| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
12
Humbaba turns to Enkidu. "And you, Enkidu. You are son of Aruru and Anu.
You should not be here fighting me. I protect the sacred evergreens for
your parents, and for your great great great great grandchildren. Do you
know why this forest is so important? You were once a man of the wild,
can't you guess? Most of what is important and necessary on the earth is
encoded in this old forest. That is why the Gods love cedar incense. That
is how I know so much about you. This forest has been here since before
there were people on earth. Now you know all the secrets of the forest.
Now it is your choice, Enkidu. It is in your power to spare my life. Fate is
in your hands."
Enkidu finds his voice, "Finish him, Gilgamesh. Do it quickly, before the
Gods consult each other. Remember, how the people will honor us. They
will forever remember us as the slayers of Humbaba and the emancipators
of the Evergreen Forest."
Humbaba listens to Enkidu, then answers. "You are wrong, Enkidu. For a
time maybe you shall be remembered as the emancipators of the Evergreen
Forest, but you will not be honored for it long. The Gods set me here in
Their wisdom. They know that people are greedy and shortsighted. They
will cut down the entire forest to get rich and the wealth of Lebanon and
Syria will be depleted. It will take only a few years after I am dead and
these trees shall all be gone. There will be no more Cedars in the land of
the Cedar. It will be a barren wasteland. The Evergreen Forest shall be
sold to Egypt by a greedy and ambitious few."
Enkidu calls again, "Finish him, Gilgamesh. Do it quickly, before the Gods
consult each other. Remember, the people will honor us. They will
forever remember us as the slayers of Humbaba and the emancipators of
the Evergreen Forest."
Humbaba listens to Enkidu, then answers. "Neither of you will live to old
age. The curse of the Gods will be upon you."
Enkidu insists, "Finish him, Gilgamesh. I am talking to you, my friend, but
you are not responding. Quickly, Gilgamesh, finish him off! "
Gilgamesh takes up the heavy axe and severs Humbaba's neck. He slits
open Humbaba's belly and pulls out his entrails. He slays the guardian of
the Evergreen Forest.
13
Gilgamesh then took the axe and began chopping away at the thick, tall,
old trees. Enkidu took the axe and chopped down thick, tall, old trees.
They made a hole in the mantle of the forest. They have chopped enough
large trees to make a huge door and the frame for their palace. They tie
the lumber together in a raft and float it on the Euphrates. Gilgamesh
brings along the head of Humbaba to show to the people of Uruk.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
Restored: November 15, 1997
Posted: March 20, 2005
Updated: March 20, 2005
|  
|
|
|
| |
|
|
