This song carries on the themes from Reach Out For The Light - namely, the struggle and confusion between good and evil, and temptation.
In the beginning - verse 1 - Gabriel is either watching, or has heard about, Anna being crucified for witchcraft (the Malleus Maleficarum, or Hexenhammer, is the Medieval law of Witchcraft and Heresy).
Afterwards, in verses 2 and 3, he goes into uber-coward mode, and starts begging for mercy, claiming that although he was related to her, he hardly knew the real Anna (‘Father forgive me, for I’ve hardly seen the human deep within’), and would never have stood up for herhad he known she was a witch (‘Prayed for salvation, I fought for her soul, scarred by the horned’).
Serpents on the way to Paradise I’d hope was obvious. Garden of Eden, serpent, apple. ‘nough said? It’s all about temptation, and how (according to Friar Jakob), his congregation are faciong more and more of it each day.
’Father forgive me for what I have done.
For I betrayed the one that I loved like a son.
Demons and spells are they reality?’
Now it’s Jakob’s turn to say sorry to God, for letting Gabe stray from God’s path.
’The pest and the schism; the power of the Moor’
The Moors were North African Islams, who lived in southern Iberia/north Africa during the Medieval period (in what is now Morroco, Algeria, southern Spain and Portugal). Christians considered them evil - basically because they weren’t Christian.
’We've got to fight. Keep our people afraid...
Keep them away from what they shall not see.’
The classic Medieval scare tactics. Prevent people from realising there’s an alternative to Christianity. If they don’t know an alternative exists, they won’t keep trying to find one all the time, and will keep people like Jakob rich.
Then we’re back to Gabriel, who’s now questioning everything again, and asking God what God would do if he were in Gabriel’s shoes. He’s confused, because everyone says Anna is a witch, but he keeps having visions of her crying in a tower. Does that make him a witch too? Or is Anna not a witch, and actually in trouble, which would mean Gabe was the good guy?
Eventually he gives up and turns to the Druid for help.
This song carries on the themes from Reach Out For The Light - namely, the struggle and confusion between good and evil, and temptation.
In the beginning - verse 1 - Gabriel is either watching, or has heard about, Anna being crucified for witchcraft (the Malleus Maleficarum, or Hexenhammer, is the Medieval law of Witchcraft and Heresy).
Afterwards, in verses 2 and 3, he goes into uber-coward mode, and starts begging for mercy, claiming that although he was related to her, he hardly knew the real Anna (‘Father forgive me, for I’ve hardly seen the human deep within’), and would never have stood up for herhad he known she was a witch (‘Prayed for salvation, I fought for her soul, scarred by the horned’).
Serpents on the way to Paradise I’d hope was obvious. Garden of Eden, serpent, apple. ‘nough said? It’s all about temptation, and how (according to Friar Jakob), his congregation are faciong more and more of it each day.
’Father forgive me for what I have done. For I betrayed the one that I loved like a son. Demons and spells are they reality?’
Now it’s Jakob’s turn to say sorry to God, for letting Gabe stray from God’s path.
’The pest and the schism; the power of the Moor’
The Moors were North African Islams, who lived in southern Iberia/north Africa during the Medieval period (in what is now Morroco, Algeria, southern Spain and Portugal). Christians considered them evil - basically because they weren’t Christian.
’We've got to fight. Keep our people afraid... Keep them away from what they shall not see.’
The classic Medieval scare tactics. Prevent people from realising there’s an alternative to Christianity. If they don’t know an alternative exists, they won’t keep trying to find one all the time, and will keep people like Jakob rich.
Then we’re back to Gabriel, who’s now questioning everything again, and asking God what God would do if he were in Gabriel’s shoes. He’s confused, because everyone says Anna is a witch, but he keeps having visions of her crying in a tower. Does that make him a witch too? Or is Anna not a witch, and actually in trouble, which would mean Gabe was the good guy?
Eventually he gives up and turns to the Druid for help.