The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

398 The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

to create a rival to Gilgames, who might overcome him in the
contest of strength. The goddess accordingly kneaded clay with
her hands, and made it in the form of Ea-bani, half-man and
half-beast. His body was covered with hair;“he knew neither kin
nor country”;“with the gazelles he ate the grass”of the field, and
“satisfied his thirst with the cattle.”On the seals he is represented
as a satyr with a goat's legs and human head.
Vainly“the Huntsman”endeavoured to capture him. Ea-bani
broke through the nets that were laid for him; and it was only
when one of the courtesans of Istar was sent to entice him that
he yielded to the temptation, and left his gazelles and cattle to lie
with her seven nights. When once more he turned back to them,
they fled from him in terror; he had become a man, knowing good
and evil, and between him and the brute beasts there was nothing
more in common. He listened accordingly to the courtesan,
and went with her to Erech,“the seat of Gilgames, the giant in
strength, who like a wild ox is stronger than the strongest men.”
There Gilgames had dreamed three dreams relating to him; and
Ea-bani, on hearing the interpretation of them, gave up his design
of wrestling with the hero, and became instead his fast friend and
ally.
The third book of the Epic describes the expedition of the
[434] two heroes against the tyrant Khumbaba, whose home was in
the cedar-forest of Elam. They found a way into its magical
depths, gazing in wonder at the height of the trees, and beholding
the mountain of the cedars,“the mystic”seat of the gods, the
shrine of Irnini;“before the mountain the cedars lifted up their
luxuriant foliage; deep was their shadow and full of pleasaunce.”
Khumbaba was overcome and slain; but Gilgames once more
dreamed a dream, wherein the heavens thundered, the lightning
flashed, and the earth shook, and which portended disaster to
Ea-bani and his friend.
The sixth and following books describe how the dream was
fulfilled. Istar saw and loved Gilgames in the strength of his