Marilyn Manson Logos & Symbology

All Writing & Content © Nick Kushner Unless Noted Otherwise

SHOCK | OMEGA | MERCURY | MM DIAMOND | RODENT DEATH'S HEAD

Anton LaVey wearing a pentagram necklace with a lightning bolt superimposed atop and the Baphomet goat's head pentagram adopted by Anton LaVey for the Church of Satan. Around it the Hebrew letters spell 'Leviathan', one of the names/incarnations of Satan, which also appear around the shock symbol. Anton LaVey, whom Manson dedicated his autobiography to, was ordained as a Minister in the Church of Satan by, wrote the foreword to LaVey's book Satan Speaks and thanked in the liner notes of Antichrist Svperstar, was a large influence philosophically throughout Manson's earlier work.

The Unicursal Hexagram adopted and stylized by Aleister Crowley in the early Twentieth Century is a derivation of the hexagram commonly referred to as The Star Of David. Just as the symbolism of the traditional hexagram consisted of two interlocked triangles, one pointing up and one pointing down to symbolize the occult principle of balance, "as above so below" the Unicursal Hexagram represents as such but drawn so with an unbroken line to signify continuous movement. And if broken down further the hexagram can be seen to be made up of two intertwined and inverted shock symbols.

Another facet which the shock symbol is made up of is a permutation of The Tetragrammaton. The principle comes from the book The Tetragrammaton by Donald Tyson which Manson quoted as reading during the recording and molding of Antichrist Svperstar where the four letters which make up the Tetragrammaton, IHVH, are arranged in a polygonal shape known as a tetragram where the order and combination of the letters each correspond to the invoking and banishing of angels. This method is where the symbols within Antichrist Svperstar come from and for those unfamiliar with this may read my essay of The Tetragrammaton in the Alchemy & Kabbalah section of The NACHTKABARETT.

Live Performance of Antichrist Svperstar which echoes of the Nazi Nuremberg rallies of the 1930's,
with Manson tearing pages from the Bible portraying religious evangelists as fascists

The symbol of the Mechanical Animals era is a capital letter "omega", with Manson's face within the center complete, with 15 computer keys on his forehead which serves both to signify that the world of "mechanical animals" is soulless and computerized: "But when the spirit is so digital / The body acts this way" (Disassociative) as well as the recurring number 15 .

Omega (literally "a big 'o'") is the last letter in Greek alphabet. In a figurative sense "the alpha and omega" means "the beginning and the end". This phrase is used in the Bible: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God..." (Rev. 1.8). Therefore the ending phrase of the album "this is my omega" means "this is my end."

It very likely refers to the biblical text, because at the beginning of the album's 15th Untitled track, the album's hero says: "In the end I became them and I led them", and the introduction to the Rock Is Dead tour of that era is called Inauguration of the Mechanical Christ.

Manson during the prelude of the 1998 Mechanical Animals tour
outfitted as the era's symbol with his face at the center of Omega

Graphically in all languages the letter "o" resembles sun which symbolizes perfection. "A Sun without planets burning in circles" - is the inscription hidden behind the row of Omega symbols in the album booklet. One of the most important images on the record is an astronaut who broke away from the space station and burned in sunlight. This image opens the first song of the album - Great Big White World, and in Disassociative it's detailed even further.

Altogether the motif of the "o" appears on the record three times. In Mechanical Animals it is said that Coma White was "as hollow as the 'o' in god." In Untitled all "mechanical animals" are characterized in this way, including the hero himself. Finally, in Posthuman Coma White is "a saint like Jackie-O".

The motif of perfection which is symbolically represented by the sun also figures in Posthuman: "She wants me to be / Perfect like Kennedy." Earlier this motif appeared in Mechanical Animals ("We were neirophobic / And perfect") and in Great Big White World ("I wish you / Were queen"). The motif of perfection will appear once again in The Last Day on Earth but now with bitter and sarcastic overtones: "We're trembling in our crutches / High and dead our skin is glass").

