The mayor of Bø, a municipality in the county of Telemark, Norway, has told the Norwegian newspaper Telemarksavisa that he was pleasantly surprised by the news that Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh) — the former BURZUM mastermind who is currently serving a Norwegian prison term for the August 1993 murder of MAYHEM guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous) — has chosen to take up residence in the village. Vikernes has purchased a small farm in Bø, where he will move in with his family after he finishes serving his sentence.
"We want Varg Vikernes to feel welcome in Bø and we expect that he is going to establish a normal life here," Mayor Arne Storhaug said. "Of course, I have my own thoughts on what Varg Vikernes has done, but once he has completed his sentence, he is welcome to start afresh here. We want to open the door to all those who wish to live in Bø and this includes Vikernes. We will, of course, expect that he, like everyone else, will follow the rules. These are serious crimes that he has committed, but at the same time, we will do whatever we can to make it possible for Vikernes and his family to build a new life here."