The new friends hatch a plan to prove their mettle, and arm themselves with fearsome weapons.
Gilgamesh sought to do great deeds to seal their legacy as heroes of the world To rob sacred cedar forests Steal fragrant trees Bring fearsome demons To their scaly knees But Enkidu’s testicles grew icy cold with fear. Sensed the hand of fate Brush up against his ear [Enkidu] Humbaba. Creature of a poison breath To look upon his horrifying face Is to invite a fiery death Embodiment of fundamental evil He guards the cedar stands of Enlil Cloven-footed Humbaba Second only to the storm god long he reigns [Gilgamesh]. Enkidu, be not afraid— we’ll axes make And swords one hundred twenty pounds they’ll weigh An unknown path will lead us To the creature’s lair, We’ll cut off his head braid his bloody hair Then we’ll hang him from a tree Hold a gruesome feast Beneath the ifeless body Of the beast And so the supplications did commence, Sacred wines and prophet’s bones were carefully dispensed. The priestess Ninsun with secret herbs her body charmed. Prayed for the heroes to return unharmed. Ninsun anointed Enkidu with holy signs and amulets Ten thousand spears were lifted over Uruk’s parapets. And through the Gate of Marduk did two depart— To drive an iron sword through Humbaba’s mountain heart.
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