GILGAMESH .
A dream from Enkidu opens the narration of the underworld. It has been decided that Enkidu should die by the gods Enlil and Shamash, who has to choose between Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Enkidu dreams a terrifying dream that entails the darkest side of the underworld - Hell. For he proclaimed the heavens roared, and the earth rumbled back an answer, while Enkidu stood his fate. Standing he faced an awful being, a somber faced man-bird. The man had a vampire face, a lion's foot, and a hand as an eagle's talon. The man fell on Enkidu and his claws were in his hair, which held Enkidu until he smothered. Next, the awful being transformed him, so that his arms became wings covered with feathers. Afterward, the man turned his stare toward Enkidu, and led him away to the palace of Irkalla, the queen of darkness. Irkalla's palace is the house from which anyone that enters never returns and there is no coming back. .
The house of hell is portrayed as the house where the dead dwells in total darkness. They drink dirt, eat stone, wear feathers like birds, and light will never invade their everlasting darkness. When Enkidu entered, the door and lock of hell were coated with thick dust, thus giving it another name, the house of dust. Enkidu saw that the crowns of kings were heaped on every side, and heard their voices serving food to Enlil and Anu. Candy, meat, and water poured from the king's skins. He also saw all the priests of the great gods. There sat Etana, the king of fish whom the eagle carried to heaven in the days of old, Sumukan, god of cattle, and Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld. Beside Ereshkigal was Belit-Sheri, the scribe or recorder of the gods that keeps the books of death, squatting before her when she asked, "Who has brought this one here?" Enkidu then awakes and tells Gilgamesh his horrific dream. Twelve days later Enkidu dies, leaving Gilgamech to mourn.