Beast Horns

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Lore & Background

The artwork for *The Book of Souls* was created by Mark Wilkinson, whose previous works for Iron Maiden include *Live at Donington* (1998 remastered version) and *Best of the 'B' Sides* (2002 compilation), as well as the singles covers for 'The Wicker Man' and 'Out of the Silent Planet'. According to bassist Steve Harris, the cover art ties in with the title track, as the depiction of Eddie is based on the Maya civilization, who 'believe that souls live on [after death]'. To check the accuracy of the artwork, the band hired Mayanist scholar Simon Martin, who also translated the song titles into hieroglyphs. According to Martin, although the civilisation had no Book of Souls, 'the Mayans are very big on souls ... So as a title, it's appropriate to Mayan culture, but it's very much Iron Maiden's own thing.' Wilkinson's first sketch had Eddie's usual wild hair reminiscent of a witch doctor, before manager Rod Smallwood asked to instead make him bald. The tribal markings are completely generic and made up, with Wilkinson describing them as 'a mix of Voodoo meets Mayan'. As reference, Wilkinson was given a book on Mayan culture by Harris and was also inspired by the film *Apocalypto*. Harris wanted simplicity for the cover, with only a bust shot of Eddie in the darkness to establish an evil presence. The inside artwork explored more of Mayan culture, like Eddie tearing out his own heart as a sacrifice to the gods next to a witch doctor, and a Valley of Death featuring totems with the faces of Iron Maiden's members carved onto them.

In Their Own Story

The source describes the creative process behind *The Book of Souls* cover art rather than a narrative involving horns. Bassist Steve Harris provided Wilkinson with a book on Mayan culture as reference, and he was also inspired by the film *Apocalypto*. The inside artwork expanded on this theme, showing Eddie tearing out his own heart as a sacrifice next to a witch doctor, alongside a 'Valley of Death' featuring totems carved with the faces of Iron Maiden's members. The band aimed for simplicity on the front cover to highlight the evil presence without horns. This 2015 release marked their first use of the original logotype (with the extended letters R, M and N) on the cover since 1995's *The X Factor*. The source does not recount any story where Eddie transforms into a horned entity; instead, it highlights the specific Mayan aesthetic chosen for this double album.

Reader's Guide

For fans seeking to identify Eddie on *The Book of Souls*, the guide is strictly defined by the text: look for a bald figure with generic tribal markings. The source explicitly states that the artist's first sketch included wild hair, but this was changed to a bald head at the request of manager Rod Smallwood. The cover art is distinct from other eras mentioned, such as *Fear of the Dark* (1992) or *Brave New World* (2000), which utilized different studios and themes. To understand Eddie's appearance on this album, one must refer to the Mayan civilization references confirmed by scholar Simon Martin, who translated song titles into hieroglyphs for the artwork's accuracy. The tribal markings are described by Wilkinson as a generic mix of 'Voodoo meets Mayan' and were not historically accurate, though the band hired Mayanist scholar Simon Martin to verify details.

Did You Know?

• The cover art was inspired by the film *Apocalypto*, according to artist Mark Wilkinson.
• Manager Rod Smallwood requested that Eddie be made bald, changing Wilkinson's initial sketch with wild hair.
• Mayanist scholar Simon Martin was hired to check the accuracy of the artwork and translated song titles into hieroglyphs.
• The tribal markings on Eddie are completely generic and made up, described by Wilkinson as 'a mix of Voodoo meets Mayan'.
• This is the first Iron Maiden album since 1995's *The X Factor* to use their original logotype (with extended letters R, M and N) on the cover.