Gilgamesh Part 4, The Journey.

Hello, this is Richard, and this is the fourth part of the story of Gilgamesh, an epic

story from ancient Mesopotamia. If you heard the earlier stories, you will know that King

Gilgamesh and his friend, the strong

man Enkidu, defeated Humbaba the dragon. When they then killed the bull of heaven, the gods

took their revenge by making Enkidu die. Gilgamesh was grief-stricken and left the city

and his royal life behind him to set out on a journey.

King Gilgamesh roamed through the countryside, sleeping out in the open and hunting for food.

Every day he wept bitterly for his lost brother Enkidu, and also for his own fate and the destiny of all human beings.

He called out into a rocky ravine,

My brother is dead, and one day I shall join him.

What is the point of life if it ends in death?

The rocks gave back no answer.

Only the echo of his own question, but he knew what he must do in his heart.

He must travel to the ends of the earth, to the garden of the sun, the home of Utnafistim,

the only man to whom the gods had granted everlasting life, he would speak to this unique man and learn his secret.

And so Gilgames set out towards the east where the sun rises. At night he lay down and prayed to the moon god's sin to protect him from lions.

In the morning he awoke and saw that three lions were prowling in a circle around where he lay.

He drew his sword and shot at them like an arrow from a bow, cutting at them and sending

them scattering. After many days walking, he came to the mountains of Mashu, behind which rests

the sun when it is not in the sky. Its twin peaks are as high as heaven, and its roots reach down into the underworld.

Shamash, the sun god, passes through the passage between the two mountains on his way up into the heavens each morning.

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