ENKIDU And The Woman SHAMKAT
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- This is one of my favorite episodes from the Babylonian EPIC OF GILGAMESH. I think it needs to be pointed out that the story of Gilgamesh originated in Sumer, and we do have cuneiform tablets of parts of it in Sumerian, but most of what we know comes from cuneiform tablets written much later in Akkadian and Old Babylonian. These are Semitic languages (related to modern Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and Ethiopic, among others) and they are quite different from Sumerian which is a “language isolate” unrelated to any known tongue. In this particular video, I am singing parts of the Babylonian EPIC OF GILGAMESH in Old Babylonian, although the story itself comes to us from ancient Sumer.
The hero Enkidu, who had been raised in the wild and lived his life with animals, meets a woman for the first time. What follows is not difficult to imagine. According to the cuneiform tablets, the two of them made love non-stop for one whole week, during which time Enkidu “remains erect”. Something the medical profession today would undoubtedly consider a medical emergency!
After their marathon love-making session, the woman introduces Enkidu to the delights of civilization. Since Enkidu had never worn clothes, she takes off her own clothes, divides them into two parts, puts one part on herself and dresses Enkidu in the other part. She then offers to take Enkidu into the great city of Uruk, and this is where he will later meet Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk.
Traditional translations of the Babylonian cuneiform tablets refer to the woman as a “harlot”. This is a rather outdated and quaint word for a “fallen woman”, which does not at all describe the individual I call “Shamkat”. The English language does not have a word to describe this woman that does not carry all sorts of negative and highly judgmental connotations. The fact is, she must have been quite an amazing creature! Had it not been for her, Enkidu would never have become the hero, adventurer, and companion of Gilgamesh that he eventually became.
It is worth noting, for those who are unfamiliar with the Epic, that when Gilgamesh and Enkidu finally meet, they get into a massive fight that busts up half the city of Uruk. That is another chapter of the story I would love to do sometime.
I used two musical instruments in this video, both of them Anatolian. The main instrument is the Turkish long-neck lute known as the saz (or baglama), and the other is the double reed wind instrument known as the “zurna”. Both the saz and the zurna are similar to the ancient instruments of Anatolia and Mesopotamia, and they have changed very little in 5000 years. Unfortunately, although I do play the zurna, it’s not possible to play any wind instrument and sing at the same time. What I have done is to sample the instrument, and use it as a drone which I can control, in performance, with a foot pedal keyboard. There are no overdubs, pre-records, or add-ons in this video. It was all performed live, just as you see it.
I would like to thank Andrew George, Professor Emeritus of Babylonian at the University of London. His extraordinary work on the Babylonian Epic Of Gilgamesh is, for me, an endless source of inspiration. 
Видеоклипы
“If effects last longer than 7 days and 7 nights, contact your local Ziggurat priest”
Shakmat was a ziggurat priestess lol
@@joehill4094 That's what they called them back then.
If it lasts 7 days and 7 nights, I'm calling everybody!
@@joehill4094 Yeah after all fucking people is a pretty divinely-aligned profession, given it's one of THE domains of Ishtar/Inanna, the goddess of fertility & war among a bunch of other things (she has pretty much as many things listed as domains as Freya in Norse Mythology does IIRC)
@@leifmanson7599 actually is no priest and priestesses is different gender roles you see a priest is a male individual and the priestess is a female individual much like a nun
honey wake up bronze age meme material increased by 50 percent
Pure copper
@@KuopassaTvand the fine quality kind 👌
Hahahaaha
@@KuopassaTv hilarious 😂
We don't even have to go through enemy lands to get it, we are blessed by Enki
"Today's music is so vulgar! Ancient music was so wholesome and pure!"
*Listens to an ancient song about Enkidu getting his freak on*
Of course they always bad and good no matter what time but the difference is.
Which one is more than the other.
Or which one is in the front image.
For example when you think of america what come to mind?
for me its degeneracy and corruption but that doesn't mean there is no good in America its just the amount of degeneracy covered the goods.
Its the truth.
Or that's the image you are making the way your people represent yourself into the world.
"The way they represent themselves to the world" of course we need to know what they actually are, it could be right or wrong.
