World Goth Day

Asterix and Obelix go on a quest to find the kidnapped Druid Getafix, they go to Goth that was the first time I came across this term, there were Visigoths and Astrogoths. I looked up the dictionary to see what “goth ”meant well my friend philosopher guide, the Merriam-Webster tells me that…

Goths are members of a Germanic people that, over ran the Roman Empire in the early century. It was also rock music marked by dark and morbid lyrics. It was also a subculture of people wearing blacks, using dramatic music and often has dyed hair.

The last bit sounded very “Ethnic– arty” kind but they are into earthy pastel colours, to show their grounding with the earth.  Somewhere I figured that Goths were a cult and presumably had a new way of life.

The Goth ideology emerged from the dark crevices of the Gothic style of literature of the nineteenth century, rather morbid, focusing on its believers frustration with society, its norms, the rules and regulations, maybe even personal setbacks and a general disillusionment  with mainstream culture and ethics. It could also simply be a way of demanding attention.

Goth music is about the evils in the society, like racism, war and hatred, ethnic groups and meant to be thought provoking, while they also claim a love for German expressionist silent films, and the works of Dante, Byron and Tolstoy.

Goths are in general non-violent, pacifists and tolerant. Though they are presented as rebels and rather unsavoury elements in the society.  If there is any violence they practise it is infliction on the self through a process called scarification where a thin tissue of the body is removed leaving behind scars, they are also into huge tattoos, body piercing and sometimes also body modification.

Goths have their presence in India too… for those of you who are interested… check Sepia Mutiny.com out.

22^nd May is the World Goth Day, a day where the Goth scene gets to celebrate its own being and an opportunity to make its presence known to the rest of the world.

This event originated in 2009 with the BBC Radio 6 dedicating a week to the musical subcultures. They even have a website dedicated to the World Goth Day. all the cultural aspects of the Goth subculture is acknowledged and celebrated here. this has now become worldwide with  40 countries participating as of 2016.

What I learnt when I was researching for a Gothic play was, Goths in today’s scenario have personalities within them though most of Goths do have violence in their past, or have come from humanities of violent past..

There are Cemetery Goths who like to visit graves and graveyards, nothing morbid about it, it could just paying respects to the people who passed away or interest in Graveyard architecture, particularly the monuments built. The Cyber Goths who are into website designing and game creation, usually tend to be long-term internet surfers or professors. The Diva Goths older or larger women who reclaim their place in society with elegant dressings, dark satin, and velvets and lace the dark somehow seem to have the power to change. The Egyptian Goths who the paradoxes of the Goth cult, since they worship the sun, yet they are the most sophisticated of the Goth cult as the Egyptians thought themselves godlike and they took care of their bodies and minds. The Pagan Goths, who connect with nature deeply, they resort to ways to empathize with the destruction of nature; many of them are also into magic and tarots. The high achieving Victorian Goths, who think themselves above the rest, they embody the Victorian spirit of discovery. Finally the charming Vampire Goths, who almost always get their way, they are not early risers and tend to enhance cosmetic appearances with bright red lipsticks.

From the Visigoths and Astrogoths of Asterix, through Govind Nilhani’s Rukmavati Ke Haveli, this is just paying respect to the Goth cult in my life.