Siduri- Mesopotamian GodDeity"Divine Alewife"

The Wild Man at the Door

Siduri was a divine alewife who dwelt at the edge of the world, where the sun descended and the waters of death began. Her tavern was the last outpost before the impassable sea.

When Gilgamesh approached, he was barely recognizable as a king. Grief-stricken by Enkidu's death and consumed by his terror of dying, he had wandered through wilderness and darkness until he looked more beast than man, weather-beaten and dressed in animal skins. Siduri barred her door against the frightening stranger. Gilgamesh called out to her and explained his quest: "Because of my brother I am afraid of death; because of my brother I stray through the wilderness. My brother whom I loved is now clay. Will I not lie down like him and never rise again?"

"For This Is the Task of Mankind"

Siduri told him the truth:

"Gilgamesh, where do you roam? You will not find the eternal life you seek. When the gods created mankind, they appointed death for mankind, they kept eternal life for themselves. As for you, Gilgamesh, let your belly be full, make merry day and night. Of each day, make a feast of rejoicing. Day and night, dance and play. Let your garments be sparkling fresh, let your head be washed, bathe in water. Pay heed to the little one that holds on to your hand, let a spouse delight in your bosom. For this is the task of mankind."

Gilgamesh was not ready to listen. He remained fixed on his quest for immortality. Siduri did not insist. She directed him to Urshanabi, the ferryman who could carry him across the waters of death to Utnapishtim. She gave him what she could: the truth, and then a way forward.