get edumicated
In the aftermath of the student and staff murders at Columbine high school in Littleton CO in 1999-APR, some of the media searched for simple reasons to explain the terrible tragedy. Some reporters bypassed the obvious causes (two teens having easy access to handguns and rifles; sustained ridicule, harassment, and rejection by their peers; their lack of respect for human life; their lack of hope for the future; etc.). Some reporters mentioned that the alleged perpetrators followed the Goth culture. A few reporters have incorrectly associated Goth with Satanism, violence, white supremacy and intolerance. The implication was that the Goth culture had been the cause of the alleged perpetrators' obsession with revenge, and thus is at least partly responsible for the homicides.The perpetrators were apparently not Goths; rather, they had incorporated some Goth symbolism into their group's unique image. Similarly, they held hands in school; not because they were bisexual or homosexual, but in order to shock other students. Their goal was to disturb their fellow students and distance themselves from the school jocks who ridiculed and harassed them.
What is the Goth culture?
It is basically indefinable, because "Goth" means different things to each follower. Some factors that are commonly observed are:
*Its unique music, art and literature.
*The use of extreme black clothing, light colored makeup, unusual hair styles, body piercing, bondage items, etc. (everyone around here thinks that is what goth means..and it annoys me!!)
*A fascination with medieval, Victorian and Edwardian history.
*Wearing of symbols such as a Christian cross; an Egyptian ankh or "Eye of Ra," or "Eye of Horus;" a Wiccan pentacle, a Satanic inverted pentacle. etc. 14
*Goths tend to be non-violent, pacifistic, passive, and tolerant. Many in the media have mistakenly associated Goth with extreme violence and hatred of minorities, white supremacy, etc.
*Many Goths write about being depressed. Followers seem sullen and withdrawn, when in public. They are often much more "happy and carefree in the company of [other] Goths
The words Goth and Gothic have had many, largely unrelated meanings:
*the name of the Germanic Visigoth tribes that overthrew the Roman Empire. From this source arose the concept of a Goth as an uncivilized person, a barbarian.
*a style of architecture in Western Europe which was popular from the 12th to the 16th century.
*a style of horror/mystery literature that is dark, eerie and gloomy.
--Goth, as a modern movement, started as one component of the punk rock scene. As the latter faded, Goth survived by creating its own subculture.
--The first use of the term Goth in its present meaning was on a British Broadcasting Commission (BBC) TV program. Anthony H. Wilson, manager of Joy Division described the band as Gothic compared with the pop mainstream. The name stuck.
--Their use of black clothing was originally "something of a backlash to the colorful disco music of the seventies." 5 It also stuck.
Religion:
Many Goths reflect popular culture and are probably nominal or devout Christians. Atheism, Agnosticism, the New Age, Gnosticism, Shamanism, Wicca, other Neopagan traditions, and other minority faith groups are represented more frequently than in the general population.
Goths often wear Christian crosses or Christian crucifixes, which many regard as a pre-Christian religious symbol. Others wear New Age/ancient Egyptian Ankh symbols. Some do this as expression of their religious beliefs, some for satire, and others because they like their appearance.
Religion is frequently discussed on the Goth newsgroups. Many songs, band names and album titles have Christian themes. 6
The public incorrectly commonly associates Goths with Marilyn Manson. 10 "Manson publicly presents himself as a follower of the Church of Satan... He was ordained a priest in the Church of Satan by the [late] founder, Anton LaVey. Many fans refer to him as the Rev. Marilyn Manson." 9 (Actually, Manson is not a follower of that Church; he was simply appointed as a Reverend within the Church by its founder, Anton LaVey.) From this Satanic connection, the perception has grown that Goths are frequently linked to Satanism. There are a few Satanists who are also Goths, but they are rare.
Stereotypes:
People have accused or described Goths as being:
*Depressed,
*Unusually bigoted,
*Violent,
*Suicidal,
*Involved in illegal drugs,
*Vampires or believe themselves to be vampires,
*Sado-masochists,
*Satanists,
*Musicians, painters, and other artists,
*Computer programmers (although there seem to be a lot of them)
*Wearers of black (some wear white and gunmetal),
*Dyers of their hair,
*Users of white makeup. 4
Some of the above probably apply to some Goths, but definitely not all.
