Interview with Varg Vikernes
"Terrorizer" Magazine (#217, December 2011), by Robyn

Foreword: "This interview was made for Terrorizer Magazine, but they censored it. They were not given the option to print only parts of the interview, so they break their contract with me. Because of this we give you the whole uncensored interview originally intended to be published in Terrorizer Magazine. Perhaps they and others like them will learn not to break their contract with me from now on. If they print the interview anyway, censored or not censored, or any pictures of me, they do it wouthout my consent. I will because of the disrespect they have shown never work with Terrorizer Magazine in the future. They harvest what they sow." (V.V.)

Your circumstances were very different when we met: you had just come out of solitary confinement. Who was the Varg Vikernes that I met back then?

Well. It was me, only younger. You met a more curious, searching and colourful version of me, but also a more ignorant, less realistic and much angrier version, I guess.

You said that in some ways being in prison was an advantage, as you could research for your book, "Sorcery And Religion In Ancient Scandinavia". But as you refused to do prison work, it meant spending 23 out of 24 hours in a prison cell. What effect did spending so much time alone have on your psyche?

Some individuals handle isolation very badly, and we had a lot of them in prison too, the most extreme examples actually burned themselves to death in their cells. Others handle isolation very well, as if it didn't matter at all. I belonged to the latter group, so to me it was no big deal, and I don't think it had any noticeable effect on my psyche.

The whole prison experience must have left its mark. In what ways has it changed you?

I am sorry to disappoint you, Robyn, but this is all water under the bridge. I spent some 16 years in prison, and I don't intend to spend my post prison time talking about this, or even thinking about this. Shit happens. Deal with it, get over it and move on. I'll leave the self-pitying whining and sobbing for "the chosen people" at their wailing wall.

At the time of my visit, I was also struck by the leniency of the Norwegian prison system (as opposed to that say, of the United States) conjugal visits, prison leave, a maximum of 21-year sentence for any crime. What are your reflections it?

All prisons and prison systems have their pros and cons compared to other prisons and prison systems. In Norway we have for a long time hardly had any crime worth talking about, due to the fact that we have had a rather homogenous population for so long, so severe measures were never needed, but of course this is changing. The prisons are being filled up with criminal Muslims these days. They only make up approximately 7% of the population, but some prisons in Norway still had 93% Muslims in them even when I did time, and it gets worse all the time time. So I guess the prison system here needs to change too. The only thing the Muslims seem to respect is violence or the threat of violence. With time the naïve Norwegians might realize this too and take the consequence of this.

I don't spend much time reflecting on these matters, though. I certainly have better things to do. Civilization is going down the drain, and the sooner it does the better. There is no point in trying to fix a broken mast or repaint the deck when the whole ship is heading straight for the abyss. Our best hope is that the ship sinks before it gets that far.

Well; your best hope, that is. Personally I jumped over board a long time ago and swam back ashore, to dry land. Whatever you guys on board the ship do or don't do doesn't concern me. Adios amigos!

When we met, I was also struck by your knowledge of European/Scandinavian history and religion. I couldn't help thinking that by burning churches aside from attacking Christianity beautiful pieces of architecture and craftsmanship were destroyed. What are you thoughts on that?

You know, this might come across as somewhat politically incorrect, but still; no matter how "beautiful", "rich" and "fantastic" the mosques the Muslims invaders build here in Europe are, most of us the Europeans still want them gone. We don't pardon my French give a sh** if they are "beautiful" or not. Just tear them down and throw them and their builders out of Europe! Pronto!

Most Europeans today can relate to that.

However, the churches are no different. They too are the temples of an invading force, and the synagogues too, of course, and the fact that we have been brainwashed for a thousand years into thinking they are a part of our culture changes nothing; they are still anti-European racist centers of worship of a foreign (Hebrew) false god.

Sure, many of them are beautiful buildings designed by skilled architects, but so what? Do I care if the sword cutting my people and me down is some old rusted scimitar or a golden crusader's longsword with a beautiful huge gem attached? I should defend myself no matter what, and not give the crusading Jew-lackey carte blanche to murder my race and me only because his blade is so bloody beautiful or because he has been allowed to do so for a thousand years already!

