In a secluded area of The Queen’s Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, Scotland, archaeologists have unearthed two mysterious objects, including a metal plaque depicting an upside-down pentagram with a horned beast in the center – most likely the demonic entity Baphomet – and an altar with undisclosed “display objects” around the plinth. While news outlets are calling the objects pagan, the symbology appears more associated with satanism and devil worship .

Holyrood, The Seat of Scottish Royals

The Scotsman announced that the satanic objects were found on Whinny Hill above St Margaret’s Loch in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. Holyrood Park, which is also known as The Queen’s Park, is a royal park that remains part of Holyrood Palace , The Queen’s official residence in Scotland.

Holyrood Park was established by King David I of Scotland in 1128 AD as the royal hunting grounds for Holyrood Abbey. Holyrood Palace, also know as the Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse, started as a lodging within the Abbey but was eventually expanded into a substantial palace which served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scots since the 16 th century.

So just what are a couple of satanic objects doing in The Queen’s Park?

The satanic pentagram and altar were found in the park surrounding Holyrood Palace (pictured). Credit: samott / Adobe Stock

Mysterious Find in Queen’s Park

Edinburgh Evening News reports that the metal plaque and altar were found embedded in the ground within a section of turf cut into a triangle shape. A concrete altar was found buried beneath the topsoil and apparently was surrounded by “display objects”, though what these objects were have not been specified.

A number of rune stones were found embedded in the concrete triangle around the metal plaque, along with the depiction of a number of different figures.

The objects were found in May last year and Historic Environment Scotland, which manages the park, brought in archaeologists to investigate the site. But the mystery deepens. The Scotland reports:

“But, even more curiously, according to a new report compiled by Musselburgh-based firm CFA Archaeology and seen by The Scotsman, both had been removed “by persons unknown” at some point before they investigated the site in April this year, leaving just the concrete plinth and holes in the turf behind.”

It appears that no one knows where the satanic objects are now, nor what the archaeologists concluded from their investigations.

Pagan or Satanic

The Scotsman sought the opinion of the president of the UK Pagan Council, Mark Black, who has called the objects ‘pagan’, referring primarily to the pentagram – a five-pointed star – which has long been associated with paganism.

The pentagram symbol was used in ancient Greece and Babylonia, with the most ancient representation found at Ur, a powerful city in Mesopotamia dating back around 5,500 years. But its use was particularly strong among the Celtic Pagans and Druids, who saw the five points as representing five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, each bound within the circle of life, death, and rebirth.

It is possible that the central figure seen in the object found in Holyrood is Cernunnos, the "horned god" of Celtic polytheism. Cernunnos was a Celtic god of fertility, life, animals, wealth, and the underworld, and was often depicted wearing antlers as horns.

The "Cernunnos" type antlered figure or "horned god", on the Gundestrup Cauldron, on display, at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen ( CC by SA 3.0 )

However, three main factors suggest that the metal pentagram plaque is not pagan. The first is that pagan objects used natural materials and would not have been embedded in concrete. The second is that all evidence suggests the plaque and altar are not ancient. They were found very close to the surface, in top soil, and the plaque in particular looks to be a modern creation. Finally, the orientation of the star is important. When the pentagram is positioned with the single point upwards, it represents the spirit presiding over the four elements of matter. However, when the pentagram is reversed with the two points projecting upwards, like the one found in The Queen’s Holyrood Park, it becomes a symbol of evil, representing the triumph of matter over spirit. The two points of an inverted pentagram also represent horns, like those of the demon Baphomet.

The 19th-century French occultist Eliphas Levi wrote that the pentacle had dark symbolism when inverted:

"A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates."

Satanists today use an inverted pentagram inside a circle as their symbol with the head of Baphomet in the center. This symbolized personal power, sexuality and pursuing one’s own will.

The satanic symbol of an upside-down pentagram with Baphomet in the center. Credit: robin_ph / Adobe Stock

The Satanic Symbol of Baphomet

The metal plaque found in Holyrood Park depicts an upside-down pentagram within a circle, like that used by The Church of Satan. Inside the pentagram is a horned beast – Baphomet – which has been used symbolically in occult groups since the 19 th century. Famous occultist Aleister Crowley connected Baphomet, the goat-headed idol, with Satan, and linked this icon with the idea of suppressed knowledge and secret worship.

Baphomet, also known as the Sabbatic Goat, ‘Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie.’ ( Public Domain )

In 1966, Satanism became a serious religious movement when The Church of Satan was founded by Anton LaVey. The logo adopted by the Church of Satan is known as the Sigil of Baphomet, which depicts a goat’s head inside an inverted pentagram within a circle – the same as the plaque found in Holyrood Park. This sign is also commonly used by Satanists around the world.

It is unclear how symbols of satanic worship ended up in Holyrood Park, but it seems that The Queen has some cleaning up to do!

Top image: The satanic plaque and altar found in The Queen’s Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland. Credit: Historic Environment Scotland

By John Black