Which wild man was created by the gods to be a companion for Gilgamesh? Enkidu was the wild man created by the gods to become Gilgamesh’s companion.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the people of Uruk complain about Gilgamesh’s oppressive behavior. The god Anu responds by directing the goddess Aruru to create Enkidu as a rival strong enough to challenge the king. Enkidu begins life in the steppe, living among wild animals, drinking at their watering places, and disrupting hunters’ traps.
A hunter brings Shamhat, a woman associated with the temple, to civilize him. After their encounter, the animals reject Enkidu, and he learns human speech, food, clothing, and social customs. He then travels to Uruk, where he wrestles Gilgamesh. Neither truly defeats the other; instead, their mutual respect turns rivalry into an exceptionally deep friendship.
Enkidu represents the natural world confronting the city and its king. Together, he and Gilgamesh defeat Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. The gods later decree Enkidu’s death, and his loss transforms Gilgamesh’s pursuit of glory into a quest to understand and escape mortality.