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[the-annotated-antichrist]

The Annotated Antichrist is a fan-written deep dive into Therion's "metal musical with opera voices" Beloved Antichrist, a song-by-song breakdown with an analysis of the plot, the characters, the Biblical parallels. This is a periodic reminder of this blog for people who haven't seen it yet :)

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Hey, hello, buddy. I would like to ask you something. It turns out that I really liked the song "Who's your God?" from Therion, but not being an English speaker, it's hard for me to understand the lyrics. I would like to sing it, but it is impossible for me. Do you manage to know the complete lyrics of the song?

I wish! Lori's singing is pretty hard to understand in the bootlegs we have. I tried my best to transcribe the text, but her parts are tough. Also some words or lines are different in different versions:

All: Who's your only god? Tell me, who is he? I have seen the darkness inside. Lori: [sings something, I find it impossible to understand] Thomas: I am the one The one and only Who'll bring the darkness back into the light OR (in some versions): Who has the darkness inside of my heart Lori: [Sings something, I THINK she's saying "You think your rule will bring a brighter day", but I'm not sure] But I can see you will [take OR lead] us into darkness Linnea: Is he the [dark god OR darkness]? Is he the Antichrist? All: Who's your god? And what is his name?

Hope this helps a little, I would love to know the complete lyrics too, but this is all I could make out.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Isaiah 14:12-17

12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,

17 the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?"

[the-annotated-antichrist]

HERE BE SPOILERS!

If you keep scrolling, you'll see the posts about the LAST songs first. If you don't want that, click here to start at the beginning!

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 14 - Theme of Antichrist

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

If Beloved Antichrist were a film, this is the track that would play during the end credits. Nothing new happens, but much of the story is summed up. Also a devil/dragon type creature plays the drums in the video, we finally see Marcus Jupither's terrifying face (not really), and the female singers have found a glitch that gets them to the highest point of the map. ...I'm sorry. Look at these 90s video game graphics! A bold visual choice for sure, and not uncontroversial, but personally, I like it. This is also the only time Seth is explicitly called the "morning star".

[Choir:] He came to our world, to save us all from disaster In search of truth, to bring us hope for a new day But haunted by his pride, mirror of a lie, he was led astray Moving silence cold Visions to behold He would lose his way Antichrist Antichrist Antichrist [Apollonius:] A new kind of vision Nothing may be what it seems [Seth:] Consigned to the flames Bloodshed would rise from my dreams [Choir & Johanna:] Hallowed be thy name But what will remain More than empty words? Never take away questions from the Answers to the world [Seth, spoken:] "Path of night, where dark is light The only left to claim Only one, to travel on, which shall remain the same." [Helena:] Our bodies have parted But never our spirits Joined in my soul with him With the morning star forever more (ah-ah!) [Choir:] Antichrist Antichrist Who is good? Who is evil? Will we ever live to see the truth?

I thought I'd comment on the end of the story here instead of in the post about the last song so as to not lessen its spontaneous emotional impact.

The ending of BA was generally meant to be open and leave some room for interpretation, something that I think it achieves quite well. What was the place Seth and Johanna went to when they died? Where is God in all of this? What will become of the survivors of the battle - the children, the old and maybe certain disabled people? And will Apollonius try to influence the development of their society? What were Satan's true intentions when he contacted Seth? How would things have continued if Seth had been allowed to rule unchallenged?

However, Christofer stated that the end was also written with an eye toward how the audience might react: Had the Antichrist lost, metal fans might have been unhappy about it. But since the ambition behind BA was to create something that could also be staged for a general audience, an ending that sees the Antichrist come out on top might have alienated people without a metal background and allowed the work to be pigeon-holed as the "typical" satanic story a metal band would tell. Thus, an ending in which everyone would die was deemed best.

