The world is driven by trends. If people like going to bars, more bars will open, if people like browsing social media, further apps will be developed!
Goth and vampire are two of those popular trends. They register well among young adults.
What thoughts come to one’s mind from the words ‘Goth’ or ‘Vampire’? A guy in a black suit, pointed black shoes, wearing chalk-like makeup on his face, speaking like the hulk?
That might be a vampire, and partially a goth too.
Goth vs Vampire
The difference between goth and vampire is that goth is a subculture that surfaced in the early 1980s and is still around and followed by people. Being a goth means being a part of the subculture. On the other hand, Vampire, or being a vampire, is more of a fictional fad, and they first appeared in ancient folklores.
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Vampires can be seen depicted in popular web series and movies. Real vampires exist, but that is because of a mental condition called ‘haematomania’ which is an addiction to drinking blood.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Goth | Vampire |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A person who follows gothic fashion | A creature from folklore, a person who has an obsession with drinking blood |
| Origin date | 1700-1800s | As back as 1735 |
| Mention in literature | Yes | Yes |
| Styling choice | Generally, black clothes | Dark-colored clothes and usually wears a cape |
| Medical term associated | None | Haematomania, clinical vampirism, Reinfield’s syndrome |
What is Goth?
A goth, or being a goth, is a subculture that gained traction during the 1970s. The gothic origins date back to the 18th century.
In the 1960s-1990s, there were heavy metal and punk rock bands like Adam and the Southern Death Cult, Specimen, Sex Gang Children, UK Decay, The Birthday Party, Killing Joke, and the Damned.
Virgin Prunes, the Ants, and the Cure embraced the gothic culture and invented a new music genre called gothic rock.
The current goth subculture is to have been influenced heavily by these music bands.
The fashion of the goth culture is marked by the color back, dark dresses, an old or antiquated sense of style, and black eyeliner. The goth culture is in love with the color black.
Goths are often seen as dangerous just because they dress differently. The goth culture is still very alive and the local communities do regular events.
They are believed to be less harmless, unbothered with other people’s business, and safe to talk to. The goth subculture is not associated with any drug usage as in other cultures.
In teens who identify as goths, the rate of self-harm and suicidal tendencies is high.
What is Vampire?
The Vampire has its roots in the bible. In Bible Chapter 17, verse 14, Leviticus, it is stated that “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
From there the concept of vampires arose.
The modern concept of vampires, the one that we all are aware of today arose from Eastern Europe. There had been reported sightings of vampires.
Eventually, it became a superstition and stayed for hundreds of years. The superstition was that the revenants could come back from the dead and drain the life of the living, and kill them.
Since then, the vampire has become a popular fictional character. The vampire is usually depicted as evil, romantic, mysterious, a professor of dark desire, and an example of aggression.
Vampires have become popular and usually are the most popular among young adults. Young females especially have developed a liking for vampires depicted in web series, books, and movies.
Romantic novels involving vampires are popular among you females. Young males have also developed a fan-following for vampire-like characters as shown to them in video games, comics, and movies.
The general idea of a vampire is somebody who drinks blood, has sharp teeth, has evil tendencies, and hates sunlight or any kind of light. One might be surprised to know that there exist vampires in real life.
They are normal human beings like you and me. What makes them different is that they have a condition called ‘haematomania’. This is the condition where a person has a constant obsession with drinking blood.
In other terms, this condition is also known as ‘Clinical Vampirism’ or Renfield’s syndrome. There are also others who drink blood as a way of sexual gratification.
Main Differences Between Goth and Vampire
- Goth, or being a goth, is a subculture that came into existence in the 1960-the 80s with an influx of popular people and music bands supporting the movement. On the other hand, vampires surfaced in the 18th century with reported sightings. The superstition rooted the existence of vampires as they are today.
- The goths do not drink other peoples’ or animals’ blood. On the other hand, vampires drink blood, and it doesn’t matter whose blood.
- Goths do not harm people without reason. On the other hand, if a vampire was to come to life, he would harm people to drink their blood.
- There is no medical term associated with being goth. On the other hand, if one identifies herself as a vampire, she might be suffering from clinical vampirism or Renfield’s syndrome.
- Goths are not associated with any pre-dated superstitions. On the other hand, vampires are associated with pre-dated superstitions, such as the one that surfaced during the 18th century in Eastern Europe
- http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/732232/
- https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/igothi-iundead-subculturei
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rZ9clsv_L0EC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=vampire&ots=h9mPY-fqEg&sig=0eeVl3OmHUHm3CTo5dG__-pc7tE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
