The Epic Of Gilgamesh The Goddess Aruru, The Temple...

There are three important women in the epic of Gilgamesh: the goddess Aruru, the temple prostitute Shamhat, and the unnamed bride. Each of these individuals give unique insight into the culture of the Sumerians in the time of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The goddess Aruru exemplifies that, despite being a deity, all women were subjected to certain constraints based solely on their gender and societal norms. Shamhat demonstrates that women held various functional roles in society, including roles within religion and religious practices. Finally, the unnamed bride is the most essential woman to reveal gender roles in Sumerian society; her presence in the epic defines several functions of the normal woman. The first woman mentioned is Aruru, a Mesopotamian goddess. The people of Uruk pray to her, and portray her as the creator of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The description of Enkidu and Gilgamesh gives the impression that Aruru is a powerful goddess because both of her creations are described as lar ge, and having â€Å"stormy hearts†. She is also a very earthly goddess, having created Enkidu from â€Å"earth clay and divine spittle† (Ferry 5). Traditionally, the earth and its forces are considered feminine, and take on ‘womanly’ characteristics. This largely stems from another early story of the creation of the Earth and mankind; the story of Enlil and Tiamat. According to one article, Tiamat was an enormous dragon who had covered the Earth in water, and Enlil controlled the wind: The Sumerians