“The Epic of Gilgamesh” and The Male Experience

Andrew Stutts

There are various aspects of The Epic of Gilgamesh that one could focus on.  However, one of the best analyses of the story is how it relates to the male experience in ancient times, especially concerning male intimacy.  Additionally, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu in The Epic of Gilgamesh serves as prime example of male bonding and is typical of the intimacy men shared in the ancient world.  Also, there are numerous examples from ancient history and literature that have much in common with The Epic of Gilgamesh concerning the importance of male intimacy in the ancient world.  Furthermore, male bonds like the one illustrated in The Epic of Gilgamesh served to strengthen the male ego and prepare ancient men for their roles in society.  Finally, the most prevalent topic examined in The Epic of Gilgamesh is mankind’s timeless struggle with death.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is not just a simple story of heroism it is also a tale of intimate camaraderie.  Gilgamesh was the legendary hero and ruler of Urak, what is now modern day Iraq, and Enkidu was his constant companion. Gilgamesh was an unlikable character in the beginning of the story.  He was an arrogant, selfish man that and pursued very base and hedonistic pleasures.   Also, he abused his authority and was despised by the people he ruled over.  Despite his shortcomings in character, he found no one who could match him in physical stature and greatness until he met Enkidu.  Although Gilgamesh prevailed over Enkidu in their wrestling match, each found in the other their equal and complimentary opposite. This was the catalyst that developed an intimate life long friendship.  Due to his love for his close friend, Gilgamesh evolved into a better man and ruler of his people.  Thanks to the friendship and support of Enkidu, Gilgamesh became loved by his people and established his legacy.

In The Epic of Gilgamesh there are multiple examples of the intimacy Gilgamesh and Enkidu shared.   At various times throughout the story it was eluded to how they completed each other. Reminiscent of the modern day description of a husband and wife, their friendship was as strong if not stronger than any brotherly bond known.   Additionally, in the Epic of Gilgamesh the affection they shared for one another was described as greater than that of a man for a woman.  Furthermore, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, when viewed from a modern cultural perspective, could be mistaken for one of lovers.  However, it should be noted that the friendship among men in ancient times were more intimate than today.  Regardless, the bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu was one of mutual welfare and benefit that pushed each to become better than what they could be without the other. 

Furthermore, Gilgamesh and Enkidu had no reservation about expressing affection for one another.  There is one part of the story that mentioned Gilgamesh and Enkidu holding hands while they fell asleep.  This behavior would not be typical of a modern heterosexual male, especially in western cultures.  However, once again Gilgamesh and Enkidu should not be mistaken for lovers.  Men in ancient times were more intimate with each other and were not ashamed of it.  They were not burden by the same social stigmas and cultural inhibitions that plague modern man.  Unfortunately, due to the conveniences of modern living man feels he has lost the need for such intimacy.  In fact most modern men are very distant from each other even in the same family.  What a shame that modern man does not enjoy the level of intimacy that men shared in ancient times.  Finally, the world would probably be a much better place if men experienced just half the amount of intimacy that ancient men knew.

 The friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh is typical of the close intimate bonds men shared in the ancient past.  Strong male connections were very important in the ancient world.  The rigors of surviving in the ancient world were a daily struggle everyone was required to overcome by whatever means fair or unfair.  Ancient man fought for every thing that was his.  He competed for his food, his home, and even the right to procreate.  Also, providing protection for his family both immediate and extended was a constant concern.  Therefore, often alliances between individuals or groups of individuals would immerge.  Furthermore, it could be argued that the necessities of survival led people to group together into tribes, city-states and eventually nations.  So, naturally when everything one had including their very life depended upon these collaborations, intense loving bonds would evolve between men. 

