Ragnarök Festival is a
pagan metal festival
A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...
held annually in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
since 2004 founded by
Ivo Raab. It started out as a small, one-night festival with only regional bands in the town hall of
Hollfeld. In 2005 it was decided to go for a festival featuring mostly
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
and
pagan metal with the booking of bands like
Månegarm,
Menhir
A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...
,
Eisregen and
Equilibrium. From 2006 on the festival took place in the significantly bigger town hall of
Lichtenfels, Bavaria
Lichtenfels () is a Town#Germany, town in the Upper Franconian region of Bavaria, Germany, the administrative seat of Lichtenfels (district), Lichtenfels district. It is chiefly known as the German "Basket City".
Geography
It is situated on the u ...
.
History
The Ragnarök Metal Festival was founded by
Ivo Raab in 2004. The festival's first edition featured seven bands, mostly
death metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, 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 death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
, and about 120 visitors. It did not pay off, but Raab decided to give it another try and organized it again in 2005. That year the line-up was specialized on
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
and
pagan metal, and better-known bands were signed. Especially the headliners
Eisregen attracted a lot of people as their rare live gigs are usually censored unless played to an adult audience. On Ragnarök the visitors received bracelets differently colored for people over and under the legal age of 18 years. Just before Eisregen's gig those visitors under legal age got their bracelet removed and had to leave the hall. Therefore, Eisregen were permitted to play songs from their censored albums as well.
The 2005 festival was also special because of the massive police presence. An anti-fascist union thought that the Ragnarök would be a fascist festival due to the name taken from Germanic mythology and informed the police. As a matter of fact, several hundred policemen were in the town which made the visitors feel quite uncomfortable. Another incident was when the town officials and the police told that only 600 people would be allowed in the hall because of security reasons. The hall's tenant has spoken of 3000 and Raab had to negotiate a lot to get the permission to let 1200 inside the hall.
With the hall now being far too small, the festival moved in 2006 to the town hall of
Lichtenfels with the capacity of 3500 people. This year it was held over two days for the first time. Because of the festival being held in April, the organization arranged a sleeping hall, where visitors could rent a place to sleep. With 2800 visitors from all over
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and even the
US and
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
it was quite a success.
Shortly after a TV report was shown on German public television that tried to connect the festival to the national-socialist and fascist scene. Hundreds of fans protested against this report and the festival publicized several statements, in which it distances itself explicitly from
fascism
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
.
In 2007 about 3200 people visited the festival. A lottery was held which benefits victims of fascist violence that collected about €1500, a rather low amount considering the number of visitors. Shirts and insignia of fascism and fascist bands were officially banned from the festival, the enforcement of this ban was not very consequent though. In 2008 the lineup shifted away from
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 tr ...
back to a more
pagan metal oriented lineup. In this year the festival attracted close to 5000 visitors, the maximum capacity of the hall.
"Ragnarök" zieht 5000 Metal-Fans in German
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Lineups
2014
Adorned Brood, Arkona, Borknagar, Creature, Eïs, Fäulnis, Finntroll, Firtan, Fjoergyn, Graveworm, Imperium Dekadenz, Kampfar, Månegarm, Minas Morgul, Negator, Odroerir, Skalmöld, Stormlord, Suidakra, Todtgelichter, XIV Dark Centuries
2013
4–7 April 2013. The line-up consisted of Abinchova, Agrypnie, Asenblut, Ava Inferi, Carpathian Forest, Darkest Era, The Path of Freedom, Dornenreich, Eïs, Eluveitie
Eluveitie ( ; )Chrigel Glanzmann: "Eluveitie is a name in Gaulish language, which is an ancient Celtic language. Since it's not a living language anymore, nobody really knows how it's pronounced like. All we have today of this language is scient ...
, Fjoergyn, Hellreide, Helrunar, Heretoir, In Vain, Maladie, Menhir, Midnattsol, Nocte Obducta, Northland, Nothgard, Obscurity, Raven Wolf, Riger, Secrets of the Moon, Shining, Solefald, Under That Spell, Vreid
Vreid is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2004 after the breakup of Windir following the death of lead singer and founder Valfar. The remaining members along with new guitarist Ese formed Vreid. The band's name is an archaic Norwegian word ...
and Winterstorm.
2012
Agalloch, Moonsorrow, Borknagar, Einherjer, Fejd, Absu, Skyclad, Wolfchant, Heol Telwen, Mistur, Myrkgrav (listening session), Nachtymystium, Impiety, XIV Dark Centuries, Voluspaa, Velnias, Rabenschrey, A Forest of Stars, Dark Fortress, Abinchova, Dordeduh, Imperious, King of Asgard, Mael Mordha, Sycronomica, Thurs, Waldgeflüster
2011
Adorned Brood, Agrypnie, Alcest, Arafel, Battlelore, Bifröst, BlackShore, Bran Barr, Catamenia, Ctulu, Dalriada, Eïs, Enslaved, Graveworm, Helrunar, Ignis Fatuu, Kampfar, Månegarm, Negură Bunget, Obscurity, Odroerir, Orphaned Land, Path of Golconda, Thyrfing, Todtgelichter, Twilight of the Gods and Valkyrja.
