Introduction:
Most Babylonian myths were transcribed on clay tablets in 700 BCE and stored in the library of the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. The two major epics, the Epic of Creation about Marduk’s rule over gods and men and The Gilgamesh Epic that shows a mans struggle to overcome death, are known to have originated around 2000 BCE.
Babylonian mythology has a very negative outlook on the underworld of the dead and cherishes life very much. It is very materialistic and earth-bound. The Babylonian people are fighters and strong powerful people. The values are powerful and this is illustrated in the Gilgamesh Epic.
Gods and Godesses-It is nearly impossible to name every god in Babylonian history but here are named the most popular and well-known gods. There are also many demons and monsters that they worshiped.
CREATION
Babylonian Mythology originated with water. The gods arose from the mixture of sweet water, Apsu, with salt water, Tiamat. Apsu and Tiamat conceived Mummu, the god of the waves. They also gave birth to a pair of huge serpents, Lakhmu and Lakhamu. These serpents produced Anshar, the god of the heavens, and Kishar, the god of the earthly world. From them came the major gods, Anu, Enlil, and Ea, and all the other gods of the sky, earth, and the underworld.
These were noisy gods. This upset Apsu and Tiamat because they could not sleep. They discussed the possibility of eliminating the noisy gods. Ea, the all-knowing, soon heard of their plan to destroy and captured Apsu and Mummu. The furious Tiamat created a large army to punish Ea.
Ashar, the father of Ea, told him to send Anu to fight Tiamat. Anu and Ea were afraid of the goddess and her army so they called Marduk forth. Marduk promised to conquer Tiamat only if he was given the highest authority over all the gods. The gods decided that he would have this great authority and he and they feasted in his honor.
Marduk with bow and arrows, lightning, winds, a hurricane, and special net, went forth to meet Tiamat in his chariot. They met and Marduk caught Tiamat in his net. Tiamat opened her mouth to swallow him but he let loose the hurricane, which filled her belly. Stunned, Marduk shot an arrow into her belly and killed her. Her army fled in confusion, but Marduk captured them in his net and cast them into the underworld.
While cutting up Marduk, Tiamat discovered a plan. He used her body and made the earth and the dome of the heavens. He made the nest of the gods, the stars, set the length of the year, and ordered the movement of heavenly bodies. Man was then created with the blood of Kingu, the general of Tiamat’s army. He made rivers, vegetation, and animals, which ended creation. As a gift to Marduk, all of the gods gave him their titles, making him the God of Gods.
The gods were unhappy with the human race. They held a meeting and agreed to drown all of mankind. Wishing to spare humans, Ea spoke up. One man, Uta-Napishtim, was instructed to build a ship for one family and all living creatures. Uta-Napishtim worked hard and completed the ship before the rains came. In six days and six nights, the earth was flooded and even the gods were fearful. On the seventh day the winds and rains game to an end. Everyone and everything, except for Uta-Napishtim and his family, had become mud. With the ship resting upon Mount Nisir, a bird was sent forth to find out if the waters had decreased enough to unload and the bird failed to return. Leaving the ship, Uta-Napishtim made a sacrifice to the gods. Enlil, the tempest god, was the only god disgruntled by the idea of the human race being spared. Enlil was swayed to agree by Ea’s gentle words. Enlil gave Uta-Napishtim and his wife the gift of life everlasting.
THE LEGAND OF GILGAMESH
In Uruk, an ancient Sumerian City there once ruled a wise and powerful king named Gilgamesh, famed as a soldier and with unbeatable wrestling skills. He was very unpopular to women and would abduct any woman whether she was married or single. The people of Uruk were very disgruntled with his behavior and could not conquer him. They prayed to the goddess Aruru to find a man to overpower Gilgamesh so that he would leave the women of Uruk alone.
Enkidu, a hairy man with legs like a bull, was then created by Aruru. Enkidu wandered with wild beasts and freed them from traps of hunters. Gilgamesh heard of Enkidu’s strength and sent one of his women out to entice him. When the woman lied naked by his watering hole and when Enkidu arrived he went to lie with her. Enkidu’s animal friends no longer respected him and they shunned him. Enkidu had no where to go so he followed the woman’s advice and returned with her to Uruk.
