So my first post here is gonna' be a new thread, eh? Okaysure.

I see a lot of folks here scrambling desperately for clues and symbols to explain this show (ie: there were two pens in AL's uniform pocket); using screen shots and the like to nail down "important" details they believe they missed. This is fun, and as an observer over the last couple of months, I've gotten a kick out of some of the theories posted in regard to these little details.

This time, however, I had a major clue slap me right in the face: John Locke's crossword puzzle. The camera lingered there a little too long for me not to notice "Who was Enkidu's friend". Locke knew almost immediately that it was "Gilgamesh". That was more than a little obscure if you ask me.

So I took a little Google trip: http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM

I've been looking forward to the eventual meeting of Eko and Locke. I truly believe our dear writers could be taking some artistic license with the ancient Gilgamesh story and applying it to Eko (Enkidu) and Locke (Gilgamesh).

Best friends forever? Unfortunately there's a lot of conflict there....and (*sob*) it also means that Eko is doomed.

(Ishtar = Danielle? That would be a big ole' WOW for me if Locke hooked up with that emotionally volatile island "goddess").

OR am I reading way too much into it?

http://www.magickalshadow.com/gilgamesh.html

http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/mideast/mi-wtst.htm


:cool:

As soon as I saw that I told my wife it was a major clue. Thank you for pointing it out. BTW I am asking for a TiVO for Christmas:)

Hopefully, if the writers are leaning in that direction, it won't go beyond the
balancing act between the two. I'd hate to see such a miserable story
repeated in LOST.

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]This time, however, I had a major clue slap me right in the face: John Locke's crossword puzzle. The camera lingered there a little too long for me not to notice "Who was Enkidu's friend". Locke knew almost immediately that it was "Gilgamesh". That was more than a little obscure if you ask me.


I agree the crossword puzzle was a major clue. I picked up on that right away too. But I wasn't quick enough to see what was written. My thought is that Enkidu and Gilgamesh may be a bit obscure for me, it's not obscure for Locke. He seems to know just about everything.

For me, the real mystery is...where'd he get the crossword puzzle?! :biggrin: Had to come from a newspaper. From where? The hatch? If it came from the plane I would think he would've done the crossword weeks ago! What was the date? Screencap anyone? :hypocrit:

Isn't it possible this isn't about Locke and Eko? One of the connections that I thought about was the number 42. In the beginning of the episode, we see Ana Lucia telling Jack she's in seat 42F... And then on the crossword, the "Gilgamesh" clue is 42. What's more, Gilgamesh was a King, right... and the "Kings" of the two groups are Jack and Ana Lucia...

Just a thought...

Ooooh! Lostcasts, you're GOOD! Didn't even take into account the crossword number. Kudos!

Great catch, LOSTCast!

Had to come from a newspaper.
Actually, it looked like one of those crossword puzzle books to me. I have loads of them. Crosswords aren't only in newspapers.

I am so outta my league here.:frown:

Actually, it looked like one of those crossword puzzle books to me. I have loads of them. Crosswords aren't only in newspapers.

Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about the books! But everyone knows the good crosswords are only in newspapers...never the books! ;)

Actually I was just being facetious in my comments regarding the newspaper.

Shannon had a bunch of crossword puzzle books. Did Locke raid her belongings before anyone knew she was dead? That dosn't fit with what I know about Locke, but I couldn't prevent it from popping into my head. Hope that wasn't the case.

Or maybe he found them in the beginning before their stuff was sorted out.

Shannon might have shared them with Locke; not every thing is shown but
much is implied.

I can't really see this story playing out in any way with Locke and Eko, but did everyone miss the fact that this is a myth founded in modern day Iraq? Perhaps Ana Lucia and Sayid will become the warrior friends described in the myth.

It is very possible that more than one person had a crossword puzzle book on the plane. I've seen them for sale in airports, and who would go on a flight across the Pacific without some kind of entertainment handy?

Great legend, and great clue. I hope that the writers don't follow it too closely though.

Anna Lucia and Sayid warrior friends! Seems out of the realm of possiblities but you never know....

It is very possible that more than one person had a crossword puzzle book on the plane. I've seen them for sale in airports, and who would go on a flight across the Pacific without some kind of entertainment handy?

Great legend, and great clue. I hope that the writers don't follow it too closely though.

I always travel with several puzzlebooks, not just crosswords but also others. It's an easy way to kill time when you're on a long flight

The puzzle book could of come from the hatch. Everything else is in there. I was thinking it was unfinished by Desmond.

Yeah, maybe crossword books were given to him and/or the other button-pushers to pass the time.

I think the book belonged to Shanon......because all the other answers don't fit with Locke's correct answer.....Gilgamesh. Shanon was not the brightist bulb in the bunch :)

My initial reaction, as I saw "gilgamesh" was "Sayid"
We had to study the Stele of Hammurabi over the Epic of Gilgamesh in Art History...and now I'm sad.

Chico, i totally agree. i brought this up earlier about the wrong answers. i know Gilgamesh fits but perhaps that is supposed to lead us somewhere.