To understand the Goths religiously, one must understand their origins and background. The Goths come from the Istævones, whose ancestors in Scandinavia would seem to have originally been Ingævones; primarily concerned with agriculture and the worship of Ing and his consort. While the most important aspects of Gothic religion came to be centered around the cult of Gaut, the Vanic cult did survive for centuries among the Goths. After their migration south, there is evidence for Vanir worship amongst the Goths. “A Gothic runic name *enguz indicates an Ing god. The Passion of St. Saba, an ancient Roman document, states that at the end of their heathen period, the Goths would carry a wooden deity in a wagon. This was taken around to all the Goths, and they were required to worship it as a sign of loyalty to the old religion, since the Christians had begun to win converts among the Goths at this time. The Gothic priests even carried these cult statues across the Danube as the Goths fled from the Huns in 375.
Gaut
As for evidence of early myth associated with the cult of Gaut, the Gutasaga (Gotlandic Tale), may relate the history of the original Gothic exodus from Gotland, and may preserve some elements of early Gautish legend. According to the tale, Gotland, the island in the Baltic, was bewitched by supernatural powers which caused it to rise every evening and sink again every morning. The first man to come to the island was Tjelvar. He brought the first fire and carried it around the island. This sanctifying act put an end to the continual sinking and rising of the island. This myth, coming from one of the original Gothic homelands, has some basis in reality, as geologists know that the island has in fact risen and sunk many times. The Gotlandic Tale goes on to tell:
And Tjelfar had a son called Hafdi. And Hafdi had a wife called Whitestar. They were the first people to settle on Gotland. The first night they slept together, she had a dream in which three serpents were intertwined in her bosom, and it seemed to her as if they crept out of her bosom. She told her husband Hafdi about this dream, and he explained the dream thus: “Everything is tied together by means of rings, and this land shall become inhabited. And we shall have three sons.” And he gave them names before they were born: “Goti shall own Gotland, the second shall be Greip and the third, Gunnfjon.” Later they divided Gotland into three parts, such that Greip, the oldest, got the northern part, Goti obtained the part in the middle, and Gunnfjon, the youngest, got the southern part. (Arne Torp, Nordisk språk i nordisk og germansk perspektiv).
The Gotlandic founding father Goti is none other than Gaut, the ancient founding
father of the Goths. Snorri, the Elder Edda and almost all other evidence allows us to clearly identify Gaut as Wóden.
From Jordanes we learn that Gaut was considered the founding father of the Goths, and it is from him that the royal Amal line descends. Asser’s The Life of King Alfred asserts that the Wessex kings are also descended from Geat and that “the pagans long worshipped him as a god.” Many other Germanic royal lines descend from Gaut as well. The Proto-Germanic root of this god’s name is *Gautaz, (Gothic ‘Gáuts’ OE Geat, ON Gautr or Gauti, OHG Kóz; also referred to by the Longobards and Thuringians as Gaus; associated with the Swedish people names Gœt, Goter, Gutar: inhabitants of Sweden and Gotland); probably also associated with ON Iat, Juter (Jutes). The meaning of *Gautaz is “to pour forth” or “flowing” or “flooding.” The earliest mention of the name is found on a fire steel from Illerup in Denmark, (200 AD), which bears the runic inscription “Gautr.”
Jan Czarnecki describes the name of the Goths as meaning “the people living near the Gautelfr,” (the Göta River in Västergötaland, Sweden) where the Goths are thought to have originated. This interpretation takes the meaning as “flow;” which is associated with the flowing of the river. Many river names throughout Germanic lands contain a Got- or Gut- element. Perhaps the name may reflect the auspicious pouring of rain (after sacrifice) which nourishes the crops. The name has also been interpreted as meaning the pouring forth of semen, thus simply meaning “human.” There is no question that Gaut was associated with a human, and particularly noble, fertility cult. Ake Hultkranz connects Gaut to the creation myth in which Wóden gives life to the first man and woman: Gaut then would have “poured life and breath into them.” In a greater context, the word Gaut can be associated with priests and their function, however, when we consider that the old kingship which was descended from the gods, in this case from Gaut, was a sacral leadership that involved the king first and foremost to act as the head priest of the tribe, thus fulfilling the functions of a priest, a greater picture begins to emerge. In the context of the royal fertility cult, the vessel which Gaut’s divine blood passes into is the king himself, for the vessel and the contents of the vessel are one in the body and person of the king.
