Black magic, devil worship, and all-around superstition. That's just a portion of what The Occult is. But it's enough to make fans raise an eyebrow or two when they hear that one of the cast members of The Lord of the Rings was supposedly wrapped up in the whole thing. In fact, it's somewhat terrifying that a mainstream actor got such a reputation. But is it actually true?
There's a lot of things that fans don't know about what really went on behind the scenes during the making of Peter Jackson's remarkable trilogy. This includes the fact that Sean Astin actually wasn't popular with his castmates. But the fact that the late Sir Christopher Lee, AKA Saruman, was allegedly tied to The Occult is easily the most disturbing thing that most fans don't know. Here's why the media made this claim about him and if it's actually accurate.
Sir Christopher Lee's Alleged Involvement In The Occult
There's a lot people don't know about the late, great, Sir Christopher Lee including the fact that he had a very secret and very real feud with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. But one of the things that people thought they knew was that he was secretly a follower of The Occult.
For those who don't know, The Occult really just refers to secret practices outside of sanctioned religion and science with a bend toward Satanism, mysticism, black magic, and ritualistic endeavors. While the term has been redefined over centuries to encompass anything that isn't mainstream, it generally has a negative definition. In fact, it tends to have a very negative definition.
While it can mean people who believe in things like fairies and warlocks or people who just generally have a stronger connection to nature than most, it can also lead to a lot of harmful, violent, and downright awful practices. According to many academic papers, Occultism and the obsession with superstition and myth-building was a major component in the creation of Nazism. But most involved with The Occult just like the macabre, the supernatural, and a lot of dark clothing.
Given what a gentleman and a scholar Sir Christopher Lee was, it's very hard to imagine him being part of such a group. Yet again, he was the star of several horror films (playing Dracula multiple times) and had a love of the macabre. He also adored heavy metal (or "symphonic metal" as he described). Given his posh exterior, soothing voice, and propensity for conservative politics, according to The Independent, it certainly is strange that he had such a diverse set of interests.
Over the years, he has been asked about The Occult, mostly after starring in the film adaptation of The Occult's book, "The Devil Rides Out". But the media has also painted him as a secret Satanist and black magic worshiper. However, as it turns out... they were completely wrong about him. And Christopher had something to say about that...
What Christopher Lee Has Said About His Alleged Involvement With The Occult
In 2011, Sir Christopher Lee sat down with a bunch of students at the University of Dublin to talk about his incredible career. It's here that he was asked about his connection to black magic the highly controversial occult, which he had been rumored to be a part of in secret.
"It's well-known that you have a huge interest in The Occult," the student started, "and that you have one of the largest collections books--"
"I don't have a huge collection," Christopher interrupted. "Somebody wrote I had twenty thousand books... I have to live in a bath."
The ever-charming Christopher gained laughs and applause from the audience but he didn't shrink away from the question.
"I ave maybe four or five [books on The Occult]. I have 'The Devil Rides Out', first edition, signed to me by [author] Dennis Wheatley. There's a book that's just come out about him called 'The Devil Is A Gentlemen'. And I have met people who claimed to be Satanists. Who claimed to be involved with black magic. Who claimed that they, not only knew a lot about it... but, as I've said, I've certainly not been involved in it. And I warn all of you... never, never, never [do it]. You will not only lose your mind, but you'll lose your soul."
Christopher went on to say that the internet and the media blew the story out of proportion as they are always looking for the next juicy piece of gossip and love to tear people of privilege down for the entertainment of the masses.
"I don't know who thought that one up... looks good in print, I suppose. It's not true."