Gilgamesh and Huwawa, version A
Masks
depicting Huwawa
(otherwise known as Hubaba, and whose name may mean 'the wicked one') show the
face covered with convoluted intestines - as noted, this
mimics the complex path of Mercury in the sky. Similar cosmic
complexities abound when the Epic refers to pillars, gateposts, bolts
and such like. Bob Trubshaw 4-7 "Enkidu, since a man cannot pass beyond
the final end of life, I want to set off into the mountains, to
establish my renown there. Where renown can be established there, I
will establish my renown; and where no renown can be established
there, I shall establish the renown of the gods." 8-12 His slave Enkidu answered him: "My lord,
if today you want to set off into the mountains, Utu should know
about it from us. (1 ms.
adds: If you want to set off into the
Mountains of Cedar-felling, Utu should know about it from us.) Utu,
youthful Utu, should know about it from us. A decision that concerns
the mountains is Utu's business. A decision that concerns the
Mountains of Cedar-felling is the business of youthful Utu. Utu
should know about it from us." 13-16 Gilgamec prepared (2 mss. have instead:
took hold of) a white kid.He clasped a brown kid, a sacrificial
animal, close to his breast. (1 ms.
has instead: He ...... a brown kid.)
In his hand he held a holy staff before his nose, as he addressed Utu
of heaven: 17-18 "Utu, I want to set off into the
mountains! May you be my helper! I want to set off into the Mountains
of Cedar-felling! May you be my helper!" 19-20 From heaven Utu replied to him: "Young
man, you are noble already in your own right -- but what would you
want with the mountains?" 21-33 "Utu, I have something to say to you --
a word in your ear! I greet you -- please pay attention! In my city
people are dying, and hearts are full of distress. People are lost --
that fills me with (1 ms.
adds wretched) dismay. I craned my
neck over the city wall: corpses in the water make the river almost
overflow. That is what I see. That will happen to me too -- that is
the way things go. No one is tall enough to reach heaven; no one can
reach wide enough to stretch over the mountains. Since a man cannot
pass beyond the final end of life, I want to set off into the
mountains, to establish my renown there. Where renown can be
established there, I will establish my renown; and where no renown
can be established there, I shall establish the renown of the
gods." 34-47 Utu accepted his tears as a fitting
gift. As befits a compassionate person, he turned to him full of
compassion: "Now there are seven warriors, sons of a single mother.
The first, their eldest brother, has lion's paws and eagle's talons.
The second is a ...... snake, ....... The third is a dragon snake,
....... The fourth blazes with fire ....... The fifth is a ......
snake, ....... The sixth (1 ms.
adds: , a shackle that ...... the
rebel lands in the hills,) beats at the flanks of the mountainslike a
battering flood (1 ms. has
instead: , floodwater that destroys
all). The seventh ...... flashes like lightning, and no one can
deflectit (1 ms. has
instead: its power). 48-51 In his city he had the horn sounded for
single men; similarly for two together he made them call out. "Let
him who has a household go to his household! Let him who has a mother
go to his mother! Let bachelor males, types like me,
(4 mss. add: -- fifty of them --) join me at my side!" 52-60 Whoever had a household went to his
household. Whoever had a mother went to his mother. Bachelor males,
types like him -- there were fifty -- joined him at his side. He made
his way to the blacksmith's, and had them cast ...... weapons and
axes, the strength of warriors. Then he made his way to the deeply
shaded plantations, where he had ebony trees felled, and
halub
trees, apricot trees, and box trees. He ...... to his fellow-citizens
who were going with him. (1 ms.
adds: Warriors, sons of a single
mother .......) The first, their eldest brother, has lion's paws and
eagle's claws. They will guide him through the mountain
valleys. 61 He crossed the first mountain range,but his
intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there (1 ms. has instead: the
cedars did not catch his attention). (The same ms. adds: He
crossed the second mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his
attention. He crossed the third mountain range, but the cedars did
not catch his attention. He crossed the fourth mountain range, but
the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the fifth mountain
range, but the cedars did not catch his attention. He crossed the
sixth mountain range, but the cedars did not catch his
attention.) 62-67 When he had crossed the seventh mountain
range, there his intuition led him to find the cedars. He did not
need to ask, nor did he have to search any further. Lord Gilgamec
began to chop at the
cedars, while Enkidu lopped off their
branches, ...... to Gilgamec. (1 ms.
has instead: while Enkidu ......
their branches, and his fellow-citizens .......) (1 ms. adds: to ......,
Enkidu .......) ...... stacked them in piles. (1 ms. adds:
Huwawa
.......) He loosed his terrrors against ....... (instead of lines 65-67, 1 ms. has
instead: while Enkidu cut up the
timbers, and the widows' sons who had come with him heaped them up in
piles. Since, because of the ......, Huwawa had been
scared in his lair by Gilgamec, he began to radiate his terrors .......)
