Who Is Aruru?
Mother goddess who created humankind
Aruru is a mother goddess in Mesopotamian mythology, credited with creating human beings. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, she is the goddess who brings Enkidu into existence.
In Episode 1, after hearing the cries of the people of Uruk, the gods of heaven turn to her: since she created humankind, she should now create someone who can rival the king. Aruru washes her hands, pinches off a piece of clay, and throws it into the wilderness, and from it the wild man Enkidu is born. By making an equal for the tyrant Gilgamesh, she sets out to redirect the king's strength.
The idea of humans being made from clay appears in other Mesopotamian myths as well. Aruru is thought to be the same as, or closely related to, the mother goddess called Belet-ili or Nintu in other texts.
Episodes featuring this character2
NEWEpisode 1
The World's First Hero Was a TyrantGilgamesh and Enkidu
Gilgamesh is a young king no one can stop, and the people of Uruk suffer under him. Their cries reach the heavens, so the goddess Aruru shapes Enkidu, a wild man, from clay. A trapper spots him at a watering hole and, still afraid, sets out for Uruk.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 2
To Become Human, Add Bread and BeerEnkidu and Shamhat
At the watering hole, Enkidu meets Shamhat. He can never run with the herd again, but he gains wisdom, and with bread and beer he becomes human. Meanwhile in Uruk, King Gilgamesh dreams that a friend as strong as he is will soon arrive.
19 pages