Sopor Aeternus

Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows
Background information
Also known as	Sopor Aeternus, Sopor
Origin	Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Genres	Neoclassical dark wave, dark folk, neo-Medieval, gothic rock
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Apocalyptic Vision
Associated acts	White Onyx Elephants Nenia C'alladhan
Website	soporaeternus.de
Members	Anna-Varney Cantodea
Past members	Holger

Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows (Latin: sopor æternus "eternal sleep"; often referred to or stylized as Sopor Aeternus or Sopor) is a darkwave musical project based in Frankfurt, founded in 1989 by Anna-Varney Cantodea. Anna-Varney's work is extremely personalized, melancholic and pessimistic, drawing on a number of different musical and visual styles, and has garnered a cult following.

Cantodea's pseudonym is derived from several sources. Firstly, the common name Anna, and secondly the Latin word cantodea, a composed neologism meaning "I sing, goddess". (As a side note, the Latin term for "female singer" is cantrix.) She had been using the stage name "Varney" prior to 1997, that name taken from the Victorian Gothic horror story Varney, the Vampire; or the Feast of Blood.

Reportedly, Cantodea suffered beatings at the hands of her parents, and by peers in school. At the age of six, she had an out-of-body experience while sedated during a tonsillectomy.

Cantodea's persona is voluntarily isolated and complicated. She has stated that she does not perform live "in front of humans." Despite this, she currently seems to be acquainted with the pagan and occult author Raven Digitalis, who is one of the "managers" of the Official Sopor Aeternus MySpace profile. She has an affinity for the author Edgar Allan Poe, adapting her poems to music on several occasions; she is also a supporter of several activist movements, including animal rights, pro-euthanasia, LGBT rights, vegan and vegetarian efforts.

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