Bathory Documentary
Deicide Fryshuset 1992
Ultima Thule Band
Ultima Thule Band
["I heard somebody wants me dead...You want me, here I am!" - Glen Benton, Fryshuset, Sweden 1992]
"In 1992, Deicide was on tour in Europe with Atrocity from Germany and Gorefest, a Dutch death metal band. In Stockholm, during the Gorefest set, a bomb was discovered on-stage. It exploded in the club in which they were playing. The bomb was located to the rear of the stage, behind a heavy, fireproof door. The explosion was big enough to deform the door and blow it off its hinges. Deicide managed to play three songs before the police decided to stop the concert and evacuate the club. At first, Benton blamed that attack on the Norwegian black metal scene, where Deicide's brand of death metal was despised. Many people blamed animal rights activists who were angered at Deicide's lyrical themes of animal sacrifice." - wikipedia
Gorefest's guitar player Frank Harthoorn recounts this event:
"...we're playing this large sports hall somewhere on the 3rd floor of this huge building called the Fryshuset... we're about 5 songs into our set when this huge BANG!! just hits us from seemingly everywhere. We all think it's fireworks, JC mouths 'Keep playing!' and we finish our set, having no idea what's going on behind the stage. We get off stage, Quorthon's there giving us the thumbs up - he was working security for the show - and right behind him this massive emergency exit door has been blown from the wall...We never did find out who was behind it...Maybe it was Norwegian black metal dudes hating on US...JC [guitars/vocals] and B had met Euronymous the night before in Oslo, and had a chat with the little caped avenger about threats he'd made to Gorefest in some publication. Didn't have much to say for himself, but some of his small pack of followers had just about reached the right age to get a drivers license and travel to Stockholm overnight. I myself to this day think it was tour manager Adam, in cohoots with the insane bus driver, stirring up shit for even more publicity. And it worked, because if the places weren't fully packed at the start of that tour 5 days before, they sure were after that night." - http://toughriffs.weebly.com/
Here is what Quorthon had to say about it...
"I was head of security, and I was doing my very best to sorta like, sneak around in the shadows, cause, I mean, 80% of everybody there had my picture on their walls back home... I was backstage, when Gorefest was on stage, and they played so loud, that nobody could hear the bomb, when it went off. I mean, it was a big, big fucking bomb, about let's see, feet...about 25 feet from the stage, and it was an open area I mean, it was indoors, but it was an empty space between where the bomb went off, and the stage, but still, nobody could hear it. It was just this enormous, uh, you know, impact, you know, the pressure from the bomb. And I was standing probably 5 feet away from where the bomb went off, and I still didn't hear it: cause, you know, they were playing so loud. All of a sudden, I could smell my hair burn, and, uh, there was, you know, all this dust, concrete dust flying around, and I turned around and I saw a huge, you know, burning hole in the wall. So, yeah, I was there." - metalunderground.com
This was obviously a very significant blast, according to both Harthoorn and Quorthon. Harthoorn's description of this blast from the stage was "huge BANG!!" There is also a quote from the Swedish Death Metal book [Daniel Ekeroth] making direct reference to this sound:
"...during the middle of their set a LOUD BANG WAS HEARD. Everybody assumed the sound was part of the show, and Gorefest finished their set as usual."
Bang: a loud, sudden, explosive noise, as the discharge of a gun. - dictionary.com
A "BANG" is an audible sound. Harthoorn was ON THE STAGE, presumably where the music was blasting intensely. Quorthon was BEHIND the stage, probably closer to the blast than anyone else. Speakers face the crowd, so the power of the music should have been directed towards the band and the crowd. Yet, Harthoorn heard the blast and Quorthon didn't? He states 3 times in that short quote that the bomb could not be heard - and two of those times he says NOBODY could hear it.
"It was just this enormous, uh, you know, impact, you know, the pressure from the bomb."
It is very strange how much effort Quorthon puts into trying to convince the interviewer that nobody heard this blast, especially when others clearly did. I mean, what is an "enormous impact" from a bomb, but an audible blast? He makes it sound like some sort of time/space Manhattan Project type event occurred silently!
After Gorefest's set, Quorthon gives a "thumbs up" to them from backstage. A wall directly behind him just got blown open by an enormous bomb blast. Is that really a "thumbs up" moment? I'm going to assume that this "thumbs up" was to do with Gorefest completing their set, despite the blast. Seems like getting people out of the building before another blast hits would have been the more sensible action to me, as the job of security is to keep people safe! Perhaps the danger of a riot was possible, and keeping them secure meant avoiding a riot?
Quorthon was a rather tall man, but quite skinny most of his life. That doesn't mean he couldn't kick some serious ass, but we also know he had a heart problem - which he unfortunately died from eventually. Also, anyone who views enough interviews/photos with Quorthon will inevitably notice his decidedly feminine manner of speaking, posing, and carrying himself at times. There is no need to quote Pelle "Dead" Ohlin again here like I did in the previous blog, but "Rockstar attitude" and "wimp" and "poser" were words he used to describe Quorthon after their encounter in 1987. Another interviewer quoted in a previous blog stated Quorthon looked more like a "glam rocker" guy in person, comparing him to the "Cold Lake" era of Celtic Frost, commenting on his cowboy boots. Again, doesn't mean he couldn't kick some ass, but certainly doesn't spell out SECURITY GUARD CANDIDATE. Much less HEAD OF SECURITY for a show where known death threats were being made towards the bands and their members!
[The "Cold Lake" era of Celtic Frost is widely considered to be one of the great sellout embarrassments in underground metal, a reputation well earned by the above image alone. For an interviewer to compare Quorthon's "look" to that of this era of Celtic Frost is at least as extreme as any of Dead's criticisms.]
Quorthon often bragged about how many record sales Bathory has had over the years. His father was "very rich" already in the 70s, according to his ex wife. Besides running Tyfon/Black Mark, "Boss" was representing the giant German based record distributer SPV in Sweden as early as the late 80s, up till their financial issues in 2000. Quorthon had spent, according to him, a whole lot of his own money on the "One Road to Asa Bay" video for Hammerheart - which was shown on MTV. Doesn't seem like Quorthon was struggling for money in 1992, at least not to the point of needing to take a security job at a Death Metal concert where Death threats were known to have been made against the bands. But who knows?
Quorthon states that he was trying to "sneak around in the shadows" during the show because you know, "80% of everybody there" had his pretty face on their wall somewhere. This is similar to what he said in another interview I quoted in a previous blog, where he describes driving up in a limo to the famous L'moure Rock Club in New York for the first time, and "tries not to be noticed" by throngs of fans dying for autographs on their tits and hits off of his cigarette butt. Quorthon loved playing the rockstar role in public. I mean, if he didn't, he sure hammed it up when the camera pointed his direction!