I found what I thought was interesting about the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu....

"Gilgamesh was an historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the River Euphrates in modern Iraq....

"The account begins: Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third human, is the greatest king on earth and the strongest super-human that ever existed; however, he is young and oppresses his people harshly. The people call out to the sky-god Anu, the chief god of the city, to help them. In response, Anu creates a wild man, Enkidu, out in the harsh and wild forests surrounding Gilgamesh's lands. This brute, Enkidu, has the strength of dozens of wild animals; he is to serve as the subhuman rival to the superhuman Gilgamesh.

" A trapper's son, while checking on traps in the forest, discovers Enkidu running naked with the wild animals; he rushes to his father with the news. The father advises him to go into the city and take one of the temple harlots, Shamhat, with him to the forest; when she sees Enkidu, she is to offer herself sexually to the wild man. If he submits to her, the trapper says, he will lose his strength and his wildness.

Shamhat meets Enkidu at the watering-hole where all the wild animals gather; she offers herself to him and he submits, instantly losing his strength and wildness, but he gains understanding and knowledge. He laments for his lost state, but the harlot offers to take him into the city where all the joys of civilization shine in their resplendence; she offers to show him Gilgamesh, the only man worthy of Enkidu's friendship.

"Gilgamesh meanwhile has two dreams; in the first a meteorite falls to earth which is so great that Gilgamesh can neither lift it nor turn it. The people gather and celebrate around the meteorite, and Gilgamesh embraces it as he would a wife, but his mother, the goddess Rimat-Ninsun, forces him to compete with the meteorite. In the second, Gilgamesh dreams that an axe appears at his door, so great that he can neither lift it nor turn it. The people gather and celebrate around the axe, and Gilgamesh embraces it as he would a wife, but his mother, again, forces him to compete with the axe. Gilgamesh asks his mother what these dreams might mean; she tells him a man of great force and strength will come into Uruk. Gilgamesh will embrace this man as he would a wife, and this man will help Gilgamesh perform great deeds."

This site tells the rest of the story based on what actual writings were found on the twelve stone tablets, in the Akkadian language, found in the ruins of the library of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria 669-633 B.C., at Nineveh (NOTE: Jonah gave the city of Ninevah 40 days to repent or be destroyed--the number of days Eko was silent, presumably in repentance of the people he killed. Nineveh was in what is today called Iraq). http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM

What I found interesting is the correlation between Locke and Gilgamesh (I picture Gilgamesh as somewhat smug and guided by selfishness), and Eko and Enkidu (I picture Enkidu as grounded and guided by selflessness). As an aside, I also thought it interesting that Gilgamesh has a dream about a meteorite (!) and axe, and that they symbolize a man of great force and strength who will help Gilgamesh perform great deeds. Perhaps Locke and Eko are two halves of the whole. Locke being untethered strength of selfish will, while Eko is grounded in true selfless faith.

I agree with thread title.

Sure, Gilgamesh being Iraqi immediately made me think "Sayid", but i think it's gotta' refer to either Locke & Eko or Jack & Ana-L. I'm not really seeing Jack as Gilgamesh, but it's an interesting take. I'm still thinkin' Locke and Eko are gonna' go on a trip to chop down some cedar trees.

Sure, Gilgamesh being Iraqi immediately made me think "Sayid", but i think it's gotta' refer to either Locke & Eko or Jack & Ana-L. I'm not really seeing Jack as Gilgamesh, but it's an interesting take. I'm still thinkin' Locke and Eko are gonna' go on a trip to chop down some cedar trees.

....look out Humbaba!

I think someone may have mentioned this, but all of the clues that intersected "Gilgamesh" were NOT real words. Here they are (letters that spell Gilgamesh are in caps):
Ghare
sIend
acoLns
imGtative
laA
_isMskeet (can't see first letter)
Epers
aSids
pagHr
I defnitely don't think it's a coincidence that these particular words are nonexistent. Especially since the puzzle is full of other real words. Additionally, here are the "clues" that we can see on the puzzle:
- Macbeth's... (can't see rest)
- Belgian port (ans: Ghent -- seen on puzzle)
- Robbed (ans: ransacked -- seen on puzzle)
- WWII movie feature hyph. wd.
- Enkidu's friend (42-down, btw)
- Less brazen

After my meek attempts at working with these words, I was able to extract the following:
- Dharma Initiative
- Alvar Hanso
- Sick
- The Others
- Oceanic Airlines
- Locke
- Mr Eko
I would say that some of these could be random, but "Dharma Initiative" is a pretty extensive group of letters to just be a "coincidence". If anyone can get anything else out of this, let us know! Oh, and here are the screenshots:
http://www.lost-media.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=820&pos=225

http://www.lost-media.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=820&pos=224

I've never been a big fan of anagram clues- there are a lot of letters to work with up there- not even a very big coincidence. I'm also leaning more toward Locke/Eko as Gilgamesh/Enkidu because the two of them share more traites with the legend. Not to mention, it was Locke who was doing the crossword puzzle, not Jack. Although that may be a mislead.