Indeed the end is quite different in the Solovyov book: There are some rebellions by Christians, but it's a minority movement. Most Christians (the "superficial" ones) continue to be enchanted by Pope Apollonius' "miracles and spectacles". Eventually the Jews rebel too, showing far greater unity. A "final battle of the two armies" nearly comes to pass here too, but the Antichrist and Apollonius end up dying in a volcanic eruption instead. Then the real Second Coming of Christ happens and the faithful Christians and Jews who had been killed by the Antichrist come back to life to rule with Jesus for a thousand years.

Solovyov, after all, was a Christian theologian and mystic and thus probably did not worry too much about whether his Short Story about the Antichrist might alienate a Satanist reader.

---

This is the end of the Annotated Antichrist series. If you've read this far, thank you for your attention! This was fun to write and I hope it was fun to read.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 13 - To Shine Forever

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

The music turns as sweet and gentle as it hasn't been in quite a while. Hand in hand, Johanna and Seth float into the sky. Sophia and Helena appear as spiritual beings and greet them. Mare, Agnes, an angel and a demon also appear. I wondered earlier how "heaven" is conceptualized in BA given that Apollonius states that Sophia was there, when we know she was actually in a place where Satan also was. Here, a demon appears alongside an angel while the main characters go to a place that might reasonably be assumed to be heaven, or a heaven-like place. Maybe the unification of all beings, the good and the evil, that Seth attempted on Earth has actually happened in the spiritual world?

Johanna and Seth are welcomed with no bitterness, only love. The union of the opposites has come to pass. There is light, then darkness, "only a bright star is visible."

[Mare & Agnes:] Melt your eyes, create a key to eternity [Agnes:] We had dreams Where are they now? The dreams in our hearts [Mare, angel & demon choir:] Ageless glass of light Turn it on its head and we shall fall Just like stars Through time into night Run and flow until dawn Rise to all the beauty in the darkness divine To shine forever

[Angel:] Bid farewell [Mare & Agnes:] Farewell

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Everybody die [x].

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 12 - Seeds of Time

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

Johanna and Seth are dying side by side. Surrounded by silence and dead bodies, with the all-deciding battle both won and lost, they contemplate their actions and for the first time see things from the perspective of the other.

The instrumental last 40 seconds of the preceding track are probably supposed to already set the mood for this song and give the characters time to think about their situation, because they start expressing their thoughts the moment this track starts. So picture them lying in silence for a while first.

Seth "regrets letting vanity curse his mind" when he could have been the greatest leader the world has ever known. Maybe paying lip service to Jesus would not have been such a big sacrifice if in return he could have had the utopia he had created instead of a horrible war that killed nearly all his adult citizens? And seeing how everything has fallen to ruins now, was he really better than Jesus? He had planned to unite humanity instead of dividing them, but the opposite has happened. Perhaps he even realizes how his "vanity" caused his relationship with Helena to be void of real mutuality.

Johanna is able to admit to herself that Seth really did make a lot of things better, even if he was the Antichrist. For the first time in her life she questions her faith and realizes that abstract notions of piety and lawfulness aren't all that matters. Was it really worth it? Johanna, who along with her friends pointed out to Seth that results aren't all that matters just before he showed himself to be the Antichrist, is now beginning to understand the opposite perspective as she sees the disastrous effects that her insistence on abstract virtues and God's non-negotiable law is partially responsible for.

"Attraction arises between them." Really, that's what the scene description says. Is this the most dramatic enemies-to-lovers ever? Is it more of a spiritual attraction? I'd say that's open to interpretation.

Johanna takes Seth's hand as they bleed out side by side.

