Free Will Sacrifice: A Testament To Human Will

Amon Amarth's song "Free Will Sacrifice" on their album Twilight Of The Thunder God tells the story of an army of vikings who find themselves outnumbered on a battlefield. They know that they have little chance of survival, but they stand firm and fight. Vocalist Johan Hegg has written numerous songs on similar subject matter (after all, Amon Amarth is a "Viking Metal" band), but this song stands out from the others as a tribute to the human spirit.

The vikings stay and fight, believing that the time of their death is predetermined by the gods. They wish, above all else, to die a glorious death having devastated the enemy. The sheer will power and the refusal to stop fighting at the risk of disappointing the gods is exemplified well in this song:

We face our woven destiny
And we don't fear the grave

As the song progresses, their will does not fade or weaken, but intensifies. They begin to look forward to a glorious death. They are proud of the fact that they die of their own free will in battle. Despite the odds being stacked against them, they hold out for what they believe in:

As free men we are born
And free we shall die.

 This line is more praising the free will of people than that of these particular vikings. As sentient beings, we are born and die on our terms. The vikings chose to die in battle because it suited their personalities. Each man lives his life according to his own free will and can go however he pleases into that goodnight.