What most individuals seem to forget is the fact that whatever we tear down leaves room for something else, something new. This might seem like a far-fetched idea to many of you, but we could start to build beautiful buildings again, you know. We don't need to build only bland buildings, like we have done the last 100 years or so. If you want to build something fantastic just do it. Who is stopping you?

To conclude this; I don't see anything beautiful being destroyed when someone smashes, burns or tears a church, a synagogue or a mosque (or a bank) down. I see a Satanic temple being removed from our sacred Pagan soil; from Europe.

And if some Christian loser wants to protest against this; what did they do to our temples when they came to Europe? "You harvest what you sow."

When I was reading your website, I was fascinated by the teenage games/fights you had in forest, with clubs, spears etc. It seemed like you longed for the past, of nobler time perhaps, where people fought battles to defend their beloved lands. Please tell me more about this longing.

My brilliant wife has studied this subject for some time, and has found many very interesting answers. Apparently the longing is very European, and she thinks we have this longing because we were better in the past. The flawed theory of evolution tells us differently, of course, but if you look at the first art known from the Chauvet cave in France some 35.000 years old, it was exceptional compared to the art of f. ex. the early middle ages. The older the art we find is, the better it is.

Before Chauvet they didn't even need art, because their minds were so superior. They didn't need to record the beauty of our world; they managed to process all impressions properly just by looking at it. They could f. ex. like a modern day autistic savant just take a look at the sky and memorize the positions of all the stars.

We long for this time, because we still have this fantastic neanderthal DNA in us (seen today as blonde hair, blue or gray eyes and white skin), and just like you can feel phantom pains in a lost finger, we feel phantom pains in our severed minds, that were broken by the mixing of homo sapiens and homo neanderthalensis beginning perhaps some 40.000 years ago. This despair causes us to produce art and to do weird things, in an attempt to artificially create the harmony that we no longer are able to experience.

Alas! All that has been lost due to race mixing... and we keep doing it, digging our own grave in the process.

Last month, a Viking ship, which had held the body of a chieftain, shield and spear, was excavated on a remote Scottish peninsula (a Viking burial ground). What does such a discovery mean to you?

Not much really. We already knew the Vikings settled on the different British isles, but I guess we might learn something new from it anyway. Time shall tell.

When we met, you also remarked that you were not allowed to see your daughter (she would be almost 20 now?); that because of your political beliefs you were considered a bad influence. You now have three children. How much of your past have you explained to them?

(Not answered)

Your mother has been a great supporter of yours, for example, while you were in prison, she wrote to "Dagbladet" complaining of your treatment. She sounds like a person of strong beliefs. Please tell me about her.

(Not answered)

It was interesting to read your thoughts about how Burzum albums are put together, that the songs are arranged to make the "spells" work. When listening to your songs, what is the "spell" you wish to put the listener under?

We can still get a glimpse of our "Atlantis" of the neanderthal past, and awaken some lost abilities by casting "spells"; by entering a trance. If I am allowed to return to the hypotheses of my wife; this is what art is all about; some is visual (paintings, photos, statues etc.), some is made up of sounds (music) and some is verbal (books). Religion too is all about this; hoping and wishing for "salvation" from "the original sin" (i. e. the mixing of races/species). If you wish you can read more about this on www.mariecachet.com.

I try to enable the listener to enter a certain state of mind where he is able to experience the harmony of our world. If you like the music this probably works for you. If you don't it probably doesn't work for you. As simple as that. It works for me.

Why do you recommend listening to Burzum alone, preferably in bed?

Well, I don't think the music of Burzum is suitable for live performance, and I imagine, when I make music, a listener who listens to the music in solitude because that listener is me. I first and foremost make music for me, for myself, and I prefer to lie on a bed or a sofa or the grassy ground when I listen to music. Music inspires contemplation, dreams and the imagination. It can for a short while recreate the "Atlantis" (the Golden Age) of the past in our minds. Or it should anyway. Some music should. This is as I see it done best when you are alone, lying down. No distractions. No attention or energy spent on other things.

