BACKGROUND: In January 1993, an article in one of Norway's largest newspapers, Bergens Tidende (BT), brought the black metal scene into the media spotlight. Two friends of Vikernes interviewed him and submitted the interview to the newspaper, hoping for publication. In the anonymous interview, "Count Grishnackh" (Vikernes) claimed to have burned churches and killed a man in Lillehammer. BT journalist Finn Bjørn Tønder arranged a meeting with "Count Grishnackh." The journalists were summoned to an apartment and were allegedly warned they would be shot if they called the police. There, Vikernes and his companions told the journalists that they had burned the churches or knew who had done it and warned that the attacks would continue. They claimed to be devil worshippers and stated, "Our intention is to spread fear and evil.”
According to Vikernes, the anonymous interview was orchestrated by him and Euronymous with the aim of spreading fear, promoting black metal, and attracting more customers to Helvete. Vikernes remarked on the interview, "I exaggerated a lot and when the journalist left we... had a good laugh, because he didn't seem to understand that I was pulling his leg."He added that the interview disclosed nothing that could prove his involvement in any crime. Vikernes claims that, after his arrest, "the journalist edited the interview and... published an insane version of it the following day, without even letting me read through it." Some other members of the scene were also arrested and questioned, but all were released due to a lack of evidence.
Euronymous decided to close Helvete as it began to attract the attention of the police and media. Vikernes criticized Euronymous for shutting down the shop instead of capitalizing on the publicity, stating, "by doing so he also made all my efforts more or less pointless. I spent six weeks in custody because of that." Norwegian magazine Rock Furore published an interview with Vikernes in February 1993. In it, he commented on the prison system, saying, "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 due to a lack of evidence.
BERGENS TIDENDE (JANUARY 20, 1993)
We are behind all the church fires in Norway. It started with the Fantoft stave church. And we are not stopping now. Anonymous Bergen resident, approx. 20 years old. Devil worshippers take responsibility for eight church fires
Our purpose is to spread fear and hatred. Fear of the powers of darkness - that is also why we are telling this to Bergens Tidende. We are behind all the church fires in Norway. It started with the Fantoft stave church. And we are not stopping with the eight church fires to this day.WE BURNED THE CHURCHES
All church fires in Norway in the past year have been started by a devil worshippers group headquartered in Bergen and Oslo. This is what a 20-year-old member of this grotesque sect claims to Bergens Tidende. BT met the young man in his apartment in Bergen at night. He provides detailed, previously unpublished information about the church fires.THE DEVIL WORSHIPPER
We are the real devil worshippers, the 20-year-old man tells Bergens Tidende. He and the group's goal is to sow as much fear and sorrow as possible in society. That is why they burn down churches and acquire the most bizarre weapons.DEVIL WORSHIPPERS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EIGHT CHURCH FIRES
Our purpose is to spread fear and hatred. Fear of the powers of darkness - that is also why we are telling Bergens Tidende this. We are behind all the church fires in Norway. It started with the Fantoft stave church. And we won't stop with the eight fires yet...
The man behind these words is a Bergen resident of around 20 years. Via two young people who know him from before, Bergens Tidende was able to meet him at night in his apartment in the southern part of the city.
Call us whatever you want. We worship the devil, but would rather not use the word Satan. That name has been ridiculed by foolish quasi-groups. Fools who think they are tough.
The young man's story is cruel and perhaps not immediately believable. However, he can provide details about several of the fires. And among the details is information that has never been made public - information that Bergens Tidende received confirmation from the police and at the Gades Institute yesterday. Therefore, there is much to suggest that BT's interviewee is telling the truth. If so, there are groups in Norway that the public must take very seriously.HATE THE LIGHT
It is completely dark in the hallways as we walk up to his loft apartment at midnight. We have also been told that the youth is armed. "In case you have contacted the police."
The apartment bears the mark of an unusual person living here. Either it is a grown-up boy who finds Nazi effects, weapons and satanic symbols exciting. Or BT's employees have entered a "world" few understand.
The windows are completely covered with carpets. "I hate daylight," explains the thin, long-haired creature who introduces himself under an incomprehensible name. We quickly get the feeling that the youth just likes excitement. We have a hard time understanding that he can tell the truth.