68-75 Gilgamec ...... was overcome by sleep,
and it affected Enkidu ...... as a powerful longing. His
fellow-citizens who had come with him flailed around at his feet like
puppies. Enkidu awoke from his dream, shuddering from his sleep. He
rubbed his eyes; there was eery silence everywhere. He touched
Gilgamec, but could not rouse him. He spoke to him, but he did not
reply. 76-84 "You who have gone to sleep, you who
have gone to sleep! Gilgamec, young lord of Kulaba, how long will you
sleep for? The mountains are becoming indistinct as the shadows fall
across them; the evening twilight lies over them. Proud Utu is
already on his way to the bosom of his mother Ningal. Gilgamec, how
long will you sleep for? The sons of your city who came with you
should not have to wait at the foot of the hills. Their own mothers
should not have to twine string in the square of your city."
85-89 He thrust that into his right ear; he
covered him with his aggressive words as if with a cloth
(1 ms. adds: , laid them out like linen). Hegathered
(3 mss. have instead: picked up) in his hand a cloth with thirty shekels of
oil on it andsmothered (1 ms. has
instead: rubbed) it over Gilgamec's
chest. Then Gilgamec stood up like a bull on the great earth. Bending
his neck downwards, he yelled at him: 90-91 "By the life of my own mother Ninsun and
of my father, holy Lugalbanda! Am I to become again as if I were
slumbering still on the lap of my own mother Ninsun?" 92-95 A second time he spoke to him: "By the
life of my own mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! Until
I discover whether that person was a human or a god, I shall not
direct back to the city my steps which I have directed to the
mountains." 96-97 The slave, trying to ameliorate the
situation, trying to make life appear more attractive, answered his
master: 98-106 "My master, you have not yet really
seen that person, he should not vex you. -- But he vexes me -- me,
who have seen him before. His pugnacious mouth is a dragon's maw; his
face is a lion's grimace. His chest is like a raging flood; no
onedare approach (1 ms. has
instead: can escape from) his brow,
which devours the reed-beds. (2 mss.
adds 1 line: A man-eating lion, he
never wipes away the blood from his slaver.) 107-116 "Look, Enkidu, two people together
will not perish! A grappling-pole does not sink! No one can cut
through a three-ply cloth! Water cannot wash someone away from a
wall! Fire in a reed house cannot be extinguished! You help me, and I
will help you -- what can anyone do against us then? When it sank,
when it sank, when the Magan boat sank, when the magilum barge sank, then
at least the life-saving grappling-pole of the boatwas rescued
(1 ms. has instead: was not allowed to sink)! Come on, let's get after him
and get a sight of him! 117-119 "If we go after him, there will be
terror! There will be terror. Turn back! Is it advisable? Is it
advisable? Turn back!" 120 "Whatever you may think -- come on, let's
get after him! 121-125 Before a man can approach within even
sixty times six yards, Huwawa has already
reached his house among the cedars. When he looks at
someone, it is the look of death. When he shakes his head at someone,
it is a gesture full of reproach. (1
ms. adds: When he speaks to someone,
he certainly does not prolong his words:) "You may still be a young
man, but you will never again return to the city of your mother who
bore you!" 126-129 Fear and terror spread throughhis
(1 ms. has instead: Gilgamec's) sinews and his feet. He could not move (?)
his feet on the ground; the big toenails of his feet stuck ...... to
the path (?). At his side ....... 130-135 (Huwawa addressed
Gilgamec:) "So come on now, you heroic bearer of a sceptre of
wide-ranging power! Noble glory of the gods, angry bull standing
ready for a fight! Your mother knew well how to bear sons, and your
nurse knew well how to nourish children on the breast! Don't be
afraid, rest your hand on the ground! 136-139 Gilgamec rested his hand on the
ground, and addressed Huwawa: "By the life of
my own mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one really
knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know where
in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you En-me-barage-si,
my big sister, to be your wife in the mountains." 140-144 And again he addressed him: "By the
life of my mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one
really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know
where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought you Ma-tur, my
little sister, to be your concubine in the mountains. Just hand over your terrors to me!
