats vegetation with cattle,
All the time he puts his feet in the water at the watering place.
I am too frightened to approach him.
He kept filling in the pits that I dug,
He kept pulling out the traps that I laid.
He kept helping cattle, wild beasts of open country, to escape my grasp.
He will not allow me to work in open country."
 
His father spoke to him, to the hunter,
 
"... Uruk, Gilgamesh.
... his open country.
His strength is very hard, like a sky-bolt of Anu
Go, set your face towards Uruk.
... the strength of a man,
... lead her forth, and
... the strong man.
When he approaches the cattle at the watering place,
She must take off her clothes and reveal her attractions.
He will see her and go close to her.
Then his cattle, who have grown up in open country with him, will become
alien to him."
 
He listened to the advice of his father.
The hunter went off to see Gilgamesh.
He took the road, set his face towards Uruk,
Entered the presence of Gilgamesh, and said:
 
"There was a young man who came from the mountain,
On the land he was strong, he was powerful.
His strength is very hard, like a sky-bolt of Anu.
He walks on the mountain all the time,
All the time he eats vegetation with cattle,
All the time he puts his feet in the water at the watering place.
I am too frightened to approach him.
He kept filling in the pits that I dug,
He kept pulling out the traps that I laid.
He kept helping cattle, wild beasts of open country, to escape my grasp.
He will not allow me to work in open country."
 
Gilgamesh spoke to him, to the hunter,
 
"Go, hunter, lead forth the harlot Shamhat,
And when he approaches the cattle at the watering place,
She must take off her clothes and reveal her attractions.
He will see her and go close to her.
Then his cattle, who have grown up in open country with him, will become
alien to him."
 
The hunter went; he led forth the harlot Shamhat with him,
And they took the road, they made the journey.
In three days they reached the appointed place.
Hunter and harlot sat down in their hiding place.
For one day, then a second, they sat at the watering place.
Then cattle arrived at the watering place; they drank.
Then wild beasts arrived at the water; they satisfied their need.
 
And he, Enkidu, whose origin is the mountain,
Who eats vegetation with gazelles,
Drinks at the watering place with cattle,
Satisfied his need for water with wild beasts.
Shamhat looked at the primitive man,
The murderous youth from the depths of open country.
 
"Here he is, Shamhat, bare your bosom,
Open your legs and let him take in your attractions!
Do not pull away, take wind of him!
He will see you and come close to you.
Spread open your garments, and let him lie upon you,
Do for him, the primitive man, as women do.
Then his cattle, who have grown up in open country with him,
will become alien to him.
His love-making he will lavish upon you!"
 
Shamhat loosened her undergarments, opened her legs and he took in her attractions.
She did not pull away. She took wind of him,
Spread open her garments, and he lay upon her.
She did for him, the primitive man, as women do.
His love-making he lavished upon her.
For six days and seven nights Enkidu was aroused and poured himself into Shamhat.
 
When he was sated with her charms,
He set his face towards the open country of his cattle.
The gazelles saw Enkidu and scattered,
The cattle of open country kept away from his body.
For Enkidu had stripped; his body was too clean.
His legs, which used to keep pace with his cattle, were at a standstill.
Enkidu had been diminished, he could not run as before.
Yet he had acquired judgment, had become wiser.
He turned back, he sat at the harlot's feet.
The harlot was looking at his expression,
And he listened attentively to what the harlot said.
The harlot spoke to him, to Enkidu,
 
"You have become wise Enkidu, you have become like a god.
Why should you roam open country with wild beasts?
Come, let me take you into Uruk the Sheepfold,
To the pure house, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar,
Where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength,
And is like a wild bull, more powerful than any of the people."
 
She spoke to him, and her speech was acceptable.
 
(The earlier Old Babylonian version continues the narrative.)
 
The woman's suggestions
Penetrated his heart.
She took off her garments,
Clothed him in one,
Dressed herself
In a second garment,
Took his hand,
Like a goddess led him
To a shepherd's hut
Where there was a sheep-pen.
The shepherds gathered over him
. . . . . . .
He used to suck the milk
Of wild animals.
They put food in front of him.
He narrowed his eyes, and looked,
Then stared.
Enkidu knew nothing
Of eating bread,
Of drinking beer.
He had never learned.
The harlot made her voice heard
And spoke to Enkidu,
 
"Eat the food, Enkidu,
The symbol of life.
Drink the beer, destiny of the land."
 
Enkidu ate the bread
Until he had had enough.
He drank the beer,
Seven whole jars,
Relaxed, felt joyful.
His heart rejoiced,
His face beamed,
He smeared himself with ...
His body was hairy.
He anointed himself with oil
And became like any man,
Put on clothes.
He was like a warrior,
Took his weapon,
Fought with lions.
The shepherds could rest at night;
He beat off wolves,
Drove off lions.
The older herdsmen lay down;
Enkidu was their guard,
A man wake.
 

 

 

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