Anyone reading the Gilgameš Epic cannot help being puzzled by the words pukku and mekkû which have been very much discussed by specialists and are still so enigmatic that some translators no longer attempt to render them.

The state of the question is as follows.

The von Soden dictionary translates pukku by “Trommel” (drum). Such was also Landsberger's first interpretation, but he later changed his mind: since the pukku occurs once with some playthings such as a skipping rope, he suggested a hoop, but finally, one year later, owing to a passage, “Ich lasse die Schädel rollen wie pukku”, which seems to imply “eine massivere Struktur”, he plumped for “eine Art Polo oder Croquet mit Holzkugeln”, i.e. wooden balls.

As for mekkū, von Soden gives several meanings: first, a pestle used with a sieve; second, “Trommelstock” (drumstick). This we must stop to consider for a while, since this implement, the drumstick, is not attested in ancient Mesopotamia. Drums are very often represented in Mesopotamian reliefs. There are several kinds of them, either shallow and small, like our timbrel or tambourine; or barrel-shaped or conical and hanging from the belt; or again larger ones set on the ground; none of these is ever played with a stick. Even the gigantic Gudea drum is played with bare hands.