And Yet – Another Filler Episode

The Seeker and the Stranger walk on the gravel path, covered in red and yellow leaves. It is autumn.

“One person alone can never change the world,” claims the Seeker. “An individual has little to no impact. No matter what you are trying to do, it's meaningless. You might as well just shout out into the forest, no one hears your voice.”

“Then let me tell you a story of one man, who did in fact manage to change the world,” grins the Stranger. “Do you want to listen to the story of the Sumerian scribe who changed the course of mankind with just 12 clay tablets. With just One Story, he planted the seeds of new thoughts to be born in the consciousness of men. Creating a new form of art. Let me tell you the story of the man, who wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh.”

“Are you sure, we have time for that?” questions the Seeker, pointing at their watch.

“Don't worry. This doesn't count as canon. Since it doesn't really fit into the rest of our path, we'll just call it a filler episode. I will use the opportunity to tell you this story, even if it's unrelated to the rest of your journey. I believe you may find it interesting and inspiring.

What I am about to tell you, I have no proof to back it up. It is not based on any historical evidence. Serious Experts will probably roll their eyes on this. I will nevertheless share with you what I have seen and it is up to you whether you believe me or not. So lets just call it 'historical fiction' for the time being. Until someone else may one day find proof.”

“Alright,” sighs the tired Seeker. “Go on and tell me your story...”

“In the ancient times, more than 4000 Years ago, a child was born into slavery in the ancient city of Uruk. Back then, when the river Euphrates fertilized the land. When the mighty Ziggurat of Uruk still stood high and mighty. When merchants from all quarters of the earth visited the land of Kengir, to sell their goods to the noble lords. Civilization was still at it's very beginning. Cuneiform was a fairly new technology and mostly used to record information for practical purposes. No one even thought about using writing to record stories. Until one Eunuch from Uruk did something, that no one has ever done before him.

As a slave, the Eunuch was assigned to be of service to the High Priest as a Scribe. He learned Cuneiform at a young age. His teachers treated errors strictly. Day in and out it was his job to record the words spoken by his masters on clay tablets. He was easily bored by his tasks and often times escaped the monotony through daydreaming.

He knew from a young age that he was different from anyone in Uruk. But those who are different, were treated poorly. So he kept quiet most of the time, suppressing himself to fit into his role as slave. He bowed before his masters in Humility and always did what he was told. Among the other slaves he made some good friends. Friends with whom he drank Beer and laughed together.

As he grew older, he came up with an idea for a story. A story about a Hero and his friend. About the fear of death and the longing for immortality. About what it means to be a king. About friendship and adventure. And he called the hero Gilgamesh (or Bilgames), based on a king of Uruk. Gilgamesh, a tyrannical king who was two thirds god and one third man...”

“Wait a second,” ruminates the Seeker, while counting with their fingers. “How can he be 2 thirds god and one third human? This doesn't make any sense, unless he had three parents...”

The Stranger grins. “Well... In fact it was never supposed to make sense. The author knew exactly, that people would get confused by this. It was just his strange sense of humor. The idea, that people couldn't make sense of it and desperately tried to figure it out, was hilarious to him.

The author used all his free time, to craft his story in solitude. Every minute, he wasn't occupied with his work as a scribe, he either thought about his story or inscribed it on clay tablets. Almost daily he walked in circles through the city of Uruk, pondering what Gilgamesh and Enkidu were supposed to do next.

Language was limited back then. He had much more ideas, but they wouldn't have fit on just 12 clay tablets. If he had lived in another time, the story would have easily filled up the pages of several books.

After many years, he finally completed his work and wanted to share it with everyone. But he was just a simple slave. A Eunuch, who was robbed of his manhood. No one would listen to him. No one cared about his existence. To the Sumerian Lords he was just a nobody, whose only purpose was to write down, as dictated. He had this wonderful story, but no audience to share it with.

You see, he was driven to accomplish something in his life. He didn't just want to be a mere scribe. He wanted to leave his mark on the world. In a sense, he was just like his character Gilgamesh, who pursued fame and glory. He wanted his name to be known by all people. So that even after his death, the memory of him, may still live on. He wanted to show the world, that even him, a simple Eunuch from Uruk, can accomplish the impossible. And so he did.

When he first showed his manuscript to his friends, they were either not interested or didn't take him serious. No one believed in him. They played his story down but were secretly jealous. Despite all that, the Eunuch wasn't ready to give up. No matter how much rejection he faced, he kept pushing through. He knew that if he can't count on his friends, he can only count on himself.

And so he went to the High Priest, master of the Scribes and showed him the clay tablets. The author hoped the High Priest could put in a good word to the King. But the High Priest didn't even look at the Clay tablets. He got enraged and threw the tablets on the ground, shattering them in Thousand pieces. He told the Eunuch that he should not waste his time with fantasies and copy other tablets instead. For his insolence, the Eunuch was punished with the whip.