My opinion is that Quorthon's explanation quoted earlier was more of his "bad acting," and that he was covering something up. I don't mean to suggest that he was BEHIND the bombing, but I think he knew more than he was stating about it. Besides his questionable recounting of the soundless "impact" of the bomb and his questionable role as "head of security" that evening, he presents what seems to me, the most plausible theory as to who planted the bomb - a theory which seems to have gone almost completely ignored by most underground media sources who have covered this event in any detail. Here is what he said about it in the same interview:
"20 feet away from there you have the militant Stockholm neo-Nazi organization have their headquarters, 20 feet away from the concert, and they have been placing bombs just about everywhere, 2 times a week for the past 12 months or so, but, I mean, you couldn't say it straight out."
Not only is Quorthon suggesting that Neo-Nazis were responsible, he further suggests that this was known, but "you couldn't say it straight out." Why not? What is this hesitance he hints at regarding the ratting out of Neo Nazis? One thing is for sure, there was a well documented Neo Nazi Skinhead presence at the Fryshuset during this time.
This next section contains a lot of information about Neo Nazi Skinheads, with a focus on Sweden around the time of the 1992 Fryshuset bombing. I would just like to make it clear that it is not my intention to glorify or justify any of the Neo Nazi activity or symbols described/pictured. Nor is it my goal to incriminate Bathory, any other band, or Pagan cult/religion/group of having a "Neo Nazi" agenda at any point in time. But if facts, sources, and/or quotations appear to lean a certain way, I will not shy away from pointing out what appears to be obvious to me. Readers may gather a different interpretation from the same information, or gather other data which is contradictory to my findings, and that is ok. People SHOULD do their own research and verify facts for themselves, rather than simply taking my, or anyone else's words for it. But for my own part here, I am striving for objectivity. Whether that is accomplished or not is up to the reader.
["Anders Erik Carlberg [1943-2013] was a Swedish socialist politician, social worker and writer...He became active in the political left, and was the leader of the Swedish Young communists in 1967-1970...In 1984, Carlberg co-founded the Fryshuset [with help from YMCA], the activity center for young people in Stockholm, Sweden, offering social projects and educational programs." - Wiki]
"For many years, the [Neo Nazi] movement was personified by a single person, Ian Stuart Donaldson. In the 1980s, he created the Nazi organization Blood & Honor, which received sales in several countries, including Sweden. In 1988 he helped a couple of skinheads in Södertälje, Peter Rindell and Göran Gustavsson, to start the militant racist magazine Vit Rebell, which later became Storm." - Expo.se, Translated from Swedish
"In the summer of 1986 when riots broke out between teenage groups in Stockholm, the Swedish government asked Fryshuset to step in...But Carlberg also stirred up a great deal of controversy in the late 1980s when Fryshuset allowed Sthlm Skins, a group of young neo-Nazi skinheads, to use part of its premises...This was at a time when right-wing extremist groups were on the rise in Sweden and young skinheads used to gather in the Old Town of Stockholm...Shop owners complained that the youths were scaring off tourists and Carlberg allowed them to gather at Fryshuset...Two years later one Skinhead burnt down the premises and Sthlm Skins were allowed to move into Fryshuset's main building." - thelocal.se
"In the spring of 1988, Sthlm Skins got a room in the form of two construction stores in connection with the Fryshuset on Södermalm" - Expo
The above confirms that Neo Nazi skins were residing within the Fryshuset compound as early as the late 80s. Fryshuset seems to have had, and probably still has, multiple buildings. However, the above article confirms they were moved to the MAIN building, as a result of arson upon the previous one by a skinhead. [I assume this "main" building is the large building Harthoorn referred to in an earlier quote, regarding Gorefest's performance and the bomb going off] Expo calls the arsonist a "Leather Skull" in another article, which I presume to be a rival gang. Therefore, the idea that skins would attempt to destroy a building in which other radicalized skins resided, was not unprecedented in the relatively short amount of time Fryshuset existed at that point in 1992 - lending credence to Quorthon's theory.
It is also interesting to note in the article above, that SWEDISH GOVERNMENT were the ones who asked Fryshuset to "step in" and do something about the Neo Nazi Skinhead problem. We will look closer at who was funding this Skinhead project in a moment.
"The Storm magazine, now in its third issue, began to call itself "the body of White Aryan Resistance", and its subscriber register became a kind of informal membership register in what was first called "Storm's network", but which became known as VAM." - Expo
"White Aryan Resistance (Swedish: Vitt Ariskt Motstånd, VAM) was a militant neo-nazi network active in Sweden between 1991 and 1993. The name of the group was derived from the US white supremacist organisation White Aryan Resistance (WAR)...VAM has been implicated in many serious crimes in Sweden, including the infamous Malexander police-murders, car BOMBINGS of political journalists and murders of perceived opponents." - wiki
"...it [VAM] was a circle of few skinhead activists in Stockholm. The group engaged in theft of weapons, burglaries in mobilization stores, bank and postal robberies. A number of activists were arrested and convicted in trials between 1991 and 1993." - Expo
Notice that the Fryshuset bombing occurred exactly in the middle of VAM's criminal activity, 1992.
"The role of mass media in establishing the VAM brand cannot be overstated. In particular, the evening newspapers wrote huge volumes of articles about the "Nazi leader Klas Lund" and his organization preparing for the coming "war of war"...A new subculture that could no longer be said to be [merely] part of the skinhead movement [developed] - it was excellent to have even long hair...the clothing increasingly resembled a uniform: black boots, black military trousers, black so-called bomber jacket and black military cap. Everything except the boots taken from the US Armed Forces, despite the model's attitude to the US federal authorities." - Expo
If you read my previous blog, you may recall the section on a Norwegian documentary film called "Satan Rides the Media." This film shows how the Norwegian press was more or less responsible for sensationalizing, and PROMOTING the radicalization of Varg Vikernes, which in turn, encouraged the NSBM movement he seemed to usher in. Hense the title, "Satan Rides the Media." The above Expo quote illustrates how the Swedish media did something similar with the VAM Neo Nazi Skinhead organization. Even giving a glimpse of how this sensationalism began to spill over into, and influence the "long hair" community. Also known as, Metalheads and Rockers. Was the media simply being manipulated by some larger organization, with the long range purpose of radicalizing Scandinavian youth, and beyond?
