''Hail Satan'', sometimes
Latinized as ''Ave Satanas'' or ''Ave Satana'', is an exclamation used by some
Satanists
Satanism refers to a group of Religion, religious, Ideology, ideological, or Philosophy, philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Because of the ties to the historical Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic reli ...
to invoke the name of
Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
in contexts ranging from sincere expression to comedy or satire.
The
Satanic Temple uses the phrase as a sincere expression of rational inquiry removed from
supernaturalism
Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanings since the an ...
and archaic tradition-based superstitions.
Believers in
backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a message is recorded backward onto a track that is meant to be played forward. It is a deliberate process, whereas a message found through phonetic reversal may be unintentional.
Artists have used ...
think they can hear "Hail Satan" and other similar messages in some songs played in reverse, such as "
Walk This Way
"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album '' Toys in the Attic'' (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboa ...
" by
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
. The grammatically questionable variation ''
Ave Satani
"Ave Satani" is the theme song to the 1976 film ''The Omen'', which is composed by Jerry Goldsmith. ''The Omen'' won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, with ''Ave Satani'' nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Song, Best Original ...
'' is sometimes used, based on the title by
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was consid ...
in his theme music to ''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Sp ...
''.
Cultural history
The phrase "Hail Satan" is documented as early as 1808, where it is said in the poem ''The Monk of Cambray'' by an evil
monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
who uses his pact with Satan to advance in the ranks of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
(and finally become
Pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
).
The Latin version ''Ave Satanas'' (in its variant spelling ''Ave Sathanas''), often appears in literature at least from the 1800s, notably in the popular 1895
faust
Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
ian novel ''
The Sorrows of Satan
''The Sorrows of Satan'' is an 1895 Faustian novel by Marie Corelli. It is widely regarded as one of the world's first best-sellers – partly due to an upheaval in the system British libraries used to purchase their books, and partly due to it ...
'', and earlier in an 1862 play ''
St. Clement's Eve'' (in reference to satanic undertakings supposed to take place at midnight in a district of Paris). After the phrase "Hail Satan" appeared in the
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
book ''
Rosemary's Baby'' by
Ira Levin
Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1967), '' The Stepford Wives'' (1972), '' This Perf ...
and the 1968
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of it, where it is said by Satanists when they believe Satan's will has been accomplished, and had also appeared in other films and in stock footage, the phrase became part of the common conception of what Satanists say.
Some film actors were reluctant to say it, and of those who did said they felt they experienced negative life events afterwards, such as divorce.
Coinciding with its appearance in ''Rosemary's Baby'', the phrase became a common greeting and ritual term in the
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan (CoS) is a religious organization dedicated to the religion of LaVeyan Satanism, Satanism as defined by Anton Szandor LaVey. Founded in San Francisco in 1966, by Anton LaVey, LaVey, it is considered the "oldest satanic reli ...
(founded in 1966), both in its English form, ''Hail Satan'', as well as in the Latin version of it, ''Ave Satanas''. When ''Ave Satanas'' was used, it was often preceded by the term ''Rege Satanas'' ("Reign, Satan"). (''Rege Satanas'' can be heard in the video of a widely publicized Church of Satan wedding performed by LaVey on February 1, 1967.) The combination "''Rege Satanas, Ave Satanas, Hail Satan!''" is found as a greeting in early Church of Satan correspondence, as well as in their 1968 recording ''
The Satanic Mass
''The Satanic Mass: Recorded Live at the Church of Satan'' is the first released audio recording of a Satanic ritual by high priest Anton Szandor LaVey, recorded September 13, 1967 at Church of Satan headquarters, known as The Black House. The ...
'', and ultimately in their 1969 book ''
The Satanic Bible
''The Satanic Bible'' is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It is the central religious text of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma. It has been descr ...
''. The same combination also appeared in 1969 in the non-Church of Satan record album by the rock band
Coven
A coven () is a group or gathering of Witchcraft, witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English lan ...
, in a 13 minute long "Satanic Mass" of their own. The use of "Hail Satan" by Coven (as well as their use of the
sign of the horns
The sign of the horns is a hand gesture with a variety of meanings and uses in various cultures. It is formed by extending the index finger, index and little fingers while holding the middle finger, middle and ring fingers down with the thum ...
and
inverted cross
The inverted cross, also known as the upside-down cross, is a symbol that has been used in both Christian and anti-Christian contexts. Historically, it is most commonly associated with Saint Peter, who, according to tradition, was crucified upsi ...
es on the same album) was the first time this phrase was used in rock music. The phrase is used in some versions of the
Black Mass
A Black Mass is a ceremony celebrated by various Satanic groups. It has allegedly existed for centuries in different forms, and the modern form is intentionally a sacrilegious and blasphemous parody of a Catholic Mass.
In the 19th century the ...
, where it often accompanies the phrase "
shemhamforash" and is said at the end of each prayer. This rite was performed by the
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan (CoS) is a religious organization dedicated to the religion of LaVeyan Satanism, Satanism as defined by Anton Szandor LaVey. Founded in San Francisco in 1966, by Anton LaVey, LaVey, it is considered the "oldest satanic reli ...
appearing in the documentary ''
Satanis'' in 1969.
Some
occultists accompany it with similar addresses to other gods or figures they revere. Rituals involving the phrase tend to be more likely to be mentioned in the press at Halloween.
"
Ave Satani
"Ave Satani" is the theme song to the 1976 film ''The Omen'', which is composed by Jerry Goldsmith. ''The Omen'' won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, with ''Ave Satani'' nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Song, Best Original ...
", the theme song for ''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Sp ...
'' (1976), written by
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was consid ...
