Acceptance

Gilgamesh wallowed in his grief for a long time. He had lost his closest companion in Enkidu, and when he had searched for the key to immortality, the world took it away from him as well. But his quest for immortality had only been a way to keep himself from thinking of Enkidu's death, to perhaps give him enough time to find a way to return his friend to life.

It was a stray thought that roused Gilgamesh from his palace. He was not capable of bringing about Enkidu's return, but the deities had far more power over such things. Seized with a new purpose, the king made his way to the temples of the city.

At temple after temple, Gilgamesh bowed his head and prayed for a single thing: for the return of Enkidu. Day after day he prostrated himself in prayer, and day after day passed without any reply from the gods. Bitterness took hold of Gilgamesh's heart, but he still continued despite his faltering hope.

Finally, a single god took pity upon the desperate king of Uruk. Ea, the god of creation, looked down upon Gilgamesh and spoke to him.

"You wish for the return of Enkidu?"

"I do," replied Gilgamesh. He attempted to keep his hope from rising, but any response was better than the previous silence.

For a long moment, Ea was silent. But then he responded once more.

"Very well. However, Enkidu's death cannot be reverted. He shall be brought back as a spirit, and his existence outside of Kur shall be a temporary one."

Gilgamesh's heart twisted when he heard the declaration, but even another moment was better than his current grief, and so he agreed.

Ea persuaded Nergal, the god of the underworld Kur, to bring forth Enkidu. And before Gilgamesh could stop to prepare himself, his friend stood in front of him once more.

"Enkidu..."

The other man smiled. "Gilgamesh, my friend. It is good to see you again, although I must admit I had not expected it to be so soon."

Foregoing his usual composure, Gilgamesh stepped forward and hugged Enkidu. "I- Forgive me, my friend. You should not have had to die the way you did. I should have saved you, or prevented Ishtar from cursing you!"

Enkidu stepped back, shaking his head. "My King, you are quite foolish at times." This took Gilgamesh aback, and he could only stare bewildered while Enkidu continued.

"While it is true that Ishtar's focus was you, it was not that which caused her to put that curse upon me. Had I truly wished to remain uninvolved, then it is true that I would have remained alive and unharmed. But Ishtar was in conflict with you, and all of your enemies shall become mine, just as I know that all enemies of mine would become yours. I do not mean to say that I wished my own death, but if it means that Ishtar believes her vengeance on Uruk to be complete, then I have no regrets."

Gilgamesh shut his eyes, pained by his friend's words. "...You should not have given your life for me. It is too high a price to pay for one such as me."

"And yet it is the same price you would have paid for me," Enkidu replied without a moment's hesitation. "I know you too well, Gilgamesh. I am honored by your grief, but do not continue to grieve for such a long time. Even if I am not there, my one wish is for you to live your life to the fullest." With a laugh and a smile, he continued. "Spending your days wallowing over me is no true life. Focus your attention to the world of the living. I do not expect or desire you to forget the dead, but leave me in your memories. Do not let my absence cause you despair."

The grief in Gilgamesh's heart finally cleared. The pain of Enkidu's loss still remained, and while it would never vanish, the king found that he could now move past it, accept its presence and truly return to his life.

"Enkidu, thank you. It seems that even after death, your aid is still something I need to act as I should."

"Indeed, Gilgamesh. But from now on, your actions are your own. I believe that you can continue on this path unaided from here on out."

Their conversation continued, going on for hours until at last Nergal brought Enkidu's spirit back to Kur.

Gilgamesh never saw Enkidu again in life. He never forgot his friend, often reminiscing about Enkidu whenever he found himself in a delicate situation, but his grief was no longer in control of his life.

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Author's Note:

In the version of the Epic of Gilgamesh I read, the conversation between Gilgamesh and Enkidu involved a discussion of the conditions of the underworld along with how proper treatment of the dead in the world of the living would affect their time in the underworld. However, for the reunion of two close friends - and a reunion brought about by Gilgamesh's desperate prayers to the gods - I felt like there would have been much more emotional dialogue. So I removed any talk about the underworld from their conversation, and instead had Enkidu comfort Gilgamesh, helping Gilgamesh move on from Enkidu's death. This gives the entire arc closure. From Gilgamesh and Enkidu's first meeting, to the issue with Ishtar, to Enkidu's death and Gilgamesh's reaction to it, to this final story about their final meeting. Gilgamesh only wanted to save Enkidu from the former's mistakes, while Enkidu never thought of anything as Gilgamesh's fault. While Gilgamesh likely knew what Enkidu's response would be, it took hearing it from the man himself for it to truly register with him.

As I mentioned in my previous story's notes, this is the emotional discussion that I could not include in the last piece. If the two of them had talked things out prior to Enkidu's death, then Gilgamesh's despair and desperation would not have been nearly as fierce. Not only that, but if Gilgamesh had already heard Enkidu's acceptance of the events that led to his death, he would not have been nearly as motivated to try and bring Enkidu back for a temporary meeting.

Image: Ancient Parthian relief carving of the god Nergal from Hatra, from Wikimedia. Web Source.