"...VAM had in a few years developed into a unifying concept that gave rise to a radical youth movement with its own dress code and its own symbols. Only in Stockholm, around 1994, the number of black-clad right-wing teenagers who were gathered in the so-called "skinhead room" in the municipal youth house Fryshuset, and who listened to bands such as White Aggression, Division S and Svastika, counted about 1,000." - Expo
At this point it is pretty clear that the major Neo Nazi Skinhead movements in Sweden during the very early 90s were either centered around the Fryshuset dwelling, or it's members were heavily involved with it. Again, going back to Quorthon's comments earlier - it seems he had knowledge of these extreme Neo Nazi skinhead groups. But so did many Swedes apparently, as this was something in the news media often by the sound of things. So why were the skins not immediately implicated in the 1992 Fryshuset bombing, or at least publicly investigated? Perhaps they were, but I found no evidence of it - which is odd considering this was a pretty well publicized event.
[If you are on a smartphone, you must tap on the above image first, then enlarge it, in order to properly blow it up. Enlarging the screen without tapping on it first will not produce a readable image]
"Nordland was created by the young guard skins. Employees were drawn from the Riksfronten in particular and from the Stockholm Skins who received desk top training at the Fryshuset. An important role was played by Peter Rindell (Melander), former publisher of Storm and one of the ideologues behind Vam. In 1994 he began publishing a Swedish edition of the magazine Blood & Honor, Blood & Era, which became the mainstay of the white power movement's flagship, the newspaper Nordland."
Notice the direct connections here from the Sthlm Skins of Fryshuset, to the Storm Network, to Blood and Honor, then to Nordland.
Swedish Death Metal band Unleashed was featured in the above pictured Nordland magazine. Does this mean Unleashed was a Neo Nazi band? I leave that to the reader to decide, as I have not found the article in it where they are featured, so I have no idea what is said in it. But at the very least, this indicates to me a level of "normalcy" or at least "tolerance" of the White Power element in the underground Swedish Metal scene of the day. I did however find an interview with Varg Vikernes, taken from Nordland Nr 5/96. Here is an excerpt, roughly translated:
Q: You have been accused of being a Nazi multiple times. What does the swastika mean to you? What do you have to say about these accusations?
A: Svastikan is a hammer, which splits darkness. The most powerful weapon. With it, we are going to crush the skull of the Christian "god" and his captive faithful. Sorry, I'm not a Nazi, I'm a white Aryan Odenist !! Call me whatever you want. I remain proud. I take it as a compliment when I am called a Nazi. For I would rather be a Nazi than a laughable democratic cheater against my own race. Hell Wotan! Lots of the white breed!
"The Allgermanische Heidnische Front (AHF) was an international neo-Nazi organisation, active during the late 1990s and early 2000s, that espoused a form of neo-völkisch Germanic Neopaganism. It grew from the Norwegian Heathen Front (NHF), which was led and founded by the musician Varg Vikernes in 1993, although he and the organisation denied his involvement. The program was based on his first book, Vargsmål (1994), published shortly after he was convicted for church arson and the murder of fellow musician Euronymous." - wiki
The symbol pictured on the cover of Vargsmål is a Celtic Cross. "French neo-fascist groups adopted the Celtic cross as an ambiguous "Christian and pagan" symbol since the 1940s."
Below that is the logo for defunct record label Axis, who released Candlemass' 1987 album "Nightfall." Axis was owned by British label Music for Nations, who's subsidiary Under One Flag released Bathory albums in the 80s. I couldn't help noticing the logo for Axis also contained a cross and a circle, similar in proportion to the Celtic Cross - only the circle has been moved north and rotated slightly [indicated by the graph lines - which also contain a cross within them]. The red X in the word "Axis" seems to emphasizes the cross' occult meaning, which I will explain in more detail later in the blog.
[If you are on a Smart Phone, you must tap on the above image in order to then properly blow it up with the correct resolution]
Pictured above is the Nordland compilation, released 1989 on White Power Records, a sub-label of Rock-O Rama, a German label active for many years. Take note of the symbols highlighted in yellow by myself. This was before Nordland Magazine came about, but as you can see, certain terms and symbols were/are widely appropriated by Neo Nazi/White Power organizations - doesn't mean those ancient Nordic terms/symbols BELONG to such radical groups, but they can unfortunately become tainted [like the ancient swastika] to the point where prominently brandishing them on say, an album cover, might give the public perception that said artist holds the same views as the extreme political groups, whether it is true or not! With the knowledge of how people may respond to the brandishing of such terms/symbols, one knowingly runs the risk of being accused of something they may or may not be. So the artist must then make a choice: to use them anyway, and deal with the potentially violent backlash, or to express their pride in their heritage in other ways less prone to be associated with extreme groups. This obviously brings attention to the symbolism and terms Bathory has used, and the fact that Quorthon did seem to follow what was going on in the streets of Stockholm. We will look at statements made by Quorthon regarding this topic in a moment.
"The Elder Futhark Odal rune (ᛟ), also known as the Othala rune, represents the o sound. Its reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *ōþalan "heritage; inheritance, inherited estate". - wiki
["In February [1996] the skinhead room [at Fryshuset] was visited by the king [Carl XVI Gustaf] who threw a dart with the skins and was photographed under the banner of VAM. Several immigrant associations criticized the king for the visit...Carlberg was forced to respond to the accusation that the skinhead [room] was VAM's headquarters" - Sweden's Expo Magazine. Note the Othala rune highlighted by the yellow arrow. Also, a Confederate flag can be seen partially far off to the right, a symbol of "Southern Heritage" in America. The radical skins obviously perceived a common link between the two symbols.]
"The king's concerns were prompted by attacks on a small anti-racist magazine called Expo. Its staff have been threatened repeatedly since the first edition came out last September. Several retailers have taken it off their shelves, and the printer has refused to put out any more issues after ATTACKS...When police raided the headquarters of the National Alliance, an extreme right group accused of the attacks, they seized EXPLOSIVES, tear gas, clubs, and other weapons." - independent.co.uk
From Expo.se [issue #3, 1996 issue], translated from Swedish:
"During the entire time the Fryshuset project has been going on, skinheads have been involved in various violent incidents..."
It is unclear to me what the symbolic gesture of the King's visit to the Fryshuset Skinhead room was supposed to represent to the people of Sweden, but what it clearly demonstrates is a climate of tolerance towards their presence. How this was supposed to combat the increasing violence committed by them during this turbulent time (according to the press) I am not sure.
