Gabriel - the main character - is a novice of the Dominican order (the ones who helped Inquisitors and the like to hunt witches).
Prior to the song, Gabriel has seen his step-sister Anna awaiting trial for heresy, which didn't go down too well with him, and now - knowing what a good person Anna is - Gabe is starting to doubt his faith. He snuck into a library and started reading forbidden texts (the 'works of evil' in the song). Unfortunately, he was caught by his Mentor, Friar Jakob, and sent to a dungeon, where we begin the song.
So, the first few verses are Gabe moaning about being in a dungeon, wondering why God is letting this happen, and then realising that it probably has something to do with those forbidden texts he was reading.
Enter Lugaid the druid. Lugaid basically tells Gabe to stop worrying about pleasing God, and open his mind. Being good is more than just praying and serving God. The books he read weren't evil, they were some kind of magic texts.
Then poor Gabe is left more confused than ever, and starts questioning right and wrong, wondering if he's good or evil, whether or not Anna is innocent, and - given time - would probably start questioning up and down, or hot and cold. This leads into Serpents in Paradise...
Gabriel - the main character - is a novice of the Dominican order (the ones who helped Inquisitors and the like to hunt witches).
Prior to the song, Gabriel has seen his step-sister Anna awaiting trial for heresy, which didn't go down too well with him, and now - knowing what a good person Anna is - Gabe is starting to doubt his faith. He snuck into a library and started reading forbidden texts (the 'works of evil' in the song). Unfortunately, he was caught by his Mentor, Friar Jakob, and sent to a dungeon, where we begin the song.
So, the first few verses are Gabe moaning about being in a dungeon, wondering why God is letting this happen, and then realising that it probably has something to do with those forbidden texts he was reading.
Enter Lugaid the druid. Lugaid basically tells Gabe to stop worrying about pleasing God, and open his mind. Being good is more than just praying and serving God. The books he read weren't evil, they were some kind of magic texts.
Then poor Gabe is left more confused than ever, and starts questioning right and wrong, wondering if he's good or evil, whether or not Anna is innocent, and - given time - would probably start questioning up and down, or hot and cold. This leads into Serpents in Paradise...