An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic | Page 9

depicts dGish-gì(n)-mash as a conqueror of
Erech, who forces the people into subjection, and whose autocratic rule
leads the people of Erech to implore the goddess Aruru to create a rival
to him who may withstand him. In response to this appeal dEnkidu is
formed out of dust by Aruru and eventually brought to Erech. [47]
Gish-gì(n)-mash or Gilgamesh is therefore in all probability a foreigner;
and the simplest solution suggested by the existence of the two forms
(1) Gish in the old Babylonian version and (2) Gish-gì(n)-mash in the
Assyrian version, is to regard the former as an abbreviation, which
seemed appropriate, because the short name conveyed the idea of the
"hero" par excellence. If Gish-gì(n)-mash is a foreign name, one would
think in the first instance of Sumerian; but here we encounter a
difficulty in the circumstance that outside of the Epic this conqueror
and ruler of Erech appears in quite a different form, namely, as
dGish-bil-ga-mesh, with dGish-gibil(or bìl)-ga-mesh and
dGish-bil-ge-mesh as variants. [48] In the remarkable list of partly
mythological and partly historical dynasties, published by Poebel, [49]
the fifth member of the first dynasty of Erech appears as
dGish-bil-ga-mesh; and similarly in an inscription of the days of
Sin-gamil, dGish-bil-ga-mesh is mentioned as the builder of the wall of
Erech. [50] Moreover, in the several fragments of the Sumerian version
of the Epic we have invariably the form dGish-bil-ga-mesh. It is
evident, therefore, that this is the genuine form of the name in
Sumerian and presumably, therefore, the oldest form. By way of further
confirmation we have in the syllabary above referred to, CT, XVIII, 30,
6-8, three designations of our hero, viz:
dGish-gibil(or bíl)-ga-mesh muk-tab-lu ("warrior") a-lik pa-na
("leader")
All three designations are set down as the equivalent of the Sumerian
Esigga imin i.e., "the seven-fold hero."
Of the same general character is the equation in another syllabary: [51]
Esigga-tuk and its equivalent Gish-tuk = "the one who is a hero."

Furthermore, the name occurs frequently in "Temple" documents of the
Ur dynasty in the form dGish-bil-ga-mesh [52] with
dGish-bil-gi(n)-mesh as a variant. [53] In a list of deities (CT XXV, 28,
K 7659) we likewise encounter dGish-gibil(or bíl)-ga-mesh, and lastly
in a syllabary we have the equation [54]
dGish-gi-mas-[si?] = dGish-bil-[ga-mesh].
The variant Gish-gibil for Gish-bil may be disposed of readily, in view
of the frequent confusion or interchange of the two signs Bil (Brünnow
No. 4566) and Gibil or Bíl (Brünnow No. 4642) which has also the
value Gi (Brünnow 4641), so that we might also read Gish-gi-ga-mesh.
Both signs convey the idea of "fire," "renew," etc.; both revert to the
picture of flames of fire, in the one case with a bowl (or some such
obiect) above it, in the other the flames issuing apparently from a torch.
[55] The meaning of the name is not affected whether we read
dGish-bil-ga-mesh or dGish-gibil(or bíl)-ga-mesh, for the middle
element in the latter case being identical with the fire-god, written
dBil-gi and to be pronounced in the inverted form as Gibil with -ga (or
ge) as the phonetic complement; it is equivalent, therefore, to the
writing bil-ga in the former case. Now Gish-gibil or Gish-bíl conveys
the idea of abu, "father" (Brünnow No. 5713), just as Bil (Brünnow No.
4579) has this meaning, while Pa-gibil-(ga) or Pa-bíl-ga is abu abi,
"grandfather." [56] This meaning may be derived from Gibil, as also
from Bíl = isatu, "fire," then essu, "new," then abu, "father," as the
renewer or creator. Gish with Bíl or Gibil would, therefore, be "the
father-man" or "the father-hero," i.e., again the hero par excellence, the
original hero, just as in Hebrew and Arabic ab is used in this way. [57]
The syllable ga being a phonetic complement, the element mesh is to
be taken by itself and to be explained, as Poebel suggested, as "hero"
(itlu. Brünnow No. 5967).
We would thus obtain an entirely artificial combination, "man (or hero),
father, hero," which would simply convey in an emphatic manner the
idea of the Ur-held, the original hero, the father of heroes as it
were--practically the same idea, therefore, as the one conveyed by Gish
alone, as the hero par excellence. Our investigation thus leads us to a

substantial identity between Gish and the longer form Gish-bil(or
bíl)-ga-mesh, and the former might, therefore, well be used as an
abbreviation of the latter. Both the shorter and the longer forms are
descriptive epithets based on naive folk etymology, rather than personal
names, just as in the designation of our hero as muktablu, the "fighter,"
or as âlik pâna, "the leader," or as Esigga imin, "the seven-fold hero,"
or Esigga tuk, "the one who is a hero," are descriptive epithets, and as
Atra-hasis, "the very wise one," is such an epithet for the hero of