On June 18, 2023, a photo collage was disseminated on Facebook, where the NATO logo is equated with a goat-like horned creature.
Photo search engines traced the post containing the mentioned photo collage back to 2016. The photo was first posted by user “Акацуки” on the Russian-language blog otvet.mail.ru under the title “What do they have in common?” In addition, the photo featured the inscription “NATO and Baphomet.”
Baphomet is the name of one of the pagan deities associated with occult and mystical writings. There is a version that he was worshiped by the Templars during the Crusades. In the 19th century, it was argued that Baphomet was a symbol of Freemasons and was associated with a demon, which is not true.
In addition to Russian-language websites, posts with similar content and inscription were spread on various social platforms, where the authors were mostly Russian-speaking users (1, 2, 3, 4). The content of the posts mostly related to Satanism and anti-Christian symbolism.
In one of the versions, the inscription of the United Nations was placed on the photo collage instead of NATO, although the content of these posts was also linked to Baphomet (1, 2, 3).
The said photo collage was also used in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war. For instance, in the comments written under anti-Ukrainian posts on Russian-language websites, the photo collage was used to discredit NATO and, therefore, its support to Ukraine (1, 2).
The Story of the Photos used in the collage
In fact, we are dealing with a photo manipulation, and the official NATO logo has nothing to do with any kind of satanic or pagan symbols.
The first photo in the collage shows the NATO logo, which is located at the entrance of the headquarters of the organization in Brussels.
The NATO logo itself was created a few years after the establishment of the organization by the NATO International Service. The logo symbolizes the values and principles of the North Atlantic community. The four stars symbolize the compass, which leads to the right path, in the direction of peace. And the circle reflects the unity of the member states.
The second photo shows the cover of Russian black metal band Diabolis Interriym’s 2008 album Распятие Веры, which the creators of the photo collage may have visually resembled to Baphomet, although the said image has nothing to do with the NATO symbol.
In the circulating posts, the NATO emblem and the album cover are placed side by side, giving the impression that the NATO logo depicts Baphomet or some other type of pagan symbolism.
Conspiracies about the Symbols of NATO and the EU
With the aim to discredit them, Western institutions have been linked to satanic or anti-religious symbolism in the past as well, disseminating various photo and video manipulations to reinforce the claim.
For example, last year, it was claimed that a satanic ritual was taking place at the NATO summit. In fact, the video used in the post was an artistic performance performed at the opening ceremony of Ghent University.
In 2022, a videofabrication was being circulated, where the audio of the opening of the NATO summit was altered and made to appear as if world leaders were taking orders from a screen. According to the conspiracy theory, the mentioned fact was related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Lucifer.
For detailed information, see the articles:
- Satanic Ritual at NATO Summit or art performance at Ghent University – What does a video show?
- Are NATO Leaders Being Controlled by Artificial Intelligence and what can be seen on NATO’s Multimedia Tower?
As for the European Union, according to a photo manipulation disseminated in 2017, the building of the European Parliament was inspired by the Tower of Babel. Actually, the said building is inspired by Roman amphitheaters and Western art.
For details, see:
