Web Analytics
The Legacy Of Anton LaVey

Though Anton LaVey was a central figure in California during the hippie heyday of the 1960s, his time in the sun soon came to an end. The Manson Family murders near the end of the decade seemed to put a global damper on alternative lifestyles — particularly those associated with Satan.

With the notion of saddling up to the Devil falling out of favor, a large number of people completely abandoned the church during the 1970s. Nonetheless, the Church of Satan soon bounced back as more of a “secret society” — with the same values but far less publicity.

For the most part, LaVey stopped the public ceremonies and moved his organization underground. Still, he occasionally re-emerged in the press to spread the word of Satan until he died of pulmonary edema at age 67.

Though he died on October 29, 1997, his death certificate lists his date of death as October 31st — Halloween. In keeping with his specially cultivated image of dark and mysterious, his family said that they didn’t want his followers to be distracted during their “most important holiday season.”

Alas, even in death, Anton LaVey was especially good at sticking to his brand.

“He was a defiant, bold man, who acted on his convictions with great personal courage,” his daughter Karla once said. “Some called him the world’s most dangerous man; that was because he was not afraid of the consequences of being considered evil.”

You may also like