The strength of male unions can even change the course of history.   The Battle of Teutoberger Wald is one instance were brotherly love made such an impact.  1The Cherusci, a Germanic tribe, led by their chief Arimus delivered a shocking defeat to the Roman Empire at Teutoberger Wald.  They annihilated three Roman legions and supporting troops.  The outcome of this battle was the Romans were never able to control the Germanic Frontier and the course of European history being changed.  Many historians would credit the victory to terrain, tactics, and guile.  However, it can be argued that this impossible victory was due to the bonds the warriors shared, the most important being the bond between the chieftain and his people.   “The chieftain was bond to his people as they were to him, by ties of family, kinship and language.  He was expected to be generous with gifts as well as to receive his due from others.  In battle he was expected to lead as well as to command.  His place was at the forefront of the action, surrounded by the warriors of his household.”  (Devries, Dougherty, Dickie, Jestice, Rice 173)  This culture attitude was passed down and imbedded in latter works of literature in Europe.  The vibrant Old Norse poems in The Poetic Edda provide some of the best illustrations.  To quote some examples from Henry Adams Bellows translation of The Poetic Edda:  “To his friend a man a friend shall prove, to him and the friend of his friend; But never a man shall friendship make with one of his foeman’s friends.” (The Poetic Edda, Hovamol 43)  “If a friend thou hast whom thou fully wilt trust, and good from him wouldst get, thy thoughts with his mingle, and gifts shalt thou make, and fare to find him oft.” (The Poetic Edda, Hovamol 44)  Clearly ancient Germanic males had close intimate ties.

The ancient Greeks are another shinning example of male intimacy in the ancient world.  The ancient Greek city-state relied on the strength of its male bonds for survival.  This was mainly because of the manner in which battles were fought and won.  “The supreme arbiter of ancient Greek disputes was the Phalanx, a great mass of spear-armed citizen-soldiers (hoplites) called out to fight for the honor, the interest or sometimes survival of their home city.” (Devries, Dougherty, Dickie, Jestice, Rice 72)   “Being a member of the phalanx was an elite privilege.”  (Devries, Dougherty, Dickie, Jestice, Rice 73) “To be a hoplite was the pinnacle of Ancient Greek manliness.”   (Devries, Dougherty, Dickie, Jestice, Rice 73) Furthermore, the Phalanx was a tight military formation in which one hoplite depended on the shield of the person next to him for defense while he attacked the enemy.  Each Greek hoplite’s life depended on the discipline and bravery of his fellow hoplite.  A unique intense obligation developed when each man was both responsible and dependant upon the other for their very life and the survival of their community.

It is probably no coincidence that the Spartans were the finest examples of both Greek manliness and male intimacy.  Spartans were extremely hard and lethal men.  They were a deadly force to be reckoned with collectively as well as individually.  “The moral training was aimed at producing unflinching courage, total obedience, and, as the Spartan king Agesilas once said, "contempt of pleasure" {Kitto 93}.” (Muhlberger)  Furthermore, Spartan women were equally tough in their own rite and uncompromisingly demanded their men develop and maintain an elite warrior ethos. To create this iconic warrior, all Spartan men were trained from birth to be soldiers.  Mothers sent their boys away at age 7 to start military training.  After completing their military training young men were allowed to marry.  However, they continued to eat and sleep in a barracks-group until the age of 30.  Spartan men were finally permitted to live in their own houses after the age of 30 but still ate in barracks until they were too old to fight.     Spartan social engineering created men that shared more intimacy with their comrade in arms than with their own wife and families.  While this may seem odd from a modern perspective, it was a necessary by-product of the culture strategy used to protect the interest of the Spartan people. 