"In 1993, a dramatic stage change occurred. Bert Karlsson signed a record deal with Ultima Thule, thus opening the doors to the breakthrough of white power music. "National" cellar music moved up the charts and Ultima Thule was awarded three gold records." - Expo
Again, what we are seeing here, is a level of acceptance, perhaps even normalcy to the White Power concept in Swedish society at the time. Ultima Thule [who formed their "Viking Rock" band the same year Bathory formed, 1984] has made it clear they do not wish to be associated with Neo Nazis. But accurate or not, they get associated with the "Neo Nazi/White Power" scene time and time again by the media. The fact a band with such a reputation, accurate or not, can have "gold records," indicates a vast difference between say, America's idea of political correctness in the 90s and Sweden's. It also indicates that the "white power" genre was lucrative at the time, and those driven by money would no doubt shave off all their hair and siege heil as many times necessary to get a piece of it. Especially in an environment where that type of music is tolerated to a degree - the consequences would be less extreme than they would in say, today's politically correct climate. But we must remember that this climate was being tolerated, even encouraged by Swedish News media of the day and by the King himself, symbolized by his little dart game in their room at Fryshuset.
"Resistance Records owns several smaller labels, most notably black metal labels Cymophane Records and Unholy Records. It is a front for Cymophane Records, which was purchased by the National Alliance, mainly to gain the rights to distribute Burzum albums in the United States...Also in 1999, Resistance Records bought Swedish white power label Nordland Records, doubling its roster." - wiki
The National Alliance was a US based Neo Nazi Organization which bought Resistance Records and the Record Production aspect of Nordland Records, Sweden, in 1999. Nordland... "merged with Folktribunen (the People's Tribune), the mouthpiece National Ungdom (National Youth (NU), the Swedish Nazi organization closest to [William] Pierce and his National Alliance...NU is lead by Erik Hagglund and Klas Lund...head in the early 1990s of the terrorist network Vitt Ariskt Motstand (White Aryan Resistance) - VAM)." [Antiseminism Worldwide 2000/1]
Getting back to the Fryshuset, and who was funding the Skinhead project, Expo magazine is again quoted below. Remember that they were ATTACKED after publishing some of this information:
"In 1988 and 1989, the business was financially supported by the social service. Between 1990 and 1995, Fryshuset's skinhead business was based on financial contributions from the Municipal Coordination Office for Crime Prevention (SBÅ)...In 1991, the board of the association Sthlm Skins at the Fryshusets consisted of nine people: Stefan (chairman) Torbjörn (vice-chairman), Hans (secretary) and Elisabet (treasurer). Roger, Erik, Roine, Robert and Sebastian served as members...Several of the board members had long criminal records behind them. Four of these would be convicted of serious crimes within two years as VAM activists."
"In the financial year 1993 SEK 150,000 was allocated to cover the premises' rental costs. In 1994, the skinhead project received a total of SEK 310,000, including grants from the General Heritage Fund. In addition to rental costs, the grants included the construction of a Viking ship. In 1995, the sba granted SEK 200,000 in grants to, among other things, be able to arrange a white power concert every month...Compared to other youth groups, skinheads have always been biased in the form of social grants and financial encouragement."
"The intention of the municipality's investment in Fryshuset's skinhead project was certainly good - to keep a bunch of quarrels away from the Old Town [Stockholm] - but the failure and unwillingness to see the reality in the white eye meant that the municipality in reality financed the construction of a racial revolutionary network.... During the same period, several people with insight into the context claimed that VAM's operations were controlled from the Fryshuset. On the other hand, it was difficult to lead the claim in evidence, and those who should have been able to present facts, such as Anders Carlberg, instead went out in the media and dismissed all claims as "innocent claims". No serious examination of the link between Nazi bank robbers and Fryshuset's skinhead association was never carried out...Fryshuset's skinhead project is a political and moral breakdown where not only Carlberg but also the politicians in the city hall bear the responsibility. The result was that the country's Nazis were able to build up a political terrorist group, which in turn laid the foundation for the many times greater movement that poses problems today."
Justification for housing the skins, as stated above, was initially presented as a way to get them off the streets. This seems like it was at first regarded as an acceptable step in their rehabilitation, or at least, a humanistic approach to the problem. However, this apparently turned into an enabling factor. Given that, one must consider whether the financiers were actually invested in the radicalized skin's activities, if not directing them. But to what end? To achieve a Nordic Neo Viking utopia, free of foreigners? Somehow I doubt it.
Bathory's final albums were titled "Nordland I" [2002] and "Nordland II" [2003]. Although "Blood on Ice" was released in 1996, it was an older album Quorthon had resurrected from about the "Hammerheart" era. So technically speaking, the Nordland albums were the first Viking themed ones he had written since "Twilight of the Gods," marking over 10 years since the last newly written Viking Metal material. Given that Bathory's "non Viking" themed 90s output was probably the least well received overall, Quorthon's decision to go "Viking" again was probably at least partially motivated by a desire to sell more records. That doesn't necessarily mean his heart wasn't in it though. In fact, there is a good argument to be made that these last 2 albums were his most earnest.
This next section is not intended to prove one way or the other, whether Quorthon had any "extreme" political intentions with his music. The following is merely an EXPLORATION of how deep Quorthon's connection was to the Viking themes in his music, and how far that passion may have extended. Regarding the Nordland title - I have no idea if the decision to name the albums "Nordland" was at all influenced by the Nordland magazine discussed earlier, but here are some quotations from Quorthon responding to such types of accusations, and on the topic of white power/Neo Nazism/Heathenry in general.
