Saturnalia was what the Roman's called their Winter Solstice festival. It was a celebration of a horned god, Saturnalia. 'Ancient Pagan Fertility Rite' is another way of describing it. Basically, a drunken night, then later in Roman history a whole week, of debauchery. Sound like fun? Well for slaves and servants it sure was! They were able to gamble and talk down to their master(s). A night of role-reversal without fingers crossed consequences. The religious aspect of the festival was that the Horned One/Saturnalia would impregnate Mother Earth and ensure a good harvest for the coming year since the Winter Solstice marks the end of winter and longer days of light.
In actuality, the song reminds me of James VI of Scotland, James I of England. Why? Well because, despite passing an act against sodomy, James, shall we say, had quite a group of male attendants (even in the toilet!) and close, favoured male 'friends' he er...well the Divine Right of Kingship's all I have to say...coughs His court, to put it mildly, was corrupt (Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot anyone? haha)
Many of the court masques at the time refer to him as Jupiter, but if you view Saturn as Greek Cronus, then he ruled during the Golden Age (which was actually what the people called Elizabeth's time, except when James wanted his rule to be the 'New Golden Age') before Zeus/Jupiter overthrew him...insert dramatic music
Saturnalia was what the Roman's called their Winter Solstice festival. It was a celebration of a horned god, Saturnalia. 'Ancient Pagan Fertility Rite' is another way of describing it. Basically, a drunken night, then later in Roman history a whole week, of debauchery. Sound like fun? Well for slaves and servants it sure was! They were able to gamble and talk down to their master(s). A night of role-reversal without fingers crossed consequences. The religious aspect of the festival was that the Horned One/Saturnalia would impregnate Mother Earth and ensure a good harvest for the coming year since the Winter Solstice marks the end of winter and longer days of light.
In actuality, the song reminds me of James VI of Scotland, James I of England. Why? Well because, despite passing an act against sodomy, James, shall we say, had quite a group of male attendants (even in the toilet!) and close, favoured male 'friends' he er...well the Divine Right of Kingship's all I have to say...coughs His court, to put it mildly, was corrupt (Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot anyone? haha)
Many of the court masques at the time refer to him as Jupiter, but if you view Saturn as Greek Cronus, then he ruled during the Golden Age (which was actually what the people called Elizabeth's time, except when James wanted his rule to be the 'New Golden Age') before Zeus/Jupiter overthrew him...insert dramatic music