Gilgamesh, in his palace, dreamed of fighting with a powerful man who could easily master him. Nisun, his mother, said that the dream meant that he would become a close companion with Enkidu. Gilgamesh and Enkidu fought in a tiresome wrestling match and then became friends just as the dream had predicted. Gilgamesh invited Enkidu to live in the palace with him and share the grand honors. Enkidu, one night, had a nightmare of being snatched by a terrible creature with eagle claws and cast away to the underworld of death. Gilgamesh soon heard of this and offered a sacrifice to Shamash, the sun god. She advised them to fight Khumbaba, the king of Cedar Mountain. The two set forth after a strong attempt from the people of Urku to dissuade them from fighting. They knew they would be fighting on Cedar Mountain but none the less, they still set forth.
Traveling northwest, they left the fertile land of their home behind. They crossed very vast deserts and reaching the Amanus Mountains, they finally arrived at Cedar Mountain with Khumbaba watching out for his mountain. Enkidu was afraid but Gilgamesh issued a challenge to Khumbaba. They did not receive an answer so they made a sacrifice to the gods and stayed the night. That night Gilgamesh dreamt of victory and in the morning, Khumbaba charged them. After a terrific fight, Gilgamesh knocked Khumbaba to the ground and Enkidu beheaded him. Gilgamesh cut down the sacred cedars for temples in Uruk.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu bathed, dressed, and made an offering to the gods. Ishtar then appeared and tried to seduce Gilgamesh but he rejected her. Gilgamesh and Enkidu returned to Uruk, where Ishtar and Anu had sent the Bull of Heaven against Uruk. In the process of wrecking the city, Gilgamesh and Enkidu captured the bull and slaughtered it. Enkidu threw the hide of the bull in Ishtar’s face and said he would do the same to her if he could. Ishtar then sent a mortal curse against Enkidu and after being sick for twelve days he withered away and died.
Gilgamesh was a wreck over the death of his friend and he realized that he too would die someday. He then decided he would go in search of the secret for life-everlasting. He set forth to track down Uta-Napishtim, the man who was granted immorality by Enlil. He began traveling west towards Mount Mashu, which was heavily guarded my Scorpion-Man. The head scorpion allowed his passage. After a long journey through a tunnel, Gilgamesh stepped into the garden of a goddess who advised him to return home. She also suggested that he enjoy life and accept death gracefully. Gilgamesh was going to find Uta-Napishtim so the goddess directed him towards Uta-Napishtim’s boatman. This man warned Gilgamesh of the dangerous waters that surrounded Uta-Napishtim’s home. Gilgamesh did not intend to turn back so the boatman helped Gilgamesh cross the turbulent waters and finally he arrived at the home of the immortal man.
Uta-Napishtim laughed at Gilgamesh when he stated his purpose for coming. Uta-Napishtim then told Gilgamesh his story of winning life-everlasting. Uta-Napishtim challenged Gilgamesh to stay awake for six days and seven nights as he had done but Gilgamesh quickly fell asleep.
Uta-Napishtim’s wife persuaded him to tell Gilgamesh the secret to life-everlasting. They woke Gilgamesh and told him of a prickly plant that lay at the bottom of the sea. Gilgamesh set forth at once to find the plant. When he came to the edge of the see he attached rocks to his feet and sank to the bottom of the sea. He found the prickly plant and plucked it, he disconnected the boulders and shot to the surface. Happily, Gilgamesh returned home with the plant. He crossed the raging waters, the goddess’s garden, the tunnel of Mount Mashu, and traveled eastward.
He laid the plant on a rock while he bathed. A snake ate the plant with he was swimming. Gilgamesh sobbed long and hard, for he had wasted time finding the plant and now he would not gain eternal life. He returned to Uruk with a sad and broken heart. Enkidu told him of the horable life in the underworld. The only thing that brought joy to him was the idea that the walls surrounding Urku would out live him and symbolize Gilgamesh’s reign.