Many years of work was gone, everything shattered before his eyes. The Eunuch was ready to quit. To give up on his dream and accept his fate as scribe. He cried and wept. And he prayed to his favorite god Enki, to help him fulfill his dream. To show him a way, how he can share the story of Gilgamesh with all people, Slaves and Lords, Farmers, Fishers and Shepherds. Merchants and Nomads. Guardians, Craftsmen and Priests. So that it may be enjoyed by all, who have ears to listen and eyes to read.

And in the mind of the Author suddenly a new idea was born. A new path revealed itself to him. He envisioned showing his Great Work to the king of Uruk. With a new plan in mind, he picked himself up and started anew. He re-wrote the entire story. Changed some details. Added some words. Writing Enkidu's death into the story to give Gilgamesh a motive in pursuing immortality.

And when he finished 12 new tablets, the story was better than ever before. When he suggested his plan of approaching the king to his friends, they thought he went insane. Just speaking to the king was a certain death penalty to any slave. Everyone knew what happens with slaves who overstep their boundaries.

The author put his tablets in a bag and took them to work, waiting each day for the right opportunity. For many months there wasn't much to do, apart from copying old tablets. Until one day, he was assigned to capture the words of the king in cuneiform. Writing a letter to the king of Eridu about a trade agreement.

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As he recorded the words of the king, he felt the urge to show him the epic of Gilgamesh. But the Eunuch was too afraid, too shy. He couldn't stop thinking about being punished to death for addressing the King. And so he ignored his intuition and kept quiet.

Several months passed, until the author had another chance to meet the King. This time he was writing a letter to the King of Ur. But again, he couldn't muster up the courage and remained silent. His heart kept telling him to be brave, to speak what he was meant to speak. To share his Great Work. But his mind told him to be silent. His mind, consumed by fear and insecurities, wouldn't let him speak.

Full of regret, the Eunuch had to wait for another year, until he had a chance to meet the King again. He knew, that if he wouldn't speak up now, he would keep on postponing it, until there would be no more chances left. He knew, that if he wouldn't at least try it, he would regret it all his life. As he finished inscribing the tablet and was about to leave the palace, he suddenly had a change of mind. He took a deep breath, turned around and faced the king.

He took out the first clay tablet from his bag and started to speak:

'HE WHO HAS SEEN EVERYTHING, I WILL MAKE KNOWN TO THE LANDS...'

And as he spoke, it was as if he spoke with a foreign tongue. Almost metallic. His voice sounded like the rhythm of an ancient song. And the words that he spoke, felt magical to the listeners. All ears followed the words of the Eunuch. The Servants, the Guardians, the Noblemen, the Priests and the King, all were enchanted by his voice. Their attention being sucked in, like moths being drawn to light.

The Eunuch was in flow, as he read his work of fiction to the court. No fear, no worry, no insecurity arose in his mind. He was ONE with the present moment.

And when he finished the first tablet, he looked around to see peoples reactions. He expected to be captured by the guards or shouted at by the priests. But the entire room was speechless. Never before have they ever listened to anything comparable.

To his surprise the king only asked one question: 'What happens next?'

And so the Eunuch took out the second tablet and continued to read. Then the third, the fourth and so on. By the time that Gilgamesh's best friend Enkidu died, the entire room was weeping. This story incited new thoughts into the minds of the people and incited feelings, they forgot they had. The epic of Gilgamesh touched peoples heart and soul as no other story at that time. It was unlike any myth or legend.

By the time he finished the last tablet, everyone showered him with applause and jubilation. And for the first time in his life, the young slave felt recognized. From that day onward his life changed completely. The king of Uruk was so enamored by the epic of Gilgamesh, that he not only freed the Eunuch against the will of the priesthood from slavery, he showered him with Gold and Lapis Lazuli.

The Eunuch would travel around the land of Kengir, always reciting the epic of Gilgamesh to all people. No matter which status, be they slaves or merchants or kings. Everyone came to listen to the Great story teller. He truly lived his dream. And all that, because he decided to follow his heart. In spite of what everyone told him, in spite of his fears and insecurities, he walked his highest path. And by doing so, he bestowed the world with a great gift.

The epic of Gilgamesh became a classic. It changed the way, how people were thinking. Similar to how a software update patches the system. It inspired many other poets, mythmakers and storytellers. When Homer wrote the Iliad, he was inspired by the epic of Gilgamesh. The Greek myth of Hercules is based on Gilgamesh. In Egypt a young priest called Thuthmose read a copy of the epic in the Amarna library and was inspired to create a myth, that would later be called 'Genesis'.

If the author hadn't followed his heart, if he hadn't opened his mouth and told his story to the king, society now would be completely different. Surely the first couple of centuries would have been almost identical with our timeline, but if you look at it on a span of 4.000 Years, the differences would be very noticeable. However this timeline has already collapsed and no longer exists.

