Louis Cachet
(born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (), is a Norwegian writer and retired musician best known for his early
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
albums and later crimes. His first five records, issued under the name
Burzum from 1992 to 1996, made him one of the most influential figures in black metal. In 1994, he was convicted of murder and arson, and subsequently served 15 years in prison.
A native of
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
, Vikernes began playing guitar at the age of 14 and formed his first band, Kalashnikov (later known as Uruk-Hai), by 1989.
Around the same time, he would go on to join the band
Old Funeral
Old Funeral was a black/death metal band from Bergen, Norway.
History
Old Funeral was one of the first bands to form in the Norwegian extreme metal scene, formed in 1988. By 1992, the band had already dissolved. Since the breakup, many members ( ...
, in which he briefly played guitar from 1989 until his departure in 1991. He recorded multiple tracks with the band, which were featured on the ''Devoured Carcass'' EP, as well as various compilation albums released years later. After founding Burzum, he became part of the
early Norwegian black metal scene. In 1992, Vikernes, along with other members of the scene, was suspected of burning down four Christian churches in Norway. Vikernes denied committing the arsons, though he supported them. In 1992–1993, he also recorded bass for
Mayhem's debut album ''
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' is the first studio album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Songwriting began in 1987, but due to the suicide of vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin and the murder of guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth, the album's r ...
''.
In August 1993, Vikernes fatally stabbed Mayhem guitarist
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth (; 22 March 1968 – 10 August 1993), better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a Norwegian musician and a founder of and central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was a co-founder and guitarist of the N ...
during an altercation at the latter's apartment, and was arrested shortly after. In May 1994, Vikernes was convicted of
first-degree murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...
, church arson and possession of explosives. Vikernes said the killing was
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
and unsuccessfully argued for the charge to be reduced to
voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender acted during ''the heat of passion'', under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed to the point that they cannot ...
. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Norwegian law. During his incarceration, Vikernes launched the
Norwegian Heathen Front,
had two books published, and released two
ambient albums as Burzum.
In 2009, he was released on parole, after which he moved to France with his wife and children, where he has continued to write and make music. He was also an active video blogger on his
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel ThuleanPerspective, before the channel was deleted.
["Varg Vikernes - YouTube Has Deleted Vikernes' Channel"](_blank)
Metal Storm
Metal Storm Limited was a research and development company based in Brisbane, Australia, that specialized in electronically initiated superposed load weapons technology and owned the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technolog ...
. 6 June 2019.
Described by
Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn (born 20 March 1974) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, musician, and anthropologist, best known for his series of documentaries on heavy metal music. He co-owns Toronto-based production company Banger Films with Scot McFadyen. Du ...
as "the most notorious metal musician of all time",
Vikernes remains controversial for his crimes as well as his political and religious views. He promoted views which combined
Odinism
Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th cent ...
and
Esoteric Nazism, and openly embraced Nazism during the mid-late 1990s. He has since disavowed the ideology and its associated movements, although critics continue to label his views as
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
. Vikernes calls his beliefs "Odalism" and advocates a "pre-industrial European pagan society", opposing
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
,
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
,
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
,
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
,
socialism
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
and
materialism.
Biography
Background and childhood
In the interviews printed in the 1998 book ''
Lords of Chaos'', Vikernes discusses his background and childhood. ''Lords of Chaos'' also includes an interview with his mother, Helene Bore (the book and a newspaper depicted there refer to her with the given name Lene, whereas Vikernes' own website uses the name Helene). In a 2004 interview, Vikernes said his mother was "working in a large oil company". His father is an electronics engineer, and his older brother is a civil engineer.
In the ''Lords of Chaos'' interview, Vikernes recalls that when he was 6 years old, the family moved for about a year to
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, Iraq, because Vikernes' "father was working for
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
" developing a computer program.
Since there were no places available in the English school in Baghdad, the young Vikernes went to an Iraqi elementary school during this time. According to his interview, Vikernes here became "aware of racial matters".
Corporal punishment was very common in the school, and on one occasion, Vikernes had a "quarrel" with a teacher and called him "a monkey". But as Vikernes perceived it the teachers "didn't dare to hit me because I was white".
Vikernes' mother also recalls that "the other children in his class would get slapped by their teachers; he would not".
She mentions that this created problems, but generally she "has no good explanation" of how Varg developed his views.
When asked about his father, Vikernes states that he was hysterical that his son "had a
swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
flag at home".
Vikernes feels that his father was a hypocrite because he was worried about Vikernes "being a Nazi", whereas he too was "pissed about all the colored people he saw in town".
About his mother, Vikernes states that she was "very race conscious", in the sense that she was afraid that Vikernes "was going to come home with a black girl!"
At the time of the 1995 ''Lords of Chaos'' interview, Vikernes still had a positive relationship with his mother but "very little contact" with his father.
He also stated that his parents are divorced; Vikernes' father is said to have "left about 10 years ago", which would have been 1985, when Vikernes was 11 or 12.
The ''
Encyclopedia of White Power
''Encyclopedia of White Power: A Sourcebook on the Radical Racist Right'' is a reference work, reference book edited by Jeffrey Kaplan (academic), Jeffrey Kaplan. It focuses on the White nationalism#White power, White Power movement, mainly Uni ...
''
and historian
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (15 January 195329 August 2012) was a British historian and professor of Western esotericism at the University of Exeter, best known for his authorship of several scholarly books on the history of Germany between the W ...
have both alleged that Vikernes was part of the
neo-Nazi skinhead
White power skinheads, also known as racist skinheads and neo-Nazi skinheads, are members of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and antisemitic offshoot of the skinhead subculture. Many of them are affiliated with white nationalist organizations and ...
culture as an adolescent.
When asked in the ''Lords of Chaos'' interview whether he hung out with skinheads in Bergen, Vikernes said that "there were no skinheads in Bergen".
