''The Baphomet'' is a

transgressive Transgressive may mean: *Transgressive art, a name given to art forms that violate perceived boundaries *Transgressive fiction, a modern style in literature *Transgressive Records, a United Kingdom-based independent record label *Transgressive (l ...

piece of experimental fiction authored by

Pierre Klossowski Pierre Klossowski (; ; 9 August 1905 – 12 August 2001) was a French writer, translator and artist. He was the eldest son of the artists Erich Klossowski and Baladine Klossowska, and his younger brother was the painter Balthus. Life Born in Par ...

. Klossowski wrote his original French novel in 1965, but it was not available in English until 1988, when a translation by Sophie Hawke and Stephen Sartorelli was published by Eridanos Press.

Narrative

Given that its structure is nonlinear, the following attempts to provide some coherence to the narrative of this book. Baphomet itself was a fabled idol that the medieval

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

supposedly worshipped, until the violent suppression of their order, for

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

and

sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...

in 1307. In this narrative, the ghosts of Templar

monks A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedicat ...

reassemble each year to commemorate their immolation, and engage in spirit possession of unwary animals and small children. In this case, the body of a recently dead page gives cause for interest, although the Templar Grand Master,

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his ...

, and Klossowski himself also assume animal forms during the dialogue and vignettes that follow, and provide commentary on eros,

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

transgression Transgression may refer to: Legal, religious and social *Sin, a violation of God's Ten Commandments or other elements of God's moral law *Crime, legal transgression, usually created by a violation of social or economic boundary **In civil law ju ...

and rejection of conventional

morality Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of cond ...

. It is never certain whether Baphomet is an actual entity, or whether this is a hallucinogenic spectacle produced by the dying

consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...

of the monks themselves shortly before onset of death.

Editions

* ''Le Baphomet'': France Mercure, Paris, 1965 * ''The Baphomet'': translation by Sophie Hawke and Stephen Sartorelli; Eridanos Press, Hygiene, Colorado, 1988 * ''The Baphomet'': translation by Sophie Hawke and Stephen Sartorelli; Marsilio Press, New York, 1992

References

1965 French novels French erotic novels Nonlinear narrative novels Baphomet Ghost novels Knights Templar in popular culture Novels about spirit possession Novels about Friedrich Nietzsche {{1960s-erotic-novel-stub