When Utnapishtim replies to Gilgamesh’s request for immortality with simply, “There is no permanence,” he refers to the very basis of human life, what it means to be alive. First and foremost, we are biologically living. Scientifically speaking, we are made of cells, we develop and reproduce; we fit all of the criteria as part of the Kingdom of Animalia. Thus, we must expire. It is a part of the circle of life, the nature of all biotic organisms: we are born, we live, we die. Humans have accepted this fact and we see it in even the most regular of rituals, for instance blowing out candles on a birthday cake. In our culture, it is customary to light candles, put them atop a cake, sing “Happy Birthday” and then blow them out. The act of blowing out a candle is rather symbolic, no? As if we are extinguishing the years that have passed because they are gone, over; we will never get them back. Of course, if this were the only way in which we thought of birthdays, they would be very depressing affairs. Therefore, we eat cake and have a party for completing another year of life. Why do we blow out candles on birthdays instead of lighting new ones? Aren’t we starting another year of life in addition to ending the previous one? Utnapishtim answers, “There is no permanence,” because as much as we celebrate, we still must accept the notion that someday, all of our candles will be extinguished.
Gilgamesh says, “as for us men, our days are numbered, our occupations are a breath of wind” (71). However, if everybody celebrated their birthdays with a “one year closer to death” attitude as opposed to a “one more year of life complete” attitude, the whole world would be full of people unwilling to live. This is certainly not the case. People get up and go about their business everyday because of the relationships we have with other people, the connections we make, and the fact that we give life value and want to make the most of it. This is what separates humans from other living creatures. All living things eventually die, but only humans recognize the sheer importance and fortune of living life to the fullest. Carmen Martín Gaíte wrote a short story entitled “Las ataduras,” with the word “atadura” literally translating to “the bonds that bind us.” The relationships that outlast physical life give life meaning. We see this with Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The experiences they encounter together, such as the quest to destroy Humbaba, bring them closer as friends, brothers, and lovers. In their journey they provide each other with words of encouragement and the confidence that ultimately allows them to defeat Humbaba. We know the effect of this relationship this because of the way Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu when Enkidu dies. We see that the bond between Gilgamesh and “the strong comrade, the one who brings help to his friend in need” (66), Enkidu, has forever changed Gilgamesh because, when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh begins “to rage like a lion, like a lioness robbed of her whelps. This way and that he pace[s] around the bed, he [tears] out his hair and strew[s] it around “ (95). Gilgamesh feels true grief and loss because he felt true love and friendship. He then mandates that the people of Uruk erect a statue in honor of Enkidu. This represents the everlasting effect of the connection between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
Furthermore, Enkidu’s life is forever altered by his relationships with other people. The harlot weakens him physically, but more importantly, she transforms him into a human; she begins to socialize him. It is because of her that Enkidu feels the need to confront Gilgamesh, and thus, he meets his future best friend. We, as humans, are the means by which the immortal connections of love come to be. People die, yes, it is a fact of life, but we put gravestones over their dead bodies. We are forever changed by the people we love and who love us, and this gives life meaning. Why would a tired middle-aged husband wake up each morning, go to his bleak and cold office in order to sit in front of a computer and make phone calls all day? Because the money he receives from his job allows him to provide for his loving wife and three children.
Faith, in other words something in which to believe, gives us a sense of order and eternal life. Religion, specifically, provides a tangible structure for faith. Going to Church, synagogue, etc. every week and reading scriptures that were written in order to guide you through your life give us a sense of order. Religion has been present on earth since the Sumerians wrote about it and even before, because it was natural for humans to need something to believe, something to give reason. Moreover, religion is eternal. It is perhaps one of the closest concepts we have in our lives to immortality. It is something that carries over from generation to generation, providing structure and guidance in our lives every step of the way. For instance, Ea saves Utnapishtim from the floods and Shamash helps Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat Humbaba. In addition we have Hammurabi, who was sent to Earth in order to carry out the gods’ will, the American expansionists of the 19th century who believed in manifest destiny, that it was their god-given duty to settle in the land out west. With faith in a higher power, we accept our positions as mortals meant to pass on the faith to the generations that follow.
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