There are further examples in ancient Greek literature of close intimate relationships between men.  One example is the “archetypical bond between Achilles and Patroclus in The Iliad.” ("Achilles and Patroclus." Wikipedia. 2009)  In The Iliad Achilles and Patroclus are extremely close compatriots and joyfully face danger and death together. “Achilles is tender to Patroclus, callous and arrogant towards others.  Although most warriors fought for personal fame or their city-state (including Achilles), at certain junctures in the Iliad, Achilles emphasizes his relationship with Patroclus above all else.  He dreams that all Greeks would die so that he and Patroclus might gain the fame of conquering Troy alone.  After Patroclus dies, Achilles agonizes touching his dead body, smearing himself with ash, and fasting.  Achilles returns to the battlefield with the sole aim of revenging himself upon Hector, Patroclus's killer, even though the gods had warned him that it would cost him his life.” (“Achilles and Petroclus." Wikipedia. 2009)  In summary, the love Achilles displayed for Patroclus in The Iliad is an outstanding example of male intimacy in ancient Greek literature.

Moreover, the agony Achilles felt over the death of Patroclus parallels the pain and anguish Gilgamesh experienced losing Enkidu to his fated demise.  Furthermore, both feel a call to action, Achilles avenging Patroclus’s in battle and Gilgamesh’s search for immortality after losing Enkidu to the pains and suffering of a mortal death.  In conclusion, The Iliad corresponds to The Epic of Gilgamesh in regards to male intimacy and is representative of the affinity Greek men held for their male companions.

The fact that The Epic of Gilgamesh provides a glimpse of male intimacy in the ancient world is an important issue.   However, the rite of passage into manhood and the male ego are also relevant topics of discussion.  Every culture since the dawn of time has had expectations of manliness that affect the male psyche.  Sometimes these expectations are that of a warrior and protector.  Other times men are expected to be rogue adventures and seekers of glory. Still other times the role of a nurturing provider is expected of men.  Despite these expectations, men usually seek out adventure first.  Men winning victory and gaining glory before settling down to the comfort, safety and tranquility of a domestic life is a typical pattern in life and ancient literature.  Furthermore, this pattern could be considered a rite of passage of sorts.  Its sole purpose is to strengthen the frail male ego.  This pattern is obviously present in The Epic of Gilgamesh.  First of all, Gilgamesh refusing the love of Ishtar clearly illustrates man’s desire to first experience conquest and adventure before domestication.  Lastly, Gilgamesh and Enkidu fulfilled an egotistical need to prove their greatness by killing the fearsome demon-giant Humbaba and also slaying the Bull of Heaven. 

The right of passage into manhood can also lead into mutually beneficial and rewarding friendships.  There is a rowdy adventurous time in a male’s youth when they think that they are capable of conquering the world.  Most men when they are young fancy themselves as invincible; some take this more literally than others.  When such types, let’s call them alpha males; find their equals or betters they naturally want to ally themselves with them. You see this in the Epic of Gilgamesh when Gilgamesh defeated Enkidu in a test of wrestling skill and strength.  Despite the outcome of the match both see greatness in the other and perhaps something they are missing in themselves, striking a life long intimate friendship.  They do so with an intuition of fulfilling some great cause and achieving greatness.  In friendships such a Gilgamesh and Enkidu, each pushes the other to greater heights of achievement and glory. 

Even today one can see examples of the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu in modern cinema, especially martial art movies.  In these stories, men who are bested want to join forces with the one that beat them.  Sometimes they do so to become their student and better themselves.  Other times they do so to fulfill some destiny or greater cause. In any case the underlining theme in these friendships is for one or each to push the other to greater heights of achievement then they could have achieved alone.  Finally, I feel the following quote from the Bible summarizes ancient man’s attitude toward friendships: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (New International Version Bible, Proverbs 27:17)

Man in every age has contemplated and has had to come to terms with death and dying.  Various theologies have emerged from man’s eternal struggle with his own mortality.  Many learned to place their hopes in a better afterlife.  Some came to the conclusion that birth, life, and death are a natural never ending cycle that everything and everyone is a part of.  Still others took the same basic cyclic view and describe it with such concepts as reincarnation and spiritual evolution.  Over the ages many theories evolved to help mankind cope with the fear of death.  Regardless of the theory all have come to accept the reality that a no one can escape mortal death.  Furthermore, despite the fear of the unknown and the pain of losing loved ones most have accepted birth, life and death as the natural order of things. 

