Wherever My Foot Rests - AnnaKate Burleson
There was one line in the last few tablets of Gilgamesh that I highlighted, which is a rare occurrence for me. Typically any book I read is littered with streaks of color so I never forget what jumped off the page at me. This time, though, there was only one.
"Wherever my foot rests, there I find death."
This was Gilgamesh's cry to Utnapishtim as he sought for the secret to eternal life, and it stood out to me not simply because of the beauty of the line, but because of how jarringly true it is. Gilgamesh is a harbinger of destruction. Throughout the whole tale, he kills without a second thought, but now that Enkidu is gone he is distraught. Are we supposed to pity him? Should anyone feel sorry for someone who has just been a garbage person for the majority of his tale? Why is he suddenly so overcome with emotion upon seeing death when he has caused so much of it by his own hand?
I believe his distress is caused by the fact that death is now personal. Before Enkidu's death, he had never truly experienced its aftermath. The closest thing he has to friends or a family would be the gods, and they don't die. It is only after a human that he loves dies that he truly begins to understand the depth of loss. Obviously, this shift in perspective is completely driven by selfishness. He fears death because he lost the only friend he ever had to it. However, it does mark the beginning of a new era for Gilgamesh. This loss created a fear of death, which in turn created the bulk of his tale. Yet again, Enkidu was Gilgamesh's salvation, even from beyond the grave.
P.S. I commented on Zane and Sophia's posts
"Wherever my foot rests, there I find death."
This was Gilgamesh's cry to Utnapishtim as he sought for the secret to eternal life, and it stood out to me not simply because of the beauty of the line, but because of how jarringly true it is. Gilgamesh is a harbinger of destruction. Throughout the whole tale, he kills without a second thought, but now that Enkidu is gone he is distraught. Are we supposed to pity him? Should anyone feel sorry for someone who has just been a garbage person for the majority of his tale? Why is he suddenly so overcome with emotion upon seeing death when he has caused so much of it by his own hand?
I believe his distress is caused by the fact that death is now personal. Before Enkidu's death, he had never truly experienced its aftermath. The closest thing he has to friends or a family would be the gods, and they don't die. It is only after a human that he loves dies that he truly begins to understand the depth of loss. Obviously, this shift in perspective is completely driven by selfishness. He fears death because he lost the only friend he ever had to it. However, it does mark the beginning of a new era for Gilgamesh. This loss created a fear of death, which in turn created the bulk of his tale. Yet again, Enkidu was Gilgamesh's salvation, even from beyond the grave.
P.S. I commented on Zane and Sophia's posts
Yes! Suddenly Gilgamesh didn't feel like he could live forever, and that broke him. It definitely showed Enkidu fulfilled his purpose of challenging Gilgamesh, both in death and life. I think this is also true for young adults who haven't lost a loved one before...we may not live in urgency of loving people today until we realize we aren't promised tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI am completely with you Anna Kate. I am really torn about how we should feel about Gil because he was awful in the beginning of the story, but there really is no more mention of that later on. so I can only hope that he has made peace with those he wronged. We may just never know. But we do know that there is room at the cross for all. So there still id hope.
ReplyDeleteLike others who have commented, I too agree the point you're making. Gilgamesh is shown to be obsessed with his fate, to the degree that this epic reflects the society and culture of his era. Men in this era have been shown to be highly concerned of their fate and what life holds for them.
ReplyDeleteThis story and your post is definitely a reminder to not live in vain because there will be an end to your life at some point. I think the idea is that sometimes it takes a death of a close one to realize that you wasted time and took people for granted. Gilgamesh wanted to be a great leader and live forever but he took for granted his friendship with Enkidu and put his life in danger with his. The quote you mentioned can relate the idea that when you get complacent in your life or stop progressing or take things for granted then you are dead.
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