Humbaba

Humbaba is one of the most famous monsters of Mesopotamian mythology. He is the adversary of Gilgamesh and Enkidu in their quest for fame and glory. The big question is whether Humbaba is evil or good. Enlil has appointed him to be the guardian of the Cedar Forest (the realm of the gods).

Not only does Humbaba rock the coolest name ever, but he is also an extremely powerful being as well. His mere presence inspires fear in all humans, no matter their bravery. Even King Gilgamesh almost succumbs to his fears when facing the monster. We are sure he would have, were it not for the help of Enkidu and Utu.

In the Gilgamesh epic, Humbaba is described as a powerful demon that is armed with a great capacity to kill. He is a giant beast that has superhearing, razor-sharp teeth, enormous strength, and the ability to breathe fire. When he roars, the entire forest is on high alert. On top of all that, he is armed with Me (powerful artifacts, similar to the ones owned by the goddess Inanna). It is only when he has removed these that Gilgamesh and Enkidu can beat him, and even then they do so with great difficulty and with the assistance of Utu.