Gothic Horror Genre Origins + Research

The Genre of Gothic Fiction is thought to have been started by Horace Walpol and his novel 'The Castle of Otranto'. The genre was made popular in 1794 with Anne Radcliffe's series of novels beginning with 'Mysteries of Udolpho'. It was Radcliffe who introduced many of the dominant themes in what is now thought of as the typical Gothic Fiction genre, such as a brooding villain and a romantic element to the novel. The genre became increasingly popular throughout the 19th Century with books such as Frankenstein (1818), The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and Dracula (1897).

Gothic Architecture followed on from Romanesque Architecture, a basic looking style used by the ancient Romans and the Greeks. When the Roman empire ended the invaders added onto existing buildings and ruins and developed the intricate, grand style known as Gothic Architecture today.
Roman buildings were extremely plain, dark, cold and just built to serve a purpose. Gothic architecture was the first time that buildings had been built to look aesthetically pleasing, and included lots of ornate detail and gargoyles. The building style was also improved through the use of Flying Buttresses and Ribbed Vaults, that directed the weight of the building downwards to stop it collapsing in on itself. This allowed for the signature tall, pointed arches associated with the Gothic style. A large amount of Europe's Churches, Cathedrals and Abbeys are built in this style, such as Westminster Abbey and the Duomo Cathedral in Milan.

The word Gothic originated from the slightly eerie look of Gothic Architecture such as Westminster Abbey, as most Gothic Horror novels dealt with dark themes and so their natural settings were in buildings such as Churches, Monasteries, Abbeys and Castles

The Duomo in Milan + The Cologne Cathedral in Germany

The Reims Cathedral + Chartres Cathedral (both in France)

Example of Ribbed Vaults at Salisbury Cathedral 

Flying Buttresses 

When we were first introduced to the topic of Gothic Horror and the Victorian Era,  I thought it seemed a strange time for such dark literature to be so popular. The Victorians took huge steps industrially, but in many ways this era was much more reserved than in previous years. Britian was very much governed by a strict class system, with only a small number being considered 'upper class'. It was a time of great gender inequality, while in the lives of Men a lot was changing due to economic changes, Women were still very much housewives serving the same role they had for years. The rules on fashion were possibly stricter than in previous era's as more of the body was covered by layers of heavy clothing and Women were supposed to refrain from wearing make up and being sexual as it was frowned upon in the eyes of God.

I did some further research into the time and noticed that this was a time of drastic Scientific progress, light was introduced to homes and being a Scientist was for the first time considered a respectable job. In 1859 Charles Darwin released his novel 'Origins of a Species' telling his theories of evolution, which caused huge controversy and led to much discussion of the battle of science vs religion. Most people use literature as a way of escaping, and reading transports them into a world more interesting than their own. I feel for the Victorians, this is exactly why they enjoyed the Gothic Genre so much. It pushed all the boundaries of their society with novels such as Frankenstein relating to the medical possibilities being realised at the time. Although this era was very forward thinking in the development of machinery and science, socially people were still very stuck in their ways which could of lead to a feeling of boredom. The Gothic genre is all about broadening the horizons on what people deemed possible as people love the excitement and fear of new things.

Cologne Cathedral (no date). Cologne Cathedral. Available at: http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/cologne-cathedral (Accessed: 28 January 2015).

Edd (no date) The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture (Con’t). The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture: From the Gargoyle to the Flying Buttress. Available at: http://www.exploring-castles.com/characteristics_of_gothic_architecture_2.html (Accessed: 28 January 2015).

Flying Buttress (no date). Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Available at: https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/arth-101-spring2013/2013/04/18/flying-buttress/ (Accessed: 28 January 2015).

Gothic fiction (no date) New World Encyclopaedia. Contents. Available at: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gothic_fiction (Accessed: 28 January 2015).

Milan Cathedral (no date) Wondermondo. Milan Cathedral | Wondermondo. Available at: http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/E/IT/Lombardy/MilanCathedral.htm (Accessed: 28 January 2015).

reims cathedral france (no date). reims cathedral france. Available at: http://factimages.com/reims-cathedral-france/cdn1.images.touristlink.com*repository*R*E*I*M*S*C*A*T*reims-cathedral.jpg/www.touristlink.com*france*reimscathedral*overview.html/ (Accessed: 28 January 2015).

(no date). Front View Chartres Cathedral - Americans in France. Available at: http://www.americansinfrance.net/attractions/Chartres-Cathedral-View-4.cfm (Accessed: 28 January 2015).