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Saturnalia is a Roman holiday that starts on the 17 of December and lasts for a week. It celebrated Saturn (Kronos) as the God of Crops and Harvest. “The ropes that bound the feet of Saturn’s statue for the rest of the year were untied on the 17, a symbolic act accompanied by sacrificed that liberated the God, who later became personified as Old Father Time, the bent robed figure whose sickle ‘chopped down’ the harvest of passing hours” (Nozedar, 483). There was a relaxation of the rules during Saturnalia that included the allowance of gambling, the heavy consumption of food and drink, and most important of all informal clothing got to replace the toga! There was also a particular feast that the masters of slaves prepared and served too their slaves. The gifts given during Saturnalia (and I can’t forget Yule in the Celtic traditions) are a precursor to the gifts given at Christmas as Saturnalia ended on the 24 or 25 of December depending on the region. Romans took the customs of Saturnalia wherever they settled and spread it to many different cultures.
Work Cited
Nozedar, Adele. The Illustrated Signs & Symbols Sourcebook: An A to Z Compendium of Over 1000 Designs. Hong Kong: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2014. Print.
A dust storm is starting up again, Zane thought as she stared out across the red-tinged sands of the Sahara. Turning her Arabian purebred back toward the small tan colored town Zane readjusted the dark hood of her cloak and the scarf that covered the lower portion of her face. It would not do for travelers to recognize her in this place as she was still wanted by their king. Zane knew that the people of Assa would protect her, but for those who were traveling home for the Holy Days….well she did not want to find out.
It had been a little more than a year since Zane had last set foot in Morocco. At the time she had crashed, more like was sent flying through a window by a rampaging monster, a party King Mohammed VI was throwing. What happened after was not pretty and that was why she had continued her hunting to the east. There had been many monsters for her to slay in the tribal lands of the savanna. She had even run into a few monsters who had braved the Sahara.
Now, she was returning home. Well as close to a home as Zane would ever get. Being nomadic for most of her life left an itch for the open wilds that would start to burn if she stayed in one spot for too long. When that happened Zane would say her goodbyes and be on her way.
She had sent Quetza on ahead to inform Gabriel and Alex of her arrival. Now all she had to do was get into the town, find Alex’s riad and get Motep into the stable, without being detected. Yeah, like that was going to work out.
Entering the city outskirts Motep snorted at a car that drove a little too close for comfort. The grey horse bucked and whinnied, getting the attention of the farmer’s and their families’, all of whom were in their fields. Before Zane could get Motep trotting away they were surrounded by the chatter children and their parents. Nodding her head to the adult’s Zane could only sigh. This was just how she imagined it to go.
The children, dressed in red’s and orange’s, speculated about what could possibly be in the bags that sat behind Zane. Smiling to herself, she decided to show them. Slipping off her horse Zane untied the lid of a wooden basket and pulled out a Cheetah cub. The cub opened up it’s big amber eyes and stared at what was making all the noise around it.
Setting the Cheetah cub on the ground for the children to play with, Zane walked to another wooden basket and undid the straps tying it to Motep. Handing it to the closest farmer she said, “Share this with all the families that are here. I will know if one does not get their take.”
The farmer nodded his head and walked a little ways with the rest of the adults in tow. Smiling at the image the children created Zane turned to the last person standing in front of her. A young woman dressed in gold’s and green’s, her dark skin offset by her unnatural green eye. “Hai, Demeter.” Zane greeted the goddess.
“Hello,child.” The goddess greeted in return. “I would question what you are doing, but you have proven to favor these people.”
Zane nodded her head in agreement. “I do. But that is not what you are here to ask is it?”
Demeter looked over at the famers as a cry of joy was heard. From the basket appeared dark brown and grey silt speckled with gold and green, silt from the Nile River. “Where did you get goddess blessed silt from child? I thought the Egyptian’s gods hated anyone of our linage.”
“I’m a special case,” Zane said skirting the question. “I doubt that was the question you were going to ask.”
Turning back to the cloaked woman in front of her, Demeter’s eye hardened in annoyance. “Do you plan to travel and slay monsters your whole life?”
Black eyes narrowed at the goddess. “What I do with my life is my decision. As you seem to have forgotten, my lady.” Zane spat. “I am scorned for my powers and have nearly been killed multiple times by your precious council. Why do you not leave me in peace like the other Olympian’s have learned to do?”
“Because, unlike your father. Zaniel Judith Nikalie,” Zane flinched at the use of her full name. “I care about my families’ children. Especially children who are only one sixth human.” With that the goddess disappeared leaving Zane alone in contemplation.
The giggles of a herd of children coming towards her brought Zane back to the present. The Cheetah cub was racing ahead, having gotten way from the throng of children that had been playing with it. Once it reached her Zane grabbed the cub’s scruff and hoisted it into the basket from wins’ it came.