According to an interview posted on his official website, Vikernes' facial scar was caused by a skiing accident when he was 11 years old.
A fan of classical music as a child,
Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
in particular, Vikernes started listening to
heavy metal at 12, citing
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
as his biggest inspiration.
Later he discovered other metal bands whose sound would be influential on his own band, such as
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédér ...
,
Sodom,
Celtic Frost,
Bathory,
Destruction
Destruction may refer to:
Concepts
* Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger
* Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism
* Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kind ...
,
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...
,
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
,
Slayer
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
,
Pestilence,
Deicide
Deicide is the killing (or the killer) of a god. The concept may be used for any act of killing a god, including a life-death-rebirth deity who is killed and then resurrected.
Etymology
The term deicide was coined in the 17th century from m ...
and
Von
The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''.
Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de ...
.
Although
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
are widely considered the primary influence on black metal, Vikernes has always denied to be influenced by them, as well as defining the band as "a joke". He once wore a T-shirt of Venom's ''
Black Metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
'' to promote the genre but stated he later regretted doing that.
From an early age, Vikernes was also deeply fascinated with the fictional realm of
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is t ...
created by
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
. His stage name, Grishnakh, is taken from that of an orc in ''
The Two Towers
''The Two Towers'' is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. It is preceded by ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and followed by ''The Return of the King''.
Title and publication
''The Lord of the ...
'', while the band name Burzum, meaning "darkness", was taken from the
Black Speech inscribed on the
One Ring
The One Ring, also called the Ruling Ring and Isildur's Bane, is a central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954–55). It first appeared in the earlier story ''The Hobbit'' (1937) as a magic ring that grants the w ...
in ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
''. The inscription read "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh ''burzum''-ishi krimpatul", or in English, "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the ''darkness'' bind them." Additionally, before joining the Bergen
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
band
Old Funeral
Old Funeral was a black/death metal band from Bergen, Norway.
History
Old Funeral was one of the first bands to form in the Norwegian extreme metal scene, formed in 1988. By 1992, the band had already dissolved. Since the breakup, many members ( ...
, he was in a band called Uruk-Hai, which was named for a type of
orc
An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially '' The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugl ...
from Tolkien's writing.
Early musical career
Vikernes started playing guitar at the age of 14.
When he was 17, Vikernes came into contact with members of Old Funeral. He played guitar with them during 1990–1991 and performed on their ''Devoured Carcass'' EP before he began his solo musical project,
Burzum, and quickly became involved with the
early Norwegian black metal scene. During 1992–1993, he recorded four albums as Burzum.
Vikernes has stated that for the recording of these early albums he used an old
Westone
Westone is an American manufacturer of custom earpieces for the hearing healthcare market, hearing protection products, custom communications earpieces, clinical and audiological supplies, musicians hearing protection and in-ear monitors for p ...
guitar, which he had bought in 1987 from an acquaintance.
He used the cheapest bass guitar there was in his local shop and borrowed a drum kit from Old Funeral, the successor band
Immortal
Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life.
Immortal or Immortality may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film
* ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
, and "another musician living nearby".
On ''
Hvis lyset tar oss'', he also borrowed
Hellhammer
Hellhammer was a Swiss metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often r ...
's drum kit, the same one Hellhammer used to record ''
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' is the first studio album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Songwriting began in 1987, but due to the suicide of vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin and the murder of guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth, the album's r ...
'' by
Mayhem. He used a
Peavey amplifier, but for the recording of ''
Filosofem'', he used the amplifier on his brother's stereo and some old fuzz pedals.
For vocals, he would use whatever microphone the sound tech handed him, but during the recording of ''Filosofem'', he intentionally used the worst mic they had, a headset mic.
On the track "Dungeons of Darkness", he used the large gong at
Grieghallen
Grieg Hall ( no, Grieghallen) is a 1,500 seat concert hall located on Edvard Griegs' square in Bergen, Norway.
Grieghallen was named in honor of Bergen-born composer Edvard Grieg, who served as music director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ...
for background noise (
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth (; 22 March 1968 – 10 August 1993), better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a Norwegian musician and a founder of and central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was a co-founder and guitarist of the N ...
assisted him by beating his fists on it).
In 1992, Vikernes joined the black metal band
Mayhem, a year after band member
Dead
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
committed suicide on 8 April 1991.
Vikernes replaced bassist
Necrobutcher, who quit the band because of Euronymous' treatment of Dead's suicide.
Vikernes has distanced himself from his black metal past, claiming he "came under the influence of an absolute degenerate loser,
Øystein
Øystein is a Norwegian given name of Old Norse origins. One of its variants is Östen which is mostly used in Sweden. Notable people with the name include:
* Øystein Aarseth (1968–1993), Norwegian guitarist (pseudonym Euronymous), co-founder ...
", and blaming his past actions and "degeneracy" on the negative influence of others in the scene. In a 2020 blog post, Vikernes wrote that he had many differences with others in the black metal scene from the beginning; they did not care for his political opinions or rifle collection, and he changed his beliefs to fit in.
Arson of churches
On 6 June 1992, the
Fantoft Stave Church, dating from the 12th century and considered architecturally significant, was burned to the ground by arson. The cover of Burzum's EP ''
Aske'' ("ashes") is a photograph of the destroyed church.
[ By January 1993, arson attacks had occurred on at least seven other major ]stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts a ...
es, including one on Christmas Eve of 1992. Vikernes was found guilty of several of these cases: the arson and attempted arson of Åsane Church
Åsane Church ( no, Åsane kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bergen Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the borough of Åsane in the city of Bergen. It is the church for the Åsane parish which is part of t ...
and Storetveit Church in Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
, the arson of Skjold Church in Vindafjord
Vindafjord is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Rogaland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Haugaland. Since 2005, the administrative centre of the municipality has ...
