Humbaba's Friendship In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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Some values loose their meaning over time while others are valued no matter the day and age. People have always value someone who would have their back, someone to confide in and someone to be stand by their side holding their hand through thick and thin. Friendship is a scarred bound now just as it was millenniums ago in Ancient Mesopotamia. In the poem The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by N.K. Sanders Gilgamesh and Enkidu shared such a camaraderie. When Gilgamesh first decides to go fight Humbaba and leave a name for himself, Enkidu is skeptical for he has faced Humbaba before and knows the horrors he is capable of. Although Gilgamesh won’t back down from his mission to go face Humbaba and although Enkidu still does no approve he cannot let him face Humbaba alone knowing he will be demolished, so he leads the way for Gilgamesh into the forest and in the end even helps him slay the beast Humbaba.…show more content…
He is just overjoyed by the fact that Gilgamesh is alive and so is he. Another instance were their friendship is validated is when Enkidu dies so Gilgamesh can live. The God decided that because Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed both Humbaba and the Bull of Heavan that one of them must die. And even though it was Gilgamesh’s idea to kill Humbaba and it was because of him that Ishtar released the Bull of Heavan, the God’s still choose Enkidu to pay for these actions. And regardless of that fact that it was not Enkidu’s choice to die instead of Gilgamesh he was not vile about the situation either. Instead he is glad that his dear friend can live and carry on his journey of greatness. Lastly while Enkidu is dead the friendship between Enkidu and Gilgamesh still prevails. Gilgamesh, being the good friend he is, sits by Enkidu’s death bed day after day, holding his hand as he
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