But the image you gave to the world about your nation have been created through fake news or through the peoples behaviour
Their concerts were all live action no electronic editing of voices and sounds.
So true
@@sirmiles1820 Milli Vanilli would not have survived.
@@Justice_Dignitythat’s a you problem honestly. Sex and sexuality is not degeneracy, it is our purpose in this life. To procreate and to love and make love is the essence of our life. Beyond the jobs we have and the chores we do our ability to have sex is of utmost importance. So why not sing and dance about it? Why can’t we celebrate our sexuality ? That sexuality gave life to all around you! You are a product of the love between your mom and dad. Through their sexual romance came forth life. Why not celebrate our magical organs that contain life and give forth life? Why not show each other such delicacies ? Such beauty? Why hide what we must celebrate with all our heart?
...Exactly how much money would we need to throw at you and the University of London to fund a full performance of the epic of Gilgamesh?
I saw Samuel Noah Kramer and Diana Wolkstein do their version c. 1986. It would be worth every penny for Peters performance.
I would legitimately travel continents to see this performed. 👀
My thoughts exactly!!!
So beautiful ❤
The Epic of Gofundhimish
BABE WAKE UP PETER PRINGLE DROPPED ANOTHER SUMERIAN BANGER
*Le moi just now:* WAIT WHAT!?!?!?!
@@diegoviniciomejiaquesada4754 its just moi but yes
I have been awakened by Peter Pringle
Shout-out to this Urukan temptress for elevating Gilgamesh' deuteragonist to sapience. IT SLAPS
Strong word, deuteragonist. You don't see it on social media very often.
@@kiltedcripple My first time seeing it outside of an ancient literature course covering Gilgamesh 30 years ago... :)
@@kiltedcripple I wrote it because I felt particularly inspired by the music hahaha
Just like her gentles did every night./
@@kiltedcrippleNot going to lie I first heard about it in reference to Portal 2.
1:26 look at that sly smile. He knows this part is about to slay
This rendition is the closest we have to a time machine. In 5 minutes, I was able to experience life 4500 years ago. Thank you.
Beautifully put. Images of Apuleius and Boccaccio both came to mind - epic, unrelenting, sexy tales for the cosmic pulse, but they're modern by comparison.
The metronome itself may be ancient cousin to what was found at Antikythera.
Music and language, a way of preserving moments in time for others to enjoy beyond our own era. Hoping that there will always be someone to carry it forward.
I remember I got my spine snapped by Gilgamesh
Hey cuz!
@@mydogbullwinkle Greetings! Good to hear from you.
Endiku is off to stop Gilgamesh from banging brides before their grooms can. 😂
Peter you are a national treasure! Bringing ancient history to life like no-one else.
I'm from Brazil. I think this guy is world treaasure. Trully one of kind.
@@marendur You are right, Sir!
Protect this man at all costs!
And Irving Finkel🎉🎉🎉🎉
That Urukssy so good it took the wild out of our boy.
0:10 i like to imagine this is real time footage and Peter just has the power to materialize out of thin air.
One of my favorite parts of the Epic is when Enkidu sees his doom approaching, and curses the woman who lured him out of the woods and set him on this path. Then the goddess who made him appears and reminds him that the woman led him to have Gilgamesh as a friend, and Enkidu is ashamed and follows his curse with a blessing.
To reduce the beautiful poetry, the curse is "you shall be reviled by all decent people as a whore", and the blessing is "you shall be loved above all others".
"Shamkat, that hoe got me lacking"
"Sure but she introduced gil, you main homie"
"Aight, fair"
Enkidu, without a doubt, had the power
Nice
Enkidu, tamed by the amatory arts of the beautiful Šhamhat, the hierodule.
She had him for six days and seven (7) nights in the joy of her arms. Then something changed in him. Enkidu knew it when he once tried to get closer to his usual friends, these just by sniffing him in the breeze, or seeing him in the distance, they fled in terror. What had happened?
Šhamhat, took the lover to the mountain camp. There he bit into the freshly baked bread, tasted the beer and covered himself with robes. While in the background, the music, the laughter, the songs, the stories of the shepherds and the trappers.