, and the arson of Holmenkollen Chapel
Holmenkollen Chapel (''Holmenkollen kapell'') is located in the neighborhood of Holmenkollen in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. The original chapel from 1903 was destroyed by arson in 1992. The new chapel was completed in 1996. Holmenk ...
in Oslo. He was also charged with the arson of Fantoft Stave Church, although the jurors found him not guilty. The judges called this an error but did not overthrow the whole case.
At the time, media outlets reported that Vikernes was associated with theistic Satanism
Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as religious Satanism, spiritual Satanism, or traditional Satanism, is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan, the Devil, or Lucifer to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural entit ...
. In later interviews Vikernes, while not accepting responsibility for the arsons, said that they were not Satanic, but instead "revenge" for the Christian desecration of Viking graves and temples. According to Vikernes, the arsons were on the anniversary of the Lindisfarne Viking raid. Vikernes claimed that all the burnings, except for the one at Stavanger, were done by one person.
''Bergens Tidende'' article
In January 1993, an article in one of Norway's biggest newspapers, ''Bergens Tidende
''Bergens Tidende'' is Norway's fifth-largest newspaper, and the country's largest newspaper outside Oslo.
''Bergens Tidende'' is owned by the public company Schibsted ASA. Norwegian owners held a mere 42% of the shares in Schibsted at the end ...
'', brought the black metal scene into the media spotlight. Two friends of Vikernes interviewed him and brought the interview to the newspaper, hoping they would print it.[ In the anonymous interview, "Count Grishnackh" (Vikernes) claimed to have burnt the churches and killed a man in Lillehammer.][ ''BT'' journalist Finn Bjørn Tønder set up a meeting with Count Grishnackh with help from the friends. The journalists were summoned to an apartment and reportedly warned that they would be shot if the police were called.][ There, Vikernes and his companions told the journalists that they had burnt the churches, or knew who had done it, and said that the attacks would continue. They claimed to be devil worshippers and said: "Our intention is to spread fear and devilry ..that is why we are telling this to ''Bergens Tidende''." They gave the journalists details about the arsons that hadn't been released to the press, so ''BT'' spoke with the police before publishing it, who confirmed these details.][
The article was published on 20 January as the front page of the ''BT''. It was headlined "We Lit the Fires" and included a photo of Vikernes, his face mostly hidden, holding two large knives. However, by the time the article was printed, Vikernes had already been arrested. The police found him by going to an address printed on a Burzum flyer.][
According to Vikernes, the anonymous interview was planned by himself and Euronymous. The goal, he says, was to scare people, promote black metal, and get more customers for Helvete.] At the time, Burzum was about to release the '' Aske'' mini-album.[ Some of the other scene members were also arrested and questioned, but all were released for lack of evidence.][ ]Jørn Inge Tunsberg
Jørn Inge Tunsberg (born 4 December 1970 in Bergen, Norway) is a death/black metal musician. He lives in Bergen and plays guitar in the black metal band Hades Almighty and the industrial metal band Dominanz.
Tunsberg played in the bands Old F ...
of Hades
Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...
said that the interview had "grave consequences" for the rest of the scene and that they did not know he was going to talk to the press, as "he had said nothing". He added that they became "bloody angry" and he, Tunsberg, was "pissed off".
Norwegian magazine ''Rock Furore'' published an interview with Vikernes in February 1993. In it, he said of the prison system: "It's much too nice here. It's not hell at all. In this country prisoners get a bed, toilet and shower. It's completely ridiculous. I asked the police to throw me in a real dungeon, and also encouraged them to use violence". He was released in March for lack of evidence.[
]
Murder of Øystein Aarseth
In early 1993, animosity arose between Euronymous and Vikernes. After the ''Bergens Tidende'' episode, Euronymous decided to shut Helvete as it began to draw the attention of the police and media.
On the night of 10 August 1993, Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death at his apartment in Oslo. The murder was initially blamed on Swedish black metallers by the media.[ It has been speculated that the murder was the result of a power struggle, a financial dispute over Burzum records (Euronymous owed Vikernes a large sum of ]royalty payment
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
s),[ or an attempt at "outdoing" a recent stabbing in Lillehammer committed by Emperor drummer Faust.][Mayhem Biography on Yahoo! Music]
/ref> Vikernes claims that he killed Euronymous in self-defense. He says that Euronymous had plotted to stun him with an electroshock weapon
An electroshock weapon is a less-lethal weapon that utilizes an electric shock to incapacitate a target by either temporarily disrupting voluntary muscle control and/or through pain compliance. There are several different types of electroshock w ...
, tie him up, and torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
him to death while videotaping the event. Vikernes explains: "If he was talking about it to everybody and anybody I wouldn't have taken it seriously. But he just told a select group of friends, and one of them told me". He said Euronymous planned to use a meeting about an unsigned contract to ambush him.[
On the night of the murder, Vikernes and Snorre "Blackthorn" Ruch drove from Bergen to Euronymous' apartment at Tøyengata in Oslo.] Blackthorn allegedly stood in the stairwell smoking while Vikernes went to Euronymous' apartment on the fourth floor.[ Vikernes said he met Euronymous at the door to hand him the signed contract, but when he stepped forward and confronted Euronymous, Euronymous "panicked" and kicked him in the chest.][ Vikernes claims Euronymous ran into the kitchen to fetch a knife.][ The two got into a struggle and Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death. His body was found in the stairwell on the first floor with 23 stab wounds—two to the head, five to the neck, and 16 to the back. Vikernes claimed his final stab to the skull was so powerful the knife remained stuck in Euronymous' skull, but no physical evidence or bodily injuries supported his claim. Vikernes contended that most of Euronymous' wounds were caused by broken glass he had fallen on during the struggle.][ After the murder, Vikernes and Blackthorn drove back to Bergen. On the way, they stopped at a lake where Vikernes disposed of his bloodstained clothes.][ This claim of self-defense is doubted by ]Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
drummer Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540).
