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Home  Archive music profiles What The Hell Is Goth, Anyway?
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What The Hell Is Goth, Anyway? |
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Written by Amy Bidz
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Friday, 16 December 2005 |
Interestingly, the
Bible was actually translated into Gothic before it was translated into
Latin.
The Ancient Goths were an east Germanic tribe best known as the
destroyers of the classical world. Other tribes such as the Visigoths,
Ostrogoths, Angles, Saxons, Franks, Vandals, Burgundians, and
Thuringians were also active in conquering Roman territories. Gothic
culture can best be gleaned from study of the Scandinavian and
Icelandic people prior to 800 CE.
The Goths were a
herder-hunter society and had their own pre-Christian religion, oral
and written language, politics, art, and music. Interestingly, the
Bible was actually translated into Gothic before it was translated into
Latin.
Although the Goths were considered barbarians,
many of our political freedoms today stem directly from them and
neighboring Germanic tribes. These include democracy, the right to
trial by jury, the concept of innocence until proven guilty, and
women’s right to own property and wealth. The “civilized” opponents
Goths battled afforded no such notions.
Before battle,
ancient Goths chanted songs in praise of their ancestors while playing
the cithara, a type of harp. In De Musica, Vidigoia, an official of
Theoderic the Great, wrote, “For the fiercer tribes are pleased by the
harsher modes (special scales and tunings) of the Goths, but the gentle
tribes by moderate modes.”
Of the harsh Phrygian mode,
Theoderic II wrote, “Phrygian arouses strife and inflames the will to
anger. Theoderic ruled the Visigoths from 453-466 CE.
Art, architecture, and even music created in the Middle Ages in western
and central Europe is typically referred to as “Gothic.” Gothic art
emerged out of Romanesque art and was in use between the 1200s and the
1600s.
The term “Gothic art/architecture” was coined by
Italian writers of the Renaissance who felt medieval architecture was
deplorably ugly and preferred the classical Roman look prior to 500 CE,
which was destroyed by the barbarian Goths.
“What is most
ironic is that the word ‘Gothic’ is simultaneously used to describe
that which is ‘barbaric’ and ‘primitive,’ on one hand, and expresses a
high point in European culture on the other. Its very meaning can at
once conjure religious formality as well as it describes the shadowy
depths of human consciousness,” mused Zap Tripper, a musician and
self-taught historian in St. Louis.
Most scholars know
that Gothic art has nothing to do with the ancient Goths, but the term
remains a standard in the study of art history. The term retained
negative overtones until the 1800s, when a positive appreciation for
Gothic architecture occurred. At that time, many other compatible
artistic elements were coming in vogue, which are still appreciated by
goths today.
“The term Gothic is also reminiscent of that
style of literary fiction prevalent in the late 18th and early 19th
centuries which emphasized the grotesque, the mysterious, and the
desolate. Some 20th century films and eventually musical styles echoed
this artistic formula that endow significance to the dark side of the
human psyche,” Tripper said.
Surprised? Even more
surprising is that today’s “goth” usually knows nothing about the
Gothic tribes of heathen Germania, although some have a fondness for
the Gothic art of the Middle Ages, and many relate to the poetry and
fashions of the Victorian era.
The modern goth
sprang from the roots of a musical phenomenon which came out of the
punk movement in the late 1970s and has enjoyed very limited commercial
chart success in the music industry from the 1980s to the present. But
they do know what they like and do not like, and they are not afraid to
show it or to have their opinions known to the world.
“To
me, gothic is a term to describe a style of music, dress, and
lifestyle. It’s the dark side of life. A term that stemmed from punks
that wanted their music darker and had a darker way of dressing about
them…a movement which gave birth to bands like Bauhaus in the late
’70s. Nowadays, the term encompasses many different styles as it has
grown over the years,” explains Rick Shaddix, a goth DJ in Urbana,
Illinois.
Most people who are described as goth today
share an appetite for freedom in creative expression, dark music, and
dark attire, and a taste for subversive as opposed to mainstream
elements in popular culture.
“To me, gothic means
embracing the darker aspects of life and existence. More visually,
‘dressing’ for the occasion can be anything from period-influenced
dress to cyber/vinyl attire. Music, of course is a dominant influence
in all of this. I have always been an ‘artsy,’ creative type personally
and never thought that I truly belonged in mainstream society. I am
also very dark and depressive in nature, so ‘goth seemed to be the
closest subculture that I felt that I could identify with
philosophically. The music bridged the gap the most, being that most of
the contents (lyrically) were subjects that I felt that I could relate
to. I also enjoy costume and dress. I feel as though I can be as
creative and unrestrained as I want to be and be accepted regardless,
in this subculture,” explained Ninaz Salour, a fixture on the local
goth scene.
So what defines an individual as “goth”? “An
interest in the minor scale of life. If you could put life into a minor
key, that would be goth,” said local goth DJ Jonathon Grimm.
Sometimes definitions are made for the individual, too. “I never
considered myself goth. But when I moved to the city, people
characterized me as such. I got typecast, then went out to some events
and realized that I liked the people a lot. Now I am ‘the cook.’ I like
to cook, so I make food for some of the events,” explained Deborah Hyde.
This sense of community is prized by many locals on the scene. Thomas
Park said, “It was cool to see what happened when a young woman
recently asked her goth associates what to do about an infected
piercing—literally dozens of helpful people stepped forward with
advice. These were nice people!”
Echoing that sentiment,
Marian VanTassel explained, “I appreciate that we have a community
outside of the club scene. We communicate whether we go out or not. It
is like ‘six degreees of separation’—someone always knows someone who
knows someone else you know.”
“I love the friendliness and camraderie! People are so willing to help newcomers,” agreed Vardi.
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