Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed Humbaba in the Cedar Forest.
Humbaba, also called Huwawa in Sumerian tradition, was the fearsome guardian appointed to protect the Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh proposes the expedition because he wants lasting fame, while Enkidu knows the forest and warns him about its danger. The pair travel together, aided by the sun god Shamash.
In the Standard Babylonian epic, Humbaba’s terrifying power is associated with supernatural radiance or auras, and his roar is compared with forces such as storms and fire. Shamash sends winds that help restrain him. Humbaba pleads for his life and offers service, but Enkidu urges Gilgamesh to kill him before the gods intervene.
Gilgamesh strikes Humbaba and takes his head, while the heroes cut valuable cedar wood for transport back to Mesopotamia. The killing has serious consequences: Humbaba curses Enkidu, and the gods later condemn Enkidu to die. The forest’s location varies by tradition; some accounts place it in the east, while later versions associate it with Lebanon or northern Syria.