Humbaba

E233614

Humbaba is the monstrous guardian of the Cedar Forest in the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, known for his terrifying power and eventual defeat by Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Humbaba canonical 8

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Mesopotamian deity
guardian spirit
monster
mythological character
alsoKnownAs Huwawa
alsoSpelled Huwawa
appearsIn Epic of Gilgamesh
appointedBy Enlil
associatedPlace Lebanon (traditional location of Cedar Forest)
associatedWith cedar trees
culture Mesopotamian religion
surface form: Akkadian mythology

Mesopotamian mythology
Sumerian religion
surface form: Sumerian mythology
defeatedBy Gilgamesh
surface form: Gilgamesh and Enkidu
describedAs monstrous
terrifying
employer Enlil
enemyOf Enkidu
Gilgamesh
guardianOf Cedar Forest
hasAttribute aura of dread
radiant terror
hasBodyPart claws of a vulture (in some descriptions)
dragon’s teeth (in some descriptions)
face of intestines (in some descriptions)
giant’s body (in some descriptions)
lion’s mouth (in some descriptions)
hasPower paralyzing glare
terrifying voice
killedBy Enkidu
Gilgamesh
knownFor monstrous appearance
supernatural power
terrifying roar
languageAttestedIn Akkadian texts
Sumerian texts
location Cedar Forest
narrativeFunction test of Gilgamesh’s heroism
opponentInBattle Enkidu
Gilgamesh
plotRole antagonist in the Cedar Forest episode
relatedWork Old Babylonian versions of the Gilgamesh tradition
role guardian of the Cedar Forest
servesDeity Enlil
symbolizes chaos at the edge of civilization
divinely protected wilderness
wild nature
timePeriod Bronze Age Mesopotamia

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Gilgamesh opponent Humbaba
Enkidu fights Humbaba
Enkidu kills Humbaba
Cedar Forest hasGuardian Humbaba
Cedar Forest guardedBy Humbaba
defeat of Humbaba opposedBy Humbaba