[Seth:] Everything we held so close is lost A lonely world has long since gone to dust A weightless word, a rain of light A silver tear will fall on fields of gold [Seth:] If you touch my hand you'll seize the dark And reach the sadness of a woken heart [Johanna:] In the earth I dig to feel you near Your soil is black but I no longer fear [Seth:] A place that we can call our home... [Seth & Johanna:] ...will rise within a star and lead us there [Johanna:] Your hand in mine. [Seth & Johanna:] You and me. Who are we? Who is God? [Seth:] War of man is over [Seth & Johanna:] No one has the answers Of who will keep and Sow the seeds of time

Maybe it is at this point that both realize for the first time that the other one meant well. Their mutual hate has dissolved into understanding, self-reflection, and a kind of gentleness. They realize that in a way they wanted the same thing, were trying to answer the same questions. Johanna says that she does not fear Seth's "darkness" anymore and likens it to the black soil, which not only fits the titular "seeds" concept but also has far more positive connotations than the dark things she likened him to in the past. It's also an interesting parallel to how Seth likened his heart to a garden into which the seeds of time had been sown in "The Wasteland of my Heart". One could say that Satan sowed a seed in Seth and Helena, the gardener, tended to it until the world could eat its fruit - until she died, the garden fell to ruin and humanity was banished from its bliss. There are clear parallels to the story of the Garden of Eden as well of course.

The earlier version of this song called "Sad End", which has completely different lyrics but very similar content, is also interesting to watch once or twice - and then another time just for Thomas' and Lori's wonderful stage chemistry. Keep in mind though that Lori plays Helena in the recorded version (afaik there is no live version of this song with Chiara) and personally I think the live video shows very well why this role suits her. Caring and love seems to speak from every movement and glance while she sings.

The only line that both versions have in common is "Who is God?" A good question, since God does not appear at all in this work while Satan plays a very active role.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 11 - Striking Darkness

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

Nearly everyone who participated in the battle is dead. A few are still fighting, but it is clear that any victory will be a hollow one at this point. Seth is still standing. Suddenly, something causes him to turn around. Johanna has been sneaking up on him. The second he turns around, she stabs him in the chest with her holy dagger.

[Johanna:] In thy name, my Lord...

Dying, Seth slowly falls to the ground while she stares paralyzed with fright. But even though his strength is leaving him, Seth is able to raise his revolver and shoot Johanna in the stomach. She falls to the ground next to him.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 10 - My Voyage Carries On

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

Apollonius suddenly finds himself powerless. His arsenal of spells does not work anymore and his demons can't reach him.

[Demons:] Come to us now, Magic Master

Sophia's spirit rises behind the demons. Her magic has bound him and by her chanting she is able to turn Apollonius' demons against him. She is taking revenge for what he did to Johanna.

[Sophia:] Demons you did send To possess my Johanna My child!

He also killed her btw. I find it sort of touching that Sophia appears to avenge Johanna even though they were so estranged when she was alive. Sophia cares for Johanna despite their differences and even though Johanna would not even visit her at her deathbed.

Apollonius tries to defend himself from her magic, though not from her accusations.

[Apollonius:] Rest assured my lore will my soul defend Reach me you can never who are from heaven sent

It's interesting that he claims she's "from heaven sent". We the audience know that she actually met Satan in whatever astral afterlife she was in. Does Apollonius see anyone who opposes him as an agent of God? Or was Sophia in heaven, but Satan is allowed there?

[Demons:] Come to us now, Magic Master [Apollonius:] In this time and place, where will I go? Sophia, be cursed Eternally I shall haunt you [Sophia:] Not the only one with powers, magic man you are [Apollonius:] I will cast you out, you traitors of the spell Serpents of Sophia, be gone [Demons:] Here we are still, all by the light rejected And by your will in astral vaults created [Sophia:] Now from a kingdom of your own to the void you return

Apollonius makes some seemingly empty threats that don't appear to intimidate Sophia. He then threatens his own demons, who are also unfazed. Finally, he realizes that it would be best if he fled. Being immortal, he reasons that he can still re-enter history later.

[Apollonius:] At this growing eve, could it be that I'm done? Why should I come to grieve? My voyage carries on [Demons:] You will join us in the darkness Come to us now, Magic Master

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 09 - Time Has Come / Final Battle

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

The two armies meet.

[Seth & Apollonius:] Time has come Victory [Seth:] Slay them all Leave none alive [Seth & Johanna:] We shall stand And you shall fall [Johanna:] In my hand fate is woven To a web striking darkness

The battle starts. This is a surprisingly short scene.

