An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic | Page 9

a foreigner; and the simplest solution suggested by the existence of the two forms (1) Gish in the old Babylonian version and (2) Gish-g��(n)-mash in the Assyrian version, is to regard the former as an abbreviation, which seemed appropriate, because the short name conveyed the idea of the "hero" par excellence. If Gish-g��(n)-mash is a foreign name, one would think in the first instance of Sumerian; but here we encounter a difficulty in the circumstance that outside of the Epic this conqueror and ruler of Erech appears in quite a different form, namely, as dGish-bil-ga-mesh, with dGish-gibil(or b��l)-ga-mesh and dGish-bil-ge-mesh as variants. [48] In the remarkable list of partly mythological and partly historical dynasties, published by Poebel, [49] the fifth member of the first dynasty of Erech appears as dGish-bil-ga-mesh; and similarly in an inscription of the days of Sin-gamil, dGish-bil-ga-mesh is mentioned as the builder of the wall of Erech. [50] Moreover, in the several fragments of the Sumerian version of the Epic we have invariably the form dGish-bil-ga-mesh. It is evident, therefore, that this is the genuine form of the name in Sumerian and presumably, therefore, the oldest form. By way of further confirmation we have in the syllabary above referred to, CT, XVIII, 30, 6-8, three designations of our hero, viz:
dGish-gibil(or b��l)-ga-mesh muk-tab-lu ("warrior") a-lik pa-na ("leader")
All three designations are set down as the equivalent of the Sumerian Esigga imin i.e., "the seven-fold hero."
Of the same general character is the equation in another syllabary: [51]
Esigga-tuk and its equivalent Gish-tuk = "the one who is a hero."
Furthermore, the name occurs frequently in "Temple" documents of the Ur dynasty in the form dGish-bil-ga-mesh [52] with dGish-bil-gi(n)-mesh as a variant. [53] In a list of deities (CT XXV, 28, K 7659) we likewise encounter dGish-gibil(or b��l)-ga-mesh, and lastly in a syllabary we have the equation [54]
dGish-gi-mas-[si?] = dGish-bil-[ga-mesh].
The variant Gish-gibil for Gish-bil may be disposed of readily, in view of the frequent confusion or interchange of the two signs Bil (Br��nnow No. 4566) and Gibil or B��l (Br��nnow No. 4642) which has also the value Gi (Br��nnow 4641), so that we might also read Gish-gi-ga-mesh. Both signs convey the idea of "fire," "renew," etc.; both revert to the picture of flames of fire, in the one case with a bowl (or some such obiect) above it, in the other the flames issuing apparently from a torch. [55] The meaning of the name is not affected whether we read dGish-bil-ga-mesh or dGish-gibil(or b��l)-ga-mesh, for the middle element in the latter case being identical with the fire-god, written dBil-gi and to be pronounced in the inverted form as Gibil with -ga (or ge) as the phonetic complement; it is equivalent, therefore, to the writing bil-ga in the former case. Now Gish-gibil or Gish-b��l conveys the idea of abu, "father" (Br��nnow No. 5713), just as Bil (Br��nnow No. 4579) has this meaning, while Pa-gibil-(ga) or Pa-b��l-ga is abu abi, "grandfather." [56] This meaning may be derived from Gibil, as also from B��l = isatu, "fire," then essu, "new," then abu, "father," as the renewer or creator. Gish with B��l or Gibil would, therefore, be "the father-man" or "the father-hero," i.e., again the hero par excellence, the original hero, just as in Hebrew and Arabic ab is used in this way. [57] The syllable ga being a phonetic complement, the element mesh is to be taken by itself and to be explained, as Poebel suggested, as "hero" (itlu. Br��nnow No. 5967).
We would thus obtain an entirely artificial combination, "man (or hero), father, hero," which would simply convey in an emphatic manner the idea of the Ur-held, the original hero, the father of heroes as it were--practically the same idea, therefore, as the one conveyed by Gish alone, as the hero par excellence. Our investigation thus leads us to a substantial identity between Gish and the longer form Gish-bil(or b��l)-ga-mesh, and the former might, therefore, well be used as an abbreviation of the latter. Both the shorter and the longer forms are descriptive epithets based on naive folk etymology, rather than personal names, just as in the designation of our hero as muktablu, the "fighter," or as alik pana, "the leader," or as Esigga imin, "the seven-fold hero," or Esigga tuk, "the one who is a hero," are descriptive epithets, and as Atra-hasis, "the very wise one," is such an epithet for the hero of the deluge story. The case is different with Gi-il-ga-mesh, or Gish-g��(n)-mash, which represent the popular and actual pronunciation of the name, or at least the approach to such pronunciation. Such forms, stripped as they are of all artificiality, impress one as genuine names. The conclusion to which we are thus led is that Gish-bil(or b��l)-ga-mesh is a play upon the genuine name, to convey to those to whom the real