- The plot of the Tablet VI of the great Mesopotamian poem Gilgamesh is focused on the Ishtar’s proposal to the main character, the King of Uruk. Ishtar, the goddess of fertility offers Gilgamesh to be his lover. She promises lots of advances to him. She says she will increase the fertility among his stock. But the King of Uruk does not need such a gift from Ishtar. In spite of this he tells the story of Tammuz, the mortal shepherd. Once he was the lover of Ishtar but then she changed her mind and turned him into a captive in the underworld. The idea behind this story can be found also in other mythologies. It shows the importance of the fertility factor for all agricultural nations. Ishtar behaves like she is the most powerful among other gods. She can turn people in gods or in animals and do whatever she wants.
- The Tablet VII concentrates on the Enkidu’s dream. Gods need to punish someone for the actions people did (killing of Humbaba, falling the cedar tree and killing the Bull of Heaven). However, Gilgamesh cannot die. Gods chose Enkidu as their victim. Enkidu is not happy with his fate. He curses the circumstances, which changed his life. He curses Shamhat, the temple prostitute, who domesticated him. But for Mesopotamians the power of curses was such an important thing that Enkidu changes his mind before his death. He blesses Shamhat instead. Besides, Enkidu is upset to die in peace and not on the battlefield. This tablet shows such important values of Mesopotamians culture as fear of death, the belief in curses and blessings and ideals of noble death. However, this piece proves that underworld waits for all people regardless the sympathy of gods to them or their deeds. Death is more powerful than everything in this world.
Works Cited
Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. Free Press, 2004.
