The Knights Templar | The Baphomet Enigma

The Baphomet Enigma

By Stephen Dafoe

In his 1972 science fiction novel, Baphomet's Meteor, French author Pierre Barbet crafts an entertaining story of alternative history about the Knights Templar and the demonic entity known as Baphomet. In the alternate dimension that is the province of Barbet's book, Baphomet is a stranded extraterrestrial whose alliance with the Templars provides them with the scientific edge and atomic weaponry to create an empire in order to serve Baphomet's outer-space motives.

Clearly the book is intended as a work of fiction, but Barbet's notion is no more far-fetched than some of the conspiracy theories that have been put forth in mainstream Templar literature over the last century and a half. Theories ranging from the Baphomet being a magical alchemy machine to the severed and mummified head of Jesus Christ.

While Baphomet's Meteor is an entertaining afternoon's read for any science fiction fan or Templar aficionado, it does perpetuate the long-standing myths that have haunted Templarism since the arrests in the fall of 1307. Chiefly that Baphomet was a demon worshipped by the order in secret meetings.

What is interesting about Baphomet's Meteor is the cover illustration by Karel Thole. Thole was a prominent and prolific illustrator whose art graced the covers of science fiction novels by authors of greater renown than Barbet. A. E. Van Vogt, Isaac Asimov and many other patriarchs of the genre used Thole's art on the covers of their novels. The cover of Baphomet's Meteor shown with this article depicts a group of Templars in front of Thole's illustration of Baphomet. It is evident, to anyone familiar with the Baphomet mythos, that Karel Thole's inspiration for the image was the Baphomet created by the occultist Eliphas Lévi. We will return to Lévi and his contribution to the Baphomet enigma later in this piece, but suffice to say that groups who are at opposite ends of the pole have adopted the Lévi image. Lévi's Baphomet has been used on everything from T-shirts bought at Heavy Metal concerts to Bible tracts used to slander the Masonic and Templar fraternities.

But what is Baphomet and from whence does the word derive?

As readers of this magazine are aware, the Templars were arrested on October 13th, 1307 under charges of heresy. These charges, as trumped up as they were, fell into nine essential categories.

1/ that during the reception ceremony, new brothers were required to deny Christ, God, the Virgin or the Saints on the command of those receiving them.

2/ that the brothers committed various sacrilegious acts either on the cross or on an image of Christ.

3/ that the receptors practiced obscene kisses on new entrants, on the mouth, navel or buttocks.

4/ that the priests of the Order did not consecrate the host, and that the brothers did not believe in the sacraments.

5/ that the brothers practiced idol worship of a cat or a head.

6/ that the brothers encouraged and permitted the practice of sodomy.

7/ that the Grand Master, or other officials, absolved fellow Templars from their sins.

8/ that the Templars held their reception ceremonies and chapter meetings in secret and at night.

9/ that the Templars abused the duties of charity and hospitality and used illegal means to acquire property and increase their wealth.

While these accusations and charges are familiar to most of us, it is important to note that nowhere among them is found the word Baphomet. In fact for anyone who has studied the transcripts of the trials that commenced in 1308, actual references to the Baphomet are but few.

It is not the province of this brief account of the Baphomet to go into detail of the majority of the charges. For the reader interested in the accusations of denying and spitting on the cross, you may wish to read the article, "Did the Pope Pardon the Templars?" found in this issue of Templar History Magazine.

What is important to our examination of the charges is article number 5:

5/ that the brothers practiced idol worship of a cat or a head.

In my 1998 book, Unholy Worship - the myth of the Baphomet Templar, Freemason connection, I examined the history of the Templars and the accusations of heresy that led to their ultimate demise. In the book I stated that these charges were nothing new and certainly far from unique. Similar charges had been leveled against the Cathars of Albi during the Albigensian Crusades and had continued on down to the charges against the so-called witches of Salem Massachusetts in the New World.

What is ironic is that the church accused the Templars of worshipping idols, but that very same church was rife with idolatry if one considers the many statues of saints that were a focus of daily Christian devotion. No matter at all, for the Templars were the victims of the classic, "either you are with us or against us" and as certain ecclesiastical and secular authorities wished the Templar wealth for their own, the charges were levied.

Continue to Part 2