Tablet 7: This tablet talks about Enkidu having a dream of
the gods thinking of who to punish for killing the Bull of
Heaven. They decided to punish Enkidu for killing it and
he told Gilgamesh about this. Gilgamesh then went to a
temple and prayed for his friend’s safety and healthiness.
Enkidu cursed at the gods and Shamhat tells him that his
death will be the shadow of the new Gilgamesh. So he
regretted cursing at the gods and was sent a sickness and
soon after, he was dead.
Tablet 8: Gilgamesh wouldn’t leave Enkidu’s side because
of the sorrow and grief he felt. He ordered the people of
Uruk to mourn for Enkidu from farmers to priests. He also
ordered that statues should be built in honor of his great
friend.
Tablet 9: Gilgamesh travels to Utnapishtim and his wife,
who have gained immortality from the gods to seek
immortality from them too. He traveled east, through great
rivers and oceans, and also slayed many gigantic monsters
and finally, he was at the place where Mount Mashu began.
Behind Mount Mashu is where the sun arises from its sleep,
and so, Gilgamesh travels to the peak and encounters 2
giant scorpions, guarding the gate to the other world.
Gilgamesh convinced them to let him through with his
dignity and determination and he went through that dark
tunnel as where the sun slept.
Tablet 10: Gilgamesh meets Utnapishtim’s wife, Siduri,
and convinces her to let him get to Utnapishtim. And so,
she called Urshanabi, the ferryman, to help him cross the
sea to Utnapishtim. Urshanabi advised him to cut down 300
trees, as for the River of Death destroys anything that
touches it so each time a stick is incinerated, he grabs
another and keeps going. He also told Gilgamesh to use his
garment/cloak as a sail. Finally, Gilgamesh arrives at the
island of Dilmun, the island of where Utnapishtim lives.
Tablet 11: Gilgamesh seeks Utnapishtim and Utnapishtim
challenges him to stay awake for 6 days and 7 nights. As
Utnapishtim was talking Gilgamesh falls asleep and when
he woke up, Utnapishtim was furious and sent Gilgamesh
and Urshanabi back to Uruk. A little later after Utnapishtim
made his decision, his wife urged him to help Gilgamesh
and seek mercy upon him. Utnapishtim called him back and
told him that a plant at the bottom of the sea can make him
young again, and so, he went down there, with rocks tied to
his foot, and got the plant. Unfortunately, while he was
bathing (the plant was on the shore), a serpent stole it and
replenished his skin. Upon this failure, Gilgamesh returns
to Uruk, depressed.
Tablet 12: This tablet was rewritten by an author much later
so it has no connection with the first 11 tablets. When
Gilgamesh returns, Shamash cracks a hole in the wall, and
Enkidu jumps out of it. Within that wall lay the underworld,
which was where Enkidu was kept after his death.
Gilgamesh questioned Enkidu about what he saw in the
underworld, but Enkidu urged to not tell him, and keep it as
a secret. He told Gilgamesh “You’ll have to experience it to
believe it.”