The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...
, but Mayhem bassist Necrobutcher believed Vikernes did kill Euronymous due to the aforementioned death threats.
Blackthorn claimed Vikernes planned to murder Euronymous and pressured him into coming along. He claimed that, in the summer of 1993, he was almost committed to a mental hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociati ...
but fled to Bergen and stayed with Vikernes. Blackthorn said of the murder, "I was neither for nor against it. I didn't give a shit about Øystein". Vikernes, however, claims that he had not planned the killing and that Blackthorn came along to show Euronymous some new guitar riffs. Vikernes called Blackthorn's claims a "defense ..to make sure I couldn't blame ''him'' or the murder
Or or OR may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* "O.R.", a 1974 episode of List of M*A*S*H episodes (Season 3), M*A*S*H
* Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew)
Music
* Or (album), ''Or ...
.[
]
Vikernes was arrested on 19 August 1993 in Bergen.[ The police found 150 kg of explosives and 3,000 rounds of ammunition in his home.] According to the ''Encyclopedia of White Power'', Vikernes "intended to blow up Blitz House, the radical leftist and anarchist enclave in Oslo", a plan that "was reportedly on the verge of execution." In an article originally published in 1999, Kevin Coogan
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
also mentioned Vikernes' alleged intent to "destroy an Oslo-based punk anti-fascist squat called Blitz House", and stated "Vikernes may have felt that he had no choice but to kill Euronymous before bombing Blitz House because 'the Communist' would almost certainly have opposed such an act." Vikernes denied these claims in a 2009 interview, saying he was collecting explosives and ammunition "in order to defend Norway if we were attacked any time."
Trial
Vikernes' trial began on 2 May 1994; he was represented by the lawyer Stein-Erik Mattsson Stein-Erik Mattsson (born January 26, 1959) is a Norwegian lawyer, journalist, and comedian, and formerly the editor of ''Aktuell Rapport'' and chief editor of '' Alle Menn''.
Mattsson was born in Oslo. He worked for a while as a lawyer and had ma ...
. Many other members of the scene, including Blackthorn and Faust, were put on trial around the same time. Some of them confessed to their crimes and implicated others. According to ''Lords of Chaos'', "Vikernes is disgusted by the fact that, while he held fast to a code of silence, others confessed."
During the trial the media made Vikernes "the nation's first real bogeyman in fifty years". At the trial it was claimed that he, Blackthorn, and another friend had planned the murder. The court alleged that this third person stayed at the apartment in Bergen as an alibi; to make it look like they never left Bergen, he was to rent films, play them in the apartment, and withdraw money from Vikernes' credit card.
On 16 May 1994, Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison (Norway's maximum penalty) for the murder of Euronymous, the arson of three churches, the attempted arson of a fourth church, and for the theft and storage of 150 kg of explosives. Though Vikernes only confessed to the theft and storage of the explosives, two churches were set on fire the day he was sentenced, "presumably as a statement of symbolic support".[ Blackthorn, who hadn't taken part in the murder as he had gone down the condominium's stairs to smoke, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for being an accomplice.][
May 1994 also saw the release of Mayhem's album '']De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' is the first studio album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Songwriting began in 1987, but due to the suicide of vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin and the murder of guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth, the album's r ...
'', which has Euronymous on electric guitar and Vikernes on bass guitar. Before the release, Euronymous' family had asked Mayhem's drummer, Hellhammer
Hellhammer was a Swiss metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often r ...
, to remove the bass tracks recorded by Vikernes. Hellhammer said "I thought it was appropriate that the murderer and victim were on the same record. I put word out that I was re-recording the bass parts, but I never did."[
]
Imprisonment
Vikernes served his sentence at the prisons in Bergen, Tønsberg
Tønsberg , historically Tunsberg, is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, eastern Norway, located around south-southwest of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near its mouth onto the Skagerrak. The administrative ce ...
, Ringerike, Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
, and Tromsø
Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø.
Tromsø lies ...
.
According to Swedish scholar Matthias Gardell in his book ''Gods of the Blood
''Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism'' is a book by Swedish scholar Mattias Gardell discussing neopaganism (in particular Germanic) and white separatism, neo-fascism, and antisemitism.
It was published by Duke Universi ...
'', Vikernes launched the Norwegian Heathen Front (''Norsk Hedensk Front'') during his early years in prison. Gardell says this was a pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
group that grew into the international Pan-Germanic Heathen Front (''Allgermanische Heidnische Front'' or AHF). According to Xavier Cattarinich, Vikernes was the "self-proclaimed leader" of the Norwegian Heathen Front and Goodrick-Clarke mentions that Vikernes underlined "his role as chieftain of his Norwegian Heathen Front" with the writing of ''Vargsmål''. The Heathen Front officially denied that Vikernes was in charge. According to the authors of ''Lord of Chaos'', this may have been to protect him, as Norwegian prisoners were prohibited from leading political groups. In addition, the organization's listed address was the same PO box Vikernes used in prison, which the authors state would have made it "very hard for him ikernesto do an effective job" at leading the organization, as all letters would have been screened by the prison personnel. Vikernes said "I have never formed or been a member of such organizations. The only organization I am a member of is Riksmålsforbundet" (''The Society for the Preservation of Traditional Standard Norwegian''). He however came in contact with the neo-Nazi group Zorn 88, and wrote articles in its magazine ''Gjallarhorn''. One of the group's leading members, esoterist Jan Erik Kvamsdahl helped Vikernes publish ''Vargsmål'' and set up the Heathen Front according to the ''Monitor'' organization.
On 8 April 1997, Norwegian police arrested five neo-Nazis in Hemnes
Hemnes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Korgen. Other villages include Bjerka, Bleikvasslia, Hemnesberget, and Sund ...
. According to police, the young men were part of a self-styled "Einsatzgruppe
(, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the imple ...
