It’s certainly one of the more unusual cases I have ever had to read through. Behemoth’s Nergal has been cleared of ‘offending religious feelings’ in Poland after previously waving a penis crucifix.
And before you ask, yes you did read that right.
The case stems from a 2018 video where Nergal waved a penis-shaped sex toy featuring a crucifix. He did so while singing a children’s song for International Women’s Day. Apparently, that was enough for religious conservatives to take legal action, citing laws that criminalise offending religious sentiments. If convicted, he could have faced fines or even prison time.
Rather than backing down, Nergal fought the charges for years, spending tens of thousands of zlotys in legal fees. Following his acquittal, he took to Instagram on March 8, saying, “Was it blasphemous or shocking? I didn’t think so – but it was enough for a few clowns on the other side to take offence and run straight to court.”
He went on to call the case an “absurd” waste of time and resources, but admitted that seeing justice prevail was a satisfying victory. “I’m glad justice prevailed, glad I put my opponents in their place,” he wrote. “But it’s still ridiculous that a mediocre joke in this country can spiral into a costly, nerve-wracking legal battle.”
The item in question wasn’t just any novelty sex toy—it was a sculpture gifted to Nergal by black metal legend Tom Gabriel Fischer. Now, he’s working with lawyers to get it returned.
This isn’t the first time Nergal has clashed with Poland’s religious establishment. He was previously fined for stepping on an image of the Virgin Mary in 2021 and famously went to court in 2010 for tearing up a Bible on stage, though he won that case. His antics have even gotten him booted from a YMCA gym in the US for not worshipping Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, Behemoth are gearing up to release their 13th album, The Shit Ov God, in May. On the record’s provocative title, Nergal said, “We chose this deliberately, rejecting subtlety in favour of a direct and polarising statement. It’s a defiant plunge into the depths, daring to seek the absolute even in the gutter.”
For now, Nergal remains Poland’s most infamous metal provocateur—and he’s not backing down anytime soon.
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