Zane laughed at the downcast faces the children made. “Don’t worry.” She told them as she climbed back into Motep’s saddle. “I will come over with the little devil soon.” Calling out a farewell to the famers, Zane nudged Motep into a gallop. She had her brothers to see.
After thirty minutes of riding up into the hills Zane came to a large square single story riad. Connected to it was a stable filled with Alex’s prized horses. Not all of them were normal either, some were pegasi, unicorns and he even had a few man eaters. Zane stayed far away from those ones. One run in with them was enough.
Leading her horse to his stall Zane had to laugh at what she was seeing. Gabriel must have been inside the stables without Alex knowing because the unicorns all had bows around their horns and the man eaters were muzzled with flowering vines. Hyacinths were woven into the hair of all the horses.
Quickly Zane unloaded Motep, opening up the door that led from the stable into the house in the process. As she fed, watered and brushed down Motep Zane could hear the vibrant notes of an ancient love song Gabriel was playing. With the beginning of a new verse his voice was added, creating a waterfall of tumbling arpeggios. Haunting and yet lovely at the same time, Gabriel’s music would suck you in and only let you go when he set down the instrument he chose that day.
Finished with Motep she walked into the house, picking up a few of her cargo as she went. The entrance hall was just as bare as the outside of the riad with a tile floor and her brother’s shoes lined up against the inner wall. At the end there was an open doorway that led to a small laundry room, to her left, in the center of the long hallway was two doors that led to the inner garden.
Walking into the garden Zane was hit by the cool air no air-conditioning unit could make. At the center was a large pool of water, Koi from Garbiel’s childhood home in Japan swam in its depths and water lily’s laced the surface, this was the Moroccan air cooler. In the four corners of the room stood lemon, orange, lime and even an olive tree, other plants Zane had gathered on her travels and had long forgotten the names of where spread out around the open air room with vine’s growing up the blue walls. Oh, how I love this place, Zane mused to herself.
The slatted wooden doors that led into the lounge and bedroom were wide open allowing the long red drapes to billow in the wind. Across the garden from where she stood were two open doorways leading into the kitchen, from which she could hear the sound of cooking taking place. Zane assumed it was Alex since Gabriel was still singing from the branches of the olive tree. She still couldn’t believe he had not seen her yet.
At a wall Zane set down her load and once again took the Cheetah out of its basket and let it have free run of the place. Taking off her gloves Zane undid the laces of her boots and walked into the pool with no concern about the cloud of dirt that appeared in the water around her.
Sighing again to herself Zane looked around for Quetza. It should not have been hard to find a Black-shouldered Kite in the garden. There were only so many places a bird could perch. Turning to Gabriel again she spotted Quetza, perched a few feet from the singer.
Zane smiled to herself even as studied her brother. He was tanner than she remembered, more toffee in coloring then cream, and had let his blond hair grow out. He was wearing a thigh length red djellaba with yellow cotton pants and barouche. Even though he was sitting in the shade she could see his bright blue eyes flash when he caught sight of her.
“Laeti tibi Saturnalia!” Zane called out as he jumped out of the tree. The sounds in the kitchen stopped as Alex made his way out to see her.
Alex was shorter then Gabriel now. Almost a head shorter but he made that up in his appearance. His periwinkle eyes offset his light brown skin and he now wore his hair short so it curled closely around his head.
“Zane, it is so good to see you!” Alex told her.
“And I you, Alex, Gabriel.” The Cheetah cub raced around the corner and collided with Alex’s legs. “I see the little devil has decided to join us.”
“Yes,” Gabriel said picking up the cub. “We got your message and hoped that you would be able to make it for this year’s festivities.”
“I would not miss it for the world,” Zane said finally pulling down her hood and the scarf that obscured her face, revealing pale skin and short black hair. “I have gifts if you want them now or we can wait until after dinner?”
Alex nodded his head in agreement. “Dinner will be finished shortly. Why don’t you go and get cleaned up. Gabriel will grab some of your clothing you left here last time for you.” With that the Moroccan walked back into the kitchen.
Gabriel grinned brightly at her before nodding toward the bathroom. “You should get going. I know for a fact I don’t want meet Alex’s uncle.”
Zane returned the smile before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. “I have already been to Tartarus, Gab, I can tell you that it’s not someplace I never want to go again.”
After bathing Zane watched with satisfaction as the murky water drained out of the tub. Turning to the pile of clothing Gabriel had set out for her grabbed the first thing she saw. It was the outer layer of a takchita done in blue with silver edging, the under dress being of the same color.
Putting on the takchita Zane walked out to find Alex waiting with food set out at a low table laden with Tajine, Couscous, and Pastilla. Desserts such as kaab el ghzal were laded out on a separate table.
Sitting down at the table Zane smiled at her brothers, it was good to finally be back with family, especially during this festival of their heritage-immortal. Grabbing a glass of green tea with mint she toasted them. “Habeas prosperam valetudinem, amicos bonos, et hilaritatem per annum novum! Io Saturnalia!”
“Io Saturnalia!”