• Definition of Goth:

    The etymology of goth dates back to the time where Europe was populated by germanic (nomadic) tribes. The Franks called such germanic tribes "Goths" meaning "barbaric" or "foreign".

    During the tweleth century "Gothic" Architecture was began in France, known as Opus Francigenum. During this time most of the population embraced the Helenistic type of architecture, noticable by its simple design as well as an emphasis on cylindrical supports and a preferred width over height. When the Opus Franigenum style came out it was seen as barbaric with its flying buttresses, emphasis on height, and a balance between shadows and light, not to mention it all over appearance relating to a weapon- it was called "Gothic" as an insult.

    During the 14th century (principally in England) torture began to emerge as a form of punishment in great amounts. King Henry (i forget which one 6th or 7th maybe) established a tower, dedicated to the torture and execution of prisoners. Inside this tower there were things such as Iron Maidens with rotating blades udnerneath them to chop the prisoners into several pieces. Being that the tower was Opus Francigenum in style, it was commonly but not officially called the "Gothic Tower". As the word Gothic re-emerged so did its meaning changed, for now it meant anything morbid that happened in a Gothic style building.

    With the emergence of Authors such as Edgar Allen Poe, Goth started to designate anyone who had an obsession with the morbid and gruesome things that happened in dungeons, as well as someone who respected the balance between light and dark, as the Opus Francigenum design did.

    During the 1970's and 1980's bands such as The Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, The Cure, and several others came into public view from the post-punk type of music. Their music consisted of light music with dark introspective lyrics that talked of unseemingly things, morbidity and resonance. This music scene was the birth of the modern goth.

    Today the gothic culture is still a sub-culture- and true goths will tell you there aren't many actual goths. Someone where's pure black and dark makeup, and suddenly they're goth-

    Well that's not how it is. To be goth you have to accept the shadows and the light, accept the balance and embrace both as a beauty. An interest in the subject of morbidity, and usually a literate mind are also key features (and by literate I don't mean you've read Harry Potter 100 times).

    Goth is a personality, not a style or a fad, and just because you listen to metal music like Manson (who is NOT goth) and dress all in black, and are depressed (not all goths are depressed) and obsessed with death- DOES NOT MAKE YOU GOTH. There is an elegance to the gothic culture that raving angry teens in Hot Topic (poser store) Bondage Pants can't seem to grasp, and unfortunately, because of this, no one knows the differance between a Metal Head and a Goth anymore.

    Oh and emos are just a culture based on the belief that life is worthless, nothing matters, everyone hates them, and noone understands them- they are a bad rip-off of goths, and they futher obscure the name of the gothic culture. You cannot be "emo" and belief that everything is worthless and horrible and "goth" and respect the balance of light and shadows finding them both beautiful and embracing (oh no- do I mean loving? yes!) both light and shadow at the same time.

    So whatever, I am sick of posers ruining a wonderful culture with a beautiful history. They'll go out and buy TRIPP pants and MANIC Panic Hair Die or whatever they can afford at hot topic with daddy's credit card to try and make us believe that they are trully deep enough to understand that pesonality does lie behind 200$ outfits and subsequently that means they are goth.