What did it feel like re-recording songs (for this album) that you hadn't played for possibly 18 years?

It certainly had a nostalgic feel to it, and when it was all recorded and we started mixing both Pytten and me remembered vividly the original recording of the debut album and "Det Som Engang Var", and we spent some time in reminiscence. It brought back memories of what once was...

What remains the most personal song for you and why?

"Feeble Screams from Forests unknown" I think, because it is one of the earliest tracks I ever made and because it says everything I had to say. I remember where I was when I made it, where I lived, what my life was like, who I socialized with, what my hopes and dreams were and so forth and I was 18 years old. For some reason I miss being 18...

After writing the lyrics for this track I faced a major problem as a text writer, because I really didn't have anything more to say. That was it, really. What use was there to say anything more? In a sense almost everything I have written ever since has been just different ways of saying the same. It all boils down to the same, found in "Feeble Screams from Forests unknown".

With "From the Depths of Darkness", tell me about the journey you take the listener on?

To me it is a journey to my own past, of fighting with wooden sticks in the forest, longing for the time when I was playing roleplaying games with RPG-nerd friends. It is a journey to a time when I had long hair, when I was dreaming of a fantasy world, living life free of responsibilities and being more alone than ever, before or after. It is both sad and fascinating, it makes sense and is absurd at the same time. It was my fall into a reeking bog, but also my rise to... "greatness". In a sense I died back then, or at least I gave up living normally, but I am still alive and fighting. In a different reality.

To you, the listener, "From the Depths of Darkness" might be something entirely different, but I can hope it will take you on your own special journey; wherever you want to go. Wherever you are able to go. Your DNA is your limit... limiting your mind.

The cover image of your first album remains intriguing. Could you please tell me more about it, and what the figure represents?

The original drawing was inspired by an AD&D module, called "The Temple of Elemental Evil", but as used by me it was supposed to portray the lost and searching spirit found in "Feeble Screams from Forests unknown". It was in a sense also autobiographical, as I saw myself in that figure. Alone in a desolate, dark and dying world. A ghost from the past seeing the true face of the world in which we live today. Or so I believed anyway.

You said "no amount of modern techniques can hide the fact that Burzum is primitive, just like no education can ever hide the fact that I am a savage". What did you mean by that?

(Not answered)

Of course you killed Øystein Aarseth in 1993. 18 years on, how do you feel about that act?

I don't spend time thinking, let alone "feeling", anything about this. Some die sooner than others, for different reasons. Many die just two months old because some pharmacists and bankers want to make money on dangerous vaccines. Many die in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya only because already filthy rich bankers want to earn more money. Many die because normal human beings don't always understand the dangers of driving their cars. Many die because they make death threats against others; Aarseth belonged to that group and he threatened a person who didn't give a shit at the time. Big mistake.

To me it meant amongst other things that I found the opportunity to do proper research on our ancient religion, a subject that many find interesting. Had I been "free" I would probably not have given priority to such research. So rejoice!

In 1993, when the police raided your apartment, they stole your SS helmet. How did you come upon such headwear, and what was its use?

A friend of mine one of the RPG-nerds, by the way had two such helmets, in perfect condition. He inherited them from his grandfather, and he agreed to sell me one of them for 350 NOK. I wanted one because I was very fascinated by the Waffen-SS, like so many young men still are.

Its use? It was used as decoration, but my idea was to use it if Norway was invaded ("helped") by the Americans. I had everything I needed to conduct partisan warfare including more than 3.000 rounds of ammo, several rifles and shotguns, army clothes and so forth. I had not stockpiled any food though. I didn't expect to survive long enough to be needing that...

Every day is a good day to die fighting those capitalist bastards still trying to destroy Europe... preferably whilst wearing a Waffen-SS helmet, of course. Banzai!

You have been labelled a racist. To what extent do you believe everyone is a racist?

