The above elucidation reveals a few further elements which reflect Vikernes’s character and circumstances. He is by nature an extremely restless person, brimming with energy and possessed of a defiant gleam in his eye. His position of “outlaw” goes beyond just his status with everyday society, since a number of people in the Black Metal subculture have also sworn they plan to kill him if given the chance. This is much like the position of the outlaw in older times, banished from society and fair game for anyone who would deem to destroy him.
There are a number of other associations which come to light upon closer consideration of the statements and actions of Vikernes, in his persona as the heathen “Varg.” As can be seen from the Baring-Gould quote above, the wolf connotation of the term later became associated with werewolves, and in certain sources the Devil himself is referred to as a werewolf. However, this negative outlook on wolves appears to surface after the onset of the Christian period of Europe; the pre-Christian heathens had a quite different perception.
A number of Black Metal bands display a fascination for the wolf. The most obvious example is Ulver, whose name itself means “wolves” in Norwegian. Their most recent recordings have been based entirely on wolf-lore. The band’s guitarist Erik Lancelot states:
The mythical wolf is a Satanic character. He is often pictured as a solitary antagonist, a representative of animalism appearing before humans to promote values of selfishness and brute force, as for instance in the tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” and certain tales of La Fontaine. The wolf lives in the forest, symbol of the demonic world outside the control of human civilization, and serves thus as a link between the demonic and the cultural, chaos and order, light and dark, subconscious and conscious. Still I do not by this mean to say that the wolf represents the balance point between good and evil—rather he is the promoter of “evil” in a culture which has focused too much on the light side and disowned the animalistic. He symbolizes the forces which human civilization does not like to recognize, and is therefore looked upon with suspicion and awe.20
In the older Viking times, wolves were totem animals for certain cults of warriors, the Berserkers. A specific group is mentioned in the sagas, the Ulfhethnar or “wolf-coats,” who donned the skin of wolves. Baring-Gould recounts the behavior of the Berserks who, wearing these special vestments, reached an altered state of consciousness:
They acquired superhuman force ... No sword would wound them, no fire burn them, a club alone could destroy them, by breaking their bones, or crushing their skulls. Their eyes glared as though a flame burned in the sockets, they ground their teeth, and frothed at the mouth; they gnawed at their shield rims, and are said to have sometimes bitten them through, and as they rushed into conflict they yelped as dogs or howled as wolves.21
The Berserks were described in the old chronicles as “men of Odin,” the god to whom Vikernes also claims exclusive dedication. Wolves are sacred to Odin, the “Allfather,” who is usually accompanied by his own two wolf-elementals, Geri and Freki. Many Germanic personal first names can be traced back to another root word for wolf, ulv or ulf, so this was clearly not an ignoble or derisive connotation, except in its varg form.
THE MASKS OF ODIN
Odin himself is a challenging deity, providing an archetype for the Faustian seeker: he who makes a dangerous pact in return for increasing knowledge and experience. Some of the more notable attributes of the character of Odin and the cult that surrounded him in ancient Scandinavian tribal society are exceedingly sinister. In the old sagas he is bestowed with myriad names and titles, some of which include Herjan (“War God”), Yggr (“the Terrible One”), Bölverkr, (“The Evil Doer”), Boleyg (“Fiery Eyed”), and Grímnir (“the Masked One”).
