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Anton LaVey

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Anton LaVey
File:LaVey.gif
Occupationwriter, public speaker
Notable worksThe Satanic Bible
ChildrenKarla LaVey, Zeena Schreck, Xerxes LaVey

Anton Szandor LaVey[1][2] (April 11, 1930 – October 29, 1997) was the American founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, musician, and actor. He was the author of The Satanic Bible and the founder of LaVeyan Satanism, a synthesized system of his understanding of human nature and the insights of philosophers who advocated materialism and individualism, for which he claimed no "supernatural inspiration”.

Biography

LaVey was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Gertrude Augusta Coulton and Michael Joseph Levey, a liquor distributor from Omaha, Nebraska.[3] His family soon relocated to California, where he spent most of his early life in the San Francisco Bay Area and later in Globe, Arizona. According to his biography, his ancestry can be traced to French, Alsatian, German, Russian, Romanian, and Jewish stock.[4] His parents supported the development of his musical abilities as he tried his hand at various instruments, his favorite being keyboards like the pipe organ and the calliope.

LaVey's biography describes dropping out of high school to join the circus and carnivals, first as a roustabout and cage boy in an act with the big cats, later as a musician playing the calliope. LaVey later noted that seeing many of the same men attending both the bawdy Saturday night shows and the tent revival meetings on Sunday mornings reinforced his increasingly cynical view of religion. He later had many stints as an organist in bars, lounges, and nightclubs. While playing organ in Los Angeles burlesque houses, he reportedly had a brief affair with the then-unknown Marilyn Monroe as she was dancing at the Mayan Theater. This claim has been challenged by those who knew Monroe at the time, as well as the manager of the Maya, Paul Valentine, who stated that she had never been one of his dancers, nor had the theater ever been used as a burlesque house or for "bump and grind" shows.[5]

According to his biography, LaVey moved back to San Francisco where he worked for a while as a photographer for the police department. He also dabbled as a psychic investigator, looking into "800 calls" referred to him by the police department. Later biographers have questioned whether LaVey ever worked with the police, as there are no surviving records substantiating the claim. LaVey met and married Carole Lansing, with whom he had his first daughter, Karla LaVey, in 1952. They divorced in 1960 after LaVey became entranced by Diane Hegarty. Hegarty and LaVey never married, but she was his companion for many years, and bore his second daughter, Zeena Galatea LaVey in 1963.

Becoming a local celebrity through his paranormal research and live performances as an organist (including playing the Wurlitzer at the Lost Weekend cocktail lounge), he attracted many San Francisco notables to his parties. Guests included Carin de Plessin, Michael Harner, Chester A. Arthur III, Forrest J. Ackerman, Fritz Leiber, Dr. Cecil E. Nixon, and Kenneth Anger.

LaVey began presenting Friday night lectures on the occult to what he called a "Magic Circle" of associates who shared his interests. A member of this circle suggested that he had the basis for a new religion. On Walpurgisnacht, 30 April, 1966, he ritualistically shaved his head in the tradition of ancient executioners, declared the founding of the Church of Satan and proclaimed 1966 as "the year One", Anno Satanas—the first year of the Age of Satan. Media attention followed the subsequent Satanic wedding ceremony of radical journalist John Raymond to New York socialite Judith Case on February 1, 1967 (photographed by Joe Rosenthal). The Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle were among the newspapers that printed articles dubbing him "The Black Pope." LaVey performed Satanic baptisms (including one for Zeena) and Satanic funerals (including one for naval machinist-repairman third-class Edward Olsen, complete with a chrome-helmeted honor guard), and released a record album entitled The Satanic Mass.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, LaVey melded ideological influences from Ayn Rand,[6] Friedrich Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley,[citation needed] H.L. Mencken, and Jack London with the ideology and ritual practices of the Church of Satan. He wrote essays introduced with reworked excerpts from Ragnar Redbeard’s Might is Right and concluded with “Satanized” versions of John Dee’s Enochian Keys to create books such as The Satanic Bible, The Compleat Witch (re-released in 1989 as The Satanic Witch), and The Satanic Rituals.

Due to increasing visibility through his books, LaVey was the subject of numerous articles in the news media throughout the world, including popular magazines such as Look, McCall's, Newsweek, and TIME, and men’s magazines. He also appeared on talk shows such as Joe Pyne, Phil Donahue, and Johnny Carson, and in a feature length documentary called Satanis: The Devil's Mass in 1970.

