Shamhat (; also called Shamkat in the old Babylonian version of Gilgamesh") is a female character who appears in Tablets I and II of the

Epic of Gilgamesh The ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' () is an epic poetry, epic from ancient Mesopotamia. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian language, Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh (formerly read as Sumerian "Bilgames"), king of Uruk, some of ...

and is mentioned in Tablet VII. She is often characterized as a sacred prostitute, though this identification has been contested, and she plays a significant role in bringing the wild man

Enkidu Enkidu ( ''EN.KI.DU10'') was a legendary figure in Mesopotamian mythology, ancient Mesopotamian mythology, wartime comrade and friend of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Their exploits were composed in Sumerian language, Sumerian poems and in the Akk ...

into contact with civilization.

In the epic

Shamhat plays the integral role in Tablet I, of taming the wild man Enkidu, who was created by the gods as the rival to the mighty

Gilgamesh Gilgamesh (, ; ; originally ) was a hero in ancient Mesopotamian mythology and the protagonist of the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', an epic poem written in Akkadian during the late 2nd millennium BC. He was possibly a historical king of the Sumer ...

. Shamhat was a sacred temple prostitute or ''harimtu''.Ditmore, Melissa Hope (ed), ''Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Volume 1'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, pp.34-5. She is used by the Hunter to use her attractiveness to tempt Enkidu from the wild, and his 'wildness', civilizing him through continued sacred love-making. Brought to a water source where Enkidu had been spotted, she exposes herself to Enkidu. He enjoys Shamhat for "six days and seven nights" (a fragment found in 2015 and read in 2018 appears to indicate that they had two weeks of sexual intercourse, with a break spent in discussion about Enkidu's future life in Uruk). Unfortunately for Enkidu, after this long sexual workshop in civility, his former companions—other wild animals—turned away from him in fright at the watering hole where they congregated. Shamhat persuades him to follow her and join the civilized world in the city of

Uruk Uruk, the archeological site known today as Warka, was an ancient city in the Near East, located east of the current bed of the Euphrates River, on an ancient, now-dried channel of the river in Muthanna Governorate, Iraq. The site lies 93 kilo ...

, where Gilgamesh is king, rejecting his former life in the wild of the hills. Henceforth, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become the best of friends and undergo many adventures (starting with the

Cedar Forest The Cedar Forest ( ) is the glorious realm of the gods of Mesopotamian mythology. It is guarded by the Demigod, demigod Humbaba and was once entered by the hero Gilgamesh who dared cut down Cedrus libani, cedar trees from its Old-growth forest ...

and the encounter with

Humbaba Humbaba (Ḫumbaba; , ''Ḫumbāba'', with an optional determinative ), originally known as Ḫuwawa in Sumerian (, ''Ḫuwāwa''), was a figure in Mesopotamian mythology. The origin and meaning of his name are unknown. He was portrayed as an ant ...

). When Enkidu is dying, he expresses his anger at Shamhat for making him civilized, blaming her for bringing him to the new world of experiences that has led to his death. He curses her to become an outcast. The god

Shamash Shamash (Akkadian language, Akkadian: ''šamaš''), also known as Utu (Sumerian language, Sumerian: dutu "Sun") was the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian Solar deity, sun god. He was believed to see everything that happened in t ...

reminds Enkidu that Shamhat fed and clothed him before introducing him to Gilgamesh. Enkidu relents and blesses her, saying that all men will desire her and offer her gifts of jewels.

Significance

Shamhat's name means literally "the luscious one".Faraone, Christopher A.; McClure, Laura K., ''Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World Shamhat's role in bringing'', University of Wisconsin Press, 2008, p.28.

Notes

{{Epic of Gilgamesh characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh Courtesans of antiquity Female prostitutes Ancient priestesses Sacred prostitution