Burzum is a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black metal. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in black speech, a fictional language crafted by Lord of the Rings writer J. R. R. Tolkien. Varg Vikernes began making music in 1988 with the band Kalashnikov. The following year, the name was changed to Uruk-Hai, after the creatures from J.