" and were plotting attacks on political and religious figures in Norway. They also had plans to break Vikernes out of prison. The group "had all the trappings of a paramilitary unit", including guns, explosives, bulletproof vests, steel helmets and balaclavas.[ One of its members, Tom Eiternes, had befriended Vikernes in prison before escaping while on leave.][ Vikernes' mother, Lene Bore, was arrested for supplying the group with 100,000 kroner. She confessed, but claimed she did not know they were "right-wing extremists" and said her son was being attacked by fellow inmates. In late 1996, his jaw had reportedly been broken in a fight with another inmate. However, the prison director said her claims were unfounded, and police suspected that the money came from Vikernes himself.][ ''Lords of Chaos'' says that Vikernes adopted a "]skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England, in the 1960s and soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working class skinhead movement emerging worldwide in th ...
" look and wore a belt buckle with SS insignia around this time.[ Despite her confession, Bore was not convicted,][ and in 1998 the case against the "Einsatzgruppe" was dropped.
During his time in prison, Vikernes recorded two albums made up wholly of ambient and neofolk music. The first, '']Dauði Baldrs
''Dauði Baldrs'' (Old Norse for "Baldr's Death" or "The Death of Baldr") is the fifth album by the Norwegian solo act Burzum. Unlike Burzum's previous work, which was mostly black metal, this is a dark ambient album. It was recorded using a sy ...
'', was recorded in 1994–1995 and released in October 1997. The second, ''Hliðskjálf
In Norse mythology, Hliðskjálf is the high seat of the god Odin allowing him to see into all realms.
''Poetic Edda''
In ''Grímnismál'', Odin and Frigg are both sitting in Hliðskjálf when they see their foster sons Agnarr and Geirröð ...
'', was recorded in 1998 and released in April 1999. Vikernes was denied access to an electric guitar, bass guitar or drums, and instead used a synthesizer. In 2000, Vikernes decided to put Burzum on hold. He believed that his philosophy was constantly misinterpreted by an ignorant fan base that was too closely related to black metal and Satanism. Later, through his website, he indicated that he hoped to continue Burzum after his release from prison, stating: "I will publish a few books, possibly using a pseudonym in order to stay anonymous, and perhaps a Burzum album or two, but that's it". In the early 2000s Vikernes regularly wrote articles in the magazine of the neopagan neo-Nazi group Vigrid.
In August 2003, Vikernes was transferred from a maximum-security prison in Bergen to the low-security prison in Tønsberg.["Newspaper: VARG VIKERNES Carried Military Equipment At The Time Of His Arrest"]
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...
. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 4 April 2013. On 15 October, the local paper, ''Tønsbergs Blad
''Tønsbergs Blad'' is a local newspaper published in Tønsberg, Norway. The newspaper was founded by printer Hans Jørgen Magnus Hansen on 3 August 1870, with an initial circulation of 210 copies. By the turn of the century the circulation had g ...
'', published an article that criticised Vikernes.["UPDATE: VARG Held Family At Gunpoint, Fled Prison Because He Feared Attempt On His Life"]
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...
. 27 October 2003. Retrieved 4 April 2013. On 26 October, Vikernes went on the run after being granted a short leave. He stopped a car in Numedal
Numedal () is a valley and a traditional district in Eastern Norway located within the county of Buskerud. It traditionally includes the municipalities Flesberg, Nore og Uvdal and Rollag. Administratively, it now also includes Kongsberg.
G ...
. Inside it was a family of three, who said that he hijacked the car at gunpoint. About 19 hours later, police stopped the car in Romerike
Romerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Viken municipalities Lillestrøm, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end (Nedre Romerike) ...
and arrested him.[ The car contained knives, a gas mask, camouflage clothing, a portable GPS navigator, maps, a compass, a laptop and a mobile phone.][ Police also found a handgun and an AG3 automatic rifle in a cabin in ]Rollag
Rollag is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in the traditional and electoral district Buskerud in Viken (county), Viken Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Numedal. The admini ...
, where Vikernes had hidden during his escape. They concluded that his escape "was well planned and involved assistance from several people on the outside".[ Before the escape, Vikernes gave his mother a letter. In it, he wrote that he had received death threats and another inmate had tried to strangle him shortly after the newspaper article was published.][ For his actions, thirteen months were added to Vikernes' sentence and he was moved to a prison in Ringerike. In July 2004, he was moved to a maximum-security prison in Trondheim. The last three years of his sentence were spent in ]Tromsø Prison
Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.
Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the 2 ...
.
When Vikernes was convicted, it was possible to be released on parole after serving 12 years of a 21-year sentence, but in 2002, before he became eligible, the Norwegian Parliament
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years base ...
had extended this to 14 years. In June 2006, after serving 12 years, Vikernes was denied parole by the Department of Criminal Justice for this reason. His lawyer, John Christian Elden, has complained that the policy change is a form of retroactive legislation
An ''ex post facto'' law (from ) is a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status) of actions that were committed, or relationships that existed, before the enactment of the law. In criminal law, it may criminalize actions ...
. Article 97 of the Norwegian constitution forbids any law being given retroactive force. Vikernes was denied parole again in June 2008, although he was allowed to leave Tromsø Prison for short periods to visit his family. His full sentence would run for another seven years.Aftenposten
( in the masthead; ; Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen) and estimated 1.2 million ...
, English edition, 11 June 200
Too dangerous for parole
In March 2009, however, his parole was announced. He had then served nearly 15 years of his 21-year sentence. On 22 May 2009, he confirmed that he had been released from prison on probation.
Life after prison
Vikernes continued with Burzum after his release. He released a further three black metal albums: '' Belus'' (2010), ''Fallen
Fallen may refer to:
People
* Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist
* Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional entities
* Fallen ( ...