Hegarty and LaVey separated in the mid-1980s, and she sued for palimony. The claim was settled out of court. LaVey’s next and final companion was Blanche Barton. Barton and LaVey are the parents of Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey, born November 1, 1993. She succeeded herself as the head of the Church after his death, but has since stepped down from that role.

Anton LaVey died on October 29, 1997, in St. Mary's Hospital, San Francisco of pulmonary edema. He was taken to St. Mary's, a Catholic hospital, because it was the closest available. For reasons open to speculation, the time and date of his death was incorrectly (by two days) listed as the morning of Halloween on his death certificate. Zeena Schreck claimed responsibility for LaVey's death through putting a ritual curse on him. A secret Satanic funeral, attended by invitation only, was held in Colma. LaVey's body was cremated, with his ashes eventually divided amongst his heirs as part of a settlement, on the assumption that they possess occult potency, and can be used for acts of Satanic ritual magic

LaVey was known by many as "doctor" (sometimes spelled "doktor"). This "doctorate" was in the tradition of calling whorehouse piano players "Doc" and was not a claim of academic standing. Current Church of Satan representatives say that the Church's fifth degree, Magus, merits the title of doctor and that LaVey was awarded it from the Church's ruling body, the Council of Nine. When asked for a dissertation, The Satanic Witch is quoted as being the equivalent, due to the extensive research done and references given.[7]

Preceded by
Church established
 High Priest of the Church of Satan
1966-1997 		Succeeded by
Peter H. Gilmore after vacancy

The First Family of Satanism

  • Anton Szandor LaVey (1930-1997) - High Priest and Founder of CoS.
  • Carole Lansing - Anton's First Wife and Mother to Karla.
  • Karla Maritza LaVey (1952) - Daughter of Anton and Carole. High Priestess of Church of Satan (1990 to 1997), High Priestess of The First Satanic Church (1999 to Present)
  • Diane Hegarty (1942) - Antons's Second Wife and Mother to Zeena. Hostess, Model Enchantress, Mother, Magicians Wife and High Priestess of the Church of Satan (1966 to 1984).
  • Zeena Galatea LaVey/Schreck (1963) - Daughter of Anton and Diane. High Priestess of Church of Satan (1985 to 1990), Wife of Barry Dubin(1988 to Present), Alpha Female and Co-director of Werewolf Order and Radio Werewolf (1988 to 1993), Priestess of the Temple of Set (1995 to 2002), Co-Founding member and High Priestess of The Storm International Vanguard of the Sethian Movement (2002 - Now Defunt).
  • Stanton Zaharoff LaVey (1978) - Son of Zeena. Grandson of Anton LaVey and Diane LaVey, founders of the Church of Satan. He carries on the family tradition as a "lifestyle Satanist". He is supportive of the character and philosophy of his grandparents. Maried Szandora (06/06/06 to ??/??/07)
  • Szandora LaVey (1981) - (ex)Daughter-inlaw of Diane Hegarty. The go-go dancer and hula hoop artist for 50s surf band called Thee Swank Bastards, Satanic Fetish Model, Satanic Witch. Married Stanton LaVey (06/06/06 to ??/??/07).
  • Blanche Barton (1959) - Last Companion of Anton and Mother to Xerxes. High Priestess of the Church of Satan (1997 to 2002) then became Magistra Tempi Rex and Chairmistress of the Council of Nine (the governing body of the Church of Satan).
  • Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey (1993) - Only son of Anton and Blanche. He is also a standing member of the Church of Satan.

Controversy

Many different sources quote him saying : "The first time I read the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, my instinctive reaction was, So what's wrong with THAT? Isn't that the way any master plan should work? Doesn't the public deserve - nay, demand - such despotism?"

In The Book of Satan, "LaVey relied on a work called Might is Right by Ragnar Redbeard to such an extent that it is clear that without so much as a footnote or bibliographic reference that LaVey plagiarized a significant portion of Ragnar Redbeard."[8] LaVey acknowledged the influence of Might is Right by mentioning both it and Ragnar Redbeard in his dedication page of the Satanic Bible (only early prints of the Satanic Bible have this page), as well as in an introduction to a later edition of Might is Right.[9] In an interview with LaVey a question regarding the book arose. LaVey responded by stating:

