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Into The Abyss: The History and Fantasy Behind A Dark Song

The official banner poster for A Dark Song.

‘Tis thine alone endu’d with boundless might, to keep the keys of sorrow and delight.

O holy, blessed father, hear my pray’r, disperse the seeds of life-consuming care;

With fav’ring mind the sacred rites attend, and grant my days a glorious, blessed end.”

 Orphic Hymn 72 “To The Daemon, or Genius

“And the time comes that causes him to lose, Who weeps in all his thoughts and is despondent”

Everyone undergoes some sort of loss or trauma in their life. We all must face the process of aging and the decline of our health. All humans will lose loved ones and then ourselves die. These are the facts of life. 

One could also argue that the knowledge of bad things happening to everyone has led to religions and philosophies. Humans have looked for the meaning of life’s ups and downs since time immemorial. And there is also a definite trend in humankind towards trying to evade these seeming inevitabilities. This trend has led to attempts at cryogenic preservation of the human body to avoid death, but also in humans looking to make themselves immortal through a long lasting reputation, for good or ill. 

But a particular subset of people have looked to find the keys to backdoors of power. The desire to possess these keys can lead to many seemingly irrational extremes. And few pieces of film best show this desire than the 2016 slow-burn nightmare, A Dark Song.

A Dark Song follows a pair of people reaching out into the darkest of spaces for a solution to their issues. They’re isolated in one remote home and ready to tear each other apart. Both people are mentally unsound. 

So where is the horror in this plot?

Both of our protagonists are attempting to conjure an immense cosmic power to their own ends. This act has gotten the attention of literal demons who are ready to destroy them if their defenses are lowered even once. In the hands of lesser filmmakers, this plot would not move the needle for virtually any critic. 

But how would the audience react to knowing that the magic they are attempting is real? Our protagonists are attempting a well-documented and well-studied mystical operation, one whose name connotes spiritual athleticism and near madness. 

In this article we are going to discuss not just a film. We are going to attempt to summarize a portion of Occult history. We are also going to illustrate why A Dark Song is an underappreciated and brilliantly created piece of modern cinema.

Staring Into The Abyss

A Dark Song was written and directed by Liam Gavin. It is his first full-length feature. He’s written and directed a handful of short films, as well directing two episodes of The Haunting of Bly Manor. It primarily features two actors; a former Shakespearean performer Catherine Walker, and creative multi-hyphenate Steve Oram. The film almost exclusively takes place in a single house in the Welsh countryside. The combination of two people in tight quarters creates claustrophobia and discomfort without introducing elements of the Occult. 

The plot initially seems somewhat straightforward: Sophia is a grieving woman. She is living with the incredible guilt and trauma of losing her young son. Her son’s death is senseless and tragic, and she is unable to move on. In a bid to find some sort of closure, Sophia has made contact with John Solomon. This is a curious choice; Solomon is an Occultist and practitioner of Black Magic. She asked him for aid in contacting her son’s soul through an obscure magical ritual known as The Abramelin Operation. Solomon takes her up on the offering but makes expressly clear how dangerous and difficult The Abramelin Operation is: 

This is a serious undertakin’. It’s not fuckin’ – astral projection or runes. This is real stuff we’re playin’ with. Real angels real demons…. You’ll go for days without sleep – fastin’, backbreakin’ rites, ritual sex… You’ll be at the very edge. Are you er, ready for all that – darlin’?”

Obscure, terrifying magical objects and rituals are not new in Horror media. Virtually everyone reading this article has seen The Necronomicon from the Evil Dead series. This says nothing of The Necronomicon in H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction. And whether or not you thrill at the thought of a person being stuffed into Wicker Man for sacrifice, you have at least some idea of what magic is supposed to be.

