The Goths were a Germanic people who invaded the Roman Empire in the early days of Christianity. They streamed out of their dark northern forests and had a marvellous time at the expense of an effete and degenerate empire. They were a lusty lot who knew what life was for; and they knew how to live it well.

Gothic architecture of the 12th to 15th Centuries is characterized by pointed arches, flying buttresses, and gloomy colonnades all of which appealed enormously to the sensibilities of the Romantic artists of the early 19th Century, whose taste for the macabre has found a new set of kindred sprits among the lugubrious youth of the early 21st Century.

The modern Goth scene grew out of the post Punk movement in the late 1970s. The separation of the two movements was brought about by youth from secure and educated families, who were uncomfortable with the dirt, violence, and safety pins associated with Punk. They saw Punk as an appealing way of revolting against the boring and indifferent lifestyle of their parents, but soon found themselves at odds with Punk's extroverted and rather self-destructive lifestyle; and so they created their own sub-culture, one less antagonistic to their bored and indifferent parents. Theirs was not a political or social rebellion, but an aesthetic one, creating a 'Gothic lifestyle' in imitation of an earlier generation equally ill at ease with rationalism, materialism, and sensible clothes.

Modern Goth

The modern history of Goth, like most of today's youth culture, is closely linked to music; but one cannot understand the music if one does not know what the very heart of Goth is about. Those in the scene tend to view the concept of Goth as an expression of individuality, something they take part in because it seems comfortable and natural for them to do so, rather than because they want to join in; and so it can be said that Goth is a state of mind. Goth is not about being cool, except in the sense of being unemotional, detached, unmoved.

There's an inner calmness, a tranquillity, to being a Goth, a state of giving and being given the space one needs to be oneself; it's about respect for the individual, especially those with similar tastes. This cult of individuality sometimes expresses itself in contempt for those who only assume the trappings of Goth culture, who only dress to give old people the willies. These sad souls are just trying to be part of a weird, scary group; but, sadly, they have missed the point that the weird, scary group is about individuality; and the individuals in the group only look alike because they happen to precisely agree on how they choose to express their individuality. That's an easy point to miss. They listen to the Goth music without appreciating the message of individuality all of it contains.

Lifestyle

Goths have given up on mainstream society as a failed experiment in cultural evolution. They frequently sound discouraged about things when talking to Mundanes (people who aren't Goths), but that's because Mundanes are depressing people to talk to. Goths have been said to 'suffer the world'; to suffer the pain, stupidity, and hectic mindlessness which mundane folk don't seem to notice. But there is no record of this ever having been said in medieval German. Perhaps Byron said it.

Some Goths have aspirations to undermine the mainstream somehow, perhaps by recruiting from its ranks, or perhaps by campaigning to render fringe ideas acceptable. Others simply don't care, and figure that when society collapses under its own weight, they'll be waiting in the wings. Probably wearing a pair of wings. Bat wings.

A major uniting factor among the wide variety of Goths is the anti-mainstream 'Black Aesthetic'. Goths take things that society claims are evil, sinful, painful, or wrong, and make them beautiful. This explains, among other things, the crossover between the Goth and BDSM¹ communities. There's a sense that anything, no matter how gruesome or horrible, can have artistic merit when viewed from the right perspective. Many Goths would argue that the things which frighten or disturb other people are precisely those things that are most beautiful - beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

Pain and death are accepted as a legitimate part of life; they are revelled in and revered as some of the most exciting and interesting parts of life. Death is seen as a consequence of life. This does not lead to a desire to die, but rather to an acceptance of death. Goths are people who revel in their 'inner darkness', rather than suppressing it. They frequently think of themselves as far better adjusted than the typical Mundane, who goes around hiding a lot of emotions because they're 'unacceptable'. Though, it has to be admitted, a Goth with the giggles is a rare sight.

The preferred colour of Goth interior design would commonly be black with a tendency towards drapes, candles, torches, incense (usually patchouli which smells of rotting or burning leaves), dried roses, and maybe the occasional fake cobweb or skull.

Goths often have a taste for things that are actually Gothic too, such as the art and architecture of medieval Europe, especially cathedrals, illuminated manuscripts, and other products of medieval Christianity, which are widely studied and appreciated. Also, ruins and graveyards, especially when old and overgrown with ivy, are widely favoured.

Trouble with the Lifestyle

• Pikes are pointy leather shoes or boots, which you can't wear when driving a car because the pointy toes tend to get stuck under the pedals.

• Extra long and pointed joint rings that cover the whole finger and are flexible at the joints, which make it difficult to eat or reach into your pocket.

• Sun, or any source of heat, which makes you suffer when you're wearing five square meters of black velvet cape.

• Meeting someone in a crowd of 35,000 individualists all dressed in black.

• Looking for something in your travel bag in the dark.