However, there are many examples throughout history of those who have sought out the secrets of immortality only to come up empty-handed.  Who has not wish for immortality at some point in their life?  The ancient Chinese attempted to create elixirs of immortality but often times instead of providing eternal life they slowly poisoned and killed the ones taking it.  Although not all of the elixirs proved fatal, none of them ever provided immortality.  In the western world, explorers were still looking for the fabled Fountain of Youth when they discovered the Americas.  These experiments, searches, and journeys for immortality have always been in vain.   In the end man always faces the grim reality of his own mortality.

There are many fine works of literature that cover the issues of life and death.   However, The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the finest examples of humanities timeless struggle with its own mortality.  In the Epic of Gilgamesh, after losing his companion Gilgamesh searched for the secret of immortality.  Seeing his friend so strong and virile in the prime of his life only to suffer an agonizing death had a profound affect on Gilgamesh.  He was initially grief stricken by the loss of his beloved friend Enkidu.  He then began to fear his own mortality.  Finally, Gilgamesh became angered at the cruel indignity of death.  To deal with the pain of losing his friend and his own fear of death he resolved himself to find the cure for death and the secret to immortality.  To add nobility to his cause, Gilgamesh intended to bring back the secret of immortality for the benefit of all.  After a long and arduous journey, he found the secret to immortality only to lose it to a serpent.  In the end, despite his greatness, Gilgamesh still had to face death as all men are required to do.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a metaphor of life for us all.  It is a story of youth and the eventual mortality everyone must come to terms with.  In the beginning many of us like Gilgamesh start our life story as unlikable characters.  We begin our journeys with a very selfish view and self centered approach to life.  Often times we pursue very base hedonistic pleasures.  Furthermore, we start off life very brash, thinking we can conquer the world, and that we are invincible.  However, facing ones own mortality forces people to evolve.  We begin to care for other people and things besides ourselves.  Additionally, we start to search for deeper truths.  While it is true that life provides the opportunity for individuals to become better human beings, it is death that motivates people to achieve greatness. 

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a fascinating story that one could draw much inspiration from and talk about a variety of issues.  However, when the focus is concentrated on the male experience it is plain to see that The Epic of Gilgamesh reveals the importance male intimacy had in ancient cultures.  Furthermore, there are many parallel examples in history and literature demonstrating the important role male bonding played in the ancient world.  Men were expected to fulfill many roles in the past and much is still expected of them today.  Additional, the male ego can be a fragile thing.  Today just as in the past a rite of passage serves to strengthen the male psyche and prepare him for his roles in society, sometimes providing rewarding friendship along the way.  Finally, I feel the most underling theme in the Epic of Gilgamesh is humanities timeless struggle with its own mortality. 

Works Cited

"The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Bedford Anthology of World Literature The Ancient World, Beginnings-100 C.E. Eds. Paul Davis, Gay Harrison, David M. Johnson, Patricia C. Smith, John F. Crawford, and THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2004. 55-91.

Devries, Kelly, et al. Battles of the Ancient World 1285 BC~AD 451 . New York, NY: Metro Books, 2007.

Bellows, Henry A. The Poetic Edda The Mythological Poems. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 2004.

Muhlberger, Steve. "History 2055-Ancient Civilizations Athens and Sparta." Nipissing University Hist 2055, Lecture 19 (Sep. 1 1998): 10 July 2009 <http://www.nipissingu.ca/department/history/muhlberger/2055/l19anc.htm>.

"The Iliad." The Bedford Anthology of World Literature The Acient World, Beginnings-100 C.E. Eds. Paul Davis, Gary Harrison, David M. Johnson, Patricia C. Smith, John F. Crawford, and THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. Boston , MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 288-420.

"Achilles and Petroclus." Wikipedia. 2009. 10 July 2009 . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles_and_Patroclus

Davis, Paul, ed. The New International Version Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishers, 1973.