Editing Viking metal (section)

==== Relationship to pagan metal ====
Viking metal has been considered the progenitor of the pagan metal genre, with Bathory's ''[[Hammerheart]]'' as the first pagan metal recording. Weinstein writes that "it is fitting that pagan metal began with Viking metal, given that the Vikings were Europe's last Pagans, converted slowly and with reluctance to Christianity".{{sfn|Weinstein|2014|p=60}} Imke von Helden explains some key differences: "[Pagan metal] deals mainly with [[Paganism|Pagan religions]] and lies in a broader context where not only Old Norse mythology is dealt with, but also [[Celtic mythology|Celtic myths]] and [[Celtic history|history]], [[fairy tale]]s and other elements of [[folklore]]. Traditional instruments like the violin or flute are used more often in pagan than in Viking metal music."{{sfn|von Helden|2010|p=257}} The idea of incorporating and revering exclusively national or regional myths, stories, and tales first took root in the work of artists such as [[Adorned Brood]], Falkenbach, [[Black Messiah (band)|Black Messiah]], Enslaved or Einherjer, but, as a musical phenomenon, has grown far beyond Europe into a global trend in which artists express their affinity with an ethnic heritage.{{sfn|Manea|2015|p=187}} Viking metal, along with pagan and folk metal, forms part of a trend within cultural heritage movements toward wider acceptance of the heritage of ordinary and the everyday life, not just nationally significant and the iconic imagery, and also a trend to explore the outer reaches of heritage, where the definitions of heritage and heritage communities are stretched and contested.{{sfn|Ashby|Schofield|2015|p=504}} Baldrs Drauma, a [[West Frisia|West Frisian]] band, stated in an interview that they "find it important that people in general (so, not only Frisians but everyone around the world) know where they come from, what their history is, who they are and what led to this point in history. We find that during this digital age, people are searching for their identity, and what better way to research that than with the awesome tunes that we provide?"{{sfn|Combe|2022}}