Humababa/Huwawa/Kumbaba

Humbaba is from Sumerian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, and Babylonian mythology. He was appointed by the god Enlil to guard the cedar trees in the world of the living. He was dangerous to any who entered his forest. He was a large humanoid with a lion head and dragon teeth whose roar was like a storm. His breathe was like death and he could breathe fire. Covered in plate-like scales, he had talons like a vulture and a tail that had a snake head at the end of it. He personified natural elements and was protected by seven mystical auras. No one ever escaped his wrath. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is the oldest surviving notable example of literature, Gilgamesh started a fight with him by cutting down one of his trees. Gilgamesh fought Humbaba and cut off his head. Before he died, he asked Enkidu, a friend of Gilgamesh, to vouch for him to spare his life. Enkidu said to kill him and Humbaba cursed him just before dying.

Citations:

Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. United Kingdom, Norton, 2001.

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Giants and Humanoids in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

Wilk, Stephen R. Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon. United States, Oxford University Press, USA, 2007.

Bürgin, Dieter. Psychoanalytic and Anthropological Considerations of Gilgamesh: A Lost Illusion. United Kingdom, Cambridge Scholars Publisher, 2021.

Frigiola, Heather. Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World. United States, Schiffer Publishing, Limited, 2019.