Gilgamesh Tablet

In most of The Epic Poem of Gilgamesh, the twelfth tablet does not exist in most of the epic. This section is not included in some translations and versions. The authors of this epic poem added this tablet to this poem, but the reason why is still not found. It does not keep up a correspondence with the rest of the poem and this tablet also disagrees with some events that are a main focus. In The Epic Poem of Gilgamesh Tablet XII, Gilgamesh drops a stick through a small hole in the floor of the home of a carpenter and the stick fell through the hole into the Nether World. A character named Enkidu wants to go down to the Nether World to receive this stick. Gilgamesh told Enkidu if he wanted to go recover this stick in the Nether World, he must not magnetize any attention or he will be killed. As Enkidu enters the Nether World, he does not take any of Gilgamesh’s advice. He did the exact opposite of what he was told. A queen of the
Nether World name Ereshkigal, put out a notice for Endiku to be killed. Endiku was haunted by death and was killed. Gilgamesh was heartbreaking about the bereavement of Endiku and went to Enlil for support. Enlil refuses to support Gilgamesh on his lost and Gilgamesh goes to Sin for support who is a moon god. The moon god also refuses to support Gilgamesh. Finally, Gilgamesh goes to his last support who is Ea. Ea is a god that was featured in the Flood story in tablet eleven. Ea helped Utanapishtim escape the deadly overflow by warning him about the storm that was coming. Ea mourns with Gilgamesh and helps Gilgamesh spirit escapes the Nether World. Gilgamesh asks Endiku about the Nether World. Endiku tells Gilgamesh if he tells him about the Nether World, he would wail. Gilgamesh did not care about his own feelings he still wanted to know about the Nether World. Endiku tells him about the Nether World. As he tells Gilgamesh how he died by beast and vermin eating his flesh, Gilgamesh did exactly what Endiku had spoken about Gilgamesh’s weeping. In the part that was actually giving by Dr. Lauren McCoy, Gilgamesh asks Endiku about the fate of the different people. He asked about the man with no children, the man with only one son, the man who had six sons, the man who was killed in the battle, the man who left no one behind to remember him. Endiku explains to Gilgamesh about each man. He said the man with no sons is dejected, the man with six sons is blissful, the man who was killed in the battle was of course dead, and the man who left no one behind to remember him is homeless. Also in the main story, Enkidu goes to the Nether World with his intentions to upset supernatural forces.
Endiku goes down to the Nether World ignoring what Gilgamesh have told him about not making yourself seen, he becomes noticeable and is taking by death. I do not know why the stick in the beginning of the tablets was mentioned. This tablet does not explain why there were heroes there and what were their actions about the situations that were taking place. The only way I can explain the stick and the hole is that the stick was used to as an object to open the hole into the Nether World. After Endiku is taken by death, Ea from tablet eleven helps him and Gilgamesh overcome the outcome of Endiku decisions. This allows Gilgamesh to learn about the men with sons which is the fate. Endiku tells about the people he had seen the Nether World which highlights the essential connection people have on earth. The homeless guy who left no one behind to remember him emphasizes that people who have support are the ones who has great
wealth.