Šhámhat, matchless, sweet, sweet teacher.
Eros as a trigger for conscience, guilt and civilization!
Sound familiar? Only a little...?
No.
Epic of Gilgamesh is a powerful story. It is extremely deep in its expression of the human condition and desires and values.
@@fridericusrex1153then you’re not from western civilization.
@@lookoutforchriswhat is this in reference to other than the epic of gilgamesh
@@lookoutforchristhis is so fun, that western civilization was born in the east
Stories that are so old... And it looks like a lot of our fairy tales and old stories are extremely old, dating back to that time of around 12,000 years ago. The Beauty and the Beast, for example, is a very old story, and we can find it popping up in cultures all over the world, pointing to a very old common source. I think that the people keeping these stories alive are the ones that keep the soul of our civilization alive.
Interesting that for some reason I thought about the tale of the Beauty and the Beast, because that's what this song is. Shamkat is the Beauty, Enkidu is the beast. And by virtue of her being a woman, Shamkat tames Enkidu, just like how the Beauty turned the Beast back into a prince. Shamkat sharing her clothes with him is her making him a civilized man, because clothes are what differentiates us from animals. One might also recall that in the Garden of Eden, God knows Adam and Eve have ate from the tree of knowledge because they were wearing clothes. It's interesting how all these stories are connected, isn't it? Almost like they part of one great narrative that's just outside of our grasp.
A most excellent parallelism.
Coincidentally about 12 thousand years ago the North Star was Vega in the constellation of the Lyre.
Maybe cause it's true.
@@andream8234Maybe, but just like Hamlet which is set in Denmark, it is a very old story that shows up time after time. And the reason why it's been carried through the ages for such a long time is exactly because it has a fundamental truth about humanity that makes it repeat throughout history. With The Beauty and the Beast, it's something that every man and woman experience as they become a couple and eventually get married. It takes a woman for a young man to transitions from this wild animal that is trying to impress society and chase after women and fame left and right into a stable man that can support a household. Literally every traditional marriage is The Beauty and the Beast happening all over again. That's why the story is so old.
On paper it’s so dry. I love how you’re breathing life into these ancient scriptures. Thank you so much, Peter Pringle. I always look forward to a new upload to your channel.
I don't know how we can ever reward Peter for the work he is doing, no medal or any kind of other prize is worthy for this master of art. All I can say is THANK YOU for your dedication through the years, I have been following your work for some time and I can only say that you never disappoint.
Pass it on. Keep it alive. That's exactly what he is doing.
Seven days and seven nights...they sure don't make 'em like they used to, man or woman. Seriously though, this was spectacular. Thank you Peter.
Enkidu was supposedly hand-crafted by the gods, so you're not wrong
Enki was specifically sculpted by the gods to fight a demigod warrior king and Shamkat was so good at sex she got hired by a temple to perform their fertility rites
@@comicstrider4851 And she should have been a relatively high ranking priestess of Ishtar/Inanna, so it checks out
This song in a nutshell: Enkidu was just built different
No word of a lie, I saw the title and thought this was going to be a song about their graphic week-long session.
This music touches something deep inside of my soul. I can't explain it. I can picture these ancient people sitting around a fire telling these stories. It takes you there. Thank you for another great piece!
You were probably there, doubtless many of us were.
💖🙏💫
😆
They naver sit around fire lamo
I can picture Enkidu facing Gilgamesh, in the same surreal style of the movie 300. Gilgamesh wearing his Sumerian weaved beard, just like the Lamassu in the background of this video, with his high crown. And Enkidu appearing as a wild man, but strong and proud.
I believe that before writing was a thing, our ancestors passed knowledge in the form of stories. We still do that, in a way, with mnemonics. "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight". A short story that stick in your mind that conveys deeper meaning. To me, this story is the same as Beauty and the Beast, showing us how the role of women is to tame the wildness of men, and make men civilized and worthy of challenging kings. It's a story as old as humanity. Men without the gentle touch of a woman are nothing but wild beasts.
