Musicians and fans of the Norwegian black metal scene took part in over 50 arsons of Christian churches in Norway from June 1992 to 1996.[63] Some of the buildings were hundreds of years old and seen as important historical landmarks. One of the first and most notable was Norway's Fantoft stave church, which police believed was burnt by Varg Vikernes of the one-
Murder of Euronymous[edit source | editbeta]
In early 1993, animosity arose between Euronymous and Vikernes.[82] On the night of 10 August 1993, Varg Vikernes (of Burzum) and Snorre 'Blackthorn' Ruch (of Thorns) drove from Bergen to Euronymous's apartment in Oslo. Upon their arrival a confrontation began and Vikernes fatally stabbed Euronymous. His body was found on the stairs outside the apartment with 23 cut wounds – two to the head, five to the neck, and sixteen to the back.[83]
It has been speculated that the murder was the result of either a power struggle, a financial dispute over Burzum records or an attempt at "outdoing" a stabbing in Lillehammer the year before by Faust.[84] Vikernes denies all of these, claiming that he attacked Euronymous in self-defense. He says that Euronymous had plotted to stun him with an electroshock weapon, tie him up and torture him to death while videotaping the event.[58] He said Euronymous planned to use a meeting about an unsigned contract to ambush him.[58][85] On the night of the murder, Vikernes claims he intended to hand Euronymous the signed contract and "tell him to fuck off", but that Euronymous "panicked" and attacked him first.[85] He also claims that most of the cut wounds were caused by broken glass Euronymous had fallen on during the struggle.[85] The self-defense story is doubted by Faust[86] and other members of the scene.
Vikernes was arrested on 19 August 1993 in Bergen.[87] Many other members of the scene were taken in for questioning around the same time. Some of them