Dress Code

To a Goth, black is not a colour; it's a statement.

Goths are quite vain. They typically dress in black, and often resemble people who have spent a long time trapped in a mausoleum, or who take giving blood very, very seriously; but black is not an absolute necessity. Many stereotypical Goth items are 'dress code' in certain situations, just as a tuxedo is at a formal party. Otherwise, a Goth might only wear his blacks to parties, and wear regular stuff most of the rest of the time. This is in contrast to the Goths who sacked Rome, who were never out of uniform.

Goths are generally into jewellery designs based on symbols such as runes, pentagrams, ankhs, and crosses to complement their dress. The last three can also be worn upside down, which implies a reversal of meaning. Thus the reverse pentagram would no longer mean protection, and the ankh would stand for eternal death rather than eternal life. The upside down symbol of Christianity would represent Satan, though it does not necessarily mean that the wearer is a Satanist. Another common Goth thing is the use of makeup by both genders. Not suprisingly, the preferred colour is black, and it is applied to lips, eyes, and eyebrows. The effect is sometimes highlighted by giving the rest of the face a coating of white². Males usually wear their hair dyed black and with the sides of the head shaven. Females either go for black or blonde, a nice effect with all the black gear, styled according to their own taste.

Dress varies according to the style of music: the fans of Medieval music can usually be relied upon to wear lace and frills, black silk and velvet, and females can be seen in very elegant robes; Dark Wave fans are generally rather plainly dressed... in black; Techo/Industrial fanciers tend to favour latex and leather; and Metal aficionados affect spikes and black leather. Which may leave you wondering where individuality comes into the picture.

Typical Goth dress items include:

• Capes
• Pikes, the kind of shoes with a long pointed tip
• Zips and buckles, classified by the number of buckles³
• Long coats
• Laced up trousers, tied with a thin ribbon running like a shoelace from ankles to hip⁴.

Music

A Goth state of mind commonly, though not necessarily, also entails a certain taste in music and way of dressing; all are part of the aesthetic rebellion. Goth music ranges from rock with a heavy heart-like drumbeat, through synthesized tunes with ethereal and mystical overtones, into classical styles (often drawing on liturgical works) and Gregorian chant. It is very difficult to draw a clear line designating what is Goth and what is not. One Goth band may rely heavily on a mix of synthesized tracks, and another may work entirely with acoustic instruments and no amplifiers. As with many things about Goths, one can only say what is common, not what is necessary.

The lyrics of Goth music focus on much the same material as Gothic literature, including, but not limited to, its symbols and concepts (death, sex, wine, blood, black or red roses, beginnings and endings) and supernatural forces (demons, witches, vampires, and even a few angels). There is a tendency for the songs to tell some sort of story. One might start feeling like one is at a particularly melodramatic opera, which is being performed as a Halloween special.

The term 'Goth' was first applied to bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division. Later, in the early - to mid-1980s, a strong rock element invaded Goth with the coming of age of bands like the Sisters of Mercy and the March Violets; however, the more spiritual, ethereal side of music was also present, though less obvious.

During the late 1980s and early 90s, the Goth scene underwent a fairly major decline. The scene then consisted mostly of same-style, droning vampire-obsessed bands, and all was not well... nor did it look it.

Family Gatherings

At the beginning of a new millennium, the Goth scene has undergone something of a revival; gigs are frequently well attended, and there are a fair number of bands; although few enjoy any real commercial success. It is frequently argued that commercialization of Goth events destroys what is referred to as the 'family' atmosphere. In fact, Goth events are at times called 'family gatherings' ... a family which does not mind that there are more black than white sheep in it.

The biggest event world-wide has, to date, been the Wave-Gotik-Treffen (WGT) which takes place in Leipzig, Germany over Whitsun. Although, due to financial difficulties, the future of the WGT is in doubt, and it remains to be seen what will become of all this in the future. The musical style tends to be more light hearted, but still with the deep lyrical content associated with more traditional Goth music.

Sadly, the mainstream music press that tried to give Goth a decent burial in the 80s has cottoned on to its re-emergence, probably through the dark imagery used by mainstream bands like Garbage. It has attached the tag to the black metal and industrial rock scenes, meaning that hordes of Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth fans identify themselves with the Goth movement. There is very little recorded history of the Goth scene from the 80s through to the present day, except perhaps works like Mick Mercer's Hex Files; and so there's very little actual evidence to refute the music press' claims, other than the Goths themselves.

The most noticeable thing about a Goth club, apart from the absence of floral prints, is the peculiar style of dancing: dancers take two and a half steps to the front (or sideways) and back again. People don't dance into one another; and should they do so by accident, they'll ask for forgiveness - the Goth scene is markedly non-violent. Our Goth of yore would probably feel as if he had got off the bus at the wrong stop, and leave to find a rugby supporters social club.