Several emperors had tried to restrict festivities to one or three days, but in the 3rd century AD, Caracalla decreed it was to be a week-long celebration. Some sources say this was eventually misappropriated by Santa Claus and his ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’. It was greeted by saying ‘Io Saturnalia’ (pronounced ‘Yo Saturnalia’). Saturnalia was celebrated from 17th to 23rd December in the Julian calendar, and it probably originated as a farmers’ festival to mark the end of the planting season, and grew more elaborate as Rome became more powerful and confident. One of the most famous, and perhaps the most popular, of the Feriae Statiuae was Saturnalia, the feast now most closely associated with Christmas. These festivals meant a break from work and the daily grind, so were an important part of life on the Roman calendar…and there were very many of them. Private festivals included family celebrations and funerals, while public festivals were split into three categories: statiuae (which included fixed festivals), conceptivae (moveable festivals), and imperativae (held to celebrate a victory for example, so were ad hoc). Roman festivals were either private ( privatae) or public ( publicae). It is but obvious that one would have a saturnine expression after one’s break up.By Pat Hirst - Museum and Volunteer Guide Having a saturnine disposition in the middle of a party is something that is not recommended.ģ. Mandy, was unusually friendly for one with a saturnine disposition, and, as long as his theory that money was earned by marketers was not challenged, was quite companionable.Ģ. Remember this little nugget of information and you should be able to learn this word easily.ġ. Saturnine = the feeling one has when one has a break up. The association for saturnineis very simple: And to this day, the word saturnalia has managed to retain its flavor and is associated with such drunken merrymaking. Thus, it was a time of drunken merrymaking and festivities. During this period, all rules of conventional etiquette of the time were broken, slaves and masters exchanged their roles and moral restrictions were loosened. With time, this was extended to a week and this time was celebrated as time of revelry and the giving of presents. Originally, on December 17 a day long feast called Saturnalia was celebrated to commemorate the winter planting of crops. Saturn was a deity of the harvest and the Roman’s as a mark of respect built a temple to honor Saturn on the Capitoline hill. And its origin will pretty much justify this meaning. Saturnalia is these days used to refer to ‘A wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity’. If saturnine is all about gloom, then saturnalia is all about glitz and revelry. ![]() ![]() The second word that comes from the same mythological origins is saturnalia. This meant that these properties of Saturn were transported to saturnine, and we have a word that means gloomy or sullen. Saturn is the 6 th planet from the sun, and was regarded as dark, gloomy, chilly and remote. The word saturnine has in fact taken the properties of the planet Saturn. All of this sounds good but there is still a doubt in our minds: how come a deity’s name is associated with a word such as saturnine? Since the harvest god was so important to his people, his name was lent to the planet as well as Saturday, the day. Saturn the planet in turn derived its name from Saturn, the Roman God of agriculture and harvest. Yes, this is the same Saturn that revolves as the sixth planet around the sun in our solar system. The words, saturnine and saturnalia, as you can guess, are related to the word Saturn. And the deeper you dig into it, the more confusing it gets. This is one word with hell of an interesting story behind it. Origin of the words Saturnine and Saturnalia: Having or marked by a tendency to be bitter or sardonic: a saturnine expression on his face. Having the temperament of one born under the supposed astrological influence of Saturn. ![]() The dictionary definitions for saturnine are as follows:ġ. It is the expression on your face when you are dumped by your girlfriend or boyfriend and the sullenness is hard to hide under your veneer of strength. Saturnine is all about gloom and doom, feeling sad and left out.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |