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My name
A presentation of Shamhat in myth.
According to Wikipedia this is Shamhat:
"Sources have interpreted Shamhat as a temple prostitute, priestess of the Goddess Ishtar in the Epic of Gilgamesh responsible for the civilizing of Enkidu by initiating him into the sexual rites of the goddess. Sources say she possesses much kuzbu, or sexual allure. In some translations, and possibly some ancient written versions of the epic, Shamhat is referred to as a harlot, carrying a very different connotation than that of a priestess, perhaps suggesting that Enkidu's initiation is not wholly beneficial to him. Shamhat's name is closely related to Shamash, the Sumerian/Babylonian sun god, whose name means "sun" or "one that lights" in Semitic languages. Perhaps this is a parallel that as the sun gives man life, the priestess gives Enkidu life as a human, a hero recognized, defining a life worth living in the ancient culture. However, translation errors do occur; words that appear on the surface to be alike (such as "hat" and "hate") are not remotely alike." I like to think that she was a simple harlot and the simple fact that she made him a "civilized" man I think may have given the harlots a higher status in Mesopotamian culture. In that case it seems as if the prostitutes were looked upon in two ways, either with disdain and contempt or with respect. Interesting indeed. Please give me your view on this matter. |
Bitum
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