In the Footsteps of Gilgamesh
Ancient Psychodynamic Lessons for Modern Leaders
The Transformative Power of Storytelling
At the tender age of six, I recall vivid moments spent with my brothers, nestled at the feet of our Great Aunt Azizah as she carefully recounted enchanted fairytales about cursed princesses, fearsome monsters and quick witted thieves. Her quaint home which she shared with my grandmother, carried a familiar scent, a blend of age and comfort that wrapped around us like a cozy blanket.
I can still see her now, adorned in her flowery dress, her hands weathered with time, each wrinkle a testament to a life well-lived. She was a master knitter, her long slender fingers often crafting scarves or sweaters for one of us. Yet one detail always stood out: a distinct blue birthmark gracing her delicate hand, contrasting beautifully against the glint of a thick, golden bracelet on her wrist. There was something about that birthmark that made her seem magical.
Those afternoons in which time ceased to exist were simple yet profound, as she regaled us with fairytales that sparked our imagination and set in motion our own inner journeys. When we were drawn into the tales she spun, the world felt magical and anything seemed possible. It was in those moments that my enduring love for stories and storytelling began.
Fast forward to today, as an executive coach, I continue to be fascinated by the deep connection between the power of storytelling and the leadership journeys I have observed in both the non-clinical and clinical settings.
The Oldest Story in Recorded History—A Leadership Tale
Recently, as I reflected on how effective storytelling can be when working with executives, I was taken aback to learn that the oldest story in recorded history is actually the tale of a leader in crisis and his eventual transformation.
It is the Epic of Gilgamesh, a story that offers layer upon layer of ancient psychodynamic lessons applicable even today in our modern world. So naturally I had to dig in.
At its core, Gilgamesh’s story, which dates as far back as the 13th century BC, is characterized by three aspects:
1) It is a story of a leader at the crossroads of his life;
2) It is a story that can be powerfully illuminated by psychodynamic theory; and lastly,
3) It is a story that has resonated so deeply within the human psyche over the centuries that its basic storyline has been told, retold, and even reshaped for the thousands of years since its original telling.
One might say it is the mother of all stories, the quintessential tale, the original story, the prototype.
These three aspects of the Epic of Gilgamesh invites a deeper unwrapping of its significance for leaders today.
With this piece, I would like to begin an exploration of what this “mother of all stories” might mean for us today—especially for modern leaders—and how it might serve as a concrete tool for our own individual explorations and transformation.
In this first installment, I’d like to share the basic outline of this compe tale, and then, in subsequent articles, examine in more detail the inner contours of the Gilgamesh’s journey from a psychodynamic perspective.
The Mother of All Stories
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known literary work known to mankind, originating from ancient Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq. The text, written in cuneiform, was discovered fragmented across multiple tablets scattered worldwide. Missing sections still remain. It is a poem that tells the story of Gilgamesh—the legendary king of Uruk, who was two-thirds god and one-third man—and his adventures and quest for immortality.
The narrative begins with Gilgamesh as a dominant and oppressive ruler in the city of Uruk. Despite his tremendous physical beauty, immense strength, and wisdom, he started his kingship as a cruel despot, forcefully exercising his authority. Gilgamesh claimed the dubious "lord's right" to take newlywed brides and imperiled his subjects to his tyranny. Although his rule was marked by many achievements such as the construction of magnificent ziggurats (ancient Mesopotamian temple towers characterized by their distinctive stepped pyramid shape) and high walls around the city, as well as extravagant layouts of orchards and fields, his subjects suffered profoundly under his oppression as he lorded over them, raping women at his whim and employing forced labor for his ambitious building projects.
Creation of Enkidu—A Wild Man Created to Challenge Gilgamesh
So inhumane and egregious was Gilgamesh’s rule that the gods heard the pleas of his people and decided to intervene, creating Enkidu, a wild man, who was as magnificent as Gilgamesh and who was to challenge Gilgamesh's tyranny.
