Sigil of Baphomet

The "Sigil of Baphomet" is the official insignia for the Church of Satan, chosen by Anton Szandor LaVey. Satanists who follow the philosophies of LaVey often adorn themselves with the sigil.

The Hebrew letters at each of the points of the pentagram read "לִוְיָתָן" starting from the lowest point and reading counter-clockwise. Translated, this is Leviathan (LVYTN), a sea creature figuring in Judaic mythology. Leviathan has many complex meanings, many of which apply to its use in the Sigil of Baphomet. Leviathan is commonly associated with Satan, and the fourth book of the Satanic Bible is named the Book of Leviathan.

Although versions of the Sigil of Baphomet appear as early as the 1897 book “La Clef de la Magie Noire” by Stanislas de Guaita, the variant in common use today was designed for use by the Church of Satan, and is known as the Hell's Kitchen Baphomet. This variant is copyrighted by the Church of Satan and cannot legally be reproduced without permission. Historic variants are in the public domain.

In an interview with "Wikinews", High Priest Peter H. Gilmore described the meaning of the symbol:

In popular culture

* American death metal band Vital Remains (who use much Satanic imagery in their music) have used the Sigil of Baphomet on the cover of their 1997 album, "Forever Underground". A similar goat's head appears on their 2000 album, "Dawn of the Apocalypse".

ee also

*LaVeyan Satanism
*Baphomet
*Pentagram
*Eliphas Lévi
*Church of Satan

References

External links

* [http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/BaphometSigil.html The History of the Origin of the Sigil of Baphomet and its Use in the Church of Satan]