In ancient Babylon the great king Gilgamesh witnessed the death of his companion Enkidu, a being of equal prowess to Gilgamesh and much greater humility than he, and for the first time Gilgamesh knew fear. Leaving his throne Gilgamesh began a wide and long quest for a way to defeat death. At long last he was told the answer to his quest lay under the mountains of Mashu but the path was guarded by the Huwawa, half men half scorpion; cursed by the gods in a time before death for offences of pride. The Huwawa knew the secret of immortality - indeed they had been cursed to a deathless existence of guarding that secret from mankind. Gilgamesh contended long with the Huwawa before finally they submitted to his will and opened the passage. The Huwawa spent their time wandering the desolate mountain ranges of Mashu; cursed by the gods, outcast and shunned by the race of humans from which they came. Embittered by their fate and maddened by long ages of deathless existence the Huwawa were vicious and deadly demons of the badlands.

The knife Huwawa illustrates this myth in steel. The blade is a multibar composite damascus pattern, the front and rear bolsters are some of my mosaic damascus and the center grips are from a truly unique piece of Eggerling Crossroads pattern mosaic damascus. The lockbar and back spacer are twist damascus and the thumbstud/eye is damascus as well. The grips carry 2 round and 8 oval gold lip mother of pearl inlays and as always there is a single abalone inlay in the eye. The lockbar and spacer are fileworked.