It was specifically Aruru, the goddess of creation, who brought Enkidu into being with the expressed intention of humbling Gilgamesh, who was consumed by a blinding arrogance. Aruru did this by washing her hands, pinching some clay together and throwing it out into the wilderness. Out of that clay Enkidu emerged, first a wild being that grazed with animals and was even breastfed by them, oblivious to human customs.
One day, however, he was discovered by a notorious hunter who was perplexed and shocked by what he saw. Seeking answers, he sought council from his father who advised him to go directly to the mighty Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and tell him of his finding. His father foresaw that Gilgamesh would respond by offering Shamhat, the prostitute, to domesticate the wild beast. The hunter subsequently went to Gilgamesh, who did, as foreseen, arrange for the wild being to meet up with Shamhat.
Enkidu’s Pivotal Encounter with a Prostitute
Once this pivotal encounter occurred between Enkidu and the temple prostitute Shamhat, Enkidu’s journey towards being tamed began, as women and sex were considered calming forces that could domesticate wild men. When Enkidu bedded the woman, the animals rejected him since he was no longer one of them and he became part of the human world. Then, the prostitute proceeded to teach him everything he needed to know to become a civilized man.
When Enkidu learned of Gilgamesh's excessive rule from Shamhat, he became incensed and journeyed to Uruk to confront him. Upon his arrival, he found Gilgamesh on the verge of intruding into a bride's wedding chamber. Stunned and enraged, Enkidu positioned himself in the doorway, obstructing Gilgamesh’s path.
A fierce wrestling match ensued between the two, lasting for an extended duration, some versions of the story say the match lasted 45 days, until Gilgamesh emerged as the victor.
From Foes to the Deepest of Friends
But eventually Gilgamesh forged a deep friendship with Enkidu and they set about looking for an adventure to share. Together, they embarked on a perilous journey to steal trees from a distant forest forbidden to mortals. In the Cedar Forest, they confronted the terrifying demon Humbaba, its fearsome guardian and the devoted servant of Enlil, the god of earth, wind, and air.
Standing side by side, they fought with the monster. With the assistance of Shamash, the sun god, they succeeded in slaying the demon. Then they cut down the forbidden trees, transformed the tallest into an enormous mighty gate for the walls of Uruk, built a boat with the rest of the wood and used it to return to Uruk.
After returning, Ishtar, the goddess of love, became enamored with Gilgamesh, but he spurned her advances. Infuriated, Ishtar sought vengeance from her father, Anu, the god of the sky, who summoned the Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh. In response, Gilgamesh and Enkidu confronted the bull, ultimately defeating and killing it after a fierce battle.
Upon the defeat of the Bull of Heaven, the gods met in council and agreed that one of the two friends had to be punished for their transgressions. The gods therefore decreed Enkidu's death as punishment by cursing him with illness. Soon Enkidu took ill and suffered immensely. Throughout the tortures of his illness, he shared his visions of the dark underworld with Gilgamesh. When he finally died, Gilgamesh was heartbroken and plunged into profound grief.
Consumed by Grief, Gilgamesh Sets Off into the Wilderness
Gilgamesh couldn’t stop grieving for Enkidu and brooding about the prospect of his own death. He decided that he must exchange his kingly garments for animal skins as a way of mourning Enkidu. He then set off into the wilderness, determined to find Utnapishtim, the Mesopotamian Noah, otherwise known as the immortal.
Utnapishtim’s status as the immortal emerged because of a failed attempt by the gods to destroy all of humankind. Legend had it that the gods had met in council and concluded that humankind must be destroyed through a cataclysmic flood. Ea, the god of wisdom, warned Utnapishtim of the gods’ plans and told him how to fashion a gigantic ark in which his family and the seed of every living creature might escape the flood. When the waters finally receded, the gods regretted what they had done and agreed that they would never try to destroy humankind again and so Utnapishtim was granted eternal life.
