01-09-2025, 01:28 AM
Quote:The Roman festival of the Saturnalia (Greek Cronia) deserves some consideration.
Macrobius reports that initially, the entire tenth month of the year, December, was sacred to Saturn, while the eleventh, January, was sacred to Janus.
Within the tenth month, the ancient Italians, and the Romans who followed them, celebrated the festival of Saturn for seven days, from 17-23 December.
The Saturnalia was wild, even debauched, and orgiastic at times. During this period, all norms and taboos were overturned. Servants became masters, and masters became servants.
Servants could (and did) abuse and insult their owners, and may even have taken sexual liberties with them, much as their masters would have used their slaves at a whim throughout the year.
Celebrants greeted each other with the cry 'io Saturnalia' which served to remind each other that they were celebrating a religious occasion.
A Saturnine Prince, the Princeps Saturnalicus, was appointed in place of the usual king or emperor, to serve as the master of ceremonies, and his dictates were generally followed.
Small, humorous gifts were given by friends, and it was a time for pranks, foolishness, and otherwise normally unacceptable behavior.
Exceptionally during the Saturnalia festival, the chains or cords which normally tied the legs of Saturn's idol were undone, symbolizing His temporary release from bondage.
