From an early age, Vikernes was also deeply fascinated with the fictional realm of Middle-earth created by J. R. R. Tolkien. His stage name, Grishnackh, is taken from that of an orc in "The Two Towers", while the band name Burzum, meaning "darkness," was taken from the Black Speech inscribed on the One Ring in "The Lord of the Rings". The inscription read "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh "burzum"-ishi krimpatul," or in English, "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the "darkness" bind them." Additionally, before joining the Bergen death metal band Old Funeral, he was in a band called Uruk-Hai, which was named for a type of orc from Tolkien's writing.