[All:] Upon us - starless nightfall Makes our day and light descend Will we last 'til morning? Will we last 'til morning? Dawn may seem forever lost now And somewhere in shadows Flames await for all of us

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 08 - Rise to War

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

By now, everyone knows the truth about Seth and the - mostly Christian - population of Europe has had to make a difficult choice: are they willing to accept being ruled by the Antichrist if in return they get a life of peace, prosperity and happiness? Or will they oppose him on principle? "More or less every man and woman of weapon-bearing age" has joined in the fight, which to my mind shows that they aren't thinking clearly anymore and are caught in some kind of mental death spiral. Whichever side wins the war - what will they eat once the battle is done? Having nearly every adult fight in a war is not a sustainable way to run a society. Who is working in the fields? Who's taking care of the children? Assuming that Seth's brilliant ideas haven't made agriculture and childcare (and a multitude of others things that need to be done every day to keep society running) obsolete, of course.

Apollonius has rallied Seth's army. He and Seth are speaking to some elite soldiers.

[Apollonius:] Rise to your Emperor Rise to war [Seth:] Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! [Soldiers:] Fighting for the Emperor [Apollonius:] Face the end and dawn of time Rise to war [Seth:] All rise to me [Seth & Apollonius:] Rise and unleash fury

An instrumental interlude follows that I think sounds quite scary considering the subject matter. The mix between a marching rhythm and sudden large orchestral moments makes me think of some kind of gigantic war machinery (even though European society is canonically on the technological level of the 19th century). There is something merciless about this song, a feeling that the only way out is forward now.

Seth tries to inspire the soldiers by promising that once the war is over, the beautiful future he and his followers have envisioned will finally be possible.

[Seth:] History shall tell our tale New age to be Future will bring our name's supremacy Summon pride for us to give The strong and free Courage and we shall live Eternally [Apollonius:] Rise to war Revelation soon will end with us The past and all therein Shall come to dust

Apollonius says it explicitly: They are going through the prophecy of the Book of Revelation. I guess there's nothing left to hide at this point, the soldiers know they're fighting for the Antichrist. Seth appeals to the "pride" of "the strong and free", implying that the other side wants to enslave them. What Seth and Apollonius are saying sounds quite grim. It sounds to me like they are preparing the soldiers for a likely death.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 07 - Day of Wrath

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

The title is likely a reference to a famous line from Revelation 6: "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

Johanna and Seth are sleeping, dreaming, preparing themselves for the final battle. Sophia and Satan are watching from the astral plane.

[Sophia:] Slowly, mist erases dawn Turn to dust shall the island of dreams and silver [Sophia, Seth & Satan:] What will of this day become? Colored red is the heaven behind our darkness [Johanna:] Oh saviour, show me the way Oh saviour, show me [Seth:] Out of the dark My nocturnal art Soon shall become morning Echoes of pain Following my name None shall remain - fire bring [Sophia:] When the tales of love are gone One by one on the stairway of no returning... [Sophia, Seth & Satan:] ...love itself shall linger on It will be there Vibration, like rhythm burning [Johanna:] Saviour, guiding my way My faith shall never fail [Satan:] Shadows of light Children of the night Soon shall unite mankind Eyes of the deep Watching in your sleep Dreams running free through your mind [Johanna:] Lord, your day has come- Your day of wrath

Something I find interesting here is that Johanna sings alone while the other three join their voices together. It seems to imply that Seth is closer to Sophia and Satan's consciousness than she is, that they see things the same way. They are thinking about the future and cosmic processes while Johanna only speaks to call to Jesus for guidance.

