Which goddess created Enkidu from clay?

The goddess Aruru created Enkidu from clay.

In the Standard Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods respond to complaints about Gilgamesh’s harsh rule by directing Aruru to make a rival for him. Aruru forms Enkidu from clay in the steppe, creating a powerful wild man who can challenge the king of Uruk.

Enkidu’s clay origin connects him with a wider Mesopotamian tradition in which gods fashion living beings from earth or clay. The epic does not present Aruru as Enkidu’s ordinary human-style mother; her role is that of a divine creator. In this episode, she functions as a generic mother or birth goddess within the story.

Enkidu’s transformation is as important as his creation. After Shamhat spends time with him, he learns language, eats bread, drinks beer, wears clothing, and joins human society. He then meets Gilgamesh, and their initial fight becomes the beginning of a profound friendship.