Folk metal has been associated with paganism ever since its inception, when Martin Walkyier left his former band Sabbat to form Skyclad, in part because the band "wasn't going to go far enough down the pagan, British way that we wanted to do it."
Folk metal er blevet associeret med hedenskab lige siden genren blev skabt, da Martin Walkyier forlod sit tidligere band Sabbat for at dane Skyclad, til dels fordi bandet "ikke gik langt nok ned af den hedenske, britiske vej som vi ville have det."