The theme of perfection is another recurring element within Mechanical Animals both facetiously with Omega counteracted by the impossibly literal concept of perfection with Coma White (Click for detailed Analysis of Coma White). The persona of Omega was intended to represent the final evolution of the metaphorical ADAM of the Triptych. "This is my Omega" meaning the End of transformation when the ideal embodiment of who he originally strived to be. But in contrast to the internal sincerity this end of transformation gave rise to what would become the Antichrist Svperstar when Omega, what was intended to be Manson's ideal transformation thematically within the Triptych, was in stark reality the plastic and superficial antithesis of who he set out to become.

Still frame of Marlene Dietrich in the film Blue Angel and UFA, Universum Film Aktien Gesellschaft, (Universal Film Company), logo, as seen watermarked on lower left of still frame. Above, Nazi iron eagle swastika insignia. Manson's diamond shaped Golden Age Of Grotesque logo combined this dichotomy of repression and expression, as well to illustrate the fascism of entertainment.

The symbol of The Golden Age of Grotesque era is a regular black rhomb with a double white border against a black background, the outer border is thicker than the inner one. There are two stylized white capital M letters inscribed within the rhomb.

The symbol is obviously stylized after the SS insignia - the insignia of the a the Nazi Schutzstaffel, the authority of Himmler's Gestapo secret police who were protective and repressive in their functions and were the main tool of mass terror in fascist Germany. It is testified by the two hite capital M letters (Marilyn Manson initials) of a specific typeface against a black background.

The SS insignia is made up of two "siegel" runes that symbolize achievement of the object, a victory. In this case this rune is replaced with "ehwas" one which symbolizes movement, change, progress. "Ehwas" has a strong charge of Mercurial energy.

Aside from the SS insignia the specific outline of two M letters goes back to the Nazi Eagle, one of the main symbols of fascist Germany that embodies strength, power and might. In this context, by viewing the Marilyn Manson MM as representative of two eagles this is not-accidental conotation, as in alchemy the double eagle is a sign of Androgyne; Mercury.

The rhomb is a symbol of rigidity, power and might. But at the same time it is a sign of creative energy, female and erotic symbol. White is the color of purity and perfection. Furthermore it is color of the woman and lunar principle, one of the two colors of Mercury. Black is the color of honor and future rebirth but it is also color of mourning and death. Black and white contrast is a well-known sign of antagonism between good and evil.

The dominating idea of this symbol is uniting opposites, androgynous and ambivalent subject-matter (black and white contrast, Mercury references). Uniting contradicting extremes is the main theme of Marilyn Manson’s creative pursuits, especially accented in The Golden Age of Grotesque.

A part of this theme is the motive of unity between the beginning and the end. The symbol signifies the beginning of a new era in artist’s creative work ("ehwas" rune, mercury as a sign of change) but at the same time Mercury references connect this symbol to the one of the previous Holy Wood era, while stylization under SS insignia takes us back to the symbol of the Antichrist Superstar era. Additionally the peculiarity of The Golden Age of Grotesque is its connection to almost all previous records. The motives of uniting the beginning and the end, of rebirth and change can be traced during the whole Marilyn Manson’s creative pursuits.

Much should be set on the usage of Nazi emblems, because Nazism is one of the main album themes (that bring us back to the Antichrist Superstar era again). According to Manson during the conceiving of The Golden Age of Grotesque he took inspiration from "the extreme height of cabaret decadence and so-called "degenerate" art in Weimar Berlin just before its destruction", i. e. before Nazis seized power.

Nazi elements within the symbol are combined with the sings of the women (white color, Mercury references) that represent another main album theme - eroticizing everything, including fascism as means of its overcoming.

The line "We drive our deathcrush diamond Jaguar limousines" from the song The Golden Age of Grotesque is a certain figurative description of the 1930's era.

Jaguar, a British manufacturer of luxury cars, presented the first models of its automobiles at the beginning of the 30s. At that time the company beared the name Swallow Sidecar, which was often shortened to SS, therefore the whole prewar model range was named SS: SS I, SS 90, SS Jaguar, etc.

Strangely enough the company's logo - two S letters of a specific typeface in a hexagon (hence the attribute "diamond") - strikingly resembled Schutzstaffel (SS) insignia, the corps of the Nazi Party that ere growing stronger then.