But why would anyone want to engage in conjuring angels and taunting demons? Why doesn’t Sophia simply seek therapy? Grief is a complicated emotion, and it’s a subject of many scientific studies. According to an article published in Frontiers, “Losing a child—as opposed to a parent, spouse, or sibling—is the strongest predictor of developing enduring grief. Following the loss of any loved one, about 10% of individuals develop enduring grief; in contrast, up to 94% of parents carry enduring grief for their lost child for the rest of their lives. Mothers who have lost a child are particularly vulnerable to enduring grief regardless of how many years have passed.” When therapy or psychiatric medicine hasn’t provided any relief, spiritual devotion is a common move. According to a 2002 paper from the National Institute of Health, Spiritual beliefs may provide an existential framework in which grief is resolved more readily. Most spiritual beliefs, whether or not associated with religious practice, contain tenets about the course of human life and existence beyond it. Strong beliefs may be a proxy for better adjustment and less psychological distress.” The paper goes on, “If our results were replicated, this would show that the absence of spiritual belief is a risk factor for delayed or complicated grief.”

However, this does not mean that John Solomon is a shining example of mental health himself. He admits to having an issue abusing alcohol nearing the beginning of the film, and clearly has a long list of negative personality traits. According to another 2002 study from the National Institute of Health, “…during acute intoxication, smaller amounts of alcohol may produce euphoria, whereas larger amounts may be associated with more dramatic changes in mood, such as sadness, irritability, and nervousness. Alcohol’s disinhibiting properties may also impair judgment and unleash aggressive, antisocial behaviors that may mimic certain externalizing disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder.” Solomon’s rage, his aggressive reaction to any challenge, and seemingly endless outbursts feel like the very real symptoms of someone dealing with Alcoholism. Both he and Sophia’s personal obsessions and desire to complete this magical ritual are clear indications of deeper problems. Becoming actively involved in a religious community after a crisis is normal. Attempting The Abramelin Operation instead is many steps too far.

I am always pleased to find historical precedent for my darker urges.

One of the hidden weapons of A Dark Song is its historicity. The Abramelin Operation is a real piece of Occult History. The film is absolutely loaded with subtle nods to its origin. In order to understand those references and the horror of the film, we need to understand the history of The Abramelin Operation.

The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage (henceforth referred to simply as “The Abramelin”) first appears around 1608. Multiple translations of the text would surface throughout time. The most famous translation was published in 1897 by Samuel Mathers. His translation would go on to become part of the corpus of the 19th Century British occult fraternity, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The entire practice of The Abramelin, along with the beliefs of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, are entirely outside of the scope of this brief article. In short, Mathers translation offers what the original text of The Abramelin offers. The text purports a system of magical practice that would allow the aspirant to contact an entity called the Holy Guardian Angel. This being would serve as a middle-man between them and God. Mathers’ translation also laid down an absolutely grueling form of isolation and prayer in order to “purify” the aspirant, making them most desirable for their Holy Guardian Angel to assist.

Arguably the most discussed and documented attempt at completing the Mathers’ iteration of The Abramelin was by the most famous (and arguably infamous) practitioner of the Occult, Aleister Crowley. After becoming an initiate of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Crowley purchased Boleskine House (located at Loch Ness in Scotland) specifically for the purposes of completing The Abramelin Operation. However, Crowley appears to have never completed the Operation, a fact that allegedly may have haunted him for the rest of his life.

A 1913 photo of famed occultist Aleister Crowley. He is middle aged, bald, and has an intense scowl.
A photograph of Aleister Crowley from 1913. Used via Public Domain.

The Abramelin, therefore, is a perfect piece of real history to hinge a slow-burning Horror media on. A Dark Song not only uses this magical operation for spooky detail, but also blends in some fascinating nods to spiritual esoterica for added effect.

Let’s start with our characters, Sophia and John Solomon. The name Sophia must have been chosen intentionally. Sophia, in Greek, means “Wisdom,” and has been used since before the rise of Christianity to describe wisdom coming from a divine source. Likewise with John Solomon; the name Solomon is a clear reference to the ideas of “Solomonic Magic.” Like The Abramelin, this subject is entirely too deep to discuss fully here. Broadly speaking, “Solomonic Magic” is an esoteric tradition claiming lineage to King Solomon from the Old Testament. Through the many texts claiming this lineage, the aspirants should be able to conjure and control Demons and other Spirits as King Solomon is purported to have done. As well, the country house shown in the movie seems to be a clear allusion to Boleskine House. It’s secluded and meets all of the specific needs of the magical rituals being performed.