I want to become your kinsman!" 145-148 Then Huwawa handed over to him his
first terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with
him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to
lay them down at the foot of the hills. (Several mss.
preserve a more elaborate, but repetitive, narrative built on the
pattern of lines 145-148. Some preserve the repetitions in an
extremely abbreviated form. No ms. known to be from Nippur preserves
the additional lines. One ms. of unknown origin adds at least 53
lines (and another fragmentary ms. of unknown origin gives an
abbreviated version of these, always replacing 'terror' by
'aura'): 148A-148K And again he addressed him: "By the
life of my mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda! No one
really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like to know
where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the
mountains for you ....... Couldn't I get close to you and your
family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your
kinsman! "Then Huwawa handed over to
him his second terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with
him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to
lay them down at the foot of the hills. 148L-148V And a third time he addressed him:
"By the life of my mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda!
No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like
to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the
mountains for you some eca flour -- the food of
the gods! -- and a waterskin of cool water. Couldn't I get close to
you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to
become your kinsman! "Then Huwawa handed over to
him his third terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with
him began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to
lay them down at the foot of the hills. 148W-148FF And a fourth time he addressed him:
"By the life of my mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda!
No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like
to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the
mountains for you some big shoes for big feet. Couldn't I get close
to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to
become your kinsman! " Then Huwawa handed over to him his
fourth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him
began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay
them down at the foot of the hills. 148GG-148PP And a fifth time he addressed him:
"By the life of my mother Ninsun and of my father, holy Lugalbanda!
No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they would like
to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have brought to the
mountains for you some tiny shoes for your tiny feet. Couldn't I get
close to you and your family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I
want to become your kinsman! " Then Huwawa handed over to him his
fifth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him
began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay
them down at the foot of the hills. 148QQ-148AAA And a sixth time he addressed
him: "By the life of my mother Ninsun and of my father, holy
Lugalbanda! No one really knows where in the mountains you live; they
would like to know where in the mountains you live. Here, I have
brought you rock-crystal, nir stone and lapis
lazuli -- from the mountains. Couldn't I get close to you and your
family? Just hand over your terrors to me! I want to become your
kinsman! " Then Huwawa handed over to him his
sixth terror. Gilgamec's fellow-citizens who had come with him
began to lop off the branches and bundle them together, so as to lay
them down at the foot of the hills.) 149-151 When Huwawa had finally handed over to
him his seventh terror, Gilgamec found himself beside Huwawa. Hewent up to
him gradually (1 ms. has
instead: ......) from behind, as one
does with a ...... snake. He made as if to kiss him, but then punched
him on the cheek with his fist. 152 Huwawa bared his teeth at him
(1 ms. adds: , furrowing his brows at him). (2 mss. from Ur add 8 lines: Huwawa addressed Gilgamec: "Hero, ...... to act
falsely!" The two of them ...... on him ....... ...... the warrior
from his dwelling. ...... said to him, "Sit down!" ...... Huwawa from
his dwelling. ...... said to him, "Sit down!" The warrior sat down
and began to weep, shedding tears. Huwawa sat down and began to weep,
shedding tears. Huwawa ...... plea ...... to Gilgamec.)
(instead of ll. 152A-152H, 2 other
mss. add 2 lines:) He threw a halter
over him as over a captured wild bull. He tied up his arms like a
captured man.) (one of the mss. adds 1
further line: Huwawa wept, .......)
153-157 He tugged at Gilgamec's hand.
(4 mss. have instead: "Gilgamec, let me go!") "I want to talk to Utu! ""Utu,
I never knew a mother who bore me, nor a father who brought me up! I
was born in the mountains -- you brought me up! Yet Gilgamec swore to
me by heaven, by earth, and by the mountains." 158-160 Huwawa clutched at Gilgamec's hand,
and prostrated himself before him. Then Gilgamec's noble heart took
pity on him. Gilgamec addressed Enkidu (3 mss. have instead: He
addressed his slave Enkidu): 161-162 "Enkidu, let the captured bird run
away home! Let the captured man return to his mother's
embrace! 163-174 Enkidu replied to Gilgamec
(2 mss. have instead: His slave Enkidu replied): "Come on now, you heroic
bearer of a sceptre of wide-ranging power! Noble glory of the gods,
angry bull standing ready for a fight! Young lord Gilgamec, cherished
in Unug, your mother knew well how to bear sons, and your nurse knew
well how to nourish children! -- One so exalted and yet so lacking
inunderstanding (1 ms. has
instead: judgment) will be devoured
by fate without him ever understanding that fate. The very idea that
a captured bird should run away home, or a captured man should return
to his mother's embrace! -- Then you yourself would never get back to
the mother-city that bore you! (1 ms.
adds: A captured warrior set free! A
captured high priestess ...... to the jipar! A captured
gudu
priest restored to his wig of hair! ...... ever, ever ......? 175-177 Huwawa addressed Enkidu: "Enkidu, you
speak such hatefulyou speak such hateful words to him.
