Bohemian Rhapsody

Out of France, in the 1820s, came a united front of artists, musicians, and writers, whose ideals, work, clothing, beliefs, thoughts, and actions mocked and rebelled against the mainstream bourgeois culture.

When word circulated, in France, of the uprising of such a colourful group of people, rumour spread that they were gypsies, travelling from Bohemia, a state in Czech Republic. Bohemians however, can only be pin-pointed on an abstract map. They are artistic individuals, possessing anti-establishment political and social values, rejecting private property, and materialism by refraining from permanent residence. “We were afraid of nothing and thumbed our noses at public opinion, and openly revolted against all prejudices, I might say, against all laws. We lived as if entrenched in a fortress from which we made belligerent sallies ridiculing everything.” (Houssaye)

Bohemians lived in voluntary poverty, surviving off very little, living and working in cafes, streets, and libraries. Living such a way, they believed, brought them the true meanings of life, enlightenment, freedom, and an inspiration for their art.

They dressed in unique and colourful clothing, in which they mocked the boring sameness of the clothes worn by the bourgeois. Their unique example that clothing is a reflection of personal identity wasn’t appreciated at the time, but today has helped launch the fashion industry into a billion dollar enterprise. The fashion world eventually turned on Bohemianism, turning vibrant, draped, floral dresses into a Bohemian trend that has been shown on all major catwalks around the world. Bohemians do not categorize themselves. They are seen through their own eyes as a free-spirits.

Bohemians are very in-tune with their spirituality, and possess their own personal beliefs that celebrate their creativity, and the splendor of life and death. They believe that all human beings are significant, and that the human life force is unique for all individuals. Life is a gift, which we should celebrate. The afterlife, as bohemians believe, consists of the lasting impressions, moments, and memories we have made upon other human beings, and the world during our time on it. This gives bohemians inspiration to live everyday to the fullest, for we do not get a second chance. Bohemians were also sexually promiscuous, believing in ultimate freedom.

Henry Murger, who is named the original bohemian, was a French journalist. In 1820, he wrote the novel, “Scenes la Vie de Boheme” (Scenes of Bohemian Life), which influenced many early bohemians into the revolution of their own lives. He emphasized that living in Bohemia without the ambition to leave it would destroy a person.

In 1896, La Boheme Opera was written by Giacome Puccini, becoming a worldwide success, and familiarizing mainstream society with the idea of bohemianism for the first time. It was still considered one of the most important operas in musical history.

In the 1900s, bohemianism spread globally, each area responding differently to these creative groups, whose name, actions, and motives differed from country to country.

In London, they were known as Grub Streeters. These bohemians disregarded the original value of no discrimination. 19th century Grub Streeters excluded women in their society. The movement began when groups of young followers of Charles Dickenson and William Thackeray worked to create lives as authors. Few writers ever made it out of literary obscurity, and lived their lives in the shadows of Dickenson and Thackeray. Most were from lower, middle class families, without private income, or a university degree, leading them to live a bohemian lifestyle of poverty out of necessity as opposed to choice. As with all bohemians however, they enjoyed the freedom it brought. They could write what they wanted, when they wanted to.

Bohemians spread to North America in the 1950s, where the Beat culture exploded in New York City. “The subject matter is really the operation of the mind.”(Allen Ginsberg) Those in the Beat culture opposed mainstream American lifestyle, culture, and art. With the beginning of the 1960s, and the Vietnam War, the expressions of the Beat culture evolved into the revolution of the Hippie Movement.

“The hippies recall the bourgeois of the 1830s. The takers of LSD descend perhaps from the hashish-eaters of the 1840s. The modern student recalls the battle of Hernani, and the wilder excesses of the Jeunes France. Their behavior is similar, for their background is much the same.” (Houssaye)

Much like bohemians, hippies gave up comfortable lives for poverty, to rebel against authority, war, and hate. They were warriors of peace. Hippies also wore unique clothing to mock mainstream culture, while revolutionizing music, art, literature, and philosophy.

In the early 1900s, Jonathon Larson created the hit Broadway musical, Rent. Larson’s play was based on Henry Murger’s Scenes of Bohemian Life. Larson tackled many controversial issues such as AIDS, homosexuality, fidelity, drug abuse, and everyday life as a bohemian in New York’s East Village.

Shortly after, Laren Stover, a self-proclaimed bohemian, wrote the Bohemian Manifesto, classifying five distinct mindsets of the bohemians:

The Nouveau crowd was attracted to Bohemianism, yet only attempted to join when it became popularized in mainstream culture. Every subculture has a group of posers, and for the bohemians, it was the nouveau crowd. The Beat group was non-materialistic, and focused on their work, where freedom of expression was the main objective. Zen Bohemians are spiritual, and focus on reaching a higher plane, usually with the experimentation of drugs. They were continuously moving from reality to fantasy. The Dandy Bohemians don’t have money, but appear to, through their collection of rare and interesting items. Discarding strict moral values, alcohol, drug use, and sexual freedom was common among most bohemians. The pursuit of wealth was non-existent, replaced by the pursuit of passion, and happiness.

“Bohemianism doesn’t always steal the headlines. Bohemianism may be big and shocking, but it may also be personal and sub-terrain with quiet defiance. Bohemianism slops into our bedrooms and makes a personal appearance in our dreams, sits next to us in the car, and whispers detours. Bohemianism is the stranger pouring stars and galaxies into our morning beverage while we watch the cat lick its paws…an elixir of undisclosed ingredients, a strange, bootleg perfume. It’s the psychic, globally warmed truth serum the government wants to ban. It’s the holy water of the unconscious mind, and once anointed, the underground gold mind of ideas blossoms and bleeds into the open air, without judgment. (Bohemian Manifest P.1)

Today, Bohemians tend to gather in the most artistic cities in the world, such as Greenwich Villiage, the East Villiage, and Chelsea in New York City, as well as paris, Soho, Bedford Park, and London. The can be found all over the world. They are every age, race, sex, and religion.

Bohemian culture continues to appear when there is a rebellion against mainstream culture, or an artistic breakthrough by any means. Our society seems so meaningless compared to the individual power bohemians have over their own lives.