Shamḫat
Šamḫat (Shamchat; Old Babylonian Šamkat (um), Shamkat (um) ; the opulent ) is the name of a mythological figure in the Gilgamesh epic who, as a representative of the Ḫarimtum class, occasionally appears as a servant of the goddess Ištar . The term “Šamḫat” therefore does not represent a priesthood, but rather describes Ištar's sexual libido . The term " prostitute " used in the translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh stands for a temple servant who, on the basis of her legal classification as a prostitute, follows the orders of the Ištar priesthood.
The request of the trapper and the role of Samḫat serve as a “means to an end” in the narrative of the Gilgamesh epic. The divine destiny of Enkidus as the opponent of Gilgamesh is the actual goal, while the work of the trapper and Šamḫat serves to fulfill the intended destiny.
etymology
The term “Šamḫat” is derived as a feminine form from the adjective “šamḫu”, which in this form stands as a superlative for a “beautifully shaped body with lush growth” in combination with “the highest physical well-being”. “Šamḫu” in its basic form includes both genders and is therefore also a synonym for the Ḫarimtum class, which is used in the respective training as a name for those people who either prostitute themselves commercially or engage in sexual acts with different people.
Epic of Gilgamesh
Trapper's request
In the Gilgamesh epic, at the request of the trappers of Gilgamesh, Šamḫat is commissioned to humanize Enkidu through their love services in order to eliminate him as the protector of the animals . The trappers had previously complained that none of the wild animals had fallen into the traps since Enkidu had warned and protected the animals of the steppe from the deadly danger.
“Go, my son (trapper), with you take Šamḫat, the prostitute. Because her power is equal to that of a powerful man ... He (Enkidu) will see her and then approach her. His flock will (then) be strange to him, in the midst of which he grew up ... Gilgamesh says to him, the trapper, 'Go, my trapper, with you take Sham'at, the prostitute' ... The trapper went, with him he took Sam'at, the Whore. "
Shamḫat can seduce Enkidu. After a week of lovemaking, Šamḫat persuades Enkidu to go to Uruk , because Enkidu no longer feels that he belongs to the animals of the steppe through Šamḫat's influence. Šamḫat acts according to the will of Šamaš and Aruru , which Enkidu created to be an equal opponent of Gilgamesh in order to distract him from his dictatorial activities in Uruk. Enkidu makes his way to Uruk on Šamḫat's suggestion:
“(Speaking Šamḫat to Enkidu) Come here (Enkidu), I want to guide you to the center of Uruk,… to where Gilgamesh is, fully in strength and where he lets the young men feel his strength like a bull. She spoke to him (Enkidu), her speech was pleasant. (Enkidu answering): Come Šamḫat, invite me to the clean house, the most holy abode of Anu and Ištar, where Gilgamesh is, completely in strength ... But I want to feud him, because my power is immense. I want to boast in the middle of Uruk: 'I am the strong one'… (Samḫat answering): Go, let us see your face very quickly… Go Enkidu, to Uruk, there. where young men wear waist straps. Day after day there is a festival in the heart of the city, where the drums are booming and prostitutes are of perfect beauty, adorned with charms and full of joy ... Let go of your wicked plan. It is Gilgamesh whom Šamaš loves. Anu, Enlil and also Ea provided him with deep insight. Even before you came from the highlands, Gilgamesh saw you in the heart of Uruk in the dream face. "
Shamḫat's warning should not prevent Enkidu from going to Uruk, but Sham ,at's advice should make it clear to Enkidu that his plan is not only against Gilgamesh, but also against the gods. In this respect, Šamḫat alludes to Enkidu's actual determination:
“That (Enkidu) shall oppose the storm of his (Gilgamesh) heart. May they measure themselves against each other so that Uruk can come to rest. When Aruru heard this wish, she created Anu's command in her heart. "
Arrival at the shepherd's camp
On the way to Uruk, Enkidu and Šamḫat stop at a camp, where Šamḫat presents the shepherds present, Enkidu, as the new hero. At the same time, it gives Enkidu the knowledge necessary to distinguish him from the animals of the steppe in the future. In the subsequent ceremony, which alludes to the Akitu festival, Enkidu is elevated to the status of a "shepherd king":
“This fellow, how he resembles Gilgamesh in shape ... His powers are strong like a chunk of Anu . They put bread before him. They put beer in front of him ... He looked around helplessly, (because) he had never learned to eat bread and drinking beer was unknown to him. The prostitute (Šamḫat) opened her mouth and said to Enkidu: Eat, Enkidu, of the bread that belongs to man. Drink Enkidu, from the beer that defines the cultivated land. "
Enkidu is now learning to eat like a person and to get drunk with beer and to sing songs while intoxicated. A barber called out frees Enkidu from his fur. With the following unction, the transformation into a person is complete. Even killing animals, his former companions, no longer bother Enkidu. In this way he becomes the guardian of the shepherds at night. A young man joins the pastoral community, invited to the wedding house in Uruk. With Šamḫat and Enkidu he moves to Uruk.
literature
- Andrew R. George: The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: Introduction, critical Edition and cuneiform Texts; Vol. 1 . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2003, ISBN 0-1992-7841-5
- Stefan M. Maul : The Gilgamesh Epic . Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-52870-8
Individual evidence
- ↑ Andrew R. George: The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic . P. 148.
- ↑ Stefan M. Maul: The Gilgamesh epic . Pp. 51-52.
- ↑ Stefan M. Maul: The Gilgamesh epic . Pp. 53-54.
- ↑ Stefan M. Maul: The Gilgamesh epic . P. 49.
- ↑ Ḫarimtu piša ipušamma izzakkara ana Enkidu ; according to Andrew R. George: The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic . P. 312.
- ↑ Stefan M. Maul: The Gilgamesh epic . P. 58.