Burzum (/ˈbɜːrzəm/; Norwegian: [ˈbʉrtsʉm]) is a musical project of Norwegian musician and writer Varg Vikernes. Vikernes began making music in 1988, but it was not until 1991 that he recorded his first demos as Burzum. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the Black Speech, a fictional language crafted by Lord of the Rings writer J. R. R. Tolkien. The project became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is one of the most influential acts in black metal.