Why Are Goats Associated With Satan?

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Discover the significance of goats in Christianity & Judaism

Co-authored by Liz Cooledge Jenkins and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: October 9, 2023 Fact Checked

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Overview

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Positive Goat Symbolism

Aside from the inverted pentagram (an upside-down star), the goat is one of the most prominent symbols associated with satanism. Part of this stems from its occult ties, such as the goat-like form of the occult deity Baphomet, while some other satanic associations come from Jewish and Christian scriptures. We’ll take a closer look at both the negative and positive symbolism attributed to goats, so you can have the full picture.

Things You Should Know

Baphomet, an occult deity, is part goat and part man. It’s become one of the primary symbols used by the modern Church of Satan.
In ancient Jewish tradition, a goat would be chosen to symbolize everyone’s sin. This goat would then be exiled to the wilderness.
Jesus compares the unfaithful to goats in the New Testament of the Bible.

Section 1 of 2:

Why are goats considered satanic?

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The well-known occult deity Baphomet resembles a goat. The concept of Baphomet, the pagan idol, has existed since the Middle Ages when Templar Knights (religious knights participating in the Crusades) supposedly prayed to this deity. In the mid-1800s, occultist Éliphas Lévi created the part-goat/part-human design for Baphomet that the modern-day Church of Satan has adopted.^{[1]
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- In 2014, the Church of Satan actually commissioned a large statue of Baphomet, which was finished and unveiled in 2015.^{[2]
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  Research source} Satanists have since used this statue as a means of advocating for the separation of church and state in the United States.^{[3]
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Goats are historically associated with witchcraft. Back in the 1400s, witchcraft became a theme in certain pieces of art—in some pieces, women were depicted as naked and riding goats while sitting backward.^{[4]
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Research source} In the early 1800s, Spanish artist Francisco de Goya y Lucientes painted “Witches’ Sabbath, or the Great He-Goat,” which depicts a crowd of witches sitting in front of a black goat dressed in black robes. In this portrayal, the goat represents the Devil himself.^{[5]
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- Modern depictions of art continue to reinforce the connection of goats and witchcraft—especially goats representing and personifying Satan. In the 2016 film The Witch, which weaves a fictional tale about witchcraft in 1630s America, a black goat named “Black Phillip” is revealed to be the Devil.
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The Greek god Pan (half-goat/half-man) was labeled as the Devil by early Christians. Back in the days of early Christianity, missionaries labeled Pan, the half-goat (satyr) god of the wild, as a devil. Pan and the other satyrs of Greek mythology were labeled incubi and succubi (sexual demons), and Pan’s ugly features were viewed as a divine punishment. Eventually, an early Christian historian named Eusebius of Caesarea officially declared that Pan was synonymous with Satan.^{[6]
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- Given Pan’s goat-like appearance and his new label as the Devil, it makes sense that goats (or, at least, goat-like features) were (and still are) heavily associated with Satan and satanism.
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Goats were used to symbolize sin in a Yom Kippur ritual. Yom Kippur (known as the “Day of Atonement” in English) is a sacred Jewish holiday that’s dedicated to fasting, repentance, and prayer.^{[7]
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Online resource for information related to Chabad-Lubavitch and Jewish culture

Go to source} The Torah outlines a specific Yom Kippur ritual involving two goats—one was sacrificed, while the other one was designated to represent the community’s sins and left to roam into the desert.^{[8]
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Research source} Because of this, goats are traditionally associated with sin and evil, similar to the way satanism is.
- When William Tyndale started translating the Hebrew Bible in 1530, he labeled the second, sin-cursed goat as an “escapegoat.” This eventually transformed into the phrase “scapegoat,” or a person who takes the blame for someone else.^{[9]
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- Leviticus 16:8 describes the ritual like this: “And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for YHWH (God) and the other lot for Azazel.” The “Azazel goat” is the one that is sent into the wilderness. From a scriptural standpoint, it isn’t clear if the goat is meant to represent a deity or demon.^{[10]
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- In some Torah translations, the Azazel goat is tossed over a cliff rather than left to run off in the wilderness.^{[11]
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In Matthew 25:31-33, Christ uses a parable to describe what will happen on the day of His return (better known as “judgment day”). He states “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” In this parable, the sheep symbolize faithful believers, while the goats signify the unfaithful.^{[12]
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In terms of lust, male goats participate in a pretty disgusting practice where they pee on their chest and front 2 legs as a means of attracting a female doe.^{[13]
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Research source} In regard to gluttony, goats are well-known as voracious eaters that will snack on just about anything.^{[14]
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Research source} With these negative and sinful connections, it’s easy for some to view goats in a devilish light.

Section 2 of 2:

Positive Goat Symbolism

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While goats receive their fair share of religious scorn, they’re still considered okay to eat by Jewish (kosher) and Muslim (halal) standards. The Torah specifically highlights goat as a permissible meat to eat, while the Quran mainly highlights the “flesh of swine” as a disallowed meat.^{[15]
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The Ark of the Covenant was a holy relic created in the early days of Judaism. It resembled a large, golden box, and was meant to represent God’s physical presence among the Jewish community.^{[16]
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Research source} According to the Torah and Old Testament, goat hair was used to make a curtain covering for this sacred object.^{[17]
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Research source} Goats couldn’t be that unholy if their hair was used for such an essential purpose!
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Some medieval works compared goats to Christ. In one bestiary (a medieval publication that discusses beasts/animals), the author associates a goat’s affinity for mountains with Jesus’s love for elevated individuals like prophets, patriarchs, and angels. The author also notes how goats graze in the valleys for food, similar to how Jesus is nourished by humanity’s good deeds (with the church representing the valley).^{[18]
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- The author even notes how goats have great eyesight, and how this excellent vision could be compared to God’s all-seeing nature and wisdom.
For all the negative attention goats have received, there’s much to be said about the inherently playful and fun-loving nature of the goat. These animals enjoy having a blast and frolicking around—in fact, one could argue that goats personify a fun, free-spirited, and innocent nature.^{[19]
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