Latin and Black Metal

[Zephyrus]

Spot on, Nick.

And thanks for giving something to do this morning:

Good please translate

Secrets of the Moon - Metamorphoses

Aurea prima sata est aetas, quae vindice nullo
Sponte sua, sine lege fidem rectumque colebat.

Postquam Saturna tenebrosa in Tartara misso
Sub love mundus erat, sublit argentea proles,
Auro deterior, fulvo pretiosior aere.

Tertia past illam succesit aena proles,
Saevior ingenlis et ad horrida promptior arma,
Non scelerata tamen. De duro est ultima ferro.
Protinus inrupit venae peioris in aevum
Omne nefas: fugere pudor verumque fidesque;

Neve foret terries securior arduus aether,
Adfectasse renum caeleste gigantas
Altaque congestos struxisse ad sidera montes.
Tùm pater omnipotens misso perfregit Olympum
Fulmine et excussit subiectae Pelion Ossae
Obruta mole sua cum corpora dira iacerent,
Inmaduisse ferunt calidumque animasse cruorem,
Et, ne nulla suae stirpis monimenta manerent,
In faciem vertisse hominum. Sed et illa propago
Contemptrix superum saevaeque avidissima caedis
Et violenta fuit: scires e sanguine natos.​

First there stood a golden age, which of its own accord maintained loyalty and justice without laws or a protector.

After Saturn was cast into the darkness of Hell, the world was under Jupiter’s command, and there lived a race of silver, lesser than gold, but more precious than fulvous bronze.

Succeeding this was a third race of bronze, of a more savage nature and more eager for bloody wars, though not without honor. Down from this came a final age of cold hard iron. Henceforth every form of evil has burst into an age of lesser purity: all sense of modesty, truth and loyalty fled away;

There will never come upon these lands a more cheerful atmosphere, when the giants challenged the gods’ dominion and stacked heaps of mountains toward the lofty stars. Then the omnipotent Father struck Olympus with a thunderbolt and crushed Pelion buried beneath the mass of Ossa below it, then their brawny bodies fell beneath all that, and they said that he drowned them in boiling blood yet never let them die, and, so that no monuments of their race should remain, he turned them into human form. But their offspring became scornful of the gods, violent and eager for savagery and slaughter: learn to recognize those born of this blood.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Fulvous is a fucking cool word.

 

[Zephyrus]

It's the best translation of "fulvo" because to say yellow for bronze makes it look like gold.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Tawny is apparently a good synonym.

 

[Zephyrus]

Not to describe a metal.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

True, stick with fulvous, what a badass fucking word.

 

[Dee Snarl]

The use of Latin in black metal goes back directly to the Black Mass in "Classical" Satanism (as opposed to LaVey-type Satanism). This Satanism, which existed mostly in stories and Christian scare tactics, was all about perversion of Christianity (Catholicism). This was epitomized by the Black Mass, a perversion of the Catholic Mass. Naturally, this parody would use Latin and bastard forms of it. This explains why so much Classical Satanic iconography is so related to the Roman Catholic tradition. This mostly imaginary "religion" was little more than a reaction to Christianity. This is the Satanism that the Norwegians adopted, rejecting LaVey, and that's why there's so much Christian iconography throughout modern black metal.

 

[Einherjar86]

The best conclusion I can draw is this: Latin is the official language of Catholicism, the True Church, which is abounding in ritual, though Christian. So to use such a language in Satanic rites serves as powerful irony. To dedicate yourself to Satan the same way Catholics dedicate themselves to God poses a strong contrast.

It's also interesting because Latin was an initially pagan language. By using Latin in their music, it seems as though black metal artists can achieve a sense of irony (because of what you said about Catholicism) as well as a unity with ancient pagan ideals. I think the language also appeals because of its antiquity, since it was the language used for some of the most famous and influential epic poetry.

 

[NecronomiconMortis]

Nihil Proficiat Inimicus In Nobis.