ODIN CARVING FOUND IN HEGGE STAVE CHURCH
Odin is mentioned in the Elder Edda as first having brought battle to the cosmos: “On his host his spear did Odin hurl / Then in the world did war first come,”22 states the Eddic poem “Voluspá.” His early worship demanded the sacrifice of innocent men. Odin is often referred to as a great “stirrer of strife.” Comparative mythologist Georges Dumézil remarks:
The character of Odin is complex and not very reassuring. His face hidden under his hood, in his somber blue cloak, he goes out about the world, simultaneously master and spy. It happens that he betrays his believers and his protégés, and he sometimes seems to take pleasure in sowing the seeds of fatal discord...23
It is not difficult to see the appeal of the Odin archetype for those who assume the role of the heretic, pariah, or outsider. Varg Vikernes is all these things, and his long-standing obsessions with weapons, warfare, struggle, and death also fit into an Odinic paradigm. In her essay on the word Warg, Mary Gerstein also discusses comparative symbolism between Odin, who hung on the world tree Yggdrasil for nine nights in order to gain wisdom, and Christ, who was hung on the cross as an outlaw, only to be reborn as an empowered heavenly deity. Vikernes, despite his heathenism, has in certain respects set himself up as both avatar and Christ-like martyr for his cause, willing to suffer in prison for his sacrifice. Gerstein also draws parallels between Odin in his mythological role as the binder of foes, and his relationship to those who are deemed a criminal varg:
Odin differs ideologically from other [Indo-European] binder gods in his essential amorality: he delights in strife between kinsmen and urges men to break their vows. The strangled warg belongs to him more from a sense of “like seeking like” than in punishment. His very name indicates his nature; Adam of Bremen’s “Wodan, id est furor” [“Wodan, that means fury”] stands fast: Odin is the embodiment of every form of frenzy, from the insane bloodlust that characterized the werwolf warriors who dedicated themselves to him, to erotic and poetic madness.24
Odin was intrinsically connected to death itself. In the Ynglingsaga it is stated, “at times [Odin] would call to life dead men out of the ground, or he would sit down under men that were hanged. On this account he was called the Lord of Ghouls or of the Hanged.”25 Odin is related in function to a psychopomp, as he receives the souls of dead warriors into his “hall of the chosen,” Valhalla. His hall is distinguished from those of the other gods by a unique and foreboding display, as Gerstein notes: “The putrefying corpse of a varg on the gallows is the emblem of Odin’s power and the sign of his presence.”26 She then quotes the passage of the “Grímnismál” which states, “Odin’s hall is easy to recognize: a varg hangs before the western door, an eagle droops above.”27
Vikernes often now downplays his former interest in Satanism by claiming that Odin himself is the “adversary” of the Christian God, and therefore can be seen as Satanic. He points out that after the conversion, the old heathen gods of the North were demonized by the Christian missionaries and leaders. In this he is correct, and a perfect example survives in the “renunciation oath” which was enforced under Boniface among the Saxons and Thuringians, who were ordered to repeat: “I forsake all the Devil’s works and words, and Thunær [Thor] and Woden [Odin] and Saxnôt [the tribal deity of the Saxons] and all the monsters who are their companions.”28
In contrast to the historical precedent where the old heathen gods were transmogrified into Satanic monsters and demons, many of the denizens of Black Metal music pledged allegiance to these same demonic spirits of Christianity, only later to recast them as heathen forces. Even so, much of the culture of Black Metal will always remain rooted in concepts of the Devil and Satanism. In order to fully understand why a music genre could help to spawn as much vehemently anti-Christian destruction as has been linked to Black Metal, one must also explore its starting point in the realm of the diabolical.
EVIL PERSONIFIED APPEARS AT FIRST SIGHT REPULSIVE. BUT THE MORE WE STUDY THE PERSONALITY OF THE DEVIL, THE MORE FASCINATING HE BECOMES. IN THE BEGINNING OF EXISTENCE THE EVIL ONE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF EVERYTHING UNPLEASANT, THEN OF EVERYTHING BAD, EVIL, AND IMMORAL. HE IS HATRED, DESTRUCTION, AND ANNIHILATION INCARNATE, AND AS SUCH HE IS THE ADVERSARY OF EXISTENCE, OF THE
CREATOR, OF GOD. THE DEVIL IS THE REBEL OF THE COSMOS, THE INDEPENDENT IN THE EMPIRE OF A TYRANT, THE OPPOSITION TO UNIFORMITY, THE DISSONANCE IN UNIVERSAL HARMONY, THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, THE PARTICULAR IN THE UNIVERSAL, THE UNFORESEEN CHANCE THAT BREAKS THE LAW; HE IS THE INDIVIDUALIZING TENDENCY, THE CRAVING FOR ORIGINALITY, WHICH BODILY UPSETS THE ORDINANCES OF GOD THAT ENFORCE A DEFINITE KIND OF CONDUCT; HE OVERTURNS THE MONOTONY THAT WOULD PERMEATE THE COSMIC SPHERES IF EVERY ATOM IN UNCONSCIOUS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WITH PIOUS OBEDIENCE SLAVISHLY FOLLOWED A GENERALLY PRESCRIBED COURSE.