What is the Goth culture?
It is basically indefinable, because "Goth" means different things to each follower. Some factors that are commonly observed are:
*Its unique music, art and literature.
*The use of extreme black clothing, light colored makeup, unusual hair styles, body piercing, bondage items, etc. (everyone around here thinks that is what goth means..and it annoys me!!)
*A fascination with medieval, Victorian and Edwardian history.
*Wearing of symbols such as a Christian cross; an Egyptian ankh or "Eye of Ra," or "Eye of Horus;" a Wiccan pentacle, a Satanic inverted pentacle. etc. 14
*Goths tend to be non-violent, pacifistic, passive, and tolerant. Many in the media have mistakenly associated Goth with extreme violence and hatred of minorities, white supremacy, etc.
*Many Goths write about being depressed. Followers seem sullen and withdrawn, when in public. They are often much more "happy and carefree in the company of [other] Goths
The words Goth and Gothic have had many, largely unrelated meanings:
*the name of the Germanic Visigoth tribes that overthrew the Roman Empire. From this source arose the concept of a Goth as an uncivilized person, a barbarian.
*a style of architecture in Western Europe which was popular from the 12th to the 16th century.
*a style of horror/mystery literature that is dark, eerie and gloomy.
--Goth, as a modern movement, started as one component of the punk rock scene. As the latter faded, Goth survived by creating its own subculture.
--The first use of the term Goth in its present meaning was on a British Broadcasting Commission (BBC) TV program. Anthony H. Wilson, manager of Joy Division described the band as Gothic compared with the pop mainstream. The name stuck.
--Their use of black clothing was originally "something of a backlash to the colorful disco music of the seventies." 5 It also stuck.
Religion:
Many Goths reflect popular culture and are probably nominal or devout Christians. Atheism, Agnosticism, the New Age, Gnosticism, Shamanism, Wicca, other Neopagan traditions, and other minority faith groups are represented more frequently than in the general population.
Goths often wear Christian crosses or Christian crucifixes, which many regard as a pre-Christian religious symbol. Others wear New Age/ancient Egyptian Ankh symbols. Some do this as expression of their religious beliefs, some for satire, and others because they like their appearance.
Religion is frequently discussed on the Goth newsgroups. Many songs, band names and album titles have Christian themes. 6
The public incorrectly commonly associates Goths with Marilyn Manson. 10 "Manson publicly presents himself as a follower of the Church of Satan... He was ordained a priest in the Church of Satan by the [late] founder, Anton LaVey. Many fans refer to him as the Rev. Marilyn Manson." 9 (Actually, Manson is not a follower of that Church; he was simply appointed as a Reverend within the Church by its founder, Anton LaVey.) From this Satanic connection, the perception has grown that Goths are frequently linked to Satanism. There are a few Satanists who are also Goths, but they are rare.
Stereotypes:
People have accused or described Goths as being:
*Depressed,
*Unusually bigoted,
*Violent,
*Suicidal,
*Involved in illegal drugs,
*Vampires or believe themselves to be vampires,
*Sado-masochists,
*Satanists,
*Musicians, painters, and other artists,
*Computer programmers (although there seem to be a lot of them)
*Wearers of black (some wear white and gunmetal),
*Dyers of their hair,
*Users of white makeup. 4
Some of the above probably apply to some Goths, but definitely not all.