"Might is Right by Ragnar Redbeard is probably one of the most inflammatory books ever written, so who better to write an introduction? It was only natural that I excerpted a few pages of it for The Satanic Bible."[10] LaVey went on to state that:
"The book has been so indelibly linked with me, it was felt that any new edition should have my name on it."[10]
  • John Smulo, a known critic of Anton LaVey, has stated that "Though LaVey justly charges that many Christians are guilty of hypocrisy, LaVey falls short himself. The sixth of LaVey's Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth says, Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved. Unfortunately, when it came to writing The Satanic Bible, LaVey hypocritically fell short of following his own rules." Smulo further claimed LaVey's most well known written work, The Satanic Bible relied heavily on many writers of a philosophical nature, most notably Ayn Rand, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Aleister Crowley. LaVey has stated that his religion was “just Ayn Rand’s philosophy, with ceremony and ritual added",[11] though many say that he should be given credit for his creative synthesis of the thought of others into what has become the most influential statement of modern Satanism.[citation needed] LaVey has denied claims of plagiarism in The Satanic Bible.[12]
  • LaVey did not play, nor ever claim, the role of Satan during the rape scene of Rosemary's Baby (in fact it was actor Clay Tanner) and no technical advisor was used,[13][14][15][16][17] the rumor also went unmentioned by Blanche Barton in "The Georges Montalba Mystery"

Books by LaVey

Books featuring writings by LaVey

Books about LaVey

  • The Devil's Avenger: A Biography of Anton Szandor LaVey by Burton H. Wolfe (Pyramid Books, 1974, ISBN 0-515-03471-1, Out of print)
  • The Secret Life Of A Satanist: The Authorized Biography of Anton LaVey by Blanche Barton (Feral House, 1990, ISBN 0-922915-12-1)
  • Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth by Jack Fritscher ; featuring Anton LaVey (University of Wisconsin Press : Popular Press, 2004, ISBN 0-299-20300-X, hardcover, ISBN 0-299-20304-2, paperback)

Filmography

  • Invocation of my Demon Brother (short, uncredited role as Satan, 1969)
  • Satanis: The Devil's Mass (featured, 1970; released on DVD by Something Weird Video, 2003)
  • The Devil's Rain (technical advisor, role as High Priest, 1975)
  • The Car (creative consultant, 1977)
  • Doctor Dracula, aka Svengali (technical advisor, 1981)
  • Charles Manson Superstar (research consultant, 1989)
  • Death Scenes (narrator/host, 1989)
  • Speak of the Devil (featured, 1995)

Recordings of Anton LaVey

  • The Satanic Mass, LP (Murgenstrumm Records, 1968; re-released on CD with one bonus track, "Hymn of the Satanic Empire, or The Battle Hymn of the Apocalypse", by Amarillo Records, 1994; Mephisto Media, 2001)
  • Answer Me/Honolulu Baby, 7" single (Amarillo Records, 1993)
  • Strange Music, 10" EP (Amarillo Records, 1994; now available through Reptilian Records)
  • Satan Takes A Holiday, CD (Amarillo Records, 1995; now available through Reptilian Records)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Wright, Lawrence - "It’s Not Easy Being Evil in a World That’s Gone to Hell", Rolling Stone, September 5, 1991: 63-68, 105-16.
  2. ^ Birth certificate and "relatives" confirm http://www.churchofsatan.org/aslv.html
  3. ^ Ancestry of Anton LaVey
  4. ^ Barton, Blanche The Secret Life of a Satanist
  5. ^ The Church of Satan by Michael Aquino p. 17-19, detailing information from Harry Lipton, Monroe's agent, Paul Valentine and Edward Webber"
  6. ^ Lewis, James R. "Who Serves Satan? A Demographic and Ideological Profile". Marburg Journal of Religion. June 2001.
  7. ^ "Explanation of "Doctor" Anton LaVey"
  8. ^ Hypocrisy, Plagiarism and LaVey
  9. ^ Might is Right, (Bensinville, IL: Michael Hunt 1996). Ragnar Redbeard, ISBN .
  10. ^ a b Shane and Amy Bugbee. "The Doctor is in".
  11. ^ Ellis, Bill - (cited in Raising the Devil: Satanism, New Religions, and the Media. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 2000, p. 180). (Refer also to the "Satanism and Objectivism" essay on the Church of Satan website where this connection is examined at length.)
  12. ^ Hypocrisy, Plagiarism and LaVey
  13. ^ "Imdb Entry Clay Tanner"
  14. ^ "The Church of Satan by Micheal Aquino p. 17"
  15. ^ "Imdb entry for Anton Lavey"
  16. ^ "Imdb Entry "Rosemary's Baby"".
  17. ^ Castle, William "Step Right Up! I'm Gonna Scare the Pants off America"
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Writings by LaVey

Interviews with LaVey

About LaVey

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