Homosexuality

After reading Jerrold Cooper’s essay, one would be convinced that the once thought of idea of Gilgamesh and Enkidu having a homosexual relationship in the Epic Of Gilgamesh to be false. I also thought this idea to be false because Mesopotamians saw homosexual relationship as a bad thing. In my opinion, the people who wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh, wouldn’t put their warriors in a bad situation by putting and labeling them as “gay”.

The main idea of the Epic of Gilgamesh, in my opinion, is one of man-to-man friendship and forming bonds and long lasting brotherhood. To have Gilgamesh and Enkidu involve them in a sexual way would not only complicate the whole story but also create confusion in the epic.

There is, however, a possibility of a homosexual does certainly exist within the context of the story but to ordinary people, they seem more like brothers. To assume any more would be too much of an assumption.