Gilgamesh - Description of the Underworld

A dream from Enkidu opens the narration of the underworld. It has been decided that Enkidu should die by the gods Enlil and Shamash, who has to choose between Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Enkidu dreams a terrifying dream that entails the darkest side of the underworld - Hell. For he proclaimed the heavens roared, and the earth rumbled back an answer, while Enkidu stood his fate. Standing he faced an awful being, a somber faced man-bird. The man had a vampire face, a lion’s foot, and a hand as an eagle’s talon. The man fell on Enkidu and his claws were in his hair, which held Enkidu until he smothered. Next, the awful being transformed him, so that his arms became wings covered with feathers. Afterward, the man turned his stare toward Enkidu, and led him away to the palace of Irkalla, the queen of darkness. Irkalla’s palace is the house from which anyone that enters never returns and there is no coming back.

The house of hell is portrayed as the house where the dead dwells in total darkness. They drink dirt, eat stone, wear feathers like birds, and light will never invade their everlasting darkness. When Enkidu entered, the door and lock of hel

Past Mount Mashu is the land of the night, where no light ever appears. Gilgamesh voyages twelve leagues before he is emerged into daylight. There he enters into a brilliant garden of gems, where every tree bears precious stones and fruit. Shamash then saw Gilgamesh and tells him, that no man has ever gone this way and he will never find what he is searching for. However Gilgamesh still proceeds with his journey. Soon after he comes upon Siduri, maker of wine, who sits in the garden at the edge of the sea. Siduri insists he is a felon, for Gilgamesh still looks despicable. She tries to bar him from the gate, but Gilgamesh is able to get his foot in first before she shuts it. He proves to her that he is Gilgamesh and asks how to find Utnapishtim. Again he is told that his journey is futile and with grave danger. Never the less she directs him to Urshanabi, the ferryman of Utnapishtim, and that if at all possible, he would be the one to get him across the ocean. She also depicts that with Urshanabi, are the holy things, the things of stone.

l were coated with thick dust, thus giving it another name, the house of dust. Enkidu saw that the crowns of kings were heaped on every side, and heard their voices serving food to Enlil and Anu. Candy, meat, and water poured from the king’s skins. He also saw

Some topics in this essay:
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