Later we check the details he gives about the church fires.
One of the fire investigators says he finds the youth's description of the arson of Åsane Church credible.
At the same time, associate professor Inge Morild at the Gades Institute confirms information about the burnt hare that was found at Fantoft Stave Church.FANTOFT
We caught a hare at Fanafjellet. It was much more labor-intensive than burning down Fantoft Stave Church.
At the church we beheaded the then dead hare. We placed the body on the church steps. We placed the head on the ground next to it. The point was to spread more grief. The hope was that the innocent hare would be found, the youth say - a symbol that goodness should be burned at the stake, as the youth describe it.
Associate Professor Morild confirmed to BT yesterday that the hare carcass found at the church was headless.
He says that this is information that has not previously been made public.
I don't even think the police knew, says Morild. He cannot determine whether the head was cut off or burned from the body. Our investigations do not show that.
A MAN
The devil worshipper says that only one man set fire to Fantoft Stave Church. - He wanted to do it himself. He did not want to share the sacrifice with anyone. A church that had been worshipped for 800 years was something extra big for us. It had more power. The day itself was carefully planned.
The night of Pentecost 1992 gave the satanic symbol 666. The intention was that our contacts all over Norway would do the same with other churches at exactly the same time.
But the others were squeamish. It was just talk.
Fortunately, their cowardice led to us gaining more power over them. They were therefore easier to manipulate later, the youth say.A DEAD STUDENT
He gives detailed descriptions of where and how the stave church was set on fire. The information matches the fire investigationWe had been in the forest for a long time before the arsonist entered the open hallway on the east side of the church. We had planned to attack the first person who walked through the forest. We knew that students often go there. Unfortunately, no one came. It would have had a greater effect to sacrifice a dead student than a hare, he says.He neither laughs nor looks sad. The brutal sentences just come.ÅSANE CHURCH
The devil worshipper only speaks in the we form. He says that there are six people who have participated in the eight church fires in Norway in total. Although he will not confirm this, BT gets the impression that he himself was there when Åsane Church burned to the ground on Christmas Eve.That Åsane Church was set on fire on Christmas Eve was just a coincidence. The fire was not planned. Åsane Church went up in flames because it was said "peaceful" on TV. We were so cursed at all this splendor in society. A less intelligent person was exploited.He joined one of "us". Tried to get into the church through the windows. It didn't work. Even with an axe. The door cracked easily after the axe blows, he says.
GASOLINE
BT's source says that the two poured petrol on the altar and a Jesus symbol. "If the church didn't go up in flames, at least Jesus would burn." He claims that hymn books were torn up and placed up the walls. Extra petrol was poured under the tower. It didn't take many matches before the whole church was in flames.After a few seconds, the church bells started ringing. The fire engines were there after two or three minutes. We were close. The reports about us in the press were almost correct. The poor guy who was called in for questioning had nothing to do with the fire, the youth grins. The smile quickly hardens: It's not good for us to laugh. We have nothing to laugh about in this ridiculous society.CLOSE COOPERATION WITH NEON-NAZIS
The youth BT has spoken to confirms that the devil-worshipping sect he belongs to also has close ties to neo-Nazis in Norway and other countries.We support the Nazis because they are evil. Our goal is to cause as much sorrow and misery as possible. Personally, I would rather die. But first I want to spread as much hatred as possible. I suffer through life to serve my master.He says that the cooperation with the neo-Nazis is useful. That way we secure weapons. But we also have connections to left-wing radical circles, he names one circle.We try to have contacts in all the places where we can spread unrest.There are swastikas hanging on the walls of the youth. A German SS helmet also has a prominent place in the living room.I have Nazi symbols here because they give a sickening atmosphere to anti-Nazis. My whole life is about making others feel disgusting. The police that are behind the doors make it difficult for us to act as we want. We would rather kill. And we have life on our conscience, he says, without wanting to elaborate. He simply points out that there are missing persons in Bergen as well.I have no feelings. The most satanic thing is to kill those who created you, he says, not this time with a facial expression that says anything at all.Courtesy of Todestrieb for compiling the text from two sources. I made the translationfrom Norwegian to English, and also added a couple of pictures not from the original article.