In his efforts to find Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh transversed a harrowing passage through total darkness to the edge of the world. To his surprise and joy, at the end a beautiful garden by the sea emerged. There he met Siduri, a veiled tavern keeper, and told her of his quest. She warned him that seeking immortality was futile and that he should be satisfied with the pleasures of this world. However, when she could not turn him away from his purpose, she directed him to Urshanabi, a boatman.
Urshanabi accompanied Gilgamesh on the boat voyage, crossing the seas and navigating through the perilous Waters of Death until he reached Utnapishtim. To facilitate the journey, Urshanabi asked Gilgamesh to chop 300 trees and fashion 1000 oars, essential for crossing the treacherous waters and encountering Utnapishtim.
A Futile Search for Immortality
When Gilgamesh finally met Utnapishtim, he hoped to discover the secret to eternal life. Utnapishtim told him that if he wished to gain immortality, he must make the gods pity him. He could do that by demonstrating that his grief for Enkidu was so profound he would remain awake in mourning for six days and seven nights. Gilgamesh accepted this challenges and sat down on the shore. But he instantly fell asleep, failing the test miserably. He was then instructed to return home to Uruk.
As he prepared to leave, one last chance for immortality emerged through the intervention of Utnapishtim's wife. She shared with Gilgamesh the existence of a miraculous flower that could restore youth. Hearing this conversation, Utnapishtim decided to allow Gilgamesh to search for the flower. Gilgamesh then went and successfully retrieved the magical flower from the depths of the ocean with the noble intention of sharing its benefits with his people. But his hopes were dashed again when a cunning serpent stole the plant during the night, rejuvenating itself in the process.
Gilgamesh was crushed and returned to Uruk empty handed and defeated. But as he approached the massive, finely crafted walls of Uruk, he realized that while he may not live forever, his accomplishments and creations would live on to tell of his greatness—the closest thing to immortality to which a mortal could aspire.
Reflecting on his journey, Gilgamesh reconciled his mortality and came to accept the inevitability of death, finding solace in the enduring achievements of his people, knowing that he would not live forever but humankind would.
A Story That Stands the Test of Time
The Epic of Gilgamesh is not only a literary masterpiece but also a text that provides insights into ancient Mesopotamian culture, religion, and the human condition. It has influenced numerous works of literature across history like Homer’s epics (The Iliad and The Odyssey), Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses, and its influence has extended as far as the work of Dante and Milton. Even today, scholars, artists and people in all walks of life look to it as a tale that speaks powerfully of the vicissitudes and mysteries of the human condition.
What Can Modern Leaders Learn from It?
For modern leaders looking to understand the nature of their own inner journey, the Epic of Gilgamesh beckons us to explore the psyche of its titular character and offers profound insights into leadership transformation from a psychodynamic perspective.
By delving into Gilgamesh's inner world, motivations, behaviors and relationships, we can uncover valuable lessons about the complexities of leadership and human nature that are still applicable today, 4000 years later.
And as with the exploration of other ancient concepts, such as Ama-gi, which I examined previously in A Different Lens, we may well find that, amidst the dust of Mesopotamian history, there lie tools for contemporary reflection and growth.
Hereafter, in a series of articles for A Different Lens, I’d like to explore several themes that emerge from the Epic of Gilgamesh, exploring their relevance for modern leaders. Themes that await include:
• Narcissistic King/Narcissistic Leader—The Road Out
• The Power of Unlikely Friendships
• When the “Feminine” Intervenes
• Traversing the Territory of Loss and Grief
• The Search for Immortality
• Our Journey to Wholeness
Each of these offers an opportunity not only to learn about Gilgamesh’s transformation in the “mothers of all stories,” but also to reflect on how your own journey might resonate with his. I look forward to exploring these with you.
Sources
Kovacs, M. G. (1989). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Stanford University Press.
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Wauw what a special story, amazing.