Ave Satani
Encyclopedia
"Ave Satani" is the theme song to the film The Omen
(1976) composed by Jerry Goldsmith
. The Omen won an Oscar for Best Score, with Ave Satani nominated for Best Song, one of the few foreign language (Latin) songs ever to be nominated.
The title means "Hail Satan
" in Latin. In an interview, Goldsmith says that his idea was to create a kind of Satanic version of a Gregorian chant
and came up with ideas while talking with the London choir-master of the orchestra that was helping him. He decided to create something like a Black Mass
, inverting Latin phrases from the Latin Mass
. The choir-master, according to Goldsmith, was an expert in Latin and helped him come up with phrases – instead of saying "Hail Mary", they decided on "Hail Satan", and so on. So the song contains various Latin phrases inverting Christ and the Mass, such as "Ave Versus Christi", meaning "Hail Anti-Christ", and "Corpus Satani", an inversion of "Corpus Christi", the body of Christ. The resulting lyrics are an inversion of the Roman Catholic rite of the consecration and elevation of the body and blood of Christ during the Mass (see Eucharist in the Catholic Church).
A version of the song has been produced by the band Fantômas
, who altered some of the lyrics so that they mean "smallest blood, body spirit" rather than "we drink the blood, we eat the flesh," and added the word "Rotted". Other versions of the original song have been performed by the Italian vocalist Survio Tulio, and by Gregorian
. It has been used in mixes of sinister music and such a concept was made into an album by Dee Snider
and other musicians, entitled Oculus Infernum Van Helsing's Curse.
The British heavy metal
band Black Sabbath
have used the song as an intro for many shows and tours during their tenure with Tony Martin. The American groove metal
band Machine Head
previously used this as an introduction track to their live performances some of which have been recorded. (See Elegies and Hellalive
). The Norwegian black metal
band Mayhem
has also used the song as an intro to shows.
The choir master's Latin contains a number of errors. Thus "sanguis" should be "sanguinem", "ave satani" should be "ave satana(s)", "corpus satani" should be "corpus satanae", "versus Christus" should be "antichriste", although it may mean "Enemy of Christ" or "Opponent of Christ", and "tolle corpus" should be "elevate corpus".
The Omen
An original score for the film, including the movie's theme song Ave Satani, was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant...
(1976) composed by Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
. The Omen won an Oscar for Best Score, with Ave Satani nominated for Best Song, one of the few foreign language (Latin) songs ever to be nominated.
The title means "Hail Satan
Hail Satan
"Hail Satan", sometimes expressed in a Latinized version as Ave Satanas is an expression used by some Satanists to show their dedication to Satan, but has also been used for the purpose of comedy or satire. Believers in backmasking think they can hear "Hail Satan" and other messages to Satan in...
" in Latin. In an interview, Goldsmith says that his idea was to create a kind of Satanic version of a Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
and came up with ideas while talking with the London choir-master of the orchestra that was helping him. He decided to create something like a Black Mass
Black Mass
A Black Mass is a ceremony supposedly celebrated during the Witches' Sabbath, which was a sacrilegious parody of the Catholic Mass. Its main objective was the profanation of the host, although there is no agreement among authors on how hosts were obtained or profaned; the most common idea is that...
, inverting Latin phrases from the Latin Mass
Latin Mass
The term Latin Mass refers to the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Mass celebrated in Latin.The term is frequently used to denote the Tridentine Mass: that is, the Roman-Rite liturgy of the Mass celebrated in accordance with the successive editions of the Roman Missal published between 1570 and 1962...
. The choir-master, according to Goldsmith, was an expert in Latin and helped him come up with phrases – instead of saying "Hail Mary", they decided on "Hail Satan", and so on. So the song contains various Latin phrases inverting Christ and the Mass, such as "Ave Versus Christi", meaning "Hail Anti-Christ", and "Corpus Satani", an inversion of "Corpus Christi", the body of Christ. The resulting lyrics are an inversion of the Roman Catholic rite of the consecration and elevation of the body and blood of Christ during the Mass (see Eucharist in the Catholic Church).
A version of the song has been produced by the band Fantômas
Fantômas (band)
Fantômas is an avant-garde metal supergroup formed in 1998 in California, United States. The band is named after Fantômas, a supervillain featured in a series of crime novels popular in France before World War I and in film, most notably in the 60s French movie series.-History:Fantômas began just...
, who altered some of the lyrics so that they mean "smallest blood, body spirit" rather than "we drink the blood, we eat the flesh," and added the word "Rotted". Other versions of the original song have been performed by the Italian vocalist Survio Tulio, and by Gregorian
Gregorian (band)
Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment.- Band history :...
. It has been used in mixes of sinister music and such a concept was made into an album by Dee Snider
Dee Snider
Daniel "Dee" Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister...
and other musicians, entitled Oculus Infernum Van Helsing's Curse.
The British heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
have used the song as an intro for many shows and tours during their tenure with Tony Martin. The American groove metal
Groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
band Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
previously used this as an introduction track to their live performances some of which have been recorded. (See Elegies and Hellalive
Hellalive
-Personnel:*Robb Flynn - vocals, guitar*Phil Demmel - Lead guitar *Adam Duce - Bass guitar*Dave McClain - drums*Ahrue Luster - Lead guitar -Chart positions:...
). The Norwegian black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
has also used the song as an intro to shows.
Latin Lyrics and English Meaning
These are the Latin phrases which repeat throughout the song, and their English translations:- Sanguis Bibimus ("We drink the blood.")
- Corpus Edimus ("We eat the body.")
- Prode Corpus Satani! ("Bring forth the body of Satan!")
- Ave! ("Hail!")
- Ave, Ave! Versus Christus! ("Hail, Hail Anti-Christ!")
- Ave Satani! ("Hail Satan!")
The choir master's Latin contains a number of errors. Thus "sanguis" should be "sanguinem", "ave satani" should be "ave satana(s)", "corpus satani" should be "corpus satanae", "versus Christus" should be "antichriste", although it may mean "Enemy of Christ" or "Opponent of Christ", and "tolle corpus" should be "elevate corpus".