In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Humbaba is the monstrous guardian who protects the Cedar Forest.
Humbaba, also spelled Huwawa in some translations, is appointed by the god Enlil to guard the sacred Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh and Enkidu travel to the forest seeking fame and timber, then confront Humbaba. The hero’s victory over the guardian is one of the central episodes of the Standard Babylonian version of the epic.
Descriptions of Humbaba vary across ancient texts and modern translations. He is often shown or imagined as a giant with terrifying features, supernatural radiance, and a face described in unusual, sometimes mask-like terms. Modern illustrations may portray him as a dragon or forest monster, but the cuneiform sources do not reduce him to one standardized dragon shape.
Humbaba is sometimes confused with Anzû, the storm-bird of Mesopotamian mythology, or Pazuzu, a later wind demon. Neither is the Cedar Forest guardian in Gilgamesh.