Church burning & satanism - Norwegian black metal and the Count

During the early 1990's a new subculture and music scene arose, it got much media attention and it was a big fuzz in the public because of murders and church torching.
This subculture was like a cult at the time and the communities core members often referred to them self as "The Black Circle". They were mostly young men in the age 16-22 who usually gathered at the record shop "hell" in the Norwegian capital (Oslo). They often presented extreme anti-christian views when they were interviewed by the media, they were "satanists". They wanted to spread hatred and terror, and they did.

During 1992 a wave of church burning's occurred, four years later there had been a total of 50 attacks in Norway. Every caught culprit was a black metal'er.
Some of the churches were hundreds of years old and historical landmarks, the church that got torched first was the Fantoft Stave Church.
Varg Vikernes of the band Burzum was later found guilty of arson, among other things.

Varg Vikernes arrest and trial 1994

Varg Vikernes is the name most Norwegians think of first when black metal from the 90's are mentioned, not because of the music. But because of the terror he caused.

• Burned down Holmenkollen chapel church, Skjold Church & Åsane church.
• He was found guilty of murder, the victim was Mayhem guitarist Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth
• Attempted arson a fifth church
• For theft and storage of 150 kilos of explosives

The explosives was supposed to be used to bomb the Nidaros Cathedral, there were several culprits in this event.

Those convicted showed no regret or remorse for their actions, they were doing these awful acts to retaliate against Christianity in Norway.

Total list of church burning's:

1992:

May 23: attempted burning of Storetveit Church in Bergen[63]
Jun 6: burning of Fantoft stave church in Bergen[63] – Varg Vikernes is strongly suspected as the culprit, but was not convicted.[63]
Aug 1: burning of Revheim Church in Stavanger[63]
Aug 21: burning of Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo[63] – Varg Vikernes and Faust were convicted for this; Euronymous also participated, but was murdered in August 1993.[5][8][64]
Sep 1: burning of Ormøya Church in Oslo[63]
Sep 13: burning of Skjold Church in Vindafjord[63] – Varg Vikernes and Samoth were convicted for this.
Oct 3: burning of Hauketo Church in Oslo.[61]
Dec 24: burning of Åsane Church in Bergen[1] – Varg Vikernes and Jørn Inge Tunsberg were convicted for this.[1]
Dec 25: burning of a Methodist church in Sarpsborg[1] – a firefighter was killed while fighting this fire.[1]
1993:
Feb 7: burning of Lundby New Church in Gothenburg, Sweden

1994:
Mar 13: burning of a church in Sund
Mar 27: burning of Seegård Church in Snertingdal
May 16: attempted burning of Gol stave church in Buskerud
May 17: attempted burning of Åmodt Chapel in Buskerud
Jun 4: burning of Frogn Church in Drøbak
Jun 19: attempted burning of Heni Church in Gjerdrum
Jul 7: burning of a church in Jeløy
Jul 21: attempted burning of Odda's Church
Aug 13: attempted burning of Loop Chapel in Meldal
Dec 10: attempted burning of Åkra Church
Dec 22: attempted burning of Askim Church
Dec 26: attempted burning of Klemestrud Church

1995:
May 13: burning of Lord Church in Telemark
May 25: burning of Såner Church in Vestby
Jun 14: burning of Moe Church in Sandefjord
Jul 21: attempted burning of a church college in Eidanger
Sep 3: attempted burning of Vågsbygd church college in Oddernes
Nov 3: burning of Innset Church in Rennebu

Source: Wikipedia

In January 1993 a article appeared in on of Norway's biggest newspapers called Bergens Tidende, where two friends of Varg Vikernes had performed an interview of Varg using the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh"
Varg there claimed to have burned down the churches and killing a man.
Journalist Finn Bjørn Tønder was able to set up a interview with Varg, he was led to a apartment and told that if the police were called he would be shot.
During the interview Varg told Finn that he or someone he knew had torched the churches and that the attacks would continue. They claimed to worship the devil and said:

Our intention is to spread fear and evil ... that is why we are telling this to Bergens Tidende

Varg Vikernes served 15 years in prison, in 2009 he was released on probation.

Varg Vikernes 2016