Sophia mentioned in Act I that Johanna is not yet ready to understand "anything that enriches the human spirit" and "that humanity needs both light and darkness". Johanna's single-minded - one could say fanatical - devotion to a dualistic worldview that is based on good and evil, allowed and forbidden, holy and sinful limits what she is able to consider and mentally accept. She does not try to imagine the future or understand the deeper truth behind her situation: God has a plan, and that is enough for her. Sophia and Seth are not bound by these constraints and thus able (or forced?) to think more independently.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 06 - Prelude to War

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

A short, ominous instrumental. "Seth is gathering his loyal troops."

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 05 - Burning the Palace

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

Two weeks after Helena's death. The Christian soldiers, led by Johanna, are marching on Seth's palace.

[Agnes:] So, it has come to this [Johanna:] Yes, it has come to this Heaven will have its way

Seth appears on a balcony.

[Seth:] Trust me: this holy temple remains not for thee Hear me, Johanna Be gone Take heed

Johanna and the troops try to set the palace on fire. In retrospect I wonder if they held off on doing this earlier because Helena was there, since Johanna clearly cared more for her than she showed. But, as before, she does not express her private feelings in words here either. Resolute and driven, she does not grieve her sister's death openly. Only the mission matters.

[Johanna:] I'll not run Nor will my soul hide For the time has come Prince of Night Thy fate awaits thee Light this day will prevail [Mare & Agnes:] Bless you, Christus! Bless you, Christus!

A soldier is hurt while trying to put out the flames.

[Wounded soldier:] Hailing from who we are He is the master Ever to conquer, ever to rise again [Agnes:] Future reaching yesterday Such a painful human touch You will feel it soon [Johanna:] Thy kingdom shall return to dust Cursed be thy name [Agnes:] Cursed be thy name and thy spirit

Suddenly, a huge Christian army appears with flaming arrows and torches.

[Troop & Johanna:] No throne of darkness shall remain No echo from your fall Prepare for fire, spawn of hell [Johanna:] All, Lord, for you

Seth realizes that his only option is to flee. He and Apollonius leave the palace via a secret exit while the Christians burn the place to the ground.

[Seth:] You can't reach me: soon I will be gone Into battle, into war we will go [Christian army:] Heroes unite Summon to fight Hearts of God are protected by swords Martyrs of grace Soon we shall face Armageddon We'll ride into dawn [Seth & Apollonius:] Unleash morning, meet us face to face Into battle, into war we will go

The music turns cheerful. Having driven the Antichrist away and burned his palace, the Christians celebrate their victory.

[Christian army:] Mighty and strong, still marching on Never surrender Curtains fall down End of our time [Christian army & Johanna:] Hallelujah Hallelujah Ave God of creation and of man [Christian army:] Heroes unite Summon to fight Hearts of God are protected by swords Martyrs of grace Soon we shall face Armageddon We'll ride into dawn

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 04 - The Wasteland of my Heart

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

Seth is back in the room with the two busts, this time with a casket containing Helena's body. He is devastated by his loss. The title of this track encapsulates his state of mind: The gardener who tended to his heart is dead, it has become a wasteland in her absence. The "seeds of time" image from Act I makes a little appearance here - but not its last one.

[Seth:] Here I am where once we did sow our seeds Seeds of time - garden of truth inside my chest Now I enter the wasteland of my heart Now I perish deep in this empty room Hear it whisper - the wasteland of my heart Hear the longing, the loss, the sound of you Time breaks in pieces - bow my head and weep A welter of tears flowing down to where you lie Now I enter the wasteland of my heart Now I perish deep in this empty room Hear it whisper - the wasteland of my heart Hear the longing, the loss, the sound of you

Much like Helena in "To where I weep", Seth is thinking mainly about Seth and how current events, like Helena's death, affect him. The unbearable conflict of loyalties she felt is not mentioned, nor is the loneliness she suffered from being married to someone she could not fully understand or the agonies she probably endured from being a Christian and loving a man who turned out to be the Antichrist. However, this egocentric attitude is completely in character for Seth. From his perspective, his pain at losing her is what matters most.