"Metal Maniacs asked me about it a couple of days ago. They asked if I knew that my albums were a big influence on the skinhead scene in the US...I disconnected all that kind of discussion when we put out an album called Hammerheart. We had a sunwheel on the back of the album, and people - especially in Germany, 'cause they're the most paranoid people in the world, anyway - got very upset about it 'cause they thought we had serious Nazi connections... The sunwheel has been carved into mountainsides for 3,000 years in Sweden. We're talking about a little historical period that was 12 years in Germany. If we should judge cultures and symbols from all over the world because of a 12-year intermission in German history, then something is wrong here. You can't chase ghosts in a white linen shop... I've seen a talk show with a Neo-Nazi and a big, fat Negro saying, "the Bible is the true book," and they refer to the same phrases in the same fucking book. So, we shouldn't look at symbols as something evil; symbols in themselves are innocent." -maelstromzine.com
"We used the sun cross on the back of the album [Hammerheart]. There is a lot of political shit out in Europe, it seems you are not allowed to use Scandinavian symbols as you please." - Slayer Mag
"...Here in Sweden, although not at such a paranoid level as in Germany, Nationalism is a very hot issue. Everything that has got anything to do with Sweden or Swedish history is a bit taboo over here, don't ask me why....but underground, if that's the light way to describe it, and above too it seems these days, no one gives a shit and kicks the shit out of anyone claiming you to be a nazi or psycho when you say or show off that you are proud of either your nationality or history or whatever....This whole reborn Nationalism we see in Sweden nowadays is a result of us picking up on the Scandanavian mythology and pre christian Sweden all those years ago on BFD and HAMMERHEART...but this was never our intension in the first place...we just wanted to do something original....What you call Odinism was just simply a different topic for the lyrics and not a sign of a different sort of awareness or national pride. Well, a little maybe." - Descend Magazine
"The only reason we brought up the satanic lyrics [in the beginning] was that we were very young...so it was like a protest thing. Just like punk or the skin movement is today..." - Slayer Magazine
"I feel, myself, like a lost son. For my entire upbringing here I was exposed to Christian propaganda. We are born into Swedish [National] Church whether we wish it or not. During school we get lessons on Christianity time and time again. Then I was never interested in either religion or history. Christianity was, of course, the Jewish history. It was when I first read about the Viking Age and Asatru that I became interested...."Under the Runes" is to begin with, just my way of saying regardless if it's in the sky, the land, or deep down in the oceans, we will fight for my father's gods right to have a place in any form of discussion when we discuss Sweden...we have a history of 2000 years of being Asa Faithful, and just 970 years of Christianity. And if they (the Swedish) don't want to talk about it, I'm prepared to fight any kind of war by the great hail, under the runes, for my father's gods. Because there are certain values from those times worth fighting for...I wrote it so that it would be taken as a SECOND WORLD WAR song. Because then I knew people would keep on picking out that lyric, and then I would keep having to answer questions about it, and would get the idea out there." - Lords of Chaos
Notice the above Quorthon quote, taken from the book "Lords of Chaos," is easily the most sincere sounding, articulate comment he has made publicly on the topic of how serious he was regarding the "Viking thing." Whether Moynihan inaccurately edited this quote to suit his own political agenda in the final version of the book or not, is impossible to know. Although Quorthon has often hinted he was misquoted by the book, he never directly states so in any interviews I have come across. He also does echo most of what is articulated in the "Lords of Chaos" quote in other places. Some of which will be shown in the next section.
Hail (as a Noun): a shout or call to attract attention: They answered the hail of the marooned boaters. - Merriam Webster.com
Note Quorthon's alleged use of the phrase "by the great hail" in the above quote from "Lords of Chaos." In the lyrics to "Under the Runes," Quorthon says "by the great hail" 3 times. The 3 times it is used, it is followed by marching, fighting, or dying "Under the Runes." If Quorthon intended it to be a "second World War" song, it is then understandable that people might have interpreted this to be code for something such as "under the great HEIL," which has a more specific connotation, if you are coming from a Neo Nazi standpoint. The "Runes" can then be seen as code for the doppelte Siegrune, or "Sig" runes of the SS - not just any old sacred pre-WWII Viking Runes. For me, this is a bit vague. But since Quorthon makes direct reference to it in more than one interview, I assume there must be something to it.
"The broken sun cross used by the German Faith Movement and the 5th SS Panzer Division, also used by the Thule Society" - wiki
[The above image was taken from an interview with Moynihan at dark-hidden.com, presumably a promotional photo for his band, Blood Axis]
"The Axis powers, also known as "Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis" (also acronymized as "Roberto"), were the nations that fought in World War II against the Allies. The Axis powers agreed on their opposition to the Allies, but did not completely coordinate their activity...The Allies of World War II, called the United Nations from the 1 January 1942 declaration, were the countries that together opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War (1939–1945). The Allies promoted the alliance as a means to control German, Japanese and Italian aggression." - wiki
Remember the Axis Records logo from earlier? Besides the fact that it happens to contain all the shapes found in the Celtic Cross [if rearranged slightly], the word AXIS combined with the color RED suggests a BLOOD AXIS.
As we saw above, the opposition to the "Axis Powers" was the "Allies," also known as "The United Nations."[logo above] Notice how in the United Nations icon the earth is rendered in this graph style, similar to the globe pictured in the Axis Records logo. It also contains a cross within a circle.
Considering the ominous title "Music for Nations" and the politically suggestive "Under One Flag," I think there is something to all of these Record Label logos and titles - but to explore this topic further requires a digression probably better left for another blog in the future. For now though, I hope the larger implications here are starting to sink in.
[Michael Moynihan, primary author of "Lords of Chaos," clearly flirting with Sun Wheel/Celtic Cross imagery, in context of his band "Blood Axis." When pressed regarding his potential ties to Neo Nazi ideals, Moynihan always scoffs at such lines of questioning, as though they are completely unwarranted.]
PSICOTERROR: Blood Axis has a fascist/nazi connotation. What does this doctrine mean to you and why did you choose the Gothic Cross as a symbol of the band?
MOYNIHAN: I don’t think it is really correct to say we have a “connection” to such things, although of course it is true that people have accused us of being things like that, but I think they don’t even understand us in the first place…The Kruckenkreuz (or “Gothic Cross”, as you say), originates in the Soul of Pagan Europe, although it was later adopted as a Christian Cross, specifically during the Crusades. This impregnates it with a second connotation, as a symbol of the Holy War. In the 1920’s it was taken as the sigil of the Order of the New Templars, Jorg Lanz von Liebenfels’ ariosophist lodge in Austria. It is still employed as a nationalist symbol in Austria, as well as appearing in Masonic and Christian Iconography. It seemed to me a perfect symbol for controlled and contained power- the Will to Power. There are a number of other ways to view it as well: two overlapping sunweels in opposite rotation; four Thor’s Hammers projecting out of a center point; and these only confirm my instincts about adopting it. - dark-hidden.com
"I have assisted in operating White Devil Records, based in Seattle, which has issued 3 releases by Charles Manson...I had already inaugurated Storm as my own small company, doing silkscreened prints and also publishing books. I released the book "Siege" back in 1993, having already published an illustrated edition of Nietche's Antichrist..." - Not Like Most #4"
[The above image is taken from Discogs.com. This Allerseelen release features a known occult Nazi symbol, "The Black Sun," as seen in Wewelsburg Castle's North Tower." [wiki] It is illegal to print this image in certain countries for obvious reasons. This was released in 1995 by Storm, a record label operated by Michael Moynihan, co-author of the book "Lords of Chaos."]
