Darken sees himself as a Heathen and Christianity as the worst enemy of white Europeans. He exalts the latter’s return to their ancestors' heritage, and has spoken out against “race mixing”.[2] On the Graveland EP Raise Your Sword!, he declares Heathendom to be the religion of white Europeans.
Darken has been accused of being a neo-Nazi. However, he has made statements to contradict this accusation, even speaking out against the Third Reich and their ideology: "I do not see any point in referring to NS because I do not see any point in referring to any ideologies that lost. It is against logic and eternal law of evolution"[3] and "If you are White proud of being White and proud of your forefathers faith, if you politically incorrect, if you dare to criticize the politicians and it you point at the existence of a strong powerful Jewish lobby supporting Israel – you are called nazi and anti-Semite. And the special institution start to persecute you. I am called ‘Nazi” but no one has any proof of my nazi background. They just repeat once heard someone else words having no proof of it."[4] And "In Poland many people refer to Slavonic heritage as many refer to German. And I think that those who refer to Slavonic culture are the majority but they do not make big show of it. For me there is no difference between pagan beliefs of Vikings and Slavs. The names are different but the core is the same. Different stories but the same Gods with the same attributes. The ideologist of the Third Reich were responsible for the division between German Aryan world and Slavonic world. They distorted the historical facts in order to separate from Eastern world. Communist did the same but they of course favouritized [sic] Slavs."[5] Yet, in a 2006 interview with Decibel, he stated that "Graveland is regarded as a NSBM band because of my political convictions, [which] most people would call extreme right-wing National Socialist convictions," and "people I played with were Satanists and they were not interested in paganism. Due to these differences, we finally started to walk separate ways and Graveland became [a] one-man band again. I understood that I could not support Satanism [because it] was a part of Judeo-Christian religion. In the Third Reich, Satanists would end [up] in gas chambers."[6] In the same interview, he stated "I do not see any point in referring to [National Socialism] because I do not see any point in referring to any ideologies that lost. It is against logic and the eternal law of evolution. I think that white men should search for new ideas that would be well adapted for the current reality and the problems of [the] contemporary world."[6]
Barbarism Returns
Graveland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We stand covered by Black shroud
We await the moon and wind
Fire burning on the altar
Burnt the incautious spirits
By it's red glare, awoke the magic stones
We've united good and evil
We've created the highest power
Blood from the scars of wounded Gods
Runes engraved by Devils
Besmeared by the Black Blood
In the Glare of furious lightning's
Spell of the damned runic words
Altar of uncoagulated blood
Altar surrounded by the women-wolves
The words pledged to moon
We repeat incantations written in blood
Spirits come and walk among us
We curse their fear and awe
We curse our mercy
May my soul burn in the fore of purity
Evil wind tears the trees
Moon hidden over the clouds
Black smoke teases our eyes
Burnt blood charms by it's smell
Night of the ultimate darkness
Elected it's sacrifice, it's tribute
Feeding by our fear and our pain
The lyrics of Graveland's song "Barbarism Returns" describe a ritualistic ceremony performed by a group of people who await the moon and the wind. They are covered by a black shroud and have a fire burning on an altar. The fire is described as having burnt the incautious spirits and has awoken the magic stones. The group claims to have created the highest power by uniting good and evil, using the magic and might of dark blood, blood from the scars of wounded gods engraved with runes by devils and besmeared with black blood.
The lyrics also describe an altar with uncoagulated blood surrounded by women-wolves, with the words pledged to the moon. The group repeats incantations written in blood and spirits come and walk among them. They curse their own mercy and pledge to let their soul burn in the fire of purity. The night is described as the ultimate darkness and selected sacrifice is given to feed on fear and pain.
Overall, the lyrics promote a sinister and barbaric ideology that is full of occult and mystical symbolism. The song presents a dark and nihilistic worldview that glorifies chaos, destruction, and bloodlust.
Line by Line Meaning
Living, dead and dying
We, as a collective, include those that are currently living, already dead and those in the process of dying.
We stand covered by Black shroud
We are clothed in a black shroud, which may symbolize our connection to death or the underworld.
We await the moon and wind
We are waiting for both the moon and wind, which could indicate our focus on nature and the cyclical nature of time.
Fire burning on the altar
A fire is burning on an altar, which could be used for performing rituals or offering sacrifices.
Burnt the incautious spirits
The spirits that were not careful enough have been burnt by the fire, which may represent the danger of engaging with dark forces.
By it's red glare, awoke the magic stones
The magic stones were awakened by the fire's red glare, which suggests that they may have been imbued with power or significance.
We've united good and evil
We have combined elements of good and evil, possibly to create balance or to draw power from both sources.
We've created the highest power
Our combination of good and evil has resulted in the creation of a powerful force, which may be used for our purposes.
Magic and might of dark blood
Our power comes from the magic and might of dark blood, which could symbolize both the literal and metaphysical qualities of blood.
Blood from the scars of wounded Gods
Our blood comes from the scars of wounded gods, which may refer to the sacrifice of deities or our own spiritual wounds.
Runes engraved by Devils
The runes we use have been engraved by devils, which suggests that they may have dark or sinister connotations.
Besmeared by the Black Blood
The runes have been stained or covered by black blood, which could represent the power or essence of our rituals.
In the Glare of furious lightning's
We are surrounded by lightning, which could represent the power or energy created by our rituals or the danger of invoking dark forces.
Spell of the damned runic words
We are casting a spell using the runic words, which may have a negative or malevolent effect on our surroundings or targets.
Altar of uncoagulated blood
Our altar is made of uncoagulated blood, which could represent the power or vitality of our rituals or the danger of engaging with dark forces.
Altar surrounded by the women-wolves
Women that are associated with wolves surround our altar, which could indicate the feminine power or the transformative and dangerous nature of both wolves and women.
The words pledged to moon
Our words are pledged to the moon, which may represent our focus on lunar cycles or the feminine power of the moon.
We repeat incantations written in blood
We are repeating incantations that were written in blood, which could represent the power or danger of our rituals.
Spirits come and walk among us
Spirits are summoned and are present with us, which suggests that our rituals have been successful in invoking spiritual entities.
We curse their fear and awe
We want to inflict harm or negative consequences on the spirits that we have summoned, possibly to assert our dominance or to gain power over them.
We curse our mercy
We are rejecting the notion of mercy or compassion, possibly to reinforce our power or connection to dark forces.
May my soul burn in the fore of purity
The artist is willing to sacrifice their own soul in the pursuit of purity, which could represent a devotion to their beliefs or a willingness to accept the consequences of their actions.
Evil wind tears the trees
The wind is evil and destructive, which could represent the harmful or negative effects of our rituals or our invocation of dark forces.
Moon hidden over the clouds
The moon is hidden behind clouds, which could represent the hidden or secretive nature of our rituals or the concealment of our true motivations.
Black smoke teases our eyes
We are surrounded by black smoke, which could represent the destruction or corruption caused by our rituals or the danger of engaging with dark forces.
Burnt blood charms by it's smell
The smell of burnt blood is alluring or captivating, which suggests that our rituals may have a transformative or addictive quality.
Night of the ultimate darkness
This is a night of extreme darkness, possibly symbolizing the dark energies or consequences of our rituals.
Elected it's sacrifice, it's tribute
We have chosen a sacrifice or tribute for this night, possibly to appease or invoke dark forces.
Feeding by our fear and our pain
Our fear and pain are being used to feed or fuel the dark forces that we are invoking, possibly representing the corrupting or destructive nature of our rituals.
Contributed by Kylie N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.