I feel the same. I think part of it is the acoustics like you are present in a great hall listening to the minstrel, part of it is simply that we associate this musical style with old and exotic epochs which inspire us, and the other part is that he sings like a true sacred bard, who cares about the stories he is telling, and feels every word. The ancient equivalent of playing music with "soul".
Babe wake up, New Epic of Gilgamesh episode just dropped
We makin it to the Fertile crescent with this one🔥🔥🔥
putting the "fertile" in fertile crescent
I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE AND I DON'T HOW PRAISE THIS MASTERPIECE
I didn't know you were still posting videos.
You're the reason why I started to learn sumerian and your work is amazing... thank you peter
Duuuude. Sumerian is quite complex.
@@daleblue22 I know but I like it, I kind of learnt a few things already
@pietrosmusi6348 The cuneiform is another amazing. I love it. Getting a tattoo this year 🤪
@@daleblue22 please do, that sounds awesome
@@pietrosmusi6348 heil Enki. Enki is God!!!
Thank you Peter, another amazing piece! Please keep making these ❤
Yes, please do Peter, this sounds like a prayer to the Divine within and feels as old as the Gayatri.
Om Namah Shivaya, dear beloved.
☘
💖🙏💫
I've said it before and I'll say it again, these songs are transporting. Many feel it. Amazing.
Hey Peter! I've never been a big reader. But your work here on RUclips inspired me to buy the Epic of Gilgamesh and read it from start to finish. Thank you!
Protect this man at all cost! What a wonderful artist. This is pure magic!
I'm about to write my bachelor's thesis on some neoassyrian literary texts, and I expect these peter pringle songs will just play in the background the whole 9 weeks :D What a gift to bring these ancient words to life again
How'd it go?
@@asherroodcreel640 pretty good, thanks for asking haha The music did run in the background for a lot of the writing ^^
@@JeiFaeKlubs can I read it anywhere?
@@asherroodcreel640 Not at the moment, no. It'd also be in german. But if it ever makes its way into some form of publication I will let you know :)
@@JeiFaeKlubs how'd you choose what to write about?
Allow me to join the voices of those who sing your praises. Thank you, thank you for your beautiful, detailed, and exhaustive presentations.
While you singing I literally saw the events that discribed: Women, and Enkidu that went down main Avenue of the Uruk . It's a miracle made by you. Many thanks and all the best.
Is there a Sumerian reconstruction of the Epic of Gilgamesh? I would love to buy an album of you sing the whole epic in Sumerian. It would also be cool to see a video with the text translated in English as the word are sung as apposed to an English language sentence structure translation. Bless you and your work of bringing ancient texts back to life. It stirs the soul.
Unfortunately, no one really knows what the Sumerian sounded like. People only studied it through Akkadian so that it's original pronunciation can be different and we're also probably missing like half of the vowels so...
@@R28rus there are people who know and they still speak but they are behind the curtains. His pronunciation is very acurate
Dude had a hard-on for seven days and nights! That's quite the achievement :P
Excellently well done, btw! As someone else said: Your videos are the closest we have to a time machine
The legend returns to drop another banger. 🍷🗿
Thanks, Peter.
Thank you for yet more music of this wonderful place in history, this wonderful heritage that I feel in my bones.
Thank you too for the insightful explanation into the person of the woman, Shamkat, without denigrating her for her actions!
Peter, you really make us experience ancient history the way no book could ever do.
Wake up babe, new Peter Pringle just dropped!
I WOULD PAY FOR THESE SONGS. Please release on streaming or even vinyl!
If he got someone to produce a vinyl record of all his stuff I would pay any amount of money for it, this man deserves to be richer than Croesus
He has some of them available to download on his site.
@@ACBStudios he has a site?
@@fabiofaini3071 !!!
@@fabiofaini3071 He used to but it seems to no longer be available. He linked it as recently as his Lyre of Megiddo video, so he may not be aware that it's down.
Yay! A good day! masterpiece after masterpiece! This man is a treasure.. truely. He's straight out of ancient history.. love it❤
You're an absolute legend, my friend, to us historians from all over the world. Please, make all the Epic of Gilgamesh for us. I'm praying you could!
Ah, thank you, Peter, for another beautiful hypnotic performance, for which you are gifted in bringing to life for us these ancient epics.