With the epic of Gilgamesh, the author planted a seed, that would later on grow into a massive tree. He invented the very idea of recording stories through written language. He was the first true novelist. Perhaps, if it weren't for him, someone else would have come up with the idea a couple of centuries later. And yet – Even today, you can still read the English translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh and enjoy it's storytelling. It is an amazing piece of art. A story, that is truly unique. It made this dense place on earth a bit more beautiful.

You see – by being brave, by following his heart, this ONE soul changed the world for the better. And what he has accomplished, YOU can accomplish as well. Is your heart calling out to you? Listen to it. What is it's true desire, uncorrupted by the Ego? Do you feel the longing to express something in your lifetime? Something you are afraid to do? Something that seems impossible? Something you are resisting?”

“Hold on,” frowns the Seeker. “Where do you even have all this information from? Did this really happen or did you just make it up?”

“It is all written in the Book of Humanity,” grins the Stranger. “The Book of Humanity, where all stories of mankind are recorded. Where all memories are stored, even after death. When this sealed book is opened and its hidden words are revealed, you as well can tap into it. No memory is ever truly lost. No life is ever truly forgotten. It lives on in the collective memory of us all.”

The Seeker gazes at the Stranger with skeptic eyes. “Still... I have done my research and there are some things, that still don't add up. Like the earliest version is from 2100 BC and it's written in Akkadian. Also the 12 tablet canon was established later. Before that it were only 11 tablets and before that, there were only distinct independent short stories.”

“A lot of the original copies where lost when the Akkadians conquered the Sumerian cities. The short stories were inspired by the initial Epic of Gilgamesh. When Sargon united Sumer and Akkad, many tablets were translated into the Akkadian language. The original 12th tablet was lost in time entirely. Until the Babylonians established a new 12th tablet – but it still wasn't the original content.”

The Seeker is silent for a moment, taking their time to think it through. “There is one more question, I have left: What is the authors name?”

The Stranger grins. “When the Eunuch got older, he was afraid, that his name will be forgotten. He couldn't possibly see, what impact he had on the course of Humanity. He couldn't even imagine it. So when he grew old and weary, he thought that he had failed to leave his mark on the world. He thought his life was meaningless after all. He never had a wife to carry out his children. No one to bear his name, to remember him after his death. So he got very concerned about his legacy. Will he die after all, just like any other slave? Without any significance?

And so he again prayed to Enki, crying out to his favorite god: 'Please! Don't let my name be forgotten. Please, don't let my life be in vain! I don't want to be forgotten.'

And then he suddenly heard a voice in his thoughts, as if answering to his prayer, in voice different from his own: 'TAKE THE 12 TABLETS, PUT THEM IN A CHEST ALONG WITH YOUR MOST VALUABLE TREASURES AND BURY IT BENEATH THE EARTH. WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE 12th TABLET. AND ONE DAY SOMEONE SHALL FIND YOUR TREASURE AND REMEMBER YOUR NAME ONCE AGAIN.'

The Eunuch couldn't trust what he was hearing, did the god of water actually speak to him.

'Enki?! Is that you?'

'NO,' responded the strange voice. ' I AM KULI'

And so the elderly Eunuch set out on a last voyage to bury his life's work including the lost original 12th tablet. Somewhere at the outskirts of Eridu, he buried the chest under a fig tree. He never told anyone about its location. And just a couple of weeks later, he died peacefully in his sleep.”

“Is that chest still there?” questions the Seeker.

“Who knows... There is a limit to what I can see. Perhaps it was already plundered. Perhaps the chest was damaged over time. Perhaps there is nothing left. A lot can happen in 4.000 Years. But who knows... Perhaps a mad archaeologist will one day come across this story. Someone with a sense of wonder and adventure. Who despite there being no proof, is courageous enough to set out on a journey to hunt after a myth. Trusting only in their intuition to be guided to the right spot.

If someone were to find the original 12 tablets, it would be akin to Schliemann finding Troy or Carter discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun. Analysis would show, that the tablets are by far the oldest versions ever to be uncovered. And when the original 12th tablet is found, the name of it's author will be revealed.”

“Seems to me like an impossible task,” comments the Seeker. “With a low probability of success. It would be a complete waste of time to hunt after treasures on intuition alone.”

“Well... You need to be a certain type of person for that. Anyway, that's it for today's filler episode. Next time, I will tell you the story of an Alchemist, who dared to challenge the church. A brave man, who died in the name of truth. Who fought against the lies and the injustice of those who were at power. Who even when tortured, would not go back on his words. A man of true integrity... But before doing that, let's first pick up all the remaining archetypes, that you are still missing.”

And so the Seeker and the Stranger walked towards the next canonical part of their own story.

TO BE CONTINUED