—PAUL CARUS, THE HISTORY OF THE DEVIL AND THE IDEA OF EVIL1
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THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES
THE IDEOLOGY WHICH DRIVES BLACK METAL IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS “Satanism,” but what does this mean in practice? In Norway it has become equated with violence and church burning, but this is a distinction peculiar to that country. Satanism—like its antithesis, Christianity—means a good many things to a myriad of people. Nor is there is a strict consensus on defining Satanism within the Black Metal scene, beyond a basic “opposition to Christianity.” From that starting point a number of quite distinct strains of thought issue forth.
Some central personalities—Varg Vikernes, most prominently—dismiss the importance of Satanism altogether, seeing it merely as an introduction to more indigenous heathen beliefs. Others were never involved deeply in any kind of Satanic outlook at all, managing to avoid it completely as a reference point. Ivar Bjørnsson, of the Norwegian “Viking Metal” band Enslaved, explains, “Satanism is as remote for us as Christianity. It’s just something that doesn’t interest us. We listened to all the Satanist stuff, but we were always only interested in the music.”2 Enslaved are closely associated with Black Metal circles, although their lyrics and approach are more thoroughly rooted in Viking Age culture than any form of Satanism. Their steadfast use of explicitly Nordic iconography is far less ambiguous than even that of a project such as Burzum.
There are those who see Satanism and Black Metal as essentially intertwined, and a number of important bands have attempted to formulate a coherent philosophy centering around this. But in general, Satanism has been for show only, following in the footsteps of Venom and Bathory, and concerned solely with cartoonish efforts to assume “evil” poses in promotional photographs or make outlandishly uninformed statements in interviews. As Metalion comments:
ENSLAVED
I don’t think that Satanism has been that important besides being a flirtation with the occult symbols and as a concept for the lyrics. ... I think very few Black Metal musicians are involved in the secrets of the Black Arts. Of course some are, but they keep it to themselves. I’ve met people who are into rituals, etc., and are deeply into the Black Metal scene as well, but they are not necessarily in a band.3
Similar thoughts regarding the superficiality of much of the Satanism are echoed and elaborated upon by M.W. Daoloth of the respected Greek Black Metal band Necromantia:
They used it for its shock value—sex, Satan, and violence sell well. A lot of bands still do this, but there are musicians who’ve adopted Satanism as a lifestyle and the key point here is that these musicians were members of the most influential bands. So other people started to copy their music and ideas no matter if they believed in them or not! Satanism inevitably adopted a more intellectual profile. Still, the musicians that are seriously involved in the dark side are few—compared to the existing number of bands—but they are in major bands and that is what counts.4
M.W. DAOLOTH OF NECROMANTIA
Much of the Satanism found in Black Metal is little more than a given band employing the simplest catchphrases and symbology, often merely in imitation of other groups they admire. This might be augmented by bits and pieces of additional material garnered from a stray occult text, or more likely, exposure to horror novels and films. There are some publications that circulate through the Black Metal underground which attempt to inspire the musicians to a greater depth of knowledge and a focus for their efforts. One of these is The Nexus, published from New Zealand by Kerry Bolton. He has long been active within the wider Satanic underground, and is well qualified to comment on the attitudes of Black Metal bands and fans:
Observing other magazines, especially those of a specifically Metal nature, it is true that many of them, and many bands, are childish. They see Satanism as nothing more than a means of blaspheming Christianity, and Jesus specifically—although I’ve often wondered how it’s possible to “blaspheme” something unless one actually believes in it to start with! I used to read a lot of this some years ago. At first I thought it extremely funny and would laugh out loud; eventually it became boring, predictable, and eventually annoying.