[The Secret King is the first book to explore many myths surrounding the popular idea of Nazi occultism, while presenting the actual esoteric rituals used by Heinrich Himmler’s SS under the influence of rune magician Karl-Maria Wiligut, the “Secret King of Germany.” - Amazon]
"The black sun (German: Schwarze Sonne) is a symbol, a type of sun wheel (German: Sonnenrad) employed in a post-Nazi Germany context by neo-Nazis, other far-right groups, and some occult subcultures, such as Satanism... - wiki"
Although I don't know if there is any connection between Moynihan's Storm Record label and the Storm Neo Nazi network mentioned earlier, I think it is a safe bet to assume Moynihan knew people would consider whether there was a connection at some point. You don't mess around with symbols like this, then release it on a label called "Storm," and expect people NOT to make Neo Nazi accusations! Someone who does this, is looking for a reaction, whether they admit it or not.
"...Michael Moynihan, a guy who had sent me tons of letters for a number of years, usually including a new issue of his occult/heathen styled fanzine and even midwinterblot greeting cards..for Michael's part in that book should the rest of it be as incorrect, I felt slightly sorry. I'd rather contribute with details and info than have people write pieces like that stuff that's entirely build on personal assumptions and not too solid accuracy." -Bathory.nu
Above it seems pretty clear that Quorthon read Moynihan's book, "Lords of Chaos," or at least the section where he is quoted.
"I am sure the people who wrote Lords Of Chaos are able to read and therefore capable of directly quoting me from several interviews throughout the years when I've talked about the Under the Runes thing. The provoking pun made in Under the Runes is no secret at all. I haven't seen or read Lords Of Chaos myself, but I have heard it contains tons of errors in regard to BATHORY. Kind of sad, I mean to produce such a pretentious piece of work and not even consider doing something so simple as dropping us a letter and ask us a few things. I think the guy's who write these books and Lexicon's of metal, write them to feel important and initiated. I was once sent a Lexicon by some German journalist who'd written a Metal Lexicon, and 75% of what he wrote on BATHORY was totally incorrect. I wrote Under the Runes in such a way it would make every paranoid German journalist go bezerk. We had had to take a lot of shit in Germany because of a sunwheel on the obverse of the cover artwork for Hammerheart. To us it was an ancient Scandinavian symbol for the sun and cycle of life, linking with the Nordic and mythological theme of the album. But in Germany, they got it all wrong, and they didn't care the sunwheel had been a perfectly normal symbol in Scandinavia for two thousand years before that twelve year jackboot period in German modern history."
Here Quorthon says he never read "Lords of Chaos", and speaks about it as if he doesn't know the author(s) at all - despite naming Moynihan and recalling items mailed by Moynihan to him in the previous quotation, taken directly from Bathory.nu! At the same time, Quorthon does allude to a "provoking pun" in the song "Under the Runes." So perhaps this is a half admission that his quote in "Lords of Chaos" was partially correct? Quorthon also claimed he never watched his own video to "One Rode to Asa Bay" in an interview quoted in my previous blog, but I have since found an MTV clip from youtube where Quorthon introduces the video! Obviously Quorthon was the king of contradicting his own statements, but they never cease to shock and entertain in their prolific absurdities.
"I felt we had been used as a pawn in their "going-hysterical-for-the-sole-reason-of-going-hysterical" game. So after that, I decided to include "hot" issues in BATHORY lyrics every now and then. Just to keep them on their toes frothing their hearts out. People like that will find crap all over the place anyway. It's like when the church goes bezerk over a line in a Queen or Madonna song, instead of focusing on extreme Black Metal acts or the pedophiles within their own ranks. Attacking Queen and Madonna gives the church a bigger exposure as oppose to wasting their energy on lesser-known extreme Black Metal groups. They'll play the records of big acts backwards and claim to have uncovered the devils plan to conquer the world or something." - http://www.nocturnalhall.com/interviews/bathory_e.htm
I don't think Quorthon ever really properly explained these potentially "Nazi Leaning" messages in Bathory's music/album art - but he seems to have acknowledged that they were there.
"And you should remember that Norway is a very, very conservative country in reference to say, Sweden or Denmark. You wouldn't believe how much is forbidden over there. You could never achieve a viking society or whatever. We are no more vikings than the folks in Zimbabwe. ..So much has changed and the modern man could not lie by the standard rules and laws and ideals of the vikings...I believe that these guys [Nordic Black Metal Church Burners] not only had a crush on vikings but also had it up to their ears with satanism and neo naziism and that their "pride" in their "viking blood" was just one of several ingredients in their own soup mixed with perhaps drugs and a troubled and suppressed childhood. If any of these guys or anybody else have done similar things and claimed Bathory to be their main influence in doing so I can only say I am sorry and accept that all may not have it as easy as others to take reality for what it is and fantasy as a spice." - Descend Magazine
Over time, we see Quorthon alternate between scoffing at the idea he was "serious" about the Viking themes in his music, only to occasionally slip and display a sincere dedication to it. The following is the strongest proof I have found that he was indeed, a believer in the Heathenry/Asatru religion. This comes in the form of a recently published letter he wrote to a pen pal, author Dean Andersson. Apparently, they were mutual fans of each other's work, and Quorthon even thanks him in album credits.
[These are not the best quality, so if you are on a smart phone, it is best to tap on the image, then zoom in. If you simply zoom in without tapping first, the resolution will be very poor, or unreadable]
"Heil: to salute with the German exclamation heil...German, interjection, hail (used by the Nazis in such phrases as Heil Hitler! Hail Hitler! and Sieg heil! Hail victory!), from Middle High German, from heil, adjective, healthy, from Old High German" - Merriam Webster.com
The letter is dated 1989, and is from Quorthon to an American, Mr Dean Anderson, an author of several fantasy/horror books dealing with Norse Mythology, among other things. Quorthon starts the letter "Heil Dean." Now I don't wanna get too caught up on this "HEIL" bit, but given the section above on "Under the Runes" and the whole "by the great hail" thing, it's again, very easy to interpret this through the eyes of a Neo Nazi as "code" to a "comrade." That may very well be completely off, but difficult to pass off completely as it kind of smacks you in the face right away.
In this next section, Quorthon speaks of "our heritage" and seems to include Anderson into the concept. Again, I'm not assuming as much from this, but one could easily view it from the "Nazi comrade" angle, as a subtle statement about how the message must be delivered subtly in the music, so as not to reveal the larger political agenda. On the other hand, it is fair to presume that Quorthon was simply acknowledging the fact that it was very hard to be open about one's pride in their Scandinavian history without easily being falsely branded a "Neo Nazi." I remain open to both interpretations myself, because frankly, how can anyone really presume to comprehend the full subtext of this letter as an outsider?
