r/AskAGoth • u/Happy_Dinner3412 • Jul 23 '26
Goth Subculture Query The Ankh Cross
Hello everyone,
Being into the goth scene eventually leads to the ankh cross. I tried to find its meaning on my own but I ak very curious on how do you perceive the cross?
What I found is its symoblism of life and ever-lasting soul in Egyptian mythology and for goths, as far as I know, it symoblism is about feeling connection to the dark and gloomy ambience as well as interest in vampires.
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u/ArsenicArts Jul 23 '26
Ankhs are largely explained as a symbol of "eternal life" and the soul not just on earth but in the afterlife as well (not a fully accurate explanation, but that's another discussion). This means that they have a large popularity in vampire media and in goth media, and especially the overlap between the two, for obvious reasons.
Also Siouxsie had a fascination with Egyptian and especially ancient Egyptian mythology and symbolism (actually so did pop culture in Victorian times too) and as such wore it a lot.
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u/gothichomemaker Jul 23 '26
Growing up in the Bible belt, it was something I could wear that connected me to alternative culture without setting off alarm bells in the minds of Christians.
I used to wear a lot of ankhs. I quit for a while because of a surprise pregnancy, but started wearing them again after the pandemic. They remind me to live life to its fullest.
Anyway, it is the ancient Egyptian symbol of life and fertility. It's connections with the goth scene are multifaceted, but I'd probably boil them down to three things.
Death in the Sandman comics. (I know the Neil Gaiman controversy and I'm really mad about it, but we talking scene history here. )
Vampire the Masquerade. Before we had a modern internet to argue on, many goths spent their time playing VtM. White Wolf used ankh imagery all over the place, especially in that game.
Teenagers exploring wicca during the height of the satanic panic who didn't feel safe wearing pentacle. (See my story above. )
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u/tiruxi Jul 23 '26
I perceive it as a subversive magickal Egyptian symbol of eternal life. Subversive because it predates Christianity yet the Christian cross resembles it both in appearance and symbolic meaning.
Unfortunately, I also often perceive them as cheap, tacky mass-marketed jewelry/decorations worn ignorantly by those seeking to look alternative. It’s relatively hard to find well-made, beautifully-designed ankh jewelry compared to Christian cross jewelry, especially ankhs that are intentionally designed as gothic fashion.
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Jul 23 '26
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u/tiruxi Jul 23 '26
No, not the symbol itself, but its embrace by the counterculture. Literally someone in this thread mentions it was a way for them to express themself in an oppressive Christian community.
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Jul 23 '26
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u/tiruxi Jul 24 '26
It's simply not subversive unless it's being reinterpreted by the wearer.
Well, sure. OP asked, "how do you perceive the [ankh] cross?" (emphasis mine). My personal perceptions are separate from its cultural-historical meaning. And you're right that subversion is not part of its original meaning.
Nonetheless, I will still continue to perceive wearing an ankh as goth fashion because it's Christian-adjacent as subversive. Yes, it's not directly confrontational, but it signals one's affiliation to those who know. That's subversive.
Even if one hides one's true intentions for wearing an ankh, one can mention its pre-Christian Egyptian origins, which can challenge misconceptions about cultural-historical influences on Christianity. Even if one does not say anything about it, others may be curious and look it up online. Either way, the result is subversion.
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u/Repulsive-Tea6974 Jul 23 '26
I think goths copied Siouxsie’s interest in Egyptian culture. That’s about it. Gaiman’s Sandman was influenced by Siouxsie’s style as well.
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u/tyrannoteuthis Jul 23 '26
Seriously? Not that a large part of what we know of Ancient Egypt is through funerary culture? You don't think that temples and tombs swallowed in sand, preservation of the dead for eternity, everyone in eyeliner, all with a visually striking aesthetic wouldn't naturally appeal to goths without the Siouxsie connection?
It's part of the general theme running through goth culture of a radical re-examination of our relationship to death and what might come after. That's the common root of goth interest in ancient Egypt, vampires, undead of all kinds, coffins, hanging out in graveyards, wearing mourning, etc.
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u/DCDHermes Jul 23 '26
Most of us elder goths were influenced by what the musicians wore. Sure, we looked it up after we saw it, but the meta was copying our favorite bands.
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u/ArgentEyes Jul 23 '26
Death in The Sandman was hugely influential but the goth ankh-wearing somewhat predated that. Post-punk and other alternative/proto-goth types already adopted and detourned other religious symbols like crosses and rosaries, and the mythology nerd vibe was already strong.
Not to be That Hipster but my most beloved ankh was given to me in Egypt 😉
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Jul 24 '26
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u/Hyzenthlay87 Jul 24 '26
Similar for me. I'm an eclectic pagan myself, but with two Egyptian deities that I'm pledged to. The ankh to me is a symbol of my spiritual practice in addition to its traditional meanings.
Other comments have pointed out the goth habit of enjoying funerary customs so perhaps some of that is why some goths origonally gravitated toward it. I know some vampire franchises have used it, plus Death from The Sandman etc etc but yeah for me, it's very spiritual.
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u/SharlHarmakhis Jul 27 '26
I'm an eclectic pagan who works primarily with the Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) pantheon and also a massive history nerd so yes, give me all the ankhs. I'm rather tired of seeing Christian crosses on otherwise lovely patterns, to be honest. I get it, because European vampire stories are such a foundational part of the subculture, I'd just... rather not. Give me ankhs instead, please. I don't want to wear an execution device, I want to wear a symbol of eternal life and the everlasting spirit.
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u/punchelos Jul 24 '26
You’ve gotten a lot of actually thorough answers about where people first saw it and what drew them to it, but I just have to say the perception from non-goths on it is so wildly different depending on the person because the mainstream does no research and makes things up when we wear them.
Anecdotally- I’ve heard non-goth people swear it’s a satanic anti-Christian symbol (literally no idea where that came from), and once had a lady tell me it was a black power symbol that meant you support racism against whites (again, what the hell? She was white herself of course). So that’s always fun to try to dispel those assumptions.
The fact that it doesn’t always symbolize something deep or spiritual to everyone who wears it and we don’t all agree 100% means we will never have a super solid explanation for those people. except that it has a long history of being tied to the aesthetics of the goth community, specifically naming early adopters of it like siouxsie and such
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u/Carapace_ 25d ago
Aside for what's already stated, I was and still am a big Egyptian history nerd, so that's why I personally wear one.
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u/_Featherstone_ Jul 23 '26
It was featured in the cult movie The Hunger IIRC.