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]
The Return of Funeral Winds
Graveland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dark feelings arise in my wind
I remember when I was watching
In your mystic red eyes, master !
I remember when you gave me this secret
and I got eternal immortality
We were drinking human blood
We became the Dark Evil beast
Like the spirits without bodies
We were flying in the sky
Our hearts we've lost in dust
Then other dimension invited us !
EVIL - it sounds like nocturnal howling
of wolves thirsty for the blood
Darkness - it looks like an ultimate
form of everlasting night
BLOOD - it tastes like a wine
from the blackest grapes of sin
And I known the final destiny
I saw the dark gates of graveland
So I entered the world of Darkness
Where the sun has died in the past
Walking by the path of another world
I kiss the magical Arcan...
And now we are the same again
with my Great - Master - Baphomet !
I used the Powers of Darkness
for my spiritual rebirth
Light of Lucifer inflamed my way
So I'll be back like funeral wind...
The song "The Return of Funeral Winds" by the Polish black metal band Graveland speaks of the memories and experiences of the singer in the world of darkness. The lyrics convey the experience of indulging in the dark and evil forces, as the singer remembers drinking human blood with his master, who gave him the secret of eternal immortality. The focus is on the emotions and feelings that arise in the singer's mind, as he recounts the moments in the past when he was transformed into a dark, evil beast. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the world of darkness, where the sun has died, and the only light is the light of Lucifer.
One of the interesting interpretations of the lyrics is that it speaks of the initiation into the black metal subculture, which is often associated with a fascination for the dark and evil forces. The lyrics describe the feelings and emotions of an individual who has willingly given in to the pull of darkness and found a sense of belonging in the underground world of black metal.
Another interesting aspect of the song is the use of metaphors and imagery to describe the various facets of darkness. The lyrics describe how evil sounds like nocturnal howling, darkness looks like everlasting night, and blood tastes like wine from the blackest grapes of sin. These complex and layered metaphors convey the richness and depth of the black metal subculture and the allure of the dark forces.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold winds bring me the memories
As the cold winds blow, my mind is flooded with memories
Dark feelings arise in my mind
Memories of dark and ominous times fill me with unsettling emotions
I remember when I was watching
I recall a moment when I was merely observing
In your mystic red eyes, master !
I was gazing into the mystical, red eyes of my master
I remember when you gave me this secret
I have vivid recollection of when you entrusted me with a secret
and I got eternal immortality
This secret bestowed upon me the gift of eternal life
We were drinking human blood
Together, we drank the dark elixir of human blood
We became the Dark Evil beast
Our consumption of blood transformed us into unrelenting beasts of darkness and evil
Like the spirits without bodies
We resembled ethereal spirits without physical forms
We were flying in the sky
We soared through the sky as though weightless
Our hearts we've lost in dust
Amidst our quest for power, our hearts were left behind and forgotten
Then other dimension invited us !
We were beckoned into a deeper, otherworldly dimension
EVIL - it sounds like nocturnal howling
The very concept of 'evil' evokes images of wolves howling in the night
of wolves thirsty for the blood
Starving wolves driven mad by their thirst for blood
Darkness - it looks like an ultimate
The depths of darkness appear to be a gateway to ultimate power and darkness
form of everlasting night
A form of perpetual darkness that never fades into daylight
BLOOD - it tastes like a wine
The taste of blood is reminiscent of the finest wine
from the blackest grapes of sin
This blood has been harvested from the darkest and most sinful deeds
And I known the final destiny
I am certain of my final fate
I saw the dark gates of graveland
I have witnessed the entrance to an underworld known as Graveland
So I entered the world of Darkness
Undaunted, I stepped boldly into this realm of perpetual darkness
Where the sun has died in the past
In this world, the sun has long since been snuffed out
Walking by the path of another world
I walk down a path not meant for the living
I kiss the magical Arcan...
I take part in a mystical ritual by kissing the Arcan
And now we are the same again
I have become one with my Master once more
with my Great - Master - Baphomet !
I am reunited with my all-powerful leader, the Great Master Baphomet
I used the Powers of Darkness
I have harnessed the supernatural abilities of darkness and evil
for my spiritual rebirth
Through these powers, I have undergone a spiritual rebirth
Light of Lucifer inflamed my way
I have been guided by the fiery light of the fallen angel, Lucifer
So I'll be back like funeral wind...
Just as the funeral wind carries the deceased souls to the underworld, I too shall return to the land of the living
Contributed by Colton K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.