Gothic

Gothic is a term that can refer to several distinct traditions and phenomena in art, literature, language, and popular culture. The name derives from the Goths, an East Germanic people, and was used by Renaissance scholars to describe medieval European culture as “Gothic” in contrast to classical antiquity.

In architecture, Gothic describes a European building style from roughly the 12th to the 16th century. It is defined by features such as pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and large stained-glass windows that emphasize height and light. It developed in France and spread across parts of Europe, influencing cathedrals, churches, and collegiate buildings. The Gothic revival of the 18th and 19th centuries revisited these forms in a more romantic style.

In literature, Gothic denotes a genre of fiction that emerged in the late 18th century. Beginning with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto, it emphasizes atmosphere, mystery, the supernatural, and the exploration of terror, often set in decaying or remote locations. The tradition influenced later writers such as Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker, and it remains a defining influence on horror and dark romance.

The Gothic language was an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths in late antiquity. It is known from texts such as Ulfilas’s Bible (the Codex Argenteus) and is important for the study of early Germanic linguistics and the history of the Germanic languages.

In contemporary culture, the term Gothic also refers to a subculture that emerged in the early 1980s. Centered on certain music genres (gothic rock, darkwave, industrial) and fashion (dark clothing, pale makeup), it embraces themes of melancholy, mysticism, and alternative aesthetics.