In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Shamhat is the woman who helps Enkidu enter human society.
Shamhat is sent by a hunter who fears Enkidu’s strength and disruptive presence in the wilderness. She approaches Enkidu and spends time with him, after which the animals reject him. Shamhat then teaches him about clothing, food, speech and the customs of settled people.
Her role is more significant than that of a brief intermediary. She is the first human figure to guide Enkidu from the animal world into civilization, and she directs him toward the shepherds and eventually toward Uruk.
Shamhat is sometimes confused with Siduri, another woman in the epic. Siduri is the tavern keeper whom Gilgamesh meets during his search for Utnapishtim. Shamhat appears much earlier and is specifically connected with Enkidu’s transformation.