A brief history of goths - Dan Adams

00:05:31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STOJftffOqs

Sintesi

TLDRThe narrative connects the ancient barbarian Goths to modern atmospheric post-punk music through the evolution of the term 'gothic'. Initially referring to Germanic tribes that played a significant role during the decline of the Roman Empire, the term transitioned through architectural styles in the Medieval period, later used derogatorily during the Renaissance, and then adopted by Romantic literature. The term finally re-emerged in the 1970s for a music genre reflecting darkness and rebellion against contemporary norms, illustrating a continuum of cultural reinterpretation.

Punti di forza

  • 🛡️ The Goths were a Germanic tribe influential in the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
  • 🏰 Gothic architecture emphasized light with features like pointed arches and large windows.
  • 📜 The term 'gothic' became a derogatory label for Medieval art during the Renaissance.
  • 📖 Gothic literature emerged in the 18th century with themes of darkness and mystery.
  • 🎵 Gothic rock evolved from post-punk music in the late 1970s and gained popularity in the 1980s.

Linea temporale

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:31

    The video explores the connection between atmospheric post-punk music fans and the ancient Goths from the Roman Empire. It traces the influence of the Goth tribes, particularly the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, on the decline of the Roman Empire and the emergence of the Dark Ages. The narrative highlights how these tribes assimilated into local cultures but left lasting marks on Christian art and architecture, notably with the Gothic style. The term 'Gothic' was originally derogatory, applied to medieval styles seen as crude compared to classical architecture, but evolved through the Enlightenment and Romantic periods into a literary genre and was later adopted by musical movements in the 1970s and beyond. The video concludes by noting the enduring legacy of Gothic culture as a countercultural phenomenon that continues to thrive in various sub-genres today.

Mappa mentale

Video Domande e Risposte

  • What were the Goths in ancient times?

    The Goths were a Germanic people, divided into two groups: the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, who became significant in the history of the Roman Empire.

  • How did the term 'gothic' first originate?

    The term 'gothic' was first used derogatorily in the 16th century to describe Medieval art as inferior to Classical art.

  • What is Gothic literature?

    Gothic literature emerged in the 18th century as a darker strain of Romanticism, characterized by supernatural elements, mystery, and emotion.

  • How did Gothic rock music come about?

    Gothic rock music emerged in the late 1970s, drawing inspiration from post-punk bands that combined dark themes with punk influences.

  • What sub-genres belong to the Gothic music scene?

    Sub-genres include cybergoth, gothabilly, gothic metal, and steampunk.