'' (2011) and '' Umskiptar'' (2012) and a compilation of re-recorded songs (''From the Depths of Darkness
''From the Depths of Darkness'' is a compilation album by one-man musical project Burzum, released on 6 December 2011 through Byelobog Productions. It consists of newly re-recorded tracks from Burzum's first two albums, ''Burzum (album), Burzum'' ...
''). On 27 April 2013, Vikernes posted a song on his official YouTube channel, titled "Back to the Shadows", which Vikernes has stated to be the last metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
track to be released by Burzum. In May 2013, he released another ambient album, '' Sôl austan, Mâni vestan''.
In the years following his release from prison, Vikernes became an active video blogger on his YouTube channel, ThuleanPerspective (or Thulêan Perspective). In 2013, Vikernes and his wife released a film called ''ForeBears'', based on bear worship during the time of the Neanderthal
Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...
s, and inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
.["Inspired by: The Book of the Dead from ancient Egypt, translated by E.A Wallis BUDGE"](_blank)
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, 25 February 2014.
Vikernes was one of the recipients of far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik
Fjotolf Hansen (born 13 February 1979), better known by his birth name Anders Behring Breivik () and by his pseudonym Andrew Berwick, is a Norwegian far-right domestic terrorist, known for committing the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July 2011. On ...
's manifesto, which Breivik sent out before launching the 2011 Norway attacks, killing 77 people. Although Vikernes condemned Breivik's actions, this drew the attention of the French authorities.
On 16 July 2013, Vikernes and his wife, a French national, were arrested at their home in Corrèze
Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...
, France, on suspicion of planning acts of terrorism after his wife bought four rifles. Officials later stated that Vikernes' wife had a legal firearms permit to buy the rifles. The two were later released without charge after police failed to identify any terrorist plans or targets. Vikernes was instead charged by French authorities with inciting racial hatred
Incitement to ethnic or racial hatred is a crime under the laws of several countries.
Australia
In Australia, the Racial Hatred Act 1995 amends the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, inserting Part IIA – Offensive Behaviour Because of Race, Colour ...
against Jews and Muslims. This was due to posts on his blog, "Thulean Perspective", which included anti-Semitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
posts that were taken down following the charges. Vikernes claimed he had not written the posts, although the blog attributed all posts to him. On 8 July 2014, Vikernes was convicted of inciting racial hatred and sentenced to six months of probation and a fine of .
In June 2018, Vikernes made comments that he had "moved on" from Burzum on his YouTube channel, saying "bye bye" to the project.
YouTube removed Vikernes's channel from the platform in June 2019, by which point it had 250,000 subscribers. This coincided with an announcement from YouTube that it would be more aggressive in removing "videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion".
In late 2019, Vikernes announced on his Twitter that he intended to release another album as Burzum. Titled ''Thulêan Mysteries
''Thulêan Mysteries'' is the twelfth and final studio album by Norwegian musical project Burzum, released on 13 March 2020 through Byelobog Productions. It is a double album, comprising the sporadic and random tracks written and recorded by Varg ...
'', the album was released in March 2020. Vikernes has indicated that this will be his last album under the Burzum name.
Writing
In late 1994, while in prison, Vikernes wrote a Norwegian-language book called ''Vargsmål'' ("Varg's Speech"[). Vikernes has said he wrote ''Vargsmål'' to defend himself against the media. According to ''Lords of Chaos'', ''Vargsmål'' became available on the Internet for some time in 1996 but not in a printed form. In 1997, a Norwegian publisher released a paperback edition of the book; its publication was financed by Vikernes' mother, Helene Bore.] As of 1999, ''Vargsmål'' was being sold by the Nazi organization Heathen Front
The Allgermanische Heidnische Front (AHF) was an international neo-Nazi organisation, active during the late 1990s and early 2000s, that espoused a form of racial Germanic Neopaganism. It grew from the Norsk Hedensk Front (NHF), which was claimed ...
via its website.[
In 1998 he wrote a book called ''Germansk Mytologi og Verdensanskuelse'' ("Teutonic Mythology and Worldview")] that was published by Cymophane in 2000.
In 2011, Abstract Sounds Books published Vikernes' English book entitled ''Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia'', about the religious practices of Scandinavian peoples, particularly during the Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
and Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. According to a review from the music blog ''Heathen Harvest
Heathen Harvest was an Internet blog devoted to music criticism, music news, and interviews. It focused on underground and post-industrial music, including ambient, heavy metal, gothic, and industrial music.
The site, which was established in ...
'', the book rejects accepted academic theories, instead focusing on Vikernes's speculation and personalized story-telling.
By late 2003, Vikernes had begun writing articles for Burzum.org, which became the official Burzum website. He also wrote for his personal blog, Thulean Perspective, which was set up in January 2013. The website Ancestral Cult was created by him and his wife.
Vikernes has self-published a tabletop role-playing game
A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...
named ''MYFAROG'' (Mythic Fantasy Role-playing Game). In 2019, he announced that the upcoming ambient album of Burzum, ''Thulêan Mysteries'', was also intended as background music for the game.
Views
In '' Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'', director Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn (born 20 March 1974) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, musician, and anthropologist, best known for his series of documentaries on heavy metal music. He co-owns Toronto-based production company Banger Films with Scot McFadyen. Du ...
described Vikernes as "the most notorious metal musician of all time" due to his crimes as well as his political and religious views. While in prison, Vikernes promoted views which combined Odinism
Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th cent ...
and Esoteric Nazism. Religious studies scholar Egil Asprem characterized Vikernes as "an idol for skinheads with an inclination towards Paganism and for contemporary Pagans with an inclination towards National Socialism". In a 2005 statement on his website, Vikernes wrote that although he had "occasionally used the term 'nazism' to describe isideological foundation", he no longer describes himself as such. He had used the term following his 1994 conviction until the late 1990s[Vikernes, Varg]
''A Burzum Story: Part VII – The Nazi Ghost''
July 2005. Retrieved 5 December 2012. and in 2022 stated that he "appreciated" being labelled as a Nazi. Among other things, he did not wish to be associated with anti-Slavic sentiments.
