GILGAMESH LAMENT FOR ENKIDU

Gilgamesh was king of the Sumerian city of Uruk in Southern Mesopotamia, some 5000 years ago. According to legend, he was a ruthless despot, so the gods created a friend for him, a kind of wild man called Enkidu, who was able to challenge him successfully in battle. This took Gilgamesh’s mind off oppressing his people, and he and Enkidu became inseparable friends. The two of them shared many remarkable adventures together but they made a fatal mistake. They traveled to the great cedar forest, where they killed a sacred beast known as “The Bull of Heaven”. This angered the gods, so they sentenced Enkidu to death.

TABLET VIII of the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, contains the text I sing in this lament. I would like to thank Andrew R. George, the translator of Gilgamesh, whose translation of the text appears in the subtitles to this video, for his generous help with the pronunciation of Old Babylonian. For those who are interested in learning more, I highly recommend Andrew George's YouTube videos on Mesopotamian mythology, as well as his excellent book, which is available on Amazon at the following link.

There are two musical instruments in this interpretation of the lament of Gilgamesh. The lute I decided to use is the Persian “setar”, which is one of the closest instruments to the ancient three-stringed lutes that is still in existence today. The setar is capable of playing a wide range of quarter tones but, according to archaeomusicologists, the Babylonians did not use them. Personally, I’m not so sure about that.

The other musical instrument I used is a pair of reed pipes which are played together. The ones you see at the beginning of the video are copies of the pair of silver pipes that were discovered by archaeologist, Sir Leonard Woolley, during his excavations of the Sumerian city of Ur, in the 1920’s. They have a sound similar to the modern “duduk” and, like the duduk, the shehnai and the Australian didgeridoo, they are played using the technique known as “circular breathing”, in order to produce a continuous tone without interruption. The ancient Babylonian reed pipe was known as the “malilum”.

Since I could not sing, accompany myself on the lute, and play the pipes at the same time, I sampled the sound of the pipes and used a MIDI pedal keyboard (like the ones organists use to play bass notes) to trigger the sounds - one foot for each of the two silver pipes. That way I could perform all the parts of the lament at once, without any need for overdubs.

The glazed brick wall you see behind me in this video is part of the magnificent “Gate of Ishtar”, which was the main entrance to the ancient city of Babylon.

Any questions or remarks you may have regarding this video can be sent to me at the following address:

Enjoy!

[SivakAurak]

3400 years ago, a man named Sîn-lēqi-unninni made marks on a piece of clay and now we're all crying. Man, this world is crazy.

[moonflower]

This is the coolest man in the world imo: he can sing beautifully, he can sing in ancient languages, he can play obscure instruments, and his name is Peter Pringle. That's the best name I've ever heard.

[ireviewshtuff]

“And Gilgamesh wept bitter tears, and he said: ‘He who was my companion, through hardship, and adventure, is now gone forever.’”

[bogbody]

“Gilgamesh was called a god and a man; Enkidu was an animal and a man. It is the story of their becoming human together.”
― Herbert Mason

[darthguilder]

Enkidu: last seen online 5000 years ago

[alejandrobautista]

"He covered his friend, veiling his face like a bride"
Man, that final line killed me 😭

[SamuraiMujuru]

I'd throw good money at getting the entire epic like this.

[radamest]

"Many adventures they shared. It was in one such adventure that Enkidu became ill. At first, neither Gilgamesh nor Enkidu thought much of it for they were both so strong and never became ill. But when the illness worsened it became necessary to return to Uruk. It became such that Gilgamesh had to carry Enkidu back to the city, but it was too late. Enkidu suffered for twelve days before finally dying in the arms of he who became as a brother. Gilgamesh was shattered. When those close to Gilgamesh tried to console him and convince him to allow them to take Enkidu's body for preparation and burial, Gilgamesh raged, and for six days and seven nights refused to allow his friend to be buried, hoping that Enkidu would somehow rise and come to live again. He did not allow anyone near the body nor would he leave its side. He stood watch with a sword in his hand hoping to defeat death from taking his friend. But death had already taken him. What lay there was only his body. Gilgamesh would not concede until at last he saw a maggot come out of Enkidu’s nose. Gilgamesh despaired and fled into the wilderness, where he wept and mourned, undone by grief. Of all ways to die, after having survived their many adventures, to be undone by illness was undeserving of one so honorable. This stunned Gilgamesh. How was it possible that so great a man, one as equal to himself, can succumb to such an inglorious death! Even if songs were song to his glory, they would eventually fade from man's tongue and he would be forgotten. In the end there would be no glory. No immortality. This consumed and terrified Gilgamesh; for in Enkidu's death he foresaw his own transience."

[maciejukasiewicz]

The gods of ancient Uruk may be gone and forgotten but we still remember the friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

[CelestialChorus]

The bard we dont deserve has given into our pleas for more Gilgamesh. This man is epic!!

[gregoryhawkins]

"Gilgamesh, a king. Gilgamesh, a king. At Uruk. He tormented his subjects. He made them angry. They cried out aloud, "Send us a companion for our king! Spare us from his madness! Enkidu, a wild man... from the forest, entered the city. They fought in the temple. They fought in the streets. Gilgamesh defeated Enkidu. They became great friends. Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk."

[shiftydog]

I really think the whole epic should be done. That'd be a feat.

[ehhe]

Remember:

During your adventures with your friends, don't kill any sacred bulls...

[scottydu]

After watching How To Make Everything and seeing how difficult it was for bronze age people to produce materials, I definitely get it when he says “he was my festive robe, the axe at my side”. Those were not only very valuable things, they were hand made, unique, and laborious to replace

[foobman]

It's a strange feeling, knowing that this music reached us from 5000 years ago, and still being able to be moved by it.

[nickwoodfin]

One of the most heartbreaking scenes in the history of storytelling. Gilgamesh not only lost the person who kept him restrained, not only did he lose a friend, he lost the only person that will ever understand him and that he would dare call an equal. Gilgamesh looked at Enkidu, looked into the mirror and saw himself, saw the one thing he has no power over, death. Gilgamesh attempts to show the gods that he can conquer anything, but even the greatest of men cannot conquer death. Beautiful work Peter, best work so far!

[sharonkaczorowski]

I am 70. As an undergraduate I wrote my honors thesis on Gilgamesh, which I’ve reread many times as new translations come about. It is such a profoundly human poem…and it is their friendship which makes it so…I can’t express how much you brought me with this beautiful song.

[collinsagyeman]

"What is this sleep which holds you now?
You are lost in the dark and cannot hear me.”

[alandavidson]

I named my dog Keedu, after Enkidu, 47 years ago. How I loved that dog, and I still miss him. Thanks Peter!

[comandantegorrion]

Modern People 🤝 Ancient Sumerians
“Hey this is pretty good”