A video essay on the Serpentine Dragon as an Ideological Symbol in
Contemporary Swedish Black Metal. Bands discussed include Ondskapt, Grafvitnir, Mephorash, and Watain. The script and content of the video is adapted from a presentation I gave at a recent subcultures conference. Any mispronunciations of Nordic words is unintentional. I'm very open to discussion and criticism and invite constructive feedback on my research.

I highly recommend that anyone interested in theology and religion to check out the youtube channel Religion for Breakfast:

   / religionforbreakfast  

Other works cited include

"Satanic Bowels: Medieval Inversion and the Black Metal Grotesque" by Brenda S. Gardenour Walter. Walter, Brenda. (2019). Satanic Bowels: Medieval Inversion and the Black Metal Grotesque. 10.1108/978-1-78756-395-720191015.

"An Instinct for Dragons" by David E. Jones. Jones, D.E. (2003). An instinct for dragons. New York ; London: Routledge.

Music used: "Fall" by Amaltheia, from the self-titled 2022 debut LP.

Timestamps:

0:08 Content warning
0:31 Dissection and the MLO
2:30 Gnosticism and Gnostic cliché
4:23 Early black metal graphic design
4:38 Power metal dragons
5:03 Dragon source material
6:38 An Instinct for Dragons
7:08 The four bands to be discussed
7:36 Ondskapt
9:07 Grafvitnir
10:19 Mephorash
11:02 Watain
11:42 Visual commonalities
15:02 Possible interpretations
16:12 Conclusion

More videos likely to follow on other subjects in extreme metal graphic design and illustration. If you have an idea you'd like me to research, feel free to make suggestions.