Since the late 1990s he has described his views as "Odalism", which he says encompasses "Paganism
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity, early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions ot ...
, traditional nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
, racialism
Scientific racism, sometimes termed biological racism, is the pseudoscientific belief that empirical evidence exists to support or justify racism (racial discrimination), racial inferiority, or racial superiority.. "Few tragedies can be more ...
and environmentalism
Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...
". Vikernes also advocates social conservatism
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institutio ...
, simple living
Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. Not only is ...
and self-sufficiency
Self-sustainability and self-sufficiency are overlapping states of being in which a person or organization needs little or no help from, or interaction with, others. Self-sufficiency entails the self being enough (to fulfill needs), and a self-s ...
(including survivalism
Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists or preppers) who proactively prepare for emergencies, such as natural disasters, as well as other disasters causing disruption to social order (that is, civil disor ...
). Vikernes has described his own ideology as fiercely anti-modern. According to Eric Brown writing for the ''International Business Times
The ''International Business Times'' is an American online news publication that publishes five national editions in four languages. The publication, sometimes called ''IBTimes'' or ''IBT'', offers news, opinion and editorial commentary on busi ...
'', Vikernes opposes anything deemed "a threat to a pre-industrial European pagan society, including but not limited to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, capitalism and materialism", and he also "rallies against a perceived international Jewish conspiracy
Belief in an international Jewish conspiracy or world Jewish conspiracy has been described as "the most widespread and durable conspiracy theory of the twentieth century" and "one of the most widespread and long-running conspiracy theories". Al ...
to destroy the traditional European identity".
Vikernes wrote a blog post sympathetic to some of the views of Anders Behring Breivik
Fjotolf Hansen (born 13 February 1979), better known by his birth name Anders Behring Breivik () and by his pseudonym Andrew Berwick, is a Norwegian far-right domestic terrorist, known for committing the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July 2011. On ...
, but said he suspected Breivik carried out his terrorist attack as part of a Jewish conspiracy
Belief in an international Jewish conspiracy or world Jewish conspiracy has been described as "the most widespread and durable conspiracy theory of the twentieth century" and "one of the most widespread and long-running conspiracy theories". Alt ...
.[ He condemned Breivik for killing innocent Norwegians and called him a "Christian loser", saying the only way to "save Europe" is to "cast aside all Christian and other international nonsense and embrace only the European (i.e. Pagan) values and ideals".
]
Personal life
Vikernes has a son who was born in 2007 to his current wife, Marie Cachet. They were married the same year. In a 2008 interview, he said he and his wife were expecting a second child (Vikernes' third).[Rune Midtskogen, "Jeg er klar for samfunnet"](_blank)
''Dagbladet'' 6 June 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2009 After his release, he and his family settled on a small farm in Bø, Telemark
Bø is a village and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark, but was historically regarded as part of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bø i Telema ...
. They later moved to Salon-la-Tour
Salon-la-Tour (; oc, Celom) is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.
Violette Szabo, a 22-year-old British agent who was parachuted a second time into France, on 7 June 1944 (where she was to try to help obstructing the move ...
, Corrèze
Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...
department, in France. , he said that he had six children and planned to have more. In March 2021, he announced on Twitter that his wife had given birth to their seventh child, a daughter.
Vikernes is a teetotaler
Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or i ...
and has never consumed alcohol or other recreational drug
Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
s. He also avoids the unnecessary use of pharmaceutical drugs.
After his release from prison, he changed his legal name to Louis Cachet to avoid difficulties with the public, but still goes by Varg Vikernes in daily life.
Vikernes claims he is a distant relative of Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (, ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Nazi collaborator who nominally headed the government of Norway during the country's occupation by Nazi Germ ...
by his great-great-grandmother's side.
''Lords of Chaos''
The 1998 book '' Lords of Chaos'' ( Feral House) covers the early Norwegian black metal scene. Michael Moynihan, one of the book's authors, was sympathetic with Vikernes and his extremist politics.[Coogan 1999] Moynihan disputed that he is a Nazi or white supremacist. In the 2018 film adaptation, which Varg heavily criticized, he was played by Emory Cohen
Emory Isaac Cohen (born March 13, 1990) is an American actor. He made his feature film debut in '' Afterschool'' (2008). He is best known for his roles as AJ Cross in Derek Cianfrance's film ''The Place Beyond the Pines'' (2012), Tony Fiorello ...
.
Works
Discography
As Burzum
*1992 – '' Burzum'' (recorded January 1992)
*1993 – '' Aske'' (recorded August 1992)
*1993 – ''Det som engang var
''Det som engang var'' (Norwegian for ''What Once Was'') is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in April 1992 and released in August 1993 through Burzum's own label, Cymophane Productions.
B ...
'' (recorded April 1992)
*1994 – '' Hvis lyset tar oss'' (recorded September 1992)
*1996 – '' Filosofem'' (recorded March 1993)
*1997 – ''Dauði Baldrs
''Dauði Baldrs'' (Old Norse for "Baldr's Death" or "The Death of Baldr") is the fifth album by the Norwegian solo act Burzum. Unlike Burzum's previous work, which was mostly black metal, this is a dark ambient album. It was recorded using a sy ...
'' (recorded in prison 1994–1995)
*1999 – ''Hliðskjálf
In Norse mythology, Hliðskjálf is the high seat of the god Odin allowing him to see into all realms.
''Poetic Edda''
In ''Grímnismál'', Odin and Frigg are both sitting in Hliðskjálf when they see their foster sons Agnarr and Geirröð ...
'' (recorded in prison 1998)
*2010 – '' Belus'' (recorded in 2009)
*2011 – ''Fallen
Fallen may refer to:
People
* Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist
* Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional entities
* Fallen ( ...