Oh, we are racists all of us. Of course. Well, at least all sane and healthy biological creatures are racist, because they want to make sure their own DNA or a DNA as similar as possible to their own survives. Today the bank-owned medias do their best to brainwash us into believing otherwise, but that doesn't matter. Reality is not changed by a few lies, no matter how many times they repeat them.

They the bank-owned medias even uses the term "the human race", as if there is such thing. Dogs have races, but we don't? Cows have races, but we don't? So a light brown cow is a different race than a brown cow, but a negro is the same race as a Norseman? Come on!

Anyway, us all being racists is a good thing, because that means we will keep our human diversity and of course we do. Most humans still actively choose a mate of the same race, in spite of the massive race-mixing lie-propaganda they are exposed to.

You have expressed your disgust with capitalism, and bankers in particular. If you were in government, how would you change the way society is run?

If I were in government I would be running errands for bankers, wouldn't I? If not I would not have been in government in the first place...

Anyway, reality put aside, I would change a lot. First of all I would remove paper money and replace it with real money; gold coins, silver coins and copper coins. That would remove the opportunity for bankers to turn us all into debt slaves, like they do today by making paper money from nothing and then loan it to us for interest. Further, I would ban all forms of interest. We used to burn people at the stake for taking interests in the middle ages, and we should do that today as well. Further, I would nationalize the banks, making it impossible for bankers to sell the country and it's properties.

I mean; who owns "ultra-English" companies such as Land Rover? Or Jaguar? Not the English... but how the Hell did that happen? Why haven't the bankers sold London to foreigners too? I am sure they would have if they could have. They have already sold your government to Israel...

If we look at the democratic system I would exchange this so-called democracy with real democracy. What we have is a rotten ochlocracy or an oligarchy; it's a democracy in name only. We are ruled by bankers who own the media, the politicians and everything else too. They even decide who we can vote for. In a true democracy only the natives of a country can vote, and only those who own a property, are adults (i. e. are at least 21 years old), are married and have children.

Only natives with a property and a family have any real interest in the well-being of the nation. All others have egotistical motivations and should thus not be allowed to influence the future of the nation through elections. Only natives with the right to vote should be able to stand for election.

...let's leave it with that. There are so many things that would need dramatic changes. I could go on forever.

I can add that I have given up on this system and trying to change it. It is best left alone, to die on its own, sail into the abyss, and when it does I and others like me will be there, living on our own well protected properties, growing our own food, ready to build a new civilization on the ruins of the old. Mankind is still mankind if only 100.000 individuals survive the chaos produced by the bankers... I am pretty sure the bankers will not survive though and if they do... *chop*. They won't.

You also talk about the "rape of Mother Earth". What do you do in your own day-to-day life to care for the environment?

Climate changes are caused by solar radiation and other natural phenomena, so I don't worry one bit about that. Nothing we do can change anything in the climate. The last Icelandic volcano eruption for instance polluted more than all of Europe put together has done the last 40 years. So I drive my Russian 4*4 with a clear conscience, knowing very well it uses far more fuel than most other cars (I am not driving a f***ing Land Rover when the Land Rover company is not even owned by the English and Russian 4*4s are better off-road anyway... ;-p).

The environment is a different story, though, and I think the best we can do is to not pay taxes, or to pay as little tax as possible, not take any bank loans and in all other ways possible not give any money to the banks or the government. Do not have a single penny in the bank if you do the bankers will use it to rape both you and your country, figuratively speaking. Withdraw all your money from the bank!

Banks and the governments of today finance all the "bad for the environment" activities in our world, from wars to factories producing meaningless consumer goods. Everything. When they fall the world will be "green" again.

On a personal level I build my own house using muscle power and only good materials from nearby, I grow as much of my own food as I can, I have planted trees where there were none before, I do my best not to buy meaningless consumer goods, when I can I choose products made in Europe, and so forth.

I will also use a crossbow, a longbow, a spear, a javelin, a sling, a staff sling, a seax, a dagger or a telescopic baton instead of a gunpowder weapon if some long-nosed banker steps on my lawn...

