Enkidu begins to understand being a man, through loving “a harlot, a wanton from the temple of love” (5). They call this woman a harlot, a prostitute. In prostitution, there generally isn’t a long term commitment, and Enkidu treats it as such, trying to go back to the beasts when he had enough. But when the beasts won’t take him back, the woman seems to care for and help Enkidu. She tells him to “eat bread, it is the staff of life; drink the wine, it is the custom of the land” (7). She fends for his biological needs and teaches him societal customs. She also gave him clothing, which made me think of Adam and Eve, and how Adam and Eve only need clothing after they had knowledge of good and evil. Like them, “Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart” (6).
At first, I thought that their seemed to be a really negative twist on women in this story, with the harlot being a woman and prying Enkidu away from the beasts he was happy with, with her “woman’s art” (6). And also, with the beasts, while frightening people, Enkidu had “long hair like a woman’s” (5). So women seemed to be used to trick and to scare. But then I realized that Enkidu’s and Gilgamesh’s friendship is tied to the idea of women. Ninsun tells Gilgamesh “you will love him as a woman,” referring to Enkidu. This strong friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu isn’t bad. It gives Gilgamesh the strength to kill Humbaba. My side question is, why on earth was it necessary to kill Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar forest? What makes the guardian of a forest bad? Did I completely miss something? Anyway, also, when Enkidu curses the harlot before he dies, Shamash informs him of the good the woman has done for him, leading him to Gilgamesh, then also talks about how Gilgamesh will be devastated and “let his hair grow long” (20). When Enkidu does die, Gilgamesh cries that men “As though they were women/ Go long-haired in mourning” (22). Gilgamesh also “laid a veil, as one veils the bride, over his friend” (22). While Gilgamesh’s friendship is used in comparison to women, I suppose that women are only an idea in that context (they will grow their hair like a woman, and you will love like a woman) and it doesn’t actually portray specific women positively. Then there is the harlot, and I don’t think of a harlot as a positive thing. However, the harlot helps Enkidu and seems to care about him more than she’s obligated. My overly broad question is do you guys agree or disagree, and did I overlook something? And do you have any additional thoughts or something else related to women or men or being human?
Also, this is quite off topic, but Mary Oliver had been criticized by feminists for her association of women and nature, which I find baffling. Anyway, I’ll do a post about this sometime not on the Gilgamesh board.
At first, I thought that their seemed to be a really negative twist on women in this story, with the harlot being a woman and prying Enkidu away from the beasts he was happy with, with her “woman’s art” (6). And also, with the beasts, while frightening people, Enkidu had “long hair like a woman’s” (5). So women seemed to be used to trick and to scare. But then I realized that Enkidu’s and Gilgamesh’s friendship is tied to the idea of women. Ninsun tells Gilgamesh “you will love him as a woman,” referring to Enkidu. This strong friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu isn’t bad. It gives Gilgamesh the strength to kill Humbaba. My side question is, why on earth was it necessary to kill Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar forest? What makes the guardian of a forest bad? Did I completely miss something? Anyway, also, when Enkidu curses the harlot before he dies, Shamash informs him of the good the woman has done for him, leading him to Gilgamesh, then also talks about how Gilgamesh will be devastated and “let his hair grow long” (20). When Enkidu does die, Gilgamesh cries that men “As though they were women/ Go long-haired in mourning” (22). Gilgamesh also “laid a veil, as one veils the bride, over his friend” (22). While Gilgamesh’s friendship is used in comparison to women, I suppose that women are only an idea in that context (they will grow their hair like a woman, and you will love like a woman) and it doesn’t actually portray specific women positively. Then there is the harlot, and I don’t think of a harlot as a positive thing. However, the harlot helps Enkidu and seems to care about him more than she’s obligated. My overly broad question is do you guys agree or disagree, and did I overlook something? And do you have any additional thoughts or something else related to women or men or being human?
Also, this is quite off topic, but Mary Oliver had been criticized by feminists for her association of women and nature, which I find baffling. Anyway, I’ll do a post about this sometime not on the Gilgamesh board.