'' (recorded November 2010)
*2011 – ''From the Depths of Darkness
''From the Depths of Darkness'' is a compilation album by one-man musical project Burzum, released on 6 December 2011 through Byelobog Productions. It consists of newly re-recorded tracks from Burzum's first two albums, ''Burzum (album), Burzum'' ...
'' (recorded March 2010)
*2012 – '' Umskiptar'' (recorded September 2011)
*2013 – '' Sôl austan, Mâni vestan'' (recorded throughout 2012)
*2014 – ''The Ways of Yore
''The Ways of Yore'' is the eleventh studio album by Norwegian musical project Burzum, released on 2 June 2014 by sole member Varg Vikernes' label Byelobog Productions. The album retains the ambient and medieval music sound Vikernes started wit ...
'' (recorded throughout 2013)
*2020 – ''Thulêan Mysteries
''Thulêan Mysteries'' is the twelfth and final studio album by Norwegian musical project Burzum, released on 13 March 2020 through Byelobog Productions. It is a double album, comprising the sporadic and random tracks written and recorded by Varg ...
'' (recorded 2015–2020)
Other appearances
*1994 – Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian extreme metal band from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991 Darkthrone embraced a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leadin ...
– ''Transilvanian Hunger
''Transilvanian Hunger'' is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 17 February 1994 by Peaceville Records.
Recording
''Transilvanian Hunger'' was the first Darkthrone album to be recorded as a duo (N ...
'' (wrote lyrics for four songs)
*1995 – Darkthrone – ''Panzerfaust
The ''Panzerfaust'' (, "armour fist" or "tank fist", plural: ''Panzerfäuste'') was a development family of single-shot man-portable anti-tank systems developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapons were the first single-use light an ...
'' (wrote lyrics for one song)
*1994 – Mayhem – ''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' is the first studio album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Songwriting began in 1987, but due to the suicide of vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin and the murder of guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth, the album's r ...
'' (performed bass guitar)
*1993 – Mayhem – ''Life Eternal'' (EP, performed bass guitar)
*1991 – Old Funeral
Old Funeral was a black/death metal band from Bergen, Norway.
History
Old Funeral was one of the first bands to form in the Norwegian extreme metal scene, formed in 1988. By 1992, the band had already dissolved. Since the breakup, many members ( ...
– ''Devoured Carcass'' (EP, performed electric guitar)
*1999 – Old Funeral – ''Join the Funeral Procession'' (compilation album, performed electric guitar)
*1999 – Old Funeral – ''The Older Ones
''The Older Ones'' is the first compilation album by Norwegian blackened death metal band Old Funeral, which was made up by key players in the Norwegian black metal scene, including bassist/vocalist Olve "Abbath" Eikemo (Immortal), guitarist ...
'' (compilation album, performed electric guitar)
*2002 – Old Funeral – ''Grim Reaping Norway'' (live album, performed electric guitar)
Bibliography
* 1997 – ''Vargsmål''
* 2000 – ''Germansk mytologi og verdensanskuelse''
* 2001 – ''Guide to the Norse Gods and Their Names''
* 2002 – ''Irminsûl''
* 2011 – ''Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia''
* 2015 – ''Reflections on European Mythology and Polytheism''
* 2017 – ''Paganism Explained, part I: Þrymskviða''
* 2017 – ''Paganism Explained, Part II: Little Red Riding Hood & Jack and the Beanstalk''
* 2018 – ''Paganism Explained, Part III: The Cult of Mithra & Hymiskviða''
* 2018 – ''Paganism Explained, Part IV: Valhöll & Odinn in Yggdrasill''
* 2019 – ''Paganism Explained, Part V: Ásgardr, Vanaheimr & the Nine Worlds of Hel''
Filmography
*1998 – ''Satan rir media
''Satan rir media'' (''Satan Rides the Media'') is a 1999 Norwegian documentary by Torstein Grude. The film covers the controversy that surrounded black metal musician Varg Vikernes in the early 1990s, who not only has been tied to a series of chu ...
'' (himself)
*2007 – '' Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'' (archive footage)
*2008 – ''Pure Fucking Mayhem
''Pure Fucking Mayhem'' is a 2008 documentary created by Stefan Rydehed which gives an inside look at the second wave Norwegian black metal band Mayhem (band), Mayhem. The movie includes interviews with the band members as well as some previously ...
'' (archive footage)
*2009 – ''Until the Light Takes Us
''Until the Light Takes Us'' is an American documentary film about early Norwegian black metal by directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell. The film premiered at the AFI Film Festival in 2008, a year before it was released in film theaters.
Feat ...
'' (himself)
*2013 – ''ForeBears'' (himself)
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
* Kevin Coogan. 1999
How Black is Black Metal?
''Hit List'' 1:1 (February/March), 33–59. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
Right wing extremism in Norway – 2001
page 8, paragraph title ''Norsk Hedensk Front'', published by Antirasistisk senter and Monitor
a report from Antirasistisk senter
The Count caught with an AG-3 automatic rifle
news coverage in ''Aftenposten
( in the masthead; ; Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen) and estimated 1.2 million ...
''
Police nab ''The Count'' after he fled jail
news coverage in ''Aftenposten''
Arrested ''Count'' was heavily armed
news coverage in ''Aftenposten''
news coverage in ''Dagbladet''
''The Count'' could have inspired the nun-killing
news coverage in ''Verdens Gang''
External links
Official Burzum and Varg Vikernes home site
Thulean Perspective
– Varg Vikernes' personal blog
Thulean Perspective
– Varg Vikernes' vlog archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vikernes, Varg
1973 births
Living people
1993 crimes in Norway
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Anti-Christian sentiment in Europe
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Destruction of religious buildings and structures
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Black metal guitarists
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Male YouTubers