Seth is mourning his wife, but from the scene description it is clear that he is also mourning his one chance at human connection:

Seth is devastated from sadness and grief. But he also confronts himself, the fact that his loneliness is persistent, eternal, has always existed and in addition has become particularly obvious in his role as Emperor. Seth realizes that he remains alienated from human behaviour.

There is a contrast in Seth's psychology that I hope his actor will be able to portray if and when Beloved Antichrist gets staged: Grandiose and arrogant on the one hand, vulnerable, lonely, and in need of affection on the other. His great gifts and his spiritual endeavours have alienated him from humanity while first God and then Satan have spoken to him, then abandoned him (after his parents also died early). Helena may not have been able to fully understand him, but at least she tried. She loved both his public and his private face. Now he has no one, since Satan does not speak to him and Apollonius is not very trustworthy. Now that Helena is gone, only the version of him that his bust portrays is visible to anyone other than Seth anymore. In a way, Seth and Helena are similar: both give endlessly - Helena on a small scale, to the people around her, Seth, more publicly and with more glory, to the entire world - and remain lonely because they are only appreciated for what they do for others.

While Seth is still alive and struggling with his isolation, Helena's tragic character flaw has cost her her life. She was selfless to a fault, wanted harmony at all costs, and in the moment when unconditional love and caring wasn't an option, she could not bring herself to risk a conflict and take a side. Maybe she could have ended the war by killing Seth. Maybe she could have destroyed the dagger or tried to steal it, making Seth invulnerable (if Johanna's prophecy is true at least), that might possibly have decided the war too. But this, too, Helena could not do, since it would have meant opposing Johanna. I call this "tragic" because in a different, more peaceful world, her kindness might have made her the heroine. But as soon as two people have a conflict she cannot solve, she is in the wrong story for her greatest strength to matter. Clearly, she'd sooner die than take a side in an argument between people she loves.

Maybe Seth would have been a more stable ruler if he had had a wife who dared to oppose him and rein in his self-glorifying tendencies from time to time. However, I doubt that someone as simultaneously grandiose and fragile as Seth would have let anyone like that get close to him. Notice how apart from his parish at the very beginning (which he promptly leaves behind) no one except for his enemies ever criticizes him? We do not see him have advisers or followers who don't love and defend everything he does. This isn't a Helena-specific thing. Seth, who views himself as literally the best human being to ever exist, craves uncritical adoration and does not (perhaps cannot) engage with criticism - not that his critics are making it easy for him.

Perhaps there is a certain dualism of idealization and condemnation at work in how Seth is viewed by the world that simultaneously pleases and hurts him. His conviction of his uniqueness both exalts him above the masses and makes it impossible for him to experience true community. Contrast this with Johanna, who is also described as highly gifted, very ambitious and spiritual, and has also grown up without her parents. Her humility before God has made it possible for her to be part of a group and experience the sense of common purpose and mutual support Seth has never had. But this is not due to Johanna consciously making a better choice than Seth - they are both acting according to their nature and responding to outside circumstances. Thanks to Satan and the special gifts he has bestowed upon Seth, his outside situation now matches the inner state he has both cherished and suffered from all his life. And with Helena's death, his one hope for a deep human connection has come to a sudden end.

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 03 - Forgive me

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

This is another track with a lot of dialogue, in which big things happen. It is also almost 10 minutes long. If you're looking for opera and drama, look no further. Let's begin...

Johanna, Agnes and Mare have infiltrated Seth's residence. In a secluded chamber, Johanna sits gazing at the holy dagger in front of her. She prepares to fulfill her mission and kill the Antichrist while her friends walk around the candle-lit room.

[Johanna:] In thy grace... [Johanna & Agnes:] ...turn to me and bless the soul of this faithful child None more divine than thee our lord [Johanna:] Lead me on to be strong - holy mission And guide my hand Amen

Seth enters the room. This in itself is significant. He could send his guards to deal with them. Three trespassing outlaws with one dagger probably wouldn't be a big problem for them. Yet Seth appears in person, alone, and does not call for back-up.

