The Digital Bestiary: Baphomet

Baphomet, Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1856)

    Baphomet is an image rich in symbolic import, perhaps uniquely so among the occult figures most commonly invoked in popular culture. Although originating in accounts of pagan worship dating back to the First Crusade, the popular image of Baphomet is the sole work of 19th century occultist Eliphas Levi, who illustrated the "Goat of Mendes" pictured above, appearing in his opus Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie. After the fashion of alchemical illustration, Levi's figure is a representation of totality, and so consists of numerous binaries joined in one form: human and beast, man and woman, sun and moon etc. 

    Popular depictions then tend to evoke Baphomet not as dense metaphor, but as a generic image of the supreme occult, a figure of eminence in the demonic hierarchy, or even as the form of Satan himself. These are associations reinforced by over a century of interpretation through tarot decks and other occult artifacts, culminating in an image as malleable as it is monolithic.

    This striking form and host of connotations have been channeled into myriad depictions across the medium. The precise details may be diluted or reinterpreted, but as my word is my bond there are a lot of fucking goat freaks named Baphomet in videogames.

NOTE: This list is not meant to be comprehensive, especially considering the sheer number of games that bandy around the name 'Baphomet'. But if there are any other depictions that you consider notable, especially any based directly on the Levi illustration, please let me know!

 Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne, 2003 + Shin Megami Tensei II, 1994

The Megami Tensei compendium would not be complete but for the inclusion of this supreme occult icon: Baphomet appears in Shin Megami Tensei II as a guardian of the underground, and nearly a decade later in his form as the sabbatic goat in Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne. And you can read all about their designs in our now classic Vol. 16 of Kaneko's Crib Notes! 

Fausseté Amour, 1993

The 1993 action-platformer Fausseté Amour pits players against a demonic cult led by a gentleman name of "GoatBone", and as you can imagine the object of their worship is revealed to be that fucked up goat. Here he peeks out from the ground as if emerging from hell itself, a plain design with a brassy purple-green sheen and extroardinary serratus muscles. It is the unconquered impulse of any artist exployed in the medium to render figures otherwise depicted with ordinary physiques in the fashion of those stills of a clearly dehydrated Hugh Jackman from Logan.

The Binding of Isaac, 2014

Satan assumes the characteristics of Baphomet in The Binding of Isaac, seated as a statue in rooms across the world, tempting the player with Faustian bargains that afford advantages in exchange for health penalties. This statue form is a simple abstraction of Levi, only exchanging the Pentragram for a figure of the inverted cross. Satan later appears in the flesh as a potential final boss in the Sheol area and I guess he just beats the shit out of you with his fists at this point.

Puzzles and Dragons, 2012

Baphomet appears in Ragnarok Online (and later Puzzles and Dragons) as an anthropomorphic ram sporting a dull orange coat, a tuft of white fur dividing head from body. The design exchanges the usual host of symbols for one with a much broader significance- a large scythe that suggests a psychopomp or grim reaper or a boss with consistent DPS.

Chaos Rings Omega, 2011

Baphomet is featured as a standard enemy in Chaos Rings Omega, a fairly obscure RPG for mobile devices developed by Square Enix in 2011. Appearing alonside other occult or abrahamic figures such as Naberius and Leviathan, this peculiar design presents only an elongated head and torso that seems to terminate in some sort of fin (clearer images of the model are unfortunately hard to come by online), shifting the dichotomy from man and beast to mammal and fish. It is certainly striking!

La Mulana Remake, 2011

The Goat of Mendes awaits those who reach the end of the Twin Labyrinths in La Mulana. In this case the feminine character of the original is emphasized- the torso is hairless and buxom, a priestess cloaked only partially in flowing white drapery. This 'maidenly' character is contrasted against the demonic/caprine features, evoking something of the binary symbology of the 1856 illustration. The right hand is also grasping the miserably named bident, a weapon frequently featured in Renaissance-era depictions of Hades/Pluto. 

Agony, 2018

Baphomet stars as a greater demon and servant of Lucifer in the 2018 survival horror title Agony, the tale of an amnesiac damned soul attempting to escape the infernal realm. A game so salacious that an initially proposed 'Adults Only' patch was averted due to "legal reasons". Wowee! Hachimama! 

That should give you some idea as to the tone this design is aiming to evoke. All leathery skin and fleshy protrusions, a single eye peering through a boney mask- it is the general tendency of any depiction of Baphomet existing in the same aesthetic space as an Iron Maiden album to decorate the form with a goat skull. The iconic gesture is also reinterpreted, with an additional set of arms replicating the "as below" part of the equation.

Chrono Ma:Gia, 2014

 

The defunct Chrono Ma:Gia offers another stab at a famous occult figure, this time to much greater success. While the details are hard to discern at this resolution, the design retains the basic form and pose of Levi while inserting a host of baroque accoutrements, including lavish golden wings and accesories that resemble a potion and incense burner. The whole thing suggests the votive mood of a religious image, or one of the more luxurious icons of Catholicism. 

The Lost Child, 2018

woah... fucked up little guy...

Incubus, Silent Hill, 1999

The deity conjured by the demonic cult in the original Silent Hill, initially referred to as "Incubus", is modeled closely after the original illustration. The design is hardly wanting for striking details, flanked by a halo of alternating, insect-like appendages and flaunting an exposed spinal column where the erect caduceus would otherwise rest. This is also one of the few incarnations to nod toward the phrases tattooed on the arms of Levi's figure; whereas the original features the Latin binaries "SOLVE" and "COAGULA" (dissolve and coagulate), Incubus presents an apparently insensate jumble of Greek letters.

(Credit to (Anonymous) for this suggestion!)

Baphomet and the Goat Clan, Devil May Cry 5 (2019) and Devil May Cry 2 (2003)

In Devil May Cry 5, Baphomet appears by name for the first time in the series as a lesser demon- a greatly abstracted reinterpretation, casting Baphomet as a shaggy, caprine mage with spindly features and a pronounced hunch. Although his first explicit appearance, designer Daigo Ikeno took inspiration from the Goat Clan, a demonic caste featured in Devil May Cry 2, generating a contrast between the frail, shamanic frame of this latest incarnation with the more muscular silhouette of the earlier foes.

(Thanks to Cranael for the heads-up on this one!) 

Dragon's Dogma Online, 2015

Dragon's Dogma Online features yet another incarnation of Baphomet-as-boss encounter. There are horns and wings, sure, but this is pure gargoyle by any understanding of the term. To be frank, I've only included this depiction because the notion of a Dragon's Dogma MMO that ran for four years caught me off-guard. What the fuck is going on over there?

Update: Apparently this design is modified from a mesh originally used for the monster Daimon from Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen! (Thanks to PSIGuy for the heads up!)

"Ash", Final Fantasy IX, 2000

Baphomet appears for the first time in the Final Fantasy franchise under another name ("Ash"), although the design is unmistakable. He takes the shape of a sort of demonic magician in this case, gaunt form and leathery wings complemented by authentic details such as the "as above, so below" gesture. The torch upon his head- the "magic light of the universal balance"- is sadly unlit.

if any of those libertarian church of satan guys are reading: fuck you