This is probably the most revealing, candid statement I have found anywhere from Quorthon regarding the political reality of the world he lived in, and how his dedication to the Viking concept fit in. This, at the very pivotal time he was writing "Hammerheart," which could be regarded as the quintessential Viking Metal masterpiece. For the first time that I have seen, Quorthon mentions by name a Heathen order he belonged to, [or claimed to] the Breidablikk-Gildet.
"In Sweden, the first Heathen groups developed in the 1970s; early examples included the Breidablikk-Gildet (Guild of Breidablikk) founded in 1975 and the Telge Fylking founded in 1987, the latter of which diverged from the former by emphasising a non-racialist interpretation of the religion." - wiki
"Telge Fylking had close ties to Breidablikk-gildet, a nationalistic semi- religious order founded by Arne Sjöberg in 1975." - paganism in Sweden
"The ethicist Breidablikk-gildet was made in 1975 by Arne-Sjöberg (1921-2000), with an initial structure patterned after the Good Templars. It had its most successful period in the mid-80s, with an estimated 130 members, but folded after the death of Arne-Sjöberg's death in 2000. It's main goal was cultural, rather than religious, in the narrow sense. Its focus was the cultivation of National tradition and history. This ethicist and Nationalist orientationfaciliotated contacts to militant right wing milieus, resulting on controversies with an a-racist group that was influential for the formation of later Asatru, the neo shamanic network Yggdrasil." - Norse Revival: Transformations of Germanic Neo Paganism
"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 century, its practitioners model it on the pre-Christian belief systems adhered to by the Germanic peoples of the Iron Age and Early Middle Ages. In an attempt to reconstruct these past belief systems, Heathenry uses surviving historical, archaeological, and folkloric evidence as a basis, although approaches to this material vary considerably." - wiki
I'm not going to attempt to interpret what Breidablikk-gildet was all about, nor am I qualified to do so. But at the very least, I think this information confirms that Quorthon had a deep personal interest in writing music which would help usher in a more Heathen, less Christian culture into Scandinavia. Whether this was his idea, or if he was just following orders is really the heart of the matter I am exploring here. Especially when you consider the extreme direction this all took in the 90s once the Church burnings started, on through today.
The original compilation containing Bathory's first recorded studio tracks, released by Tyfon Grammofone in 1984, the same year Fryshuset was founded. Also the same year Ultima Thule, from Sweden, formed.
Ultima Thule compilation, utilizing the same cover art used by Tyfon for the Scandinavian Metal Attack comp.
[Cover painting: Tors Strid Med Jättarna (English translation: "Thor's Fight with the Giants") by Mårten Eskil Winge, 1866-1872, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.]
Obviously, this breathtaking image was created well before the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party - so the use of the Swastika in the painting, clearly has no connection. But to use this painting on an album cover post WWII is to knowingly place a Swastika on it. Obviously, most people will miss it as it is very small when not blown up this way. But an interesting question would be, "who exactly made the decision to use this image?" Quorthon would have been about 17 or 18 at the time, with 3 albums of Satan worshipping hymns to create still, and was generally busy trying to master the perfect Venom/Cronos kneeling pose. He wasn't screaming "Viking Metal pioneer" at this point in time, and there is also the fact that "Scandinavian Metal Attack" was a compilation of bands, including OZ. In fact, Bathory was added at the least minute to the comp, as the story goes.
"Fire in the Brain" was released by Tyfon before "Scandinavian Metal Attack." It is known that the hand on the cover is Quorthon's. Note the Runic styled font, the same one used on Scandinavian Metal Attack. A similar font is also used much later on Bathory's "Blood on Ice" album. When we consider the rune-styled font, the use of a historical Viking themed painting, and the title "Scandinavian Metal Attack" - all created before Bathory recorded their first notes, this demonstrates that the Viking theme Bathory would later adapt was already being used as a marketing theme by Bathorycorp. So who's idea was it? Considering Quorthon was a teenager, I would guess Boss came up with this theme. But since Boss and Quorthon are now gone, we may never know for sure.
IN CONCLUSION
Ultimately, I think what happened exactly at Fryshuset in 1992 is a story for someone who has inside information to tell. Unfortunately, I don't think that person has ever come forward - and I believe those who have are holding back or not telling the entire story. But whoever planted the bomb probably did not intend to hurt anyone, as they would have placed it inside the building or somewhere people were standing. The skinheads residing in the building had access to explosives and were in the midst of a violent period, as you read earlier in the blog. But they didn't seem to have a motive, leaving me to guess that if they did do it, they were acting under orders from an unseen entity.
As far as Quorthon and Bathory's potential political motivations - I think Bathory/Quorthon was acting under orders as well, even if there were some genuine statements being made in the music. I believe there was/is a larger movement to radicalize Scandinavians [and beyond] by appealing to their Nationalistic/Ethnic pride, via the government or some branch of intelligence agency, the news media, and counterculture movements/music. Whether Bathorycorp was an active participant in this or not, I think they were clearly used for this purpose, eventually manifesting into the Norwegian Church Burnings, and then into the NSBM movement. Meanwhile, ANTIFA has plenty of targets to fuel their hard left campaign - which only seems to be feeding the problem, not solving it. What I see here are pawns in an international game of divide and conquer.
FURTHER INFORMATION OF NOTE
This concludes my blog series on Bathory, and I do not plan on doing anymore. But there were some interesting bits of information I came across while researching this topic that I couldn't quite fit neatly into any of them. Here are a few of the more interesting ones briefly summarized for your consideration and further research.
[Logo for Swedish Record Label Tyfon Grammofone AB, run by Boss as early as 1978. Note how the record also looks like an eye.]
According to Wikipedia Germany and Rock Hard Magazine [April 2018], Stig Borje "Boss" Forsberg, at a young age, "became a sailor and worked for shipping companies and oil companies."
A "Tyfon" is a known type of horn that ships have used for many years. In fact, Kockum Sonics, based in Malmo, Sweden has been in the business of making them for at least 80 years. It seems pretty likely that Boss named his record label after this horn.
[Beckomberga Hospital was built in 1929–1935, and was intended to play an important part in the therapy of mentally ill patients. It was closed in 1995 as part of the psychiatric reform and relocation from the institutions. The hospital was once one of Europe's largest mental hospitals with 2,000 patients. According to Wikipedia, notable patients were Sigrid Hjertén - who died at the hospital in 1948 after a botched lobotomy intended to treat her schizophrenia. Nelly Sachs - admitted in 1960 after suffering a series of nervous breakdowns]
"Borje [Boss] graduated from education in psychiatric care with distinction. From 1970 worked as a psychological nurse in Beckomberga Clinic in stockholm." "At the same time he worked for Hans Edler's label Marilla, having already completed an internship with Tyfon gramophone. Shortly thereafter, he returned to this label as a music producer and produced some pop and Schlager records until about 1989." - Rock Hard, Wiki Germany, translated
[Book about the real "Lords of Chaos," from which Michael Moynihan lifted the title for his book about Black Metal, and which Jonas Akerlund also used for the film.]