Note the similarity to the car Manson rode in the video of This Is The New Shit, as well as the similarity of the Nuremburg-esque setting of the video and this poster ad.

The situation becomes even more bizarre if we compare one of the Swallow Sidecar's logos and the symbol of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). In the context of the album this accidental coincidence becomes a sign of a fatal inevitability.

Death's Head insignia worn by the elite Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) & Disney's Mickey Mouse Club logo

"I'm not a slave"; performance of The Fight Song with Manson made up in black face wearing Manson Mouse ears above a rodent Death's Head emblem on the Grotesk Burlesk. Manson's own version of the Nuremberg rallies which brings together the dichotomy of the polar opposites of expressionism and fascism.

Thematically, Manson's mock portrayal of fascism and Nazi imagery is reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin's highly controverisal 1940 film, The Great Dictator, in which he ridicules Hitler & the Nazi party by satire, using comedy as a means to warn the world of the very real dangers of the impending fascism of the late 30's. And Manson has done so in a very similar sense in regard to the parallels of repression today, both by religion & government but also to decry the imposition of self-censorship which is forced and ingrained into society today.

German Kaiser Wilhelm II and August Von Mackensen, respectively, wearing a Hussar Death's Head busby. The Hussar, who originated in 15th century Hungary, is a term which applies to the ornately uniformed members of European light cavalry. The Death's Head Hussars originated in Prussia, now modern day Germany, and can be looked at as something of an early precursor in the German military to the Nazi Schutzstaffel (or SS) Death's Head squadron. August Von Mackensen joined the elite Death's Head (or Totenkopf) Hussar at the age of 19, fighting "with distinction" in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) subsequently becoming something of a German military hero in the First World War. Though retired he joined the Nazi party 1933. (Link)

Prussian Death's Head Hussar uniform (Link) & Manson in full performance regalia during the
Summer 2001 Ozzfest portion of the Guns, God & Government World Tour.





IV	III
ANGEL: Hazekiah (HTzQ+IH) Pronounced: Ha-zek'-i-ah BANNER: IHHV POLARITY: Moon TYPE: Severity SIDE: Left SEX: Female ELEMENT: Fire QUALITY: Muteable SIGN: Sagittarius HOUSE: Ninth DIRECTION: West-northwest STONE: Topaz (yellow-green) TRIBE: Simeon APOSTLE: Philip ENOCHIAN GOD NAME: DIAL ENOCHIAN SENIOR: Alhctga APPEARANCE: She is tall and slender, with clear gray eyes, high cheekbones, a high forehead, a long face and straight nose, a golden-pink complexion, and very fine orange-blond hair that falls over her shoulders. Her gaze is intense and searching. Her movements are graceful but energetic. NATURE: Critical, moralizing, tactless, careless about the feelings of others, always wishing to be on the move, arrogant and boastful. Honest, bust she tends to exaggerate. FUNCTION: To expose lies, to strike to the heart of issues, to reveal deception and pretense in all intellectual matters, to bring down false prophets, stop mail and communications fraud, to punish falsehoods in media and advertising.	ANGEL: Kazahel (QTzH+AL) Pronounced: Kaz' -a-hel BANNER: IHHV POLARITY: Sun TYPE: Mercy SIDE: Right SEX: Male ELEMENT: Fire QUALITY: Muteable SIGN: Sagittarius HOUSE: Ninth DIRECTION: West-northwest STONE: Topaz (yellow-green) TRIBE: Simeon APOSTLE: Philip ENOCHIAN GOD NAME: DIAL ENOCHIAN SENIOR: Lzinopo APPEARANCE: Tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Pale gray eyes, a long face, straight nose, small mouth, long neck, large graceful hands. A light complexion touched with highlights of golden pink. Golden-orange hair that falls to his shoulders in loose curls. NATURE: Benevolent, restless, cheerful, freedom-loving, idealistic, adventure-seeking, reverent, ardent, sincere. His voice is pleasant, but her has a tendency to moralize. FUNCTION: Matters that expand personal horizons, travel, distant communications, dealings with distant relatives, escape from all forms or prison or bondage. New vistas of thought or experiance.