Gilgamesh and Enkidu's friendship
The friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu occupied a large part of the epic, as they were close to each other, and they went together on their many adventures, and each of them was loyal to the other, reflecting some of the meanings and connotations of friendship, such as loyalty, fidelity, providing help, protection, etc.
In one of their adventures, after Enkidu hesitated in fear, Gilgamesh said to him:
“Is it appropriate for my friend to remain behind and refrain? No, my friend, we must advance and penetrate into the heart of the forest, and one of us will protect the other.”
Each of them has always expressed his complaints, feelings, apprehensions, and fears to the other, addressing him, “Hey Khali.” This call captivates hearts because of its sincerity and coming from the depths of the soul.
As for Gilgamesh’s lament for Enkidu, carried with intense, highly poetic emotion, it came as the dramatic culmination of the issue of friendship, where this legendary hero fell in love in the face of his friend’s illness, the one whom no one was able to conquer:
“For the sake of Enkidu, let me and my friend cry and lament the mourning of the bereaved
It is the ax at my side and the bow in my hand
And the dagger in my belt, and the shield that wards off me
And my joy, my delight, and my Eid clothing.”
Tears began to flow from his eyes in despair. He walked back and forth in front of the bed, looking at it for a long time. He plucked his braided hair and threw it on the ground. He took off his beautiful clothes, tore them, and threw them as if they were unclean things. He lay facedown in the prairie and wept bitterly...
Who stopped Gilgamesh from his injustice and erased cruelty from his heart? He is the brave friend "Enkidu" who was able to transform the great tyrant into a just king who spreads happiness and dignity in that civilization. Together with his righteous subjects, they achieved rich and interesting heroic deeds. It is one of the oldest myths in the world, and it has attracted the attention of researchers because of the values and precious treasures of knowledge and wisdom it contains, perhaps the most important of which are friendship, justice, and good deeds that give life a glorious and precious meaning.”
Source: websites