Further, I work hard to stop immigration from poor countries to our part of the world. I mean, where they live they produce less garbage and pollute less, but when we allow them to come here and raise their living standard to our level, then they too become a serious problem to the environment... they turn into filthy polluting consumers too! Ideally we should just line 99% of the world's population up against the wall and execute them, and that would be the best we could do for the environment, but I guess I might come out looking somewhat unsympathetic if I say that in public...

I posses the album, "Obscuritatem Advoco Amplectere Me" by Abruptum. It is claimed that the Swedish trio tortured themselves while recording. What is the truth about this album?

It's a Swedish trio? I thought it was a duo... well, anyway; that's what they wanted us all to believe, and Aarseth too wanted it. He did his best to build a false "evil" image for all his bands, but... as you might know "It" is not really Swedish at all, he is a Gypsy, and they are known to not always tell the truth...

Have you heard about this famous paradox; "a Gypsy tells you that all Gypsies always lie".

In 1993, the West Memphis 3 (three teenagers from Arkansas), were arrested for the murder of three boys (which they assert they did not commit), and convicted based on an interest in Heavy Metal and Wicca. After 18 years, they have been released. What are you thoughts about this case?

What else can we expect from pigs but grunting? The USA is so messed up by its Judeo-Christian hate religion that there is hardly room for any reason whatsoever over there. I pity the three falsely convicted teenagers (now adults), but they live in a lunatic ex-colony, populated by all the freaks we didn't want here in Europe, so what else could they expect?

Your most recent promotional photograph depicts you in a cloaked jacket, holding a spear. What do you wish this image to say about you?

Well, I may start by saying that I have really no interest in being photographed, for whatever purpose, but apparently guys like you or at least those you work for, the magazines, insist on having photos of the interviewees. "New" photos. So rather than give in to the demands from my distributors and label, and have some meaningless photographer come over and take a billion unnatural poser shots of me, I took a few shots of myself in my garage and neighborhood. The hood's purpose is to hide me just enough for me to be rather unrecognizable; I detest meeting "fans" who recognize me and want to talk to me. The spear's purpose is to tell everyone that I might bloody pierce you bastards if you recognize me anyway and waste my time by approaching me to talk. Piss off, everyone! :-)

I am currently planning the construction of a tall stone wall around my property.

Because of your "notoriety", you said you were viewed as a criminal. To what extent do you feel people still see you purely in that way?

I have no idea. I haven't paid much attention to how others see me for quite some time. You can probably answer that question more accurately than I can. But do you really care? Does it matter? I don't think so.

How do you wish people to regard you?

As a musician and writer, making music and writing books. They don't really need to regard me as anything. I listen to music myself, but I often have no idea who made or played the music. It doesn't matter. I don't listen to music because this or that person made or played it. I listen to music I like. Period.

The same applies to books. The books' contents matters, not the authors of the books.

Your life has been marked by solitary pursuits: reading, writing, a one-person band and ultimately solitary confinement. To what extent do you consider yourself a loner?

Well, I am married and have four children, so I don't think "loner" suits me very well.

It's not that I want to be alone as much as I want to be with only individuals I like, trust and appreciate and I go to great lengths to avoid contact with the rest of mankind, so to speak. As a musician and writer I do have to spend some time entertaining strangers though, but that's okay. I can still be selective and if I grow tired talking to strangers I stop it. As simple as that.

If "From the Depths of Darkness" were someone's first Burzum experience, how would you describe this album to them?

It's melodic, melancholic, varied, long and will introduce you to the music most used by Aarseth in 1993 to create the false image of "Norwegian Black Metal". Darkthrone's "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" was used by him too, but Aarseth had released the Burzum debut himself, so he preferred to use that one. It's probably the most personal album I have ever made, but at the same time also the least reality-based albums, so to speak. It was a dream (or if you will; a nightmare) turned into music and ultimately an album. All the music on "From the Depths of Darkness" was made by a pure, innocent and naïve teenager, by a different and I guess more sympathetic me. May he rest in peace.

Author: Robyn (© 2011 "Terrorizer" Magazine UK)

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