2010
Agathodaimon, Akrea, Arkona, Belphegor, Carach Angren, Ctulu, Ensiferum
Ensiferum (Latin: , n adj., meaning "sword bearing") is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
History Formation, demos and ''Ensiferum'' (1995−2002)
''Ensiferum'' was foun ...
, Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is the sole original member remaining, and has released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanism, Satanic band and have drawn contro ...
, GrailKnights, Haggard, Heathen Foray, Helfahrt, Hellsaw, Helrunar, Hollenthon, Imperium Dekadenz, Kromlek, Midnattsol, Obscurity, Ravenlore, Sarke, Skyforger, Slartibartfass, Sólstafir, Thormesis, Van Canto, Vreid
Vreid is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2004 after the breakup of Windir following the death of lead singer and founder Valfar. The remaining members along with new guitarist Ese formed Vreid. The band's name is an archaic Norwegian word ...
, Wolves in the Throne Room
2009
Adorned Brood, Alestorm, Alkonost, Andras, Arkona (cancelled due to pregnancy of singer), Cor Scorpii
Cor Scorpii ("Scorpion's Heart" in Latin) is a black metal band from Sogndal, Norway, founded in 2004 by Gaute Refsnes, the former keyboardist of Windir. Cor Scorpii is an alternative name of Antares, the 15th brightest star in the sky. The nam ...
, Dark Fortress, Dornenreich, Einherjer
Einherjer is a Viking metal band from Haugesund, Norway, founded in 1993. Some of the band's albums are heavily Traditional folk music, folk influenced, while others have a more traditional symphonic black metal sound. Their lyrics retell Norse ...
, Falchion, Fejd, Finsterforst, Fjoergyn, Gernotshagen (cancelled) Heidevolk, Irrbloss, Kivimetsän Druidi, Korpiklaani
Korpiklaani (Finnish language, Finnish for ) is a Finnish folk metal band from Lahti that was formerly known as Shamaani Duo and Shaman.
History Shamaani Duo
While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani st ...
, Månegarm, Melechesh, Midnattsol (cancelled due to scheduling conflict), Sarkom, Thyrfing, Týr
(; Old Norse: , ) is a god in Germanic mythology and member of the . In Norse mythology, which provides most of the surviving narratives about gods among the Germanic peoples, sacrifices his right hand to the monstrous wolf , who bites it off ...
, Yggdrasil
2008
Agalloch
Agalloch () is an American extreme metal band from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1995 by frontman John Haughm, they released five full-length albums, four EPs, two singles, one split single, two demos, four compilation albums and one live video a ...
, Arkona, Battlelore, Elexorien, Fimbulthier, Haggard, Hellsaw, Helritt, Helrunar, Killing Spree, Menhir
A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...
, Minas Morgul, Negură Bunget, Norther, Primordial, Sear Bliss, Skyforger, Svartsot, Sworn, Thronar, Trimonium, Trollfest, Turisas, Unleashed, Vreid
Vreid is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2004 after the breakup of Windir following the death of lead singer and founder Valfar. The remaining members along with new guitarist Ese formed Vreid. The band's name is an archaic Norwegian word ...
, Winterdome, Wolfchant, XIV Dark Centuries
2007
Aaskereia, Angantyr, Black Messiah, Cruachan, Eluveitie
Eluveitie ( ; )Chrigel Glanzmann: "Eluveitie is a name in Gaulish language, which is an ancient Celtic language. Since it's not a living language anymore, nobody really knows how it's pronounced like. All we have today of this language is scient ...
, Fjoergyn, Gernotshagen, Heidevolk, Hel, Helfahrt, Helheim, Kampfar, Koldbrann, Kromlek, Månegarm, Minas Morgul, Moonsorrow, Pagan Reign, Riger, Sycronomica, Týr
(; Old Norse: , ) is a god in Germanic mythology and member of the . In Norse mythology, which provides most of the surviving narratives about gods among the Germanic peoples, sacrifices his right hand to the monstrous wolf , who bites it off ...
, Urgehal, Vreid
Vreid is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2004 after the breakup of Windir following the death of lead singer and founder Valfar. The remaining members along with new guitarist Ese formed Vreid. The band's name is an archaic Norwegian word ...
, Wolfchant, Taake (cancelled due to swastika scandal)
2006
Creature, Equilibrium, Fallen Yggdrasil, Gernotshagen, Helheim, Korpiklaani
Korpiklaani (Finnish language, Finnish for ) is a Finnish folk metal band from Lahti that was formerly known as Shamaani Duo and Shaman.
History Shamaani Duo
While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani st ...
, Menhir
A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...
, Moonsorrow, Nomans Land, Odroerir, Orlog, Primordial, Riger, Skyforger, Thrudvangar, Turisas, XIV Dark Centuries, Varg, Black Messiah (cancelled due to curfew), Sycronomica (cancelled due to illness)
2005
Circle of Obscurity, Conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...
, Eisregen, Equilibrium, Helangår, Månegarm, Menhir
A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...
, Mortal Intention, Thirdmoon, XIV Dark Centuries
2004
Circle of Obscurity, Daemonilatria, Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...
, Killing Spree, Obstinacy, Possession, Voodoma
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ragnarok Festival
Heavy metal festivals in Germany
Recurring events established in 2004