Quiet as The Grave

So how does the magic and horror shown on-screen compare to the actual Abramelin Working itself? Interestingly, the film completely strays from the act itself. There’s no real “wand waving” or speaking in magical languages to be seen on screen. There is extensive use of Tibetan and other Asian symbolism that absolutely did not appear in the real text either. I personally imagine that a complex, long lasting series of devotions and spiritual practices might make for extremely poor entertainment. 

But this decision does not ruin any of the immersion for the viewers. A Dark Song is surprisingly effective in this regard. The film, with exception of its third act, is constantly tightening a stranglehold on the audience. The erratic and emotionally unhealthy characters begin to slowly despise one another, and that’s when the frightening moments really begin to occur. Any realism that might be lost with not showing “the real Abramelin” is made up for with eerie occurrences and the slow, brutal building of a toxic teacher-student arrangement. 

In many regards, the approach taken towards The Abramelin in A Dark Song applies to the entire film. The score is minimal, feeling more like a consistent drone than calling upon swelling strings. In less artistic hands, A Dark Song might rely on constant jumpscares throughout the runtime. Instead, director Liam Gavin chose to allow for a more natural sonic palette to make the scares all the more effective. Visually the film makes great use of interior space. Despite being a somewhat large home, there is a very real sense of isolation and claustrophobia. The limited sets and audio tap into the same techniques used in Ti West’s The House of The Devil. The silence and tight space sensitize the audience instead of beating them into submission.

The Way Out Is Through

A Dark Song does not really provide its audience with too much Occult-based scariness, at least not for the majority of the run-time. Instead, A Dark Song lets you see the end result of unhealthy obsessions and committing too much to a potentially dangerous situation. It might seem tempting to write this movie off as pretentious for its slight use of demonic history in service of a somewhat cerebral Horror film. But instead I want to make the argument that A Dark Song actually doesn’t receive the respect it deserves. 

A Dark Song receives an over 90% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but only has a 62% positive rating from fans on the same site. The movie definitely isn’t for everyone. If you want a more action-packed sort of Horror, or prefer a more visceral take on the genre, then this movie isn’t really for you. Not everyone is willing to sit through Waiting for Godot.

However, there has been a real move in the last decade or so towards Horror gaining some intellectual prominence. Studios such as A24 have been pushing mainstream cinematic boundaries with films like Midsommar and Pearl for the last several years. And there is a seemingly never-ending flow of new, exciting voices and images of Horror via services like Shudder and Midnight Pulp. A Dark Song did well with critics but still seems to be off many mainstream radars. In a way, this film is genuinely occult; it’s hidden from the average viewer but gives anyone who finds it a deep well of unknown talent. 

For audiences looking for more sensitive, deep-reaching Horror, A Dark Song is a perfect choice. It is a supernatural horror, but shares its space more with The Changeling than The Devil Rides Out. Its reserved approach and historical references asks the audience to sit still and engage in a movie on its own terms. It also deals with very real issues that face everyday people, without ever conceding to more mainstream tastes. In fact, A Dark Song offers us a tantalizing look at the darkest parts of our hearts, and asks what we might do in the face of endless heartache.

A solomonic magic circle with a triangle of conjuration in the east. This would be drawn on the ground, and the operator would stand within the protection of the circle while a spirit was conjured into the triangle
Occult practitioners utilize these sorts of symbols in areas where they were conjuring spirits or other entities.

Further Reading and Sources

Liam Gavin IMDB:

Steve Oram IMDB:

Catherine Walker IMDB: 

Dr. Justin Sledge’s videos on the Abramelin Operation:

Mathers’ Translation of The Abramelin:

Boleskine and The Abramelin:

Sophia:

Solomonic Magic:

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Written by Lucas Yochum

Lucas Yochum is a writer and podcaster from the City of St. Louis. His podcast, The Fright Lab, explores Horror Media with an analytical eye while trying to stay approachable. When not seeking out scares, Lucas enjoys photography, historical cooking recipes, as well studying religious and cultural esoterica. He can often be found at his local microcinema or seeking out the best cup of coffee. Lucas is also happy to talk to Horror researchers and podcasters.

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