It is like walking through time to see in front of my minds eye the whole splendid story fresh and alive....
❤❤❤...
Totally agree, Peter is an amazing Talent.
i like how this 5000+ year old scene can be summed up with the "neuron activation" meme
Its barely 3800 years old
@@Elya-ou3kf well i'm sure people were humming and whistling it for a while before some nerd took stick to clay to write it down
@@juanjuri6127it doesn't work as the morphological structure of the language would be different before old babylonian.
You are an amazing person with amazing interests, I cannot describe how thankful I am for your art.
For years, I tried to learn some of the ancient languages, because of you I am now able to understand most of the Sumerian cuneiforms!
Would love to see Peter one day complete the Epic of Gilgamesh in song form! What a great treasure this man is for our ears and understanding of historical storytelling context
A truly great musician. Voice, instruments and culture all conveyed perfectly
Thank you dude. Much love from Tennessee, USA
Interesting usage of baglama. As a Turkish, I've never encountered this kind of usage.
I bought a long neck saz last week and I'm playing European medieval music on it. It's such a beautiful instrument with a really charming sound, really intuitive to play!
no viagra back then, but if they had music like this, can't blame a fella for staying in the mood
I love your videos. Did you study under somebody to be able to sing in this style? How long did it take to master it? Your singing and playing of ancient instruments is simply mesmerizing. I imagine that there aren't many, especially Westerners, who are doing what you do. Thank you for sharing your gift with us. I really enjoyed Enkidu's origin story. :-)
I am just happy for my bro Enkidu, he scored!
damn bro Enkidu lasted longer than me 💀
Masterful showmanship, as usual! Gilgamesh songs always bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.
This is magical💫❤️🔥
As someone from Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶
Thanks for bringing this ancient music to life. You are a legend 🙏
What I love about your Akkadian videos is that I can find some words that remained in other semitic languages.
For example, in 1:18, the word born is "yualdo", in Hebrew the root for birth related things is Y.L.D, as well as for a kid, so the word for a woman giving birth in the past, 3rd person, is "Yalda" . Arabic has a similar root for a kid, W.L.D, but I don't know a word for giving birth in Arabic that retains this root.
Man when he started that tapping something ancient awoke within me
I am from south of iraq and your Sumerian songs wake up smthing in my soul
love the sumerian poetic subtlety and ambiguouness that leaves room for interpretation. Makes you wonder what was going on in those nights.
Another banger from the Epic of Gilgamesh from the legend Peter Pringle!
He dropped another 𒋻𒁀𒔼𒆸𒁇𒑚𒈦𒀼 𒁀𒋻𒐖𒋝𒀼𒇲 bois
That last line is quite remarkable and amazing because clearly Enkidu was some kind of "bigfoot" like creature, certainly a giant yet Gilgamesh was bigger... dude Gilgamesh was a beast!
"I did not have sex with the hoofed man of the plain."
-Shamhat Lewinsky
Delightful and reflective.
Thank you Peter, just beautiful.
☘
💖🙏💫
Gives me goosebumps listening to this ancient song literally. He is just brilliant!
Thank you, Peter, from the bottom of my heart. These melodies invoke something very deep inside of me.
Thank you Peter ,
The medical term for this condition is priapism. It is a medical emergency if the errection cannot be reduced as the blood supply can become comprised. This can occur in conditions such as sickle cell anaemia. It does not require female intervention to occur. Its actually bloody hard to treat if the blood thromboses in the penis.
On the other hand a man who is not suffering from priapism and can manage this heroic feat would be in the eyes of many women to be like a god. The author of this epic got that right 😀
This man's voice and sheer musical talent take me back to the ancient times he sings of...and brings me to tears
I found a lot of words that we still use in Arabic
im so happy that you posted another video! you are great 🎉
Wasn’t that the woman used to weaken and tame beast-like Enkidu?
Yep
Wow sir, words can’t describe my experiences while listening to your music. Thank you
been waiting a long time for you to post this song, lovely rendition Peter Pringle
just brilliant. Ancient music is the most magical music of all, and your passion for it is evident in every note, every articulation. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Mr. Pringle. What you create is priceless, touching and tearful.
