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H. R. Giger’s 1978 airbrushed painting “Hieroglyphics”

H. R. Giger airbrushing “Hieroglyphics” circa 1978

Egyptian tomb carving depicting Nuit

The Stele Of Revealing, or The Stele Of Ankh-en-ef-Khonsu i

Begun in April 1978, one of H. R. Giger’s best known works, “Hieroglyphics”, was created for the original 1980 Alien movie. Influences of Egyptian iconography present themselves readily as one notices the over-arching figure of Nuit, the ancient personification of sky/space deification. Of course, Giger was apt to use Her through his association with the Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn, of which he is still a member today.

The Golden Dawn and other Thelemic groups carry the torch of Egyptian mythology due to Aleister Crowley, when in 1904 his wife Rose Edith Kelly identified Horus on the Stele Of Revealing which was housed in the Cairo Museum. Also present on the Stele was Horus’ grandmother, Nuit (She being the mother of Isis, Horus’ mother). Nuit was also the ‘author’ of the first chapter of The Book Of The Law (Liber AL vel Legis) which can be considered the supreme mystery within the Thelemic movement.