The Saturnalia

Well I posted this on my other blog, but for anyone whom does not read it, and because I found it interesting and wanted to share a different tradition of this time of year I thought I would post over here as well.

The Romans rejoiced in this wintery festival as much as we welcome the Yuletide, and in similar ways. Libanius, a fortth-centruy writer, gives us a glimpse of the ubrane Saturnalia celebration:

There is food everywhere, heavy rich food. And laughter. A positive urge to spend seizes everyone, so that people wo have taken pleasure in saving up the whole year, now think it is a good idea to squander. The streets are full of people staggering under the load of gifts. Children are free of the dread of thier teachers, and for slaves the festival is as good as a holiday. Another good thing about it; it teaches people not to be too fond of money, but to let it circulate from hand to hand.

Saturn, the honoree of the occasion, had a dual nature. He was identified with the Greek Cronos, the surpreme Titan and the father of Zeus. The regin of Cronos was considered a Golden Age throughout Italy and the celebration of Saturnalia was meant to re-create its felicity. Battles were forbidden. Businesses closed, autumn seeds had been sown, no one worked. Slaves became giddy with tempoary freedom. They could say what they chose with no fear of reprisal, feasting with thier masters and even be waited upon by them. Gambling, usually punsisable with a fine fixed at four times the vaule of the stakes, was offically premitted. The executioner hung up his sword. 

But the god had a side as dark as December evenings. :Later myths recount the Cronos was deposed by his son Zeus, and banished in rage and madness as searing as King Lear's. The Golden Age vanished in a burse of Olympian thunderbolts. By the time that classical Latin liteature evolved Cronos into Saturn, he had taken on the gloomy sardonic charachter attributed to the astrology of the planet.

7:38 PM - 12/18/2007 - post comment

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