The Women in Gilgamesh
Upon his arrival in Uruk following the defeat of Humbaba, the maids of Uruk shout out to Gilgamesh, "Gilgamesh is the most glorious among heroes! Gilgamesh is the most eminent among men!" It is women who give this wonderful praise to Gilgamesh; it is women who inflate his ego. Although women are not prominently featured in 's The Epic of Gilgamesh, inferences surrounding the role of women in ancient Mesopotamia can be made from the characters Ninsun, Ishtar, and the Harlot. These women are always sure to pump up the egos of the men they encounter, and they never short a man of his lesson. Despite her place in society each woman embodies a certain creativity and power untouched by the men they come across. The Harlot mentioned at in the beginning of the Gilgamesh Epic, is a representation of how women were used as instruments in ancient Mesopotamian society. The Harlot was a hierodule or priestess; a hierarchic class of the population whom lived in temples dedicated to the goddess Ishtar. The Harlot is mentioned very briefly in the Gilgamesh Epic. Despite never being given a name or even a personal quality, she dramatically impacts the life of Enkindu. The Harlot's task is to lure Enkindu aw
The Harlot, Ninsun and Ishtar represent the hierarchy of women in ancient Mesopotamia. The Harlot was simply a priestess sent to lure a man away from his animal nature. She was given a task and she was to deliver a result. Next up was Ninsun, a high priestess to the god Shamash. Her life was dedicated to a higher level of understanding. She served Gilgamesh as the interpreter of his dreams, and she acted as a mother. Ishtar was above both Ninsun, and the Harlot. She was the embodiment of a woman's power. It can be inferred through each of their parts that women were viewed almost stereotypically by the ancient Mesopotamian. Each woman would lure in a man using compliments to pump up their ego, and then attempt to teach him something once they felt he was listening. Only Ishtar, the embodiment of all womanly power had the luxury of teaching a man using executive power, the other women were forced to creatively bring men to an understanding. Their roles were limited to serving men in one way or another, and the result of their teachings always inadvertently led to the downfall of a man. Gilgamesh's mother, Ninsun, illustrates another facet of the ancient Mesopotamian woman. Both a high priestess and a mother, Ninsun is ambivalent. Although she too was a hierodule, Ninsun holds a higher function than the Harlot. Being a priestess to the god Shamash, one can infer that Ninsun was probably a high born person. Dedicated to a higher level of consciousness, it is Ninsun who interprets Gilgamesh's dreams. Through Ninsun's interpretations of Gilgamesh's dreams one can see how the creativity of a woman is again represented through a hierodule. When interpreting Gilgamesh's dreams she pays close attention to Gilgamesh, always sure to inflate his ego before attempting to convey any sort of understanding to him. "Now thou hast touched him," is a perfect example
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1268
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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