All my Work, Gone...

I have made a grave error, all of my work is gone. My hopes and dreams have been shattered. Utnapishtim had instructed me to find a plant which resembled a boxthorn, and I would achieve immortality if I simply ate it. I searched frantically for this plant until I had finally found it, there was such great relief that I had finally found my secret to immortality. I was afraid to test it for myself, so I decided to bring it back to Uruk and have an old man eat a bit, and see if it truly did grant immortality. I set it down for such a brief moment, to take a bath in the nearby waters, when suddenly a snake came out of nowhere and snatched it from me,and left only a shedding of itself. I fell to my knees and wept, I had lost my one secret to immortality. I have decided that this is enough for me, no longer will I search for immortality. I returned to Urshanabi, and wailed to him that I have nothing to show my hard work.

But then I realized that I still do have one major achievement, which I will be remembered for generations to come, and that is my great city Uruk and the mighty walls surrounding it. Its sheer strength and size will be enough to carry on my legacy, and unfortunately it will have to do.

That is all I have left for you my friends, this will be my last post, for I now must return to my duties as the mighty king of Uruk! I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me, I can only say that I have partly enjoyed it...

The Flood Story

Incredible! Utnapishtim told me an incredible story, the one of the great food and how he managed to obtain immortality from it. According to Utnapishtim, the gods had grown furious with the humans, and decided to flood the entire world. But the great god Ea, deciding to go against the order of the gods, approached Utnapishtim and told him of what the gods had planned. He listened well, and told the people of his village that he had to depart, but asked him to build him a boat in order to be safe from the flood. The village happily did so, and the flood quickly occurred afterwards, wiping out all the humans except for Utnapsishtim. The gods mourned over their decision, but when they saw that Utnapishtim had survived, some of them grew quickly enraged that a human had survived. But after the gods had calmed, they had made the decision to grant Utnapishtim immortality.

But I could not gain immortality the way that Utnapishtim had, but he enlightened me on how I can achieve immortality for myself, and I plan to do so!

The Waters of Death and Utnapishtim

When I finally ran into Urshanabi, he only offered me the same words as Siduri did, insulting the way I was looking, due to Enkidu's death. I gave him my plight, and he agreed to help me meet this legendary Utnapishtim. He instructed me not to touch the waters of death, and after a great deal of tribulations, I finally met the legendary Utnapishtim.

He initially offered me the same words as both Siduri and Urshanabi had, making me feel only worse about myself. Just as I had done in the past, i gave him my plight of Enkidu, and my desire for immortality. He tried to console me, saying that I was a man created by the gods, and that should be sufficient for me. But it is not, I demanded to know more than that, and Utnapishtim agreed to share his stories with me...

Siduri...

Amongst my travels these past day my heart still aches for my loving friend Enkidu. I loved him as a lover, as a man would love a wife. The pain in my heart has never ceased, but today I met someone who I believed could finally quell my sorrow. Her name was Siduri, a woman who lived far away from my land, a tavern keeper. I told her of my travels and my victory over Humbaba. But she did not believe my words right away,  I am such a sorry mess, the death of Enkidu has left me unwell. I gave her my plight of mortality, and I spilled to her all of my journies and my intimacies with Enkidu, secrets only heard by lovers. I think in a way, I spoke to her as a lover, I was almost ready to ask her for marriage, to ease my aching heart. But she then guided me to go see Urshanabi, a man who could cross the waters of death and find Utnapishtim to gain immortality. I almost lost my desire when talking to Siduri.

I have no words.

Enkidu has... passed on today. He had grown ill for many days, and today he had at last passed on. I wept by his side for so long, Enkidu was my greatest friend. I loved him like a lover, no one can truly grasp how much I cared for him. I will make sure the entire land weeps for him, all of Uruk will know my plight.

I cannot function as a king for my land any longer, I must leave my kingdom, and wander these great lands in order to find out who I really am, and what my great purpose is in this life. Enkidu's life has greatly perturbed me, and has made me realize my own mortality. I do not wish to suffer the same fate as him, I want to live forever! I have heard a tale of a man known as Utanapishtim, a man who has gained immortal life. I have decided to search for this man, and find out the secret of eternal life.

Oops...

So apparently I greatly upset Ishtar, and she has received the Bull of Heaven from the great Anu, and has now decided to make it reek havoc upon my people and the rest of humanity. With one snort from his nostrils he had wiped out a number my comrades. Enkidu sprang into action, grappling with the gargantuan beast in hopes to defeat him. If it were not for his great might, so many more of men would have been lost. Enkidu finally managed to quell the ancient beast, and I was able to strike him down at last. We ripped out his heart, and presented it to Shamash as an offering.

I do not think that I have ever heard Ishtar so irate, she slandered us and condemned us. Before I could even figure out what was going on, Enkidu through one of the bulls legs straight at her, shouting slanderous and blasphemous words at her.

Overall, it was a pretty good day.

Ishtar...Hmm...

So today was... interesting to say the least. I was cleaning my gear when suddenly Ishtar appeared in my chambers. She wanted me to become her husband! The nerve of her! After all the men she has damned by making them her husband, she has the audacity to ask me to become her husband. She attempts to entice me with her frilly words and actions, but I refuse to accept her love, I never will.