An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic | Page 5

these two tablets of
the old Babylonian version do not belong to the same edition as the
Meissner tablet above described, for the latter consists of two columns
each on obverse and reverse, as against three columns each in the case
of our two tablets. We thus have the interesting proof that as early as
2000 B.C. there were already several editions of the Epic. As to the
provenance of our two tablets, there are no definite data, but it is likely
that they were found by natives in the mounds at Warka, from which
about the year 1913, many tablets came into the hands of dealers. It is
likely that where two tablets of a series were found, others of the series
were also dug up, and we may expect to find some further portions of
this old Babylonian version turning up in the hands of other dealers or

in museums.

IV.
Coming to the contents of the two tablets, the Pennsylvania tablet deals
with the meeting of the two heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, their
conflict, followed by their reconciliation, while the Yale tablet in
continuation takes up the preparations for the encounter of the two
heroes with the guardian of the cedar forest, Humbaba--but probably
pronounced Hubaba [27]--or, as the name appears in the old
Babylonian version, Huwawa. The two tablets correspond, therefore, to
portions of Tablets I to V of the Assyrian version; [28] but, as will be
shown in detail further on, the number of completely parallel passages
is not large, and the Assyrian version shows an independence of the old
Babylonian version that is larger than we had reason to expect. In
general, it may be said that the Assyrian version is more elaborate,
which points to its having received its present form at a considerably
later period than the old Babylonian version. [29] On the other hand,
we already find in the Babylonian version the tendency towards
repetition, which is characteristic of Babylonian-Assyrian tales in
general. Through the two Babylonian tablets we are enabled to fill out
certain details of the two episodes with which they deal: (1) the
meeting of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and (2) the encounter with Huwawa;
while their greatest value consists in the light that they throw on the
gradual growth of the Epic until it reached its definite form in the text
represented by the fragments in Ashurbanapal's Library. Let us now
take up the detailed analysis, first of the Pennsylvania tablet and then of
the Yale tablet. The Pennsylvania tablet begins with two dreams
recounted by Gilgamesh to his mother, which the latter interprets as
presaging the coming of Enkidu to Erech. In the one, something like a
heavy meteor falls from heaven upon Gilgamesh and almost crushes
him. With the help of the heroes of Erech, Gilgamesh carries the heavy
burden to his mother Ninsun. The burden, his mother explains,
symbolizes some one who, like Gilgamesh, is born in the mountains, to
whom all will pay homage and of whom Gilgamesh will become
enamoured with a love as strong as that for a woman. In a second

dream, Gilgamesh sees some one who is like him, who brandishes an
axe, and with whom he falls in love. This personage, the mother
explains, is again Enkidu.
Langdon is of the opinion that these dreams are recounted to Enkidu by
a woman with whom Enkidu cohabits for six days and seven nights and
who weans Enkidu from association with animals. This, however,
cannot be correct. The scene between Enkidu and the woman must
have been recounted in detail in the first tablet, as in the Assyrian
version, [30] whereas here in the second tablet we have the
continuation of the tale with Gilgamesh recounting his dreams directly
to his mother. The story then continues with the description of the
coming of Enkidu, conducted by the woman to the outskirts of Erech,
where food is given him. The main feature of the incident is the
conversion of Enkidu to civilized life. Enkidu, who hitherto had gone
about naked, is clothed by the woman. Instead of sucking milk and
drinking from a trough like an animal, food and strong drink are placed
before him, and he is taught how to eat and drink in human fashion. In
human fashion he also becomes drunk, and his "spree" is naïvely
described: "His heart became glad and his face shone." [31] Like an
animal, Enkidu's body had hitherto been covered with hair, which is
now shaved off. He is anointed with oil, and clothed "like a man."
Enkidu becomes a shepherd, protecting the fold against wild beasts,
and his exploit in dispatching lions is briefly told. At this point--the end
of column 3 (on the obverse), i.e., line 117, and the beginning of
column 4