The music world lost a great entertainer and musician earlier this year when GWAR front-thing Oderus Urungus, also known as Dave Brockie, passed away. In the aftermath of his passing, the band's members decided to proceed with the annual GWAR-B-Q weekend festival, with fans having a unique way to honor the late musician during a Viking funeral on Friday, Aug. 15.

For those unfamiliar, a Viking funeral is a ceremony where the deceased is laid in a boat or stone ship and given grave offerings in accordance with their earthly profession. Afterward, the ship is launched into the water and often set afire in order to elevate the deceased in the afterlife.

As stated, Randy Blythe of Lamb of God was among those who eulogized Dave Brockie (watch above). The rocker, who also spoke at the private memorial earlier this year, opened by stating, "Dave is the only motherf----r I know who has to get put away twice. He's too big for one f---ing funeral." Blythe went on to share his first experience seeing GWAR, the friend that Brockie became as his band got bigger and more.

In one touching moment, Blythe remembered being told by Brockie that he was proud of him. He explained, "That meant more to me than any record review, any Grammy nomination, any sort of tour we ever did, it meant more to me that my friend that I respected so much would take time out of his day and say, 'Dude, I'm f---ing proud of you.'"

Later, Blythe posted a photo of the blazing viking ship on his Instagram page and shared the following message:

Tonight we sent Oderus home in a fitting manner at the public memorial for Dave Brockie. A blazing Viking ship with Oderus laid out in it, the cuttlefish pointing proudly straight up. Watching my friend Dave's costume go up in flames in front of a thousand fans was so much more intense for me than the private memorial for friends & family we had April Fool's Day. I spoke at both of them, as GWAR asked me to, & both times as I spoke I was sad. But watching his alter-ego burn tore me up way more than the first memorial, maybe because there was Dave, the human who was my friend who just "left us"- I never saw his body- & then there was Oderus, who was something entirely else. To watch his stage gear burn was like watching part of my life literally go up in flames. I was sobbing my eyes out as I took this photo. It was just a super-intense moment. Very beautiful, but overwhelming. Fly free, Oderus- you are missed.

The ceremony took place at Hadad's Lake, as fans attending the annual GWAR-B-Q gathered around to honor the late vocalist. Watch Randy Blythe and others eulogize Brockie in the video above, and see footage of the vessel going up in flames below.

Watch Footage of the Viking Funeral for Oderus Urungus

 

Revisit Oderus Urungus Reading the Children's Book 'Goodnight Moon'

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