Month: November 1999

The Hellfire Club: Accidental Satanists

When first asked to speak at Fortfest, I thought I'd traipse through a subject close to my heart, the story of the 18th century Hell-Fire Clubs. What I didn't expect, in the months leading up to today, while I fooled myself into some form of pseudo-objectivity, was how close I myself would come to my subject of Accidental Satanism. While I can appreciate the works of Anton Lavey, the founder of the Church of Satan, enjoy the often hit and miss humour of Aleister Crowley, and wonder about young murderers who mysteriously become Satanists after reading Anne Rice novels, what truly fascinates me are those who become known as Satanists without ever having claimed such a title. I must have been about twelve years old when I would go and stay with my mother's sister in Tallaght, a sprawling suburb at the foot of the Dublin hills. My cousin, Jason,...