Monday, January 31, 2011

Shamhat the Harlot

In the Epic of Gilgamesh I was surprised by a character that to me seemed quite crucial to the entire story but whose background in today’s society would be looked down on. I am of course talking about Shamhat the harlot, or prostitute. In the Epic, Shamhat was the one who civilized Enkidu by making love to him, thus making him less like an animal and more willing to start interacting with humankind, specifically Gilgamesh. All thanks to this prostitute. Could it be possible that prostitutes had a better social reputation back then compared to now? I believe so. When the hunter first discovers Enkidu, and brings the news over to his father, the quick response was to get Shamhat, who was immediately able to “fix” Enkidu. The Epic just gave a lot of credit to Shamhat that was even recognized by the so called great Gilgamesh, who was the one who recommended her. Not only that, the prostitute also gets lines in the story, truly making her mark. This indicates that prostitution was recognized by the culture in which the Epic was born, and seemingly accepted into the culture.

But of course, Shamhat still did not hold the status of any of the men in the story. Even Enkidu, though he barely became truly human. (Shown when Shamhat compares Enkidu to a god, thus making him higher status then her.) This lower status is evident in the line where the hunter tells Shamhat to “do for the man the work of a woman!” (Tablet I, line 185) This implies that womens work is meant to satisfy men. This woman even seems a bit stupid. This can be seen when she begins to tell Enkidu how great of a man Gilgamesh is, how he is “fair in manhood, dignified in bearing, graced with charm in his whole person.” (Tablet I lines 235) This contradicts how Gilgamesh is depicted later on as a ruthless tyrant. So yes, Shamhat was a crucial role in converting Enkidu but was definitely not wise, like the other female figure the Wild-Cow Ninsun, Gilgamesh’s mother. Seems that although prostitutes were recognized as a job available for the women to do in that culture, they were still not as wise as men or even higher up women. Much can be learned about the social setting during Gilgamesh’s time, and I look forward to what the rest of the tablets will reveal.

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