[Seth:] Now face thy foe! [Agnes:] Our lord has brought you here [Seth:] I heed no call, none but my own [Agnes:] To be boastful suits no mortal man

Seth tauntingly tempts Johanna, who is not impressed:

[Seth:] Join the night supreme I will be your guiding star I will set you free [Johanna:] Into the darkness forever you must go

Suddenly Helena comes in, urging reconciliation. As you may remember, she overheard Johanna and her friends talking about how only Johanna's dagger would be able to kill the Antichrist, so she knows why they are here.

[Helena:] Still the dawn may rise and shine [Seth:] Out of the darkness, my love I knew that you would come [Agnes:] Join with us Join with God [Helena:] It must not end, not like this If we conjoin as one

It is far too late for that of course. Seth and Johanna will not, cannot make peace. Johanna doesn't comment on her sister's appearance at all and instead likens Seth to a fallen angel again.

[Seth:] Join the night supreme I will be your guiding star I will set you free [Johanna:] Into the darkness forever you must go Fallen you are, fallen from the heavens to our world Fallen you are 'til the end of our time and beyond

As the music becomes more and more tense, Helena says:

[Helena:] Sister, O blood of mine Hand me the dagger Hand me the answer Hand me the voice of God

Reluctantly, Johanna gives Helena the dagger. At this point, I don't exactly know how lyrics and action go together. With a bang, the music comes to a complete stop and based on the scene description, I'm pretty sure it is here that Helena puts the dagger against Seth's chest. Into near-complete silence, Seth sings:

[Seth:] Come to me, to the fallen, my love

Seth calls himself "the fallen" and echoes the way Johanna (above) as well as Professor Pauli and the Pope (in Cursed be the Fallen) speak about him in the moment in which the one person whose affection he was certain of seems to take the side of his enemies. It will be interesting to see, if and when BA is staged, whether the actor who plays him says this sentence in an evil, seductive way or if he sounds like he's pleading with Helena. Thomas' rendition sounds ambiguous to me.

Helena answers sadly:

[Helena:] Deep down somewhere, in me, I knew what I had to do

The music starts again, both Seth and his enemies are calling to Helena, who still has the dagger to her husband's chest. Seth is calling for her to take his side, the women urge her to kill him.

[Seth:] Come to me, to the fallen, my love [Helena:] My love Forgive me [Johanna & Agnes:] Hear the whisper within you, sister From God and may peace come to your heart

Helena's words here are nearly inaudible, since the music and the urging of the other characters is so much louder. A tense instrumental part follows in which Helena makes her choice. With both sides pressuring her, she cannot decide between her loyalty to Seth and to Johanna. She turns the dagger around and plunges it into her own chest. All rush to her side, their enmity forgotten for the moment.

[Johanna, Mare, Agnes & Seth:] In the cloak of night, fallen you are Thou shall rise again Enter the void

The music slowly becomes calmer as Agnes speaks to the dying Helena and prays over her in her beautiful dark voice:

[Agnes:] In stillness keep eyes of gold your name Night birds take flight and sing [Johanna, Mare & Seth:] In the cloak of night, fallen you are Thou shall rise again, enter the void [Agnes & Seth:] Bless you Into moonlight And the temple you shall now meet in turmoil The soul will flow and shine

Afterwards, Seth, with a heavy heart, returns the dagger that is fated to kill him to Johanna. I don't know if he does this to imply that Helena's blood is on her hands, if he isn't thinking clearly or if he is simply too shocked and crushed to care about anything, even his own survival.

[Seth:] Give me your hand, receive this tool For it belongs to you

He picks up Helena's corpse and leaves the room with her as a choir of angels sings.

[Choir of angels:] Float, float with time And the night soon shall see you, greet you, tell you... of dawn...

With this, the song ends. I still get goosebumps from it every time I listen to it, at least if I pay attention to what is happening in it. I have some things to say about it, but I think I'll put them into the next post, when Seth mourns Helena and we have perhaps somewhat recovered from this scene...