Publius Enigma facts for kids
The Publius Enigma is a cool internet mystery that started with secret messages. Someone called "Publius" posted these messages online in a old internet discussion group called Usenet (think of it like an early online forum). They used a special service called a "remailer" to stay anonymous, meaning no one knew who they really were.
This mystery was all about the 1994 Pink Floyd album The Division Bell. Publius said there was a puzzle hidden in the album, and if someone solved it, they would get a reward!
Even though it was about their album, Pink Floyd's guitarist, David Gilmour, said he wasn't involved. The album's artist, Storm Thorgerson, was also confused. But the band's drummer, Nick Mason, said that EMI Records, their record company, was actually behind it.
It's still not totally clear if this was a real puzzle with a prize or just a big trick (a hoax).
What the Band Said
In 2002, during an online chat, David Gilmour said the puzzle was "some silly record company thing." He meant it was an idea from the record company to get people thinking.
Later, in 2005, Nick Mason also confirmed that the record company started the Publius Enigma. He even said what the prize would have been: "a crop of trees planted in a clear cut area of forest or something to that effect." So, maybe something good for the environment!
These comments from Nick Mason match up with what Marc Brickman, who designed the lights for Pink Floyd's shows, said earlier. Marc Brickman was the one who put the words "ENIGMA PUBLIUS" in lights at a concert in New Jersey.
Marc Brickman mentioned that the idea might have come from someone in Washington D.C. who used to work for the CIA or FBI and was good at codes. He thought the record company's manager, Steve O'Rourke, wanted to try something new on the internet.
Later, Marc Brickman said he was sorry for talking about it:
"i know that sean and the other people were persistent, so i spoke, but really regret saying the things i said in the interview..
if the enigma got people to talk and discuss then it is a good thing, but honestly, i had no part of the matter..."
He felt that if the enigma made people talk and think, then it was a good thing, even if he wasn't directly involved.
Uncle Custard's Clues
The Pink Floyd magazine Brain Damage had a special section where a person known as "Uncle Custard" answered questions. This name was a playful nod to Nick Mason's love for auto racing.
In one issue, someone asked:
Q: Who is Publius Enigma, what is the meaning of it all, and what is the treasure to be had?
Uncle Custard replied with a very mysterious answer:
A: (Uncle Custard) As the Infamous Q has emphasized, 'you humans are so limited'. This is a project for all those out there with higher IQ's, it does require a mastery of diverse languages, along with a lot of spare time. Now get with it...the lights were brighter, the meaning is worn inside out, the bell has tolled and the surrogate band is coming back to life. The answer lies, non-linearly, within the paradox of the theme of The Division Bell -- communication breakdown. (Hint: Watch the Learning to Fly video!) It may also involve an anomaly in the time-space continuum. There is an obvious solution and you do not need to be a Floyd historian to figure it out! Winners will receive official entry into the Mensa Society and some dry ice to cool down all those neural pathways in your brain. It is important to note that neither I nor anyone involved with this zine will enter into any correspondence on this topic. It's a puzzle for you, devised by the one who loves you enough to drive you mad. Besides, I'm much too busy creating crop circles and executing think-tank projects for the Pentagon.
This answer suggests the puzzle is very hard and might be about "communication breakdown," which is a big theme in The Division Bell album. It even hinted to "Watch the Learning to Fly video!" The person who wrote this specific answer was Jeff Jensen, a former editor of the magazine. However, it's not clear if he had official permission to give these clues.
Enigma Clues in Media
You can find possible hints about the Publius Enigma in different Pink Floyd releases:
- In Pulse, a concert video from 1994, you can see the word "ENIGMA" projected in huge letters on the stage during the song "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)". Also, the company that made the DVD, Das Boot, uses an enigma machine (a famous code-making device) as their logo.
- In a newer version of Pulse from 2019, the camera angles were changed. This makes the "ENIGMA" projection harder to see, almost as if it was hidden on purpose.
- On the MiniDisc version of A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the word "PUBLIUS" is hidden in a photo of a man in a field. The word "ENIGMA" is also hidden in another picture on the same album.
- The words "Publius Enigma" are spoken just before the song "One of These Days" on the 2003 DVD of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii.
- Storm Thorgerson designed the cover for a book about Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. On the cover, it says that the album's popularity "remains an enigma..."
- On page 13 of The Division Bell's CD booklet, there's a hidden anagram of the word "enigma." An anagram is when you rearrange the letters of a word to make a new word. This one is found in the lyrics for the song Wearing the Inside Out. However, Anthony Moore, who wrote the lyrics, said he didn't put it there on purpose.
- The official Pink Floyd biography mentions the word "enigma" too, saying there has always been a mystery at the band's heart.
- The 2019 movie The Endless River by Ian Emes, which is part of "The Later Years" box set, shows the words "Publius Enigma" at the end of one of its songs.
