The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Codex Gigas" by the artist "Therion"

The song "Codex Gigas" by the Swedish metal band Therion is a dark and mysterious composition inspired by the enigmatic medieval manuscript "Codex Gigas," also known as the "Devil's Bible."

The lyrics transport us to the dark walls of a monastery, where under the cover of night, a mysterious monk bends over a blank parchment. The atmosphere is saturated with mysticism and a premonition of something ominous:

> Night has fallen with tongues whispering

> Throughout the monastery.

> The sheets are blank, but who is he - the one

> With the writing quill in hand?

The question "Can you open the Codex Gigas?" sounds like a call, an invitation to look into the secrets of the past, into the very essence of good and evil, which are symbolically represented by the pages of the manuscript:

> Can you open the Codex Gigas?

> What lies beneath?

> Unfold the pages - hell and heaven

> On opposite sides.

The mention that the pen is "soon touched by the morning" hints that the monk worked all night, possessed by some supernatural force. The culmination is the appearance of a "portrait" - a clear reference to the famous image of the devil in the "Codex Gigas."

The repeated question "Was it a prayer, a special prayer,... That He appeared?" emphasizes the sinister undertone. It seems that the monk made a deal with dark forces to create this manuscript. The image of a "white shroud" adds to the mysticism and can be interpreted as a symbol of divine presence opposing the demonic.

The final lines of the song reinforce the sense of mystery surrounding the "Codex Gigas." The manuscript appears as a portal to another dimension, where holiness and devilry are intertwined:

> Witness the enigma through the ages,

> It will forever remain...

> See how it is opened!

> Can you open the Codex Gigas?

> What lies beneath?

> Unfold the pages - hell and heaven (Unfold the pages!)

> On opposite sides,

> Carrying the white shroud.

Therion does not give definitive answers, leaving the listener to ponder the nature of good and evil, the price of creativity, and the eternal mysteries contained in ancient artifacts.