Chapter Three. Defining The Bounds Of The Akkadian Huwawa Narrative

A “wild man” from the island of Soqotra: a new text in its comparative setting

“… 34 The delicate issue of whether Enkidu is primarily associated with wild or domestic animals acquires some importance in this context. Fleming and Milstein (2010: 19–31) argue that Enkidu's image in the Yale tablet differs from what we learn from the Pennsylvania tablet (both Old Babylonian): while in the latter Enkidu is presented as a true “wild man” born in the wilderness and sharing the company of wild animals ( nammaštû ), in the former he is instead depicted as a herdsman, well-trained in dwelling in the open country and protecting the livestock ( būlu ) from different kinds of dangers. The standard version of the Epic later adapted the image known from the Pennsylvanian tablet.…”

“…The meaning of būlu remains obscure. Fleming and Milstein (2010: 23–7) argue that the term originally designates domestic animals as one of the proofs of Enkidu's original status as a herdsman. Some authors prefer not to narrow the meaning in such a way, assuming that it has no connotations of tameness or wildness: see, for instance, George's neutral translation “herd” in Gilg.…”