Gilgamesh and Enkidu: The King Who Found a Friend

The gods create Enkidu in answer to the suffering caused by Gilgamesh, the powerful king of Uruk. Their confrontation becomes a friendship that changes the king and carries both men toward the Cedar Forest. Inside this episode: - Gilgamesh as a powerful and oppressive king - Enkidu's movement from the wild into the city - The wrestling match that creates a friendship - The expedition against Humbaba Sources include the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh and scholarship from the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Penn Museum. This episode is a researched narrative summary. Historical records may be incomplete, translated differently, or interpreted differently by scholars. We distinguish documented facts, estimates, disputed interpretations, and later stories where material. Corrections are logged and incorporated into future editions. Follow Myths in Context for more researched stories of gods, heroes, tricksters, and journeys from around the world.