, which won him an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
, has a title which is intended to mean "Hail Satan" in Latin, in opposition to "Ave Christi". (The song contains other Latin phrases inverting Christ, such as "Ave Versus Christi", meaning "Hail Anti-Christ", and "Corpus Satani", an inversion of "Corpus Christi", the body of Christ). The song has been described as hair-raising and has inspired cover versions such as those by
Fantômas
Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914).
One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...
or
Gregorian. The music is used in comic portrayals of stock "sinister" characters, for instance in the ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'' episode "
Woodland Critter Christmas", which involves devil-worshiping woodland creatures, a version of the "Ave Satani" is heard in the background when the animals use their demonic powers; also the episode's
commercial bumpers involving a squirrel saying "Hail Satan!" The chant is also parodied in the episode "
Damien", where Damien is accompanied by the chant "Rectus Dominus Cheesy Poofs."
In 1985, the phrase received national news coverage in the United States when
serial killer
A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone:
*
*
*
*
* (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
Richard Ramirez
Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez (; February 29, 1960 – June 7, 2013), better known as Richard Ramirez, was an American serial killer and sex offender whose killing spree occurred in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area in the ...
, known as the "Night Stalker", shouted "Hail Satan!" as he was led from the courtroom, while raising his hand with a
pentagram
A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle around ...
drawn onto it.
Members of Ramirez's family denied that he said the phrase, believing that he said "We'll see," but "Hail Satan" was still being used by journalists over twenty years later as being characteristic of Ramirez. In reviewing whether Ramirez was deprived of his
due process
Due process of law is application by the state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to a case so all legal rights that are owed to a person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual p ...
and
right to a fair trial
A fair trial is a trial which is "conducted fairly, justly, and with procedural regularity by an impartial judge". Various rights associated with a fair trial are explicitly proclaimed in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, th ...
by being restrained by leg shackles, the
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the judiciary of California, courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly ...
itself highlighted Ramirez's use of "Hail Satan" to support its conclusion that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in ordering Ramirez to be physically restrained during trial.
The phrase may be used ironically by heavy metal fans as part of their rebellious ethos.
Heavy metal musicians may use it as part of their act or their songs, such as ''
Hail Satanas We Are the Black Legions
''Hail Satanas We Are the Black Legions'' is the first studio recording by French black metal band Mütiilation. The recording pays a direct homage to The Black Legions, which Mütiilation had recently joined at the time of the EP's release. It ...
'' by
Mütiilation
Mütiilation is a French black metal project, traditionally known as a group, but later slimmed to a solo act that consisted solely of founder William "Meyhna'ch" Roussel who maintained activity under the name until its closing in 2017. He late ...
. Heavy metal musicians, for instance
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
, a member of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
, rarely consider themselves to be Satanists, instead using it as part of their stage
persona
A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...
, a
role
A role (also rôle or social role) is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation. It is an
expected or free or continuously changing behavior and may have a given indi ...
they play. ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' Season 4 Winner
Sharon Needles has a song called "Hail Satan", in which she cites icons from the satanic culture.
John Darnielle, discussing the closing refrain of "Hail Satan" in
the Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats are a United States band formed in Claremont, California, Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole me ...
song "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton," asserted that "if you believe in Satan, then you believe in God." In an episode of the podcas
''I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats'' Darnielle described recording this line: "The Hail Satan wasn’t written down; it was a spontaneous eruption
uring recording but it felt like a religious confession. Not obviously the dark principal that people talk about… the Satan, John Milton’s Satan. That’s not what that means. It means a celebration of two people being true to themselves. It’s a celebration of that later satanic principal of self knowledge which isn’t really satanic at all, it’s actually God-like."
The ubiquity of the phrase has led to it being used in
parodic imitation of
evangelism
Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...
, as with the ''
Mr. Show with Bob and David'' sketch "Hail Satan Network" which includes characters who are Satanic
televangelists.
It received another humorous use when ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' character
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew Jo-Jo "Bart" Simpson is a character in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' who is part of the titular family. Bart made his television debut in the short " Good Night" on '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' on Apri ...
was punished for using it to end the
Pledge of Allegiance
The U.S Pledge of Allegiance is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States. The first version was written in 1885 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army o ...
in the episode "
Burns' Heir" (1994).
"Ave Satanas" is chanted in episode 5 of ''
American Horror Story: Cult'' and more prominently throughout ''
American Horror Story: Delicate''.
Reputation
Some of those who believe in
backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a message is recorded backward onto a track that is meant to be played forward. It is a deliberate process, whereas a message found through phonetic reversal may be unintentional.
Artists have used ...
, along with some
Christian fundamentalists
Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...
, believe messages such as "Hail Satan" may
subliminally inspire people to do evil, a view which may have received some reinforcement when the phrase was used as part of the vandalizing of churches, but its use then might have been the expression of a general anti-religious sentiment, as suggested by its use along with slogans such as "Think, don't Pray". Vandalism accompanying it may include the
anarchy symbol or other slogans intended to shock, such as
racial slurs
The following is a list of ethnic slurs, ethnophaulisms, or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnic, national, or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorati ...
. It can accompany symbols such as a
swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...
, inverted pentagram, or inverted cross. Such vandalism is usually by rebellious young people rather than Satanists, whose activities are not often criminal.
Rick Alan Ross, an
anti-cultist and
deprogrammer, referred to the murder trial of
Scott Peterson, in which the defense made the claim that the killings were by a "Satanic cult" rather than the defendant. Ross called this a ridiculous manifestation of the
Satanic panic, referred to it as a "Hail Satan Pass", similar to the
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with a very small chance of achieving a completion (American football), completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes r ...
in football,
a desperate and unlikely attempt.
References
{{LaVeyan Satanism
Religious terminology
Satanism
Left-Hand Path
Heavy metal subculture