The Saturn Myth A Reinterpretation Of Rites And Symbols Illuminating Some Of The Dark Corners Of Primordial Society

"In the earliest age recalled by the ancients, the planet – or proto-planet – came forth from the cosmic sea to establish dominion over the entire world. The planet-god ruled as the solitary, central light, worshipped as the god One – the only god in the beginning.

"Saturn's epoch left a memory of such impact that later generations esteemed the god as the Universal Monarch, the first and ideal king, during whose rule occurred the prehistoric leap from barbarism to civilization. Throughout Saturn's era of cosmic harmony, no seasonal vicissitudes threatened man with hunger or starvation, and men suffered neither labor nor war.

"Saturn 'came forth in overwhelming splendor. In the land, it became day.' This does not equate Saturn with the 'sun on the horizon.' It means that the coming forth of Saturn inaugurated the archaic day, which began at sunset. So long as the solar orb was visible, the fiery globe of Saturn remained subdued, unable to compete with the sheer light of the former body. But once the solar orb sank beneath the horizon, Saturn and its circle of secondary lights acquired a terrifying radiance."

from The Saturn Myth by David N. Talbott