I wanted to dedicate more space to this topic, but found it was just too big to include, and too far a digression from the subject of Bathory. But one very strange thing I discovered, which does not seem to be well known, is that the 1996 Florida Teen Militia group "Lords of Chaos" actually created a manifesto, which was titled "Declaration of War," which goes on to describe their anticipated "reign of Terror." Coincidentally, the next full length Mayhem release after Euronymous was killed, was called "The Grand Declaration of War," in the year 2000. There are more parallels I could get into, such as the fact that Florida Death Metal was one of the main verbal targets of Nordic Black Metal elitism, but as I said it just gets too big and I encourage readers to look into this themselves.
"After a night of destruction Kevin Foster [Florida Lords of Chaos ringleader] decided that they should form a militia dedicated to reigning terror upon the community. The creation of the group's symbol ( ( Ø ) ) came from an in joke involving a question Foster missed on a math test..."
As stated in the above Wiki quote, this "empty set" symbol represented the Florida Lords of Chaos Teen Militia group. But it is also a Scandinavian letter. This same symbol was placed in the above poster for the film adaptation of Moynihan's book. Of all Scandinavian characters they could have chosen, was this one in particular used merely because it "looks cool and adds a vaguely Nordic touch" or was it put there because it is the exact symbol used by the Florida Teen Militia? The symbol could not have been used in a more literal way, if you think about it. It's embedded in the name itself! There is also a scene in the film where the characters are staring at themselves in the mirror and Dead announces "we are the Lords of Chaos!" Well actually, no, you are not - the Florida teen militia group goes/went by that name, not the Nordic musicians portrayed in the film - but if you say so Mr scriptwriter!
[Trinity Church , a worship service formerly belonging to the Trinity Church Methodist Assembly in Stockholm , Majorsgatan 5–7, not far from Östermalmstorg . In 2014, the church location was sold to director Jonas Åkerlund.] -Wiki, Sweden
"Swedish church could be rock 'n' roll venue"
"Lady Gaga's video producer, Swede Jonas Akerlund, has bought a 120 year old church in Stockholm, Sweden for an unknown amount of money. He and his company, J Å Sweden AB, plan to use it for cultural activities. “It is a great sadness for us to have to sell it,” says Pastor Solveig Högberg of the historic Holy Trinity Methodist Church in Östermalm, Stockholm, which had been for sale because the congregation no longer has the capacity and means to manage the building. “But it still feels good that it will be used for cultural activities and not as offices as some other buyers wanted.” Jonas Åkerlund has produced music videos for Madonna, Metallica and Lady Gaga, among others. "- http://www.nordstjernan.com
[Metal Injection] "Back in 2014, it was a kind of metal news that you had purchased a church which caused some confusion. Did that church actually come in handy during the filming of Lords of Chaos?"
[Akerlund] "Unfortunately not. I wish. I still have it in Stockholm and it’s uh… it’s been under r-renovation for a time and it’s…it’s…it’s…it’s uh…yeah, it’s a fun project…."
[MI] "So it’s strictly just a renovation project?"
[Akerlund] "Yeah I mean it’s pretty big I mean and it was bad uh..it was in very bad condition when I bought it so..we been trying to save it and uh um fix it up, yeah.."
If you read the text version of the above Metal Injection interview, the stutters are taken out. But watching the video reveals no less than 10 stutters in Akerlund's short answers above. The part where he says "it's" 4 times is not an exaggeration. Akerlund got very nervous answering these. I was going to spend some time exploring why, but again, digressed too far from the topic. But if I were to write a headline for an article on this topic exclusively, it would probably read something like:
"Former Drummer of Satanic Black Metal Band buys Church, Directs film about Church Burnings"
Last bit of information is in reference to the wife of former Bathory drummer Jonas Akerlund. Bea Akerlund has worked with many of the same artists as her husband, including Lady Gaga and Madonna - but also bands like Ghost - in costume design. If you watch the youtube promotional videos for her Ikea furniture product line, you will find many motifs which are mentioned in books on the topic of mind control, such as the black/white line/checkered theme and Alice in Wonderland references. But what really struck me was this strange pillow in her product line...
When I first looked at this, I saw the word WHORE. I didn't know why, I just saw it for a second. Then I realized it does say BE A WHORE, but in an abstract manner, when the letters are shifted around. Something else that stands out is the fact that when you remove all the letters which spell out "BE A WHORE," what is left are the letters Y-O-U. The fact that the letter W functions both as a W and an E makes this harder to pass off, as all the letters, including the hidden E, can be switched around to exactly spell out YOU BE A WHORE without one single extra letter left out, or added.
I thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, until I started watching her promotional videos, and on this particular one titled "IKEA + Bea Åkerlund – OMEDELBAR tillfällig kollektion" you can clearly hear that the first thing she says is: BE A WHORE. Now, she can also be heard as saying BEA FOR IKEA. And I am sure that is what people would insist she is saying. But if you pay attention to her phrasing, there are distinct pauses for emphasis before and after the word "whore." Written out, it might look like this: "BE-A....WHORE..." Her voice is also very low and she sounds drugged out and/or sleep deprived to be honest. Turned on even, which is nothing out of the ordinary in advertising. Nonetheless, strange way to advertise furniture I'd say!
From the logical left brain view, it seems like you are being encouraged to think for yourself. "bewhoyouare!" But covertly, it's actually SUGGESTING on how to view yourself, simultaneously to a different part of the brain - using more of an abstract "right brain" delivery method. Just watching this short video almost makes you feel dizzy, certainly designed to be hypnotic.
As stated earlier, this gets into a whole other topic worthy of discussion and research that I simply could not begin to fit into a blog about Bathory. But considering this is the wife of Jonas Akerlund, it does support the idea that both Jonas and Bea are part of a larger intelligence campaign of some sort, which uses entertainment, fashion, and even furniture style to forward their agendas. This agenda may just be about making money, but it may very well be much more than that.
Here is my latest blog:
The Letter that Shall not be Named
Others I have done...
The Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott Murder
The Chris Cornell Death
Star Wars and the Occult
America: Land of the Plumed Serpent
THE WATCHMEN SERIES