(2 mss. have instead: why do you speak such hateful words to him?)" 178-180 As Huwawa spoke thus to
him, Enkidu, full of rage and anger,
cut his throat (2 mss. from Nippur have instead: they cut his throat).He put (1 ms. has instead:) He
chucked (the same 2 mss. from Nippur
have instead: They put) his head in a
leather bag. 181-186 They entered before Enlil. After they
had kissed the ground before Enlil, they threw the leather bag down,
tipped out his head, and placed it before Enlil. When Enlil saw the
head of Huwawa, he spoke angrily to Gilgamec: (instead of lines 181-186, 1 ms. has: They brought it before Enlil and Ninlil. When Enlil
approached (?), ...... went out the window (?), and Ninlil went out
....... When Enlil with Ninlil had returned (?),) 187-192 "Why did you act in this way?......
did you act ......? (1 ms. has
instead: Was it commanded that his
name should be wiped from the earth?)He should have sat before you!
(1 ms. has instead: He should have sat ......, .......) He should have
eaten the bread that you eat, and should have drunk the water that
you drink!He should have been honoured ...... you! (1 ms. has instead:
Huwawa
-- he ...... honoured!)" (1 other ms.
has instead: From his seat, Enlil
assigned Huwawa's heavenly auras to .......) 193-199 (the
ms. tradition for lines 193-199 is extremely confused about the order
in which the various auras are assigned; the following sequence is a
compromise:) He gave Huwawa's first aura to the
fields. He gave his second aura to the
rivers. He gave his third aura to the
reed-beds. He gave his fourth aura to the
lions. He gave his fifth aura to thepalace
(1 ms. has instead: debt slaves). He gave his sixth aura to theforests
(1 ms. has instead: the hills). He gave his seventh aura to Nungal
(the goddess of
prisoners) . 200 ...... his terror ...... (1 ms. or possibly 2 mss. have instead: ...... the rest of the auras ...... Gilgamec .......)
201-202 Mighty one, Gilgamec,who is cherished!
(1 ms. has instead: be praised! Enkidu, be praised!) Nisaba, be praised!
(instead of lines 201-202, 1 ms.
has: Huwawa, ......! ......
cherished, ......! Enkidu, be praised ......!) Gracious permission from:
"Copyright J.A. Black, G. Cunningham, E. Robson, and G. Zlyomi 1998,
1999, 2000. The authors have asserted their moral rights."
Scholarly Versions at their
Home Page
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford
University 
(1 ms. adds 4 lines: 4 lines
fragmentary)
(another ms. adds instead 6
lines: 2 lines fragmentary
...... kingship ....... Nisaba has bestowed ...... on you in
addition. They ......, and know the routes on earth. They will help
you find the ...... of the way.) They should guide you through the
mountain valleys!The warrior, youthful Utu, gave these seven to
Gilgamec. (3 mss. have instead the
line, placed after line 43: These
seven the warrior, youthful Utu, gave to lord Gilgamec.) The feller
of cedars was filled with joy; lord Gilgamec was filled with
joy.
(Another ms. adds
instead: unknown no. of lines missing
He crossed the third mountain range, but his intuition did not lead
him to find the cedars there. He crossed the fourth mountain range,
but his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there. He
crossed the fifth mountain range, but his intuition did not lead him
to find the cedars there. He crossed the sixth mountain range, but
his intuition did not lead him to find the cedars there.)
(1 ms. adds instead 5
lines: 1 line fragmentary
...... a lion eating a corpse, he never wipes away the blood
3 lines fragmentary)
Travel on, my master, up into the mountains! -- but I shall travel
back to the city. If I say to your mother about you "He is alive!",
she will laugh. But afterwards I shall say to her about you "He is
dead!", and she will certainly weepover you (1 ms. has instead:
bitterly)." (1 ms.
adds: ...... replied to ......:)
2 lines fragmentary
...... his attention to his words .......)
(1 ms. adds: 2 lines
fragmentary)