To understand the Goths religiously, one must understand their origins and background. The Goths come from the Istævones, whose ancestors in Scandinavia would seem to have originally been Ingævones; primarily concerned with agriculture and the worship of Ing and his consort. While the most important aspects of Gothic religion came to be centered around the cult of Gaut, the Vanic cult did survive for centuries among the Goths. After their migration south, there is evidence for Vanir worship amongst the Goths. “A Gothic runic name *enguz indicates an Ing god. The Passion of St. Saba, an ancient Roman document, states that at the end of their heathen period, the Goths would carry a wooden deity in a wagon. This was taken around to all the Goths, and they were required to worship it as a sign of loyalty to the old religion, since the Christians had begun to win converts among the Goths at this time. The Gothic priests even carried these cult statues across the Danube as the Goths fled from the Huns in 375.
Gaut
As for evidence of early myth associated with the cult of Gaut, the Gutasaga (Gotlandic Tale), may relate the history of the original Gothic exodus from Gotland, and may preserve some elements of early Gautish legend. According to the tale, Gotland, the island in the Baltic, was bewitched by supernatural powers which caused it to rise every evening and sink again every morning. The first man to come to the island was Tjelvar. He brought the first fire and carried it around the island. This sanctifying act put an end to the continual sinking and rising of the island. This myth, coming from one of the original Gothic homelands, has some basis in reality, as geologists know that the island has in fact risen and sunk many times. The Gotlandic Tale goes on to tell:
And Tjelfar had a son called Hafdi. And Hafdi had a wife called Whitestar. They were the first people to settle on Gotland. The first night they slept together, she had a dream in which three serpents were intertwined in her bosom, and it seemed to her as if they crept out of her bosom. She told her husband Hafdi about this dream, and he explained the dream thus: “Everything is tied together by means of rings, and this land shall become inhabited. And we shall have three sons.” And he gave them names before they were born: “Goti shall own Gotland, the second shall be Greip and the third, Gunnfjon.” Later they divided Gotland into three parts, such that Greip, the oldest, got the northern part, Goti obtained the part in the middle, and Gunnfjon, the youngest, got the southern part. (Arne Torp, Nordisk språk i nordisk og germansk perspektiv).
The Gotlandic founding father Goti is none other than Gaut, the ancient founding
father of the Goths. Snorri, the Elder Edda and almost all other evidence allows us to clearly identify Gaut as Wóden.
From Jordanes we learn that Gaut was considered the founding father of the Goths, and it is from him that the royal Amal line descends. Asser’s The Life of King Alfred asserts that the Wessex kings are also descended from Geat and that “the pagans long worshipped him as a god.” Many other Germanic royal lines descend from Gaut as well. The Proto-Germanic root of this god’s name is *Gautaz, (Gothic ‘Gáuts’ OE Geat, ON Gautr or Gauti, OHG Kóz; also referred to by the Longobards and Thuringians as Gaus; associated with the Swedish people names Gœt, Goter, Gutar: inhabitants of Sweden and Gotland); probably also associated with ON Iat, Juter (Jutes). The meaning of *Gautaz is “to pour forth” or “flowing” or “flooding.” The earliest mention of the name is found on a fire steel from Illerup in Denmark, (200 AD), which bears the runic inscription “Gautr.”
Jan Czarnecki describes the name of the Goths as meaning “the people living near the Gautelfr,” (the Göta River in Västergötaland, Sweden) where the Goths are thought to have originated. This interpretation takes the meaning as “flow;” which is associated with the flowing of the river. Many river names throughout Germanic lands contain a Got- or Gut- element. Perhaps the name may reflect the auspicious pouring of rain (after sacrifice) which nourishes the crops. The name has also been interpreted as meaning the pouring forth of semen, thus simply meaning “human.” There is no question that Gaut was associated with a human, and particularly noble, fertility cult. Ake Hultkranz connects Gaut to the creation myth in which Wóden gives life to the first man and woman: Gaut then would have “poured life and breath into them.” In a greater context, the word Gaut can be associated with priests and their function, however, when we consider that the old kingship which was descended from the gods, in this case from Gaut, was a sacral leadership that involved the king first and foremost to act as the head priest of the tribe, thus fulfilling the functions of a priest, a greater picture begins to emerge. In the context of the royal fertility cult, the vessel which Gaut’s divine blood passes into is the king himself, for the vessel and the contents of the vessel are one in the body and person of the king.