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Scorrimento automatico:
  • 00:00:09
    What do fans of atmospheric post-punk music
  • 00:00:12
    have in common with ancient barbarians?
  • 00:00:15
    Not much.
  • 00:00:16
    So why are both known as goths?
  • 00:00:20
    Is it a weird coincidence
  • 00:00:21
    or a deeper connection stretching across the centuries?
  • 00:00:26
    The story begins in Ancient Rome.
  • 00:00:28
    As the Roman Empire expanded, it faced raids and invasions
  • 00:00:32
    from the semi-nomadic populations along its borders.
  • 00:00:36
    Among the most powerful were a Germanic people known as Goths
  • 00:00:41
    who were composed of two tribal groups,
  • 00:00:43
    the Visigoths
  • 00:00:45
    and Ostrogoths.
  • 00:00:47
    While some of the Germanic tribes remained Rome's enemies,
  • 00:00:50
    the Empire incorporated others into the imperial army.
  • 00:00:55
    As the Roman Empire split in two,
  • 00:00:57
    these tribal armies played larger roles in its defense
  • 00:01:01
    and internal power struggles.
  • 00:01:04
    In the 5th century, a mercenary revolt lead by a soldier named Odoacer
  • 00:01:08
    captured Rome and deposed the Western Emperor.
  • 00:01:13
    Odoacer and his Ostrogoth successor Theoderic
  • 00:01:15
    technically remained under the Eastern Emperor's authority
  • 00:01:19
    and maintained Roman traditions.
  • 00:01:22
    But the Western Empire would never be united again.
  • 00:01:26
    Its dominions fragmented into kingdoms ruled by Goths
  • 00:01:29
    and other Germanic tribes
  • 00:01:31
    who assimilated into local cultures,
  • 00:01:34
    though many of their names still mark the map.
  • 00:01:38
    This was the end of the Classical Period
  • 00:01:40
    and the beginning of what many call the Dark Ages.
  • 00:01:43
    Although Roman culture was never fully lost,
  • 00:01:46
    its influence declined and new art styles arose
  • 00:01:50
    focused on religious symbolism and allegory
  • 00:01:53
    rather than proportion and realism.
  • 00:01:56
    This shift extended to architecture
  • 00:01:58
    with the construction of the Abbey of Saint Denis in France in 1137.
  • 00:02:04
    Pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large windows
  • 00:02:07
    made the structure more skeletal and ornate.
  • 00:02:11
    That emphasized its open, luminous interior
  • 00:02:14
    rather than the sturdy walls and columns of Classical buildings.
  • 00:02:19
    Over the next few centuries,
  • 00:02:21
    this became a model for Cathedrals throughout Europe.
  • 00:02:25
    But fashions change.
  • 00:02:26
    With the Italian Renaissance's renewed admiration for Ancient Greece and Rome,
  • 00:02:31
    the more recent style began to seem crude and inferior in comparison.
  • 00:02:36
    Writing in his 1550 book, "Lives of the Artists,"
  • 00:02:40
    Giorgio Vasari was the first to describe it as Gothic,
  • 00:02:45
    a derogatory reference to the Barbarians
  • 00:02:47
    thought to have destroyed Classical civilization.
  • 00:02:50
    The name stuck, and soon came to describe the Medieval period overall,
  • 00:02:55
    with its associations of darkness, superstition, and simplicity.
  • 00:03:01
    But time marched on, as did what was considered fashionable.
  • 00:03:05
    In the 1700s, a period called the Enlightenment came about,
  • 00:03:09
    which valued scientific reason above all else.
  • 00:03:13
    Reacting against that, Romantic authors like Goethe and Byron
  • 00:03:17
    sought idealized visions of a past of natural landscapes
  • 00:03:21
    and mysterious spiritual forces.
  • 00:03:24
    Here, the word Gothic was repurposed again
  • 00:03:27
    to describe a literary genre that emerged as a darker strain of Romanticism.
  • 00:03:33
    The term was first applied by Horace Walpole
  • 00:03:35
    to his own 1764 novel, "The Castle of Otranto"
  • 00:03:40
    as a reference to the plot and general atmosphere.
  • 00:03:44
    Many of the novel's elements became genre staples
  • 00:03:47
    inspiring classics and the countless movies they spawned.
  • 00:03:51
    The gothic label belonged to literature and film until the 1970s
  • 00:03:56
    when a new musical scene emerged.
  • 00:03:59
    Taking cues from artists like The Doors and The Velvet Underground,
  • 00:04:03
    British post-punk groups,
  • 00:04:04
    like Joy Division,
  • 00:04:05
    Bauhaus,
  • 00:04:06
    and The Cure,
  • 00:04:07
    combined gloomy lyrics and punk dissonance
  • 00:04:10
    with imagery inspired by the Victorian era,
  • 00:04:13
    classic horror,
  • 00:04:14
    and androgynous glam fashion.
  • 00:04:17
    By the early 1980s, similar bands were consistently described
  • 00:04:21
    as Gothic rock by the music press,
  • 00:04:24
    and the stye's popularity brought it out of dimly lit clubs
  • 00:04:28
    to major labels and MTV.
  • 00:04:31
    And today, despite occasional negative media attention and stereotypes,
  • 00:04:35
    Gothic music and fashion continue as a strong underground phenomenon.
  • 00:04:40
    They've also branched into sub-genres,
  • 00:04:42
    such as cybergoth,
  • 00:04:44
    gothabilly,
  • 00:04:45
    gothic metal,
  • 00:04:46
    and even steampunk.
  • 00:04:48
    The history of the word gothic is embedded
  • 00:04:51
    in thousands of years worth of countercultural movements,
  • 00:04:54
    from invading outsiders becoming kings
  • 00:04:57
    to towering spires replacing solid columns
  • 00:05:01
    to artists finding beauty in darkness.
  • 00:05:04
    Each step has seen a revolution of sorts
  • 00:05:07
    and a tendency for civilization to reach into its past to reshape its present.
Tag
  • Goths
  • Post-Punk
  • Ancient Rome
  • Medieval Architecture
  • Gothic Literature
  • Gothic Music
  • Romanticism
  • Cultural Evolution
  • Counterculture
  • Dark Aesthetics