This music speaks to me in a way that I cannot explain.
Timeless, bravo 🙌🏾
No words to describe the feeling of listening to this beautiful music. Gracias!
I am a great fan of your work. Thanks for another great masterpiece. I am surprised and amazed to see bağlama in your video. When I look at the river Euphrates and think about all the civilisations once thrived and lost there I feel humbled by the greatness of past and eternity of time and how humanity been here for such a long time. Unfortunate that we know about them so little. Oh also, as a MD it is safe to say, indeed, erection for that long is a medical emergency 😅 thanks for your great work sir.
Incredible..even better than before.!thank you
After so long but worth it..!!
Beautiful in every way as always 🙏💗
The talent of Peter Pringle is only rivaled by the deceit of Ea-nasir, truly once in an eon stuff.
Beautiful. The Ancient people were way more sophisticated than even us in some ways
My five year old is so happy to know youre still alive and creating more music. He lives for your fascinating renditions of ancient events. And with great honesty, I am also mesmerised by your creations.
I would really appreciate the lyrics .... ❤
the way that this echoes through my bones is otherworldly.
May be one day we will see all of the Epic sung by this wonderful man!
You look so pleased with yourself and enjoying what you do. It adds to the authenticity.
Another banger, Peters ability to bring the past back to life is unparalled
I love these! I wish he'd do the entire Epic. That would be a lot of work, but so cool.
"Many adventures they shared. It was in one such adventure that Enkidu was wounded. Neither Gilgamesh nor Enkidu thought much of it for they were both strong and had never become ill. But when Enkidu became weak it became necessary to return to Uruk. It became such that Gilgamesh had to carry Enkidu back to the city, but it was too late. Enkidu suffered for twelve days before finally dying in the arms of he who had become his brother. Gilgamesh was shattered. When those close to him tried to console him and convince him to allow them to take Enkidu's body for preparation and burial, Gilgamesh became enraged. For six days and seven nights he refused to allow his friend to be taken, hoping that Enkidu would somehow rise and come to live again. He did not allow anyone near the body nor would he leave Enkidu's side. He stood watch with a sword in his hand hoping to defeat death from taking his friend. But death had already taken him. What lay there was merely his body. Gilgamesh would not concede until at last he saw a maggot emerge from Enkidu’s nose. Gilgamesh despaired and fled. He took refuge in the wilderness where he wept and mourned, undone by grief. 'Of all ways to die, after having survived their many adventures. To be undone like this was undeserving of one so great.' Thought Gilgamesh. This stunned him. 'How is it possible that one so great can succumb to such an inglorious death! Even if songs are sung to his glory, and stories told of his exploits, they will eventually fade from the tongue of man and he will be forgotten. In the end, there is no glory, no immortality. Only death and decay and dust await all men." This thought both consumed and terrified Gilgamesh; for in Enkidu's death he foresaw his own."
thank you so much Peter. an absolute treasure
Thank you Peter Pringle for making another banger
this song really touched me more than others because it was sung in Babylonian, a language that once my ancestors heard when they fled from Israel. so surreal to understand a quarter of the words there
You mean, Palastine. There was no Israel back in those days.
@@bliss448 Israel existed long before Palestine and is one of the oldest civilizations of humankind...
then again...both of them have nothing to do with this video
@@bliss448the Israelites were there before the philistines.
@@bliss448shut up
@@bliss448 I get what you're going for, but Israel was an actual kingdom back then and is the namesake of today's Israel. Realistically, it still wouldn't be Israel but rather Judah as Israel was conquered by the Assyrians a bit over a hundred years before Judah fell, which was itself conquered by the Babylonians (and it's the babylonian exile that the op is likely referencing, though people weren't so much fleeing as was a selection of the populace being forcibly relocated)
I am so so sooooo glad that every now and then you enlighten us with droplets of this ancient songs....it doesn't quench our thirst but its better than nothing ...thank you from bottom of my heart❤
Peter blesses us with another great piece
This man is a modern age bard.
Divine, otherworldly and purely beautiful. Thank you Peter 💜🌙