The “medieval” style of Satanism or Devil worship is what’s most easily accessible to the average youth in search of Satan, since this is the type perpetrated by the mass media and entertainment industry.5
For every rule there are exceptions, and this is true of the prevalence of “medieval” Devil worship and other primitive views in the realm of Black Metal. While most of the musicians come from this background, certain key personalities have evolved significantly. They are also, as Daoloth states, the more influential people in the scene. One such figure is Ihsahn, singer in Emperor—one of the most popular, and arguably the most majestic sounding, of all Black Metal bands. Ihsahn’s philosophy is far advanced beyond many of his contemporaries in the scene, and in actuality bears strong resemblance to the original outline of Satanism which Anton LaVey summarized in his Satanic Bible in 1969. Due to his long-standing involvement with Black Metal, Ihsahn is familiar with the various Satanic veins running through the scene, and the ways in which they have progressed since the beginning of the decade.
IHSAHN
WHAT WERE YOU LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST BECAME INVOLVED IN BLACK METAL?
When I was younger, I was much more extreme. I dressed more extreme, and I think it was more important for me to show everyone else around that I was different from them and had very strong points of view. It was to get a reaction back that would prove my identity. Then I became older and I developed more rational views. Now it’s not important for me to prove myself, to prove that I have these views, or that I’m a Satanist. I’m so aware of it now, and I’m very comfortable with my beliefs, so it’s not important to get a response.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE IDEOLOGY OF EARLY BLACK METAL IN NORWAY?
I think Black Metal tried to concentrate more on just being “evil” than having a real Satanic philosophy. Everyone took it very seriously, but it’s hard to live up to those ideals. It’s hard for anyone to be as “evil” and as hateful as the ideals the Black Metal scene had. All of us tried in a way...
WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF BLACK METAL?
Black Metal wanted to be in opposition to society, a confrontation to all the normal stuff. Everybody needs some excitement, and if you look at youth today, they’re all very boring.
In my town all they do is have their cars and they drive up and down the one main street. They have nothing else to do—it’s a kind of competition for who has the finest car and the loudest stereo. They basically live in their cars. Those who are younger, who don’t have a car—they sit at the side of the road and look at the cars. Their lives are extremely boring, and I can see that some people want more out of existence, they want to have their own personality and expression which makes it impossible to be associated with all those meaningless humans who walk around everywhere.
I think like that now—they’re only “human.” Shit, I don’t want to be a human. Those are the people you see everyday when you walk in the street, the junkies, suffering starving African children—they’re all “human,” and I don’t like them. There are sayings like, “It’s human to fail”—I hate failure. People who think like me don’t want to be associated with that, so you have something that makes you different.
IHSAHN
Satanic philosophy has changed my whole way of thinking—you think in dif
ferent ways, through the philosophy you have. People say Satanism and Black Metal is a very destructive thing, but it’s the opposite. It’s creative because it’s all about yourself, you on your own, and those you care about. To get into that state you have to break down what you had before, to create space for all the new impressions. Jumping into Black Metal, there are so many impressions at one time, that it might be difficult to handle all at once. Many people won’t make it through that stage because there is too much pressure. That tests who will be left after a period of time.
The Black Metal scene has matured a lot, and now people are much more aware of their own thoughts. I remember a year ago everybody was very obsessed by being “true” or “not true”—“true Black Metal” and all that. We got very tired of it, because who is true? We will know in the end; it’s not very important. The weak will perish by themselves.
WHAT INSPIRED THE INITIAL FORM OF BLACK METAL?
A lot of the earlier Black Metal bands, like Venom, expressed very primitive, hateful views. It was very Satanic music. It also started up with the whole “anti-LaVey” attitude that was common within the scene, because